Please, just give me a little more time
With no energy left to fight, Dora gave up. What was the point of resisting when she couldn’t even lift her arm? The whole office had already seen the humiliating confrontation. The damage was done. Defeated, she stayed limp in Austin’s arms, her hands dropping to her sides. Seeing her like that, Austin suddenly stopped and pulled away. The sight of her broken expression made him regret his impulsive actions.
Shit, I did it again, Austin thought, his chest tightening with guilt.
When she realized he had stopped, Dora slowly opened her eyes. With a weak smile and a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “Congratulations. You won. You finally made me look like a whore in front of everyone.”
Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. Something in her tone made his heart race with fear. He let go of her immediately, and she stumbled, staring at him with empty eyes. Her silence was worse than any scream or curse. He expected her to cry, to yell at him for humiliating her, but she did neither. She just stood there, hollow and defeated.
Sienna rushed to Dora’s side, glaring at Austin with pure resentment. “I don’t feel well. Can you take me home?” Dora asked softly, leaning on Sienna for support.
She turned to Douglas, who stood nearby, and said, “Baby, get the car immediately.”
Baby? Austin’s mind raced. Did she just call him ‘baby’? Does that mean she’s with Douglas now? The thought twisted his stomach into knots.
With one last glare at Austin, Sienna and Douglas helped Dora out of the room. As they left, the room fell into an eerie silence. Everyone’s eyes were on Austin, and he couldn’t take it. “What?!” he snapped. “Never seen a husband kiss his wife before?”
A surprised murmur spread through the crowd. Husband and wife? The same question echoed in everyone’s minds.
Alone in his car, Austin slammed his fists against the steering wheel, screaming, “What the hell is wrong with me?!” He panted, cursing himself over and over. Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he muttered, “Why does everything have to be so damn complicated?”
Feeling lost and unsure of what to do, he drove to his parents’ house. He didn’t understand why he had kissed Dora like that, but something inside him had snapped when he saw her defeated. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was about to lose something precious,something he couldn’t live without. He needed clarity, and he hoped Paulina, his best friend, could help him figure it out. She always understood him better than anyone.
When he arrived, the house was eerily quiet. He headed straight for his mother’s room but stopped when he heard her voice through the slightly open door.
“What do you mean she’s working at the same company?” his mother, Ruby, said sharply into the phone. Austin froze, listening. “That wench! No wonder Austin doesn’t want to stay with us. No matter how hard she tries, I’ll get rid of her this time, by hook or by crook.”
Austin’s stomach dropped. What does she mean by ‘this time’? he wondered.
Ruby continued, her voice cold and calculating. “I know my son. I know how to twist his emotions. Once someone breaks his trust, he’ll never forgive them, no matter what.” She chuckled darkly. “And Dora is a fool. She still doesn’t know why she’s getting divorced. She doesn’t know me. If I could make her lose her child, I can do anything to her.”
Austin’s blood ran cold. Lose her child? His mind raced as he tried to process what he’d just heard.
Ruby ended the call and opened the door, only to find Austin standing there, his face unreadable. “When did you get here?” she asked, startled.
“Are you not happy to see me?” Austin replied coldly, his arms crossed.
“Of course, I’m happy! If you’d told me you were coming, I would’ve prepared your favorite dinner,” she said with a nervous laugh.
“I wanted to surprise you,” Austin said, his tone sharp. “By the way, what were you doing just now?”
“Me? Nothing, just sitting in my room,” Ruby stammered, but Austin already knew the truth.
“Where’s Paulina?” he asked, changing the subject.
“She’s visiting her aunt. She went to the airport earlier. You don’t spend much time with her, and she doesn’t have many friends here. I suggested she visit her family while she’s staying with us,” Ruby explained.
Austin nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. The pieces were starting to come together, and he didn’t like the picture they were forming.
“You’ll be staying here tonight?” Ruby asked, breaking the silence. She waited for a response, but Austin didn’t answer. His mind was racing with questions.
