Chapter 6 Fears #2
Her breath hitched, and her fingers curled around the skirt she was wearing. ‘Could Alexander have sent him?’ The thought sliced through her mind like ice. ‘Maybe he’s trying to get my number… my personal details. He must be trying to trap me again!’
The panic in her chest bloomed wider, pressing against her ribs until she could barely breathe. Her pulse roared in her ears, and without saying another word, she turned sharply and hurried past Allen.
Allen turned around in confusion, watching her rush away, the phone still raised awkwardly in his hand. His brows furrowed slightly as he called after her. “Ms. Goodwin?”
But she was already gone.
Her heels clicked rapidly against the polished floor as she rushed down the hall, each step heavier than the last. Her hands were shaking when she reached her desk. She dropped into her chair, the leather creaking beneath her weight, and stared blankly at her computer screen.
“I need to leave this company,” she whispered suddenly. “If I resign, Alexander won’t be able to trap me in another contract.”
She sat upright at once. Her hands trembled as she moved the mouse hurriedly, the cursor darting across the screen. She opened her email, her vision blurring slightly from the rush of adrenaline. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears while she typed out the message with stiff, quick fingers.
Her resignation letter was short, formal, desperate. Before she could overthink it, she hit send.
Leaning back in her chair, she pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the wild rhythm of her heartbeat. But the worry didn’t fade—it only grew stronger.
“He’s not going to let me go that easily,” she murmured, her lips pressed into a tight line. “For five years, I was stuck in that contract—forced to be his girlfriend because I needed money for Mom’s hospital bills. If it wasn’t for that, I never would’ve agreed.”
Her fingers tapped restlessly on the desk, nails clicking against the wood. “He’s definitely going to reject this. He’s so obsessed with me. There’s no way he’d let me go that easily.”
Her thoughts spiraled faster and faster.
“He’ll definitely pull some trick to keep me in this company.
” Her voice lowered as she frowned at the screen.
“My resignation… he’s surely going to reject it and force me to stay.
Maybe he’ll claim I owe him something, or worse, ruin my name so no other company will take me.
What am I going to do? What if I sue him?
What if I just leave this city to get away from him? ”
She dragged in a shaky breath and leaned forward, elbows on the desk, her face buried in her hands.
Then—ding!
The sharp chime of a new email sliced through the air.
Her head snapped up, eyes flying to the screen. A reply. Already.
Her pulse spiked again as she clicked it open, bracing herself for the rejection she knew was coming—some icy message from HR saying her contract was “under review,” or worse, a direct message from Alexander himself banning her from leaving the company.
But when the words appeared on the screen, her breath caught.
‘Your resignation is accepted.’
She blinked once. Then again.
“What…?” she breathed out.
Leaning forward, she reread the line twice to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. “It was approved? Just like that?”
Her fingers hovered frozen above the keyboard. The silence in the office suddenly felt too loud—the hum of air conditioning, the distant ring of a phone, the murmur of coworkers—all blending into a muffled haze.
For a long, stunned moment, she didn’t move.
Then slowly, she reached out, began gathering her things. Each motion felt mechanical. Her notebook, her pen, her water bottle. Her ID card clinked softly as she set it down on the desk.
When she was done, she stood. Her chair rolled slightly back with a soft creak.
Her heels clicked dully as she walked through the office one last time. No one noticed her leaving. No glances, no whispers. Just the quiet sound of her own footsteps.
Outside, the afternoon sunlight spilled across the pavement. She blinked against it, tightening her grip on her bag. The glass tower of Graves Corporation loomed behind her, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
Janet turned back once, her gaze tracing the familiar building. A faint, bitter smile touched her lips.
‘Now I’m completely free of him,’ she told herself. ‘No one can ever control me again.’
But then, a strange heaviness settled in her chest.
‘Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?’ she thought, clutching her bag tighter. ‘Then why… don’t I feel happy at all?’
It wasn’t long before Janet reached home. The moment she stepped inside her apartment, she dropped her bag and keys on the small dining table with a soft thud. The quiet hum of the apartment filled her ears until the sound of a door opening broke it.
A tall woman appeared from the hallway, adjusting the hem of her jeans. Her long hair was tied up loosely, and she looked ready to head out.
“You’re home early,” the woman said, glancing at Janet curiously.
“Yeah…” Janet exhaled, rubbing her forehead tiredly. “I just left the company. Resigned.” Her voice came out weary. “Where are you going all dressed up?”
Christie—her best friend—frowned. “You resigned?” she asked, walking closer. “So suddenly? I thought you were happy there. They paid you really well, didn’t they? I remember you said no other company offered that kind of salary.”
Janet bit her lip, looking down. Her hands twisted together as she thought, ‘Should I tell her? Should I tell her about Alexander… and that contract?’
Her chest tightened at the thought. ‘No. If I tell her, she’ll gossip again. She never keeps secrets. She’ll tell everyone—and worse, she might even tell my boyfriend about it. If that happened, it would create a whole new mess.’
She looked up and forced a weak smile, trying to make up an excuse. “It’s just—”
But before she could finish, Christie cut her off, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Wait, don’t tell me—it was your manager, wasn’t it?” she guessed, crossing her arms. “There’s no way you’d leave a job like that over nothing. Someone must have been giving you a hard time.”
Janet looked up quickly and nodded, seizing the excuse. “Yes… yeah, it was because of that.”
Christie sighed heavily and slammed her hand on the table. “I knew it! Some people are just jealous when someone else does well.” Her tone softened as she patted Janet’s shoulder with sympathy. “Don’t worry. It’s a loss, but you’ll find something better soon. It’s okay—things happen.”
Janet forced a faint smile. “Yeah… things happen.”
