Let me go
Dora’s pov
“Mrs Austin, get your ass back on the bed right now.”
“No.”
“Are you disobeying me?”
“Mrs. Austin Jess, get your ass back on this bed right now,” his voice growled, low and commanding.
“No,” I replied again, though my heart raced.
“Are you disobeying me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Maybe,” I shot back, a small smirk playing on my lips.
“Oh, I’ll give you two options. Move your ass, or…”
“Or what?” I interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
“Or pray that when I catch you, I go easy on you,” he said, his voice dripping with a mix of threat and amusement.
“We’ll see about that,” I teased, taking a step back.
“Oh, you have no idea how much you’re turning me on, my little cat,” he said, his voice softening as he took a step closer.
“Let go of me, Mr. Jess,” I said, trying to sound firm, but my voice wavered slightly.
“Oh, my Persian pussy, I’d never let you go,” he murmured, pulling me closer.
“You’re so gross,” I said, rolling my eyes, though I couldn’t help the small smile that escaped.
“What? I was just calling you a cat,” he said, feigning innocence.
“Mr. Jess, can you let me go?” I said, my voice cold and emotionless, even though my stomach fluttered at his familiar touch. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and released me. But then, without thinking, he blurted out, “What are you doing here?”
I wanted to ask him the same question. How had he changed so much in just two years?
Why does she look so different? I could see the question in his eyes as he openly stared at me, his gaze traveling from head to toe. I didn’t answer him. Instead, I turned to Sienna, who stood frozen, stunned by our unexpected encounter. “Let’s go,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.
By the time Austin processed what had just happened, I was already out of his sight. His confusion quickly turned to fury, and as he glanced around, he noticed the employees who had witnessed our exchange. He abandoned his coffee and stormed back to his office.
“What the hell is she doing here? How dare she just walk past me like that!” he growled under his breath.
On the other side, I was locked in a washroom cubicle, crying hysterically. The emotions I had been holding back finally spilled over. There was a soft knock on the door.
“I know you’re in there, Dora. And I know you’re crying. Come out, babe,” Sienna’s voice called gently.
I wiped my tears and opened the door, immediately falling into her arms. I let it all out, the pain, the confusion, the longing.
“Hey, you did great back there. He deserved to be treated like that a long time ago, but better late than never,” Sienna said, rubbing my back soothingly.
“Why do I still love him so much?” I whispered, my voice breaking. “No matter how cold I pretend to be, deep down, I know how much I still crave his touch. I know I should be stronger, but I’m not a robot. I can’t just turn off my feelings overnight. It’s going to take time, and until then, it’s so hard. I feel suffocated, like I’m drowning in all these emotions at once. I can’t breathe, Sienna.”
“Listen to me, Dora,” Sienna said, holding me tighter. “On my count, take a deep breath. One, two, three, breathe in.”
I followed her instructions, taking a sharp breath in.
“Good. Now, one, two, three, breathe out. Do this with me,” she said, her voice calm and steady.
I repeated the process, focusing on her voice, letting it anchor me. Slowly, the tightness in my chest began to ease, and I felt like I could breathe again.
“It’s going to be okay, Dora,” Sienna whispered. “You’re stronger than you think. Just take it one step at a time.”
I nodded, clinging to her words. One step at a time. That’s all I could do for now.
After a few minutes of breathing in and out, I finally felt calmer. I stepped back from Sienna’s hug and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. My makeup was smudged, and my eyes were red, but Sienna’s words made me feel a little better.
“Life’s not supposed to be easy, right? Where’s the fun in that?” Sienna said, giving me a small smile as she looked at my reflection.
I nodded, fixing my makeup and pulling myself together. When I walked out of the bathroom and got to my desk, I was told the new boss wanted to see me.
“That was quick,” Sienna said, rolling her eyes.
I took a deep breath and headed to his office. Inside, Austin was looking through my file. I could see him reading about when I joined the company and who I worked with, Sienna and Douglas. His face turned dark when he saw Douglas’s name.