Who was my mother talking to on the phone? he wondered. He had never seen her act hostile toward Dora before, but the tone of her call was shocking. His mother, who always seemed so calm and soft-spoken, had sounded full of hatred. And what did she mean by “getting rid of Dora this time”?
A sudden thought hit him. It was his mother who had first told him about Dora’s supposed affair with Daniel. But how did she even know about it? They didn’t live together, and at the time, Austin had been too hurt and angry to question it. Now, with a clearer mind, something didn’t add up.
“Of course, I’ll stay,” Austin finally replied, but his tone was distant, almost cold. “Can’t I fulfill my mother’s small request?”
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. His mother had always seemed to get along with Dora. In fact, Dora had adored her, calling her the “best mother-in-law.” So why was Ruby talking about her with so much hatred? And what did she mean about making Dora “lose her child”? Wasn’t that child supposed to be his? He had pressured Dora into an abortion to punish her for cheating, but now he wasn’t so sure. Was there something he was missing?
The thought of Dora made Austin feel a deep sense of regret. Her emotionless face haunted him, filling him with self-loathing. Hearing his mother’s words, he realized there might be more to the story. Something didn’t add up, and he needed to figure it out before it was too late. He decided to keep an eye on his mother, but he knew he couldn’t watch her 24/7 without raising suspicion.
The next day, as Austin tried to figure out how to uncover the truth, he received disturbing news: Dora had resigned from the company, effective immediately. She hadn’t even come to the office to hand in her resignation. He tried calling her, but her phone was switched off.
Desperate, he called Sienna to his office. “Ms. Addison, where is Ms. Nur?” he asked, trying to sound calm.
“I don’t know,” Sienna replied curtly.
“You do know that she’ll face consequences if she makes impulsive decisions,” Austin said, his voice tight.
“Whatever consequences she faces, they won’t be worse than what she’s already dealing with, Mr. Jess,” Sienna shot back.
Austin even tried talking to Douglas, but he got the same response. When Dora didn’t show up the second day, Austin grew restless. The fear of losing her, which had been gnawing at him since the public kiss, intensified. He went to her apartment, but it was locked. Her words echoed in his mind: “You won.”
Swallowing his pride, Austin begged Sienna for help. “Please, Ms. Addison, I know you know where she is. At least do me a favor and ask her to talk to me.”
Sienna’s eyes burned with anger. “Haven’t you done enough? Because of you, she tried to end her life once. Are you trying to drive her to do it again?”
Austin froze. “What do you mean she tried to end her life?” he asked, his voice trembling. He suddenly remembered the bandage he’d seen on her wrist.
“Don’t act like you care now,” Sienna snapped. “We both know the truth.”
Realizing he wouldn’t get anywhere with Sienna, Austin tried following her, but she went straight home and stayed there. On the third day of Dora’s absence, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He hired a private investigator to track Dora’s whereabouts and to monitor his mother’s phone records. He needed to know who Ruby had been talking to that night.
A week later, Austin’s phone rang. He expected it to be the investigator, but it was his mother. “Yes, I remember I have a hearing tomorrow,” he said, annoyed by her persistence.
“Now that you’re back, finalize everything,” Ruby said. “Even if Dora opposes the divorce, the lawyer can argue her infidelity. With the proof you have, the court will grant it.”
Austin’s jaw tightened. “Ma, why do you hate Dora so much?” he asked suddenly.
Ruby hesitated. “I… after what she did to you, how can I not hate her?” she stammered.
“Yes, you know I don’t forgive anyone who betrays me,” Austin said, watching her closely. Ruby paled but didn’t respond.
The next day, Austin arrived at the courthouse, relieved to see Dora there, unharmed. His eyes followed her as her lawyer seemed shocked by something she said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Please, just give me a little more time,” Dora pleaded with her lawyer.
At that moment, Austin’s phone rang. It was Ronan, the investigator. Dora, sensing someone’s gaze, turned and saw Austin staring at her with a cold expression as he answered the call.
This is it, Dora thought. After today, I’ll have nothing to do with him. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to happen.
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