Cassie Winters checked her diamond-encrusted watch and cursed under her breath. She kept her hands on the steering wheel and her eyes on the road. She stepped on the breaks suddenly and swerved the car and made a u-turn.
"Dammit! How could I forget my presentation?" Her Jaguar XF turned smoothly into her driveway and she hopped out and left the engine running. She ran into the house and frowned when she heard loud voices coming from her bedroom.
"Kace how could you??" That voice sounded like Scarlett, Cassie's best friend.
Cassie stilled outside the bedroom door and listened in. She removed her heels and padded barefoot towards the bedroom. She had left the house rather early today while Kace was still asleep. But what was Scarlett doing here so early in the morning and what had her fiancé done to her?
"Yes, Kace how could you be sleeping around with both me and my sister?! That's really messed up!" That sounded like Victoria, Scarlett's young sister.
Cassie clutched her chest and leaned against the wall and tried to compose herself. She couldn't give herself away until she got the whole story.
"What's messed up is that both of you came after me when you both know that I'm dating your best friend! What does that say about you Scar??" Kace shot back.
"Well, now we both pregnant what is your precious Cassie going to say about that? Huh, pretty boy??!" Scarlett poked him menacingly in the chest.
Cassie couldn't take it anymore. It was too much all at once. She raced her way downstairs, trying to keep a brave face; until she drove out of the gate and was back on the road. There was a lump in her throat and as she tried to furiously blink back the tears, they escaped her grey-blue eyes and slid down her perfectly made-up face. Never in her life did she ever think that Kace- her Kace Miles-would be capable of doing something like this to her. She thought he loved her? After all, he had told her countless times! She loved him more than anything-her world revolved around him. She ate, breathed and slept, Kace Miles. He was all she could think about. Her whole life revolved around him. She was beyond hurt, no words could explain how devastated she was. Cassie parked her car on the mezzanine floor and took a breather.
Try as she might she couldn't focus. She was going to make a mess of this presentation and she had been trying to snag this deal for the longest time. She felt like her heart was being squeezed by an iron fist; squeezing the life out of it and bleeding her dry. How could the love of her life betray her in this fashion? And with Scarlett?? She couldn't decipher that if it had been a total stranger, would the impact be any better or worse. Then there was Scarlett's young sister Victoria-well Victoria was a well-known tramp that would give it up to anything that moves-anything with blood. Those sisters were known for snatching each other's boyfriends so why would Cassie be surprised? Did she think they wouldn't cross the line when it came to her if they couldn't respect each other's boundaries?
Cassie sighed and rubbed her wet palms on her grey pencil skirt. She freshened up her make-up and fixed her white silk blouse and straightened her jacket. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a perfect bun, without a strand out of place. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, then made her way to the bathroom to check herself one last time before she went to do her presentation in the boardroom. She had alerted her colleague and close friend Chelsea to set up so long. They had been working on the project together so she was the best person to help.
She would have to take a couple of days to process the mornings' events. This was the ultimate betrayal. How would she face Kace? Scarlett? Any of them? She gulped down half a bottle of water and made her way to the presentation.
Cassie pasted her best crocodile smile and stepped into the room. Everyone was already seated and it seemed they had already started without her.
"Cassie, just the person I was hoping to see." Her boss Kevin Walters looked over his glasses. "My office now!" He growled as his chair screeched and he marched off ahead of her.
She gave a questioning look to her colleague and close friend Chelsea but she just smirked at Cassie. "Well run along then. You will find out soon enough what it's about..and I have already packed your things so no need to worry about that." She said her face written with malice.
Cassie followed Kevin Walters to his office and wasn't even offered a seat.
"Don't bother sitting I'll make it quick." He threw a bonded document on his desk and scowled at her. "I know that you have been planning to open your own advertising company and that you thought you would get away with stealing my clients."
"But I-" she tried to explain.
"Save it Cassandra!" he shouted, "Chelsea told us everything! At least she is a loyal employee-unlike you." He sneered. "I trusted you, Cassie. You were the best Account Manager that I had and this is how you thank me??"
"But Kevin, allow me to explain-" she stepped forward.
"I don't want to hear it. Just get out! Take your things and leave! Now- or I will get security to escort you out of the building."
"Fine. You can believe Chelsea but one day you're going to see the truth." She turned on her heel and strode out of his office with her head held high.
"I'll send someone for my things," She said to the receptionist as she pressed the elevator button.
Could the day get any worse? She thought to herself. Her wedding was in two months and now she was out of a job. At least if she was fired for a valid reason but that Chelsea twisted the truth and had Kevin wrapped around her finger.
Where would she go now? She certainly couldn't go home and her best-friend just proved that she wasn't. Her parents would fuss and fret and she had didn't want to burden them, so she was basically on her own. She glanced at her phone as it rang and Kace's name flashed on the screen.
"Yes?" She barked.
"Hey honey, are you okay?" Kace tested the waters. He was sure he heard the housekeeper telling someone on the phone that Cassie had stumbled on the worst sight of her life. But she seemed oblivious of the morning's events so maybe he needed to brush up on his Spanish or his Cassie was a very good actor that was wasting her talent as in advertising.
"I'm perfect sweetie, just having a bad day." She said with exaggerated sweetness.
"Can I take you to lunch? It might cheer you up?" He smiled to himself, he was home and dry. Cassie was clueless.
"Yeah sounds good. I'll meet you at our usual spot?" She said.
"Great. See you soon baby. I love you." Cassie almost choked on her water.
"I love you too sweetie."
Cassie decided to see how long Kace would keep up this charade. After all, she had nothing to lose...