Of course, he’d notice that, I thought. That’s probably why we seemed familiar to him yesterday. Maybe he even saw me in the meeting.
What really seemed to bother him, though, was how cold I had been when we met earlier. He must have expected me to show some emotion, anger, sadness, anything. But I didn’t give him anything. Just a blank, professional face.
Outside his office, I hesitated, my hand raised to knock. But before I could, the door opened, and there he was, standing right in front of me.
“Dora,” he said, his voice calm but firm. He stepped aside, letting me in.
I walked past him, my heart racing but my face calm. Stay cool, Dora. He’s just your boss now. That’s it.
As I moved toward the desk, I could feel his eyes on me, looking me up and down. I was wearing fitted pants and a blouse that showed off my curves, my long hair loose down my back. I knew I looked good, and from the way he was staring, he noticed too.
Who is this Dora? I could almost hear him thinking. The woman he knew was quiet, emotional, easy to read. But this version of me was different, confident, calm, and hard to figure out.
The silence was too much, so I spoke first. “I heard you wanted to see me, Mr. Jess.”
His eyebrow went up when I called him that. Oh, really? Playing the professional card now? he seemed to think.
“Yes, Dora. Sit down,” he said, moving to sit behind his desk.
“It’s Ms. Nur, please,” I corrected him, my voice firm.
He clenched his jaw but kept his cool. “If you say so,” he said, his teeth gritted.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised to see you here,” he started, his tone serious. “I asked you earlier why you were here, but you didn’t answer. As your boss, don’t you have to answer when I ask you something?”
I took a deep breath, keeping my voice steady. “Yes, I have to answer work-related questions. But I wasn’t sure how to answer something so obvious. I was in the company cafeteria with a company tag. What else would I be doing there, Mr. Jess? Isn’t it clear?”
He looked surprised by my sharp reply, and for a moment, I thought he might lose his temper. But he held it in.
“Ms. Nur, I’m sure you’re smart enough to understand what I meant,” he said, trying to stay calm, though I could see the anger underneath.
I glanced at my file on his desk and smirked. “I’m sure you’ve already gotten all the information you need from HR. Do I still need to answer your question, Mr. Jess?”
“Enough, Dora. Don’t push me,” he snapped, slamming his hand on the desk. I flinched but didn’t back down.
“Let me make this clear,” I said, my voice steady. “I work here now. The only connection we have is boss and employee. You can ask me about work, but anything else is none of your business. If you have work-related questions, I’ll answer them, Mr. Jess.”
His fists clenched, and for a moment, I thought he might explode. But then his eyes fell on my bandaged wrist, and before he could stop himself, he asked, “What happened to your wrist?”
“Nothing you need to worry about,” I replied coldly.
The man sitting across from me wasn’t the Austin I used to know. The Austin I married was quiet, predictable, and easy to read. Even the day before yesterday, when he called me a terrible name, the hurt was all over my face. But this new version of me was different—stronger, harder to break.
“You can go for now,” he said, his tone hinting that this wasn’t over.
What’s the worst he can do now? Divorce me? I thought as I walked out of his office. That’s all he can do. I won’t let him hurt me again.
As soon as the door closed behind me, I heard him snap, “Dammit!”
Inside, Austin was pacing, his mind racing with anger and frustration. Forget her. I can’t let her get to me again. It’s been months, and I’m still acting like a fool around her. I hate her. I should hate her.
Later, when I told Douglas about what happened, he went quiet, thinking hard. “From a restaurant owner to a management executive in just two years? How did he pull that off?” he wondered.
Douglas had been the CEO of his family business, and he knew how hard it was to climb the corporate ladder. It usually took years of hard work, playing the game, and making connections. But Austin had done it in no time.
How? I wondered. And more importantly, why?
As I sat there, replaying the day in my mind, one thing was clear: this was just the start. Austin wasn’t going to let me go easily, and I had to be ready for whatever came next.
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