Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 38202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 191(@200wpm)___ 153(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Most times, I manage to grit my teeth and ignore it. They can waste time talking about me all day long, and I won’t give a fuck. It’s their lives, anyway.
But there are times when it seems the whole world is conspiring against me, throwing all sorts of painful reminders my way...like today.
Virginia stops by my desk, asking, “Is Mr. Rochester busy?”
Why don’t you ask him?
Or at least that’s what I want to say.
Instead, I force a smile, saying, “He has no meetings at the moment.”
“That’s great,” Virginia immediately gushes. “I’ve just taken a call from Ms. Blanche Ingram, and she only wants to be connected if Mr. Rochester isn’t occupied.” Before I can get another word in, she goes on, “Ms. Blanche is an old childhood friend of Mr. Rochester. They grew up together, and she knows everything about Mr. Rochester.”
Ah. So that’s what the cruel gleam in her eyes is about.
I abruptly rise to my feet, surprising the receptionist into taking a step back. “Where are you going?” she demands.
Instead of answering, I march past her, and despite the countless pairs of eyes that start stalking me I make my way to the door of the CEO’s office and knock.
“Enter.”
I open the door but stay outside. When our gazes meet, I say tonelessly, “Ms. Blanche is on line one.”
Mr. Rochester jerks.
“And according to Virginia—-”
The receptionist lets out a nervous squeak behind me. “You bitch.”
“This other woman knows everything about you.” I shut the door closed without waiting for an answer.
Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.
I cling to my anger as I walk away.
I was different, he had said. I was the only one, he had said.
But even those things were a lie.
I’M ONCE AGAIN BUSY packing when someone pounds heavily on my door. But this time it’s not the product of a frantic teenager but a full-fledged male adult. “Jane, let me in.”
Also known as the biggest liar in the world, I think furiously, but underneath my anger is pain.
So much pain that I can’t quite see properly and my fingers are shaking too hard I have to give up folding my clothes and I just start dumping them on my suitcase.
Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.
“Jane!”
I ignore it. Only a few things left, and I’ll be out—-
A crashing sound explodes behind me, and I whirl around in shock.
Mr. Rochester stalks in.
Oh my God, did he just break his own door?
His handsome face whitens when he sees what I’m doing. “No.” His voice is violent.
Ah God, I have a sudden urge to cry. He makes it sound like I’m destroying him by leaving, but we both know it can’t be—-
Damn him. Damn him. Damn him.
“I’m leaving,” I manage to say without breaking down.
I start to turn away, but Mr. Rochester catches hold of my shoulders and forces me to face him. “Let me explain—-”
The words are all too hurtfully familiar, and I find myself snapping.
“No!” I use all my strength to strike his chest with my fists. “No, goddamn you, enough explaining! That’s what you said the last time and you still lied! And you’re still lying—-”
Lies. All lies. Every word a lie.
And yet I still feel it in me.
The realization makes my arms fall back to my sides.
Oh God.
How do I stop myself from feeling?
How?
His fingers bite into my arms. “I know what you’re thinking about Blanche—-”
“You lied to me about her,” I cry out. “You keep lying to me—-”
“I didn’t lie about Blanche,” he grates out, “because I’ve never fucked her.”
My head snaps up.
“I can’t help it that she knows everything, Jane. She has been around for as long as I remember. Our parents know each other, we’ve been to the same schools, we have the same friends—-” He inhales heavily. “She was there when I married Adele’s mother and she was there when my marriage crumbled.”
His sapphire eyes capture mine. “And that’s the only reason why she knows everything. It was only because she was there.” And when I still don’t answer, he begins shaking me. “Do you understand, Jane? Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I can’t make myself speak. I’m too terrified.
“It wasn’t because I talked to her,” Mr. Rochester says rawly. “It wasn’t because she knew me...like you know me—-”
What he’s saying—-
What he wants me to believe—-
It’s just too much, and I shake my head. “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
“Jane—-”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “I said I don’t want to hear a single—-.”
Mr. Rochester has cupped my face, and the mere feel of his hands on my skin threatens to break me.
Tears sting my eyes.
“I’m so scared,” I choke out. “You have so much power over me—-”
Mr. Rochester hauls me towards him, his arms closing around me.
Oh God, I want to cry even more—-
It’s been so long since I felt his strong powerful arms wrapped around my body.