Christie’s mood brightened again, her usual energy returning. “Alright, that’s enough moping.” She looped her arm around Janet’s and gave her a quick tug toward the door. “Let’s go. I’ll take you somewhere nice. You need to cheer up.”
“Wait—Christie, I just got home—” Janet tried to protest, but Christie was already dragging her outside.
A short while later, they were sitting in the backseat of a cab, the evening lights of the city blurring past. After a while, the cab stopped near a harbor. The salty breeze brushed against their faces as they stepped out. Janet looked around, puzzled.
“Why are we here?” she asked, glancing at Christie.
Christie grinned and linked her arm through Janet’s. “Just come with me! You’ll love it.”
She practically dragged Janet toward a large yacht docked at the pier.
It gleamed under the soft glow of the setting sun—white, massive, and beautifully lit.
The sunset cast a warm golden glow over the water, and the place looked breathtaking.
A few people were boarding as music played faintly from the deck above.
It wasn’t a private yacht, but it looked luxurious—white lights twinkling along the railings, soft music playing in the background. Christie’s eyes lit up like a child’s.
“This place is amazing!” Christie said, her eyes sparkling as they climbed the steps. The air smelled of sea salt and champagne. “Didn’t you always say you wanted to go on a yacht like this? See, I remembered! Let’s enjoy it today.”
Janet followed quietly, her expression growing more tense with every step. The view was stunning—the ocean stretched endlessly, the evening sky blushing with orange and pink hues—but she couldn’t bring herself to care.
Christie, completely unaware, kept talking excitedly. “It’s not even crowded today. It almost feels like we rented it all for ourselves! Isn’t that lucky? Like our own private yacht!” She giggled, bumping Janet playfully with her shoulder.
But Janet’s patience was thinning with every word. Her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed tightly together. Christie kept chattering, her hand gripping Janet’s arm as she laughed. “We’re so lucky! It feels like—”
“Can you shut up already?” Janet burst out suddenly, her voice sharp as she roughly pulled her arm free from Christie’s grip.
Christie froze, eyes wide in shock. She stared at her arm where Janet had shaken her off, then looked back at Janet’s face—confused, hurt.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, stunned. “Why did you do that?”
Janet rolled her eyes, her face tight with frustration as she glared at Christie.
“You brought me to this shabby yacht,” she snapped sharply, her voice dripping with annoyance.
“And you just keep blabbering about how nice it is! This isn’t a luxury yacht, Christie — it’s a small, cheap boat where people pay for a buffet and ride around pretending they’re rich.
Only people like you would think this is luxury. ”
Her words cut through the air like a slap. Christie froze, her smile faltering.
Janet crossed her arms, her expression filled with disdain.
Inside her mind, irritation burned deeper.
‘I’ve been to places thousands of times more luxurious than this with Alexander.
Every meeting, every event — he’d take me somewhere exclusive, where even the air smelled expensive.
Private areas just for me, servants waiting at every corner…
everything at my fingertips. And here—’ she glanced around the deck at the laughing crowd and buffet tables, ‘I’m sitting here on a public yacht? ’
Her lips twisted in disgust as her eyes landed on Christie again. ‘Only poor people like her would think this is something to fawn over.
Christie’s face flushed red, her eyes narrowing as anger replaced the shock.
“You know what, Janet?” she snapped, her voice trembling with hurt.
“If you’re so starved for luxury and think you’re above me, then don’t be here!
I don’t need your attitude. Yes, maybe this place isn’t good enough for you, but for me it’s special.
You’re the one who said you love yachts — that’s why I brought you here! What else were you expecting?”
Janet crossed her arms and scoffed loudly, her nose wrinkling in annoyance. “Whatever.” She turned around with a sharp huff and began to storm off, heels clicking against the deck.
She turned sharply, ready to storm off, her heels clicking against the deck — but before she could take another step, a strong hand caught her wrist from behind.
Startled, Janet turned around, ready to lash out but the anger froze on her lips when she saw who it was.
“Victor?” she breathed out, eyes widening in shock.
“Hey, baby,” Victor smiled, his expression soft and warm as he stepped closer, his hand still holding hers. He looked every bit the gentle boyfriend — tall, neatly dressed, with that familiar easy smile that used to calm her down.
But not today.
Janet’s surprise didn’t melt into happiness. It lingered in confusion. “Weren’t you supposed to be in California? On a business trip?”
Christie let out a dramatic sigh and folded her arms, glaring at Janet.
“Why are you questioning him?” she grumbled.
“You didn’t respond to his messages for weeks!
He thought you were angry because he couldn’t make it to your birthday.
So he worked overtime, rushed back, and came early to surprise you with an evening on this yacht. But clearly, that was a mistake.”
Victor gave a small, awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck, trying to ease the tension. “Yeah… I wanted to make it up to you. It’s alright if you don’t like it. I will make better arrangements next time, I promise.” His tone was light, but his eyes searched hers carefully.
Christie rolled her eyes, continuing in irritation, “Do you even know how much effort he put into this, Janet? He called in favors, used connections just to get us entry to this yacht. Do you know how hard it is to get an entry here? He did all this just to make you happy, and look at you. But clearly, this isn’t good enough for you. ”
Janet froze, her mind suddenly going blank. ‘My birthday…?’ she thought, stunned. ‘Yes, yesterday was my birthday. How did I forget something so important?’
Victor, oblivious to her distant look, gently tugged her hand. “Come on,” he said cheerfully. “I have a surprise for you. Since I missed your birthday, I’ll make it up to you in a better way.”
He grinned as he led her toward the deck, his face glowing with excitement — while Janet followed silently, her thoughts heavy and unreadable.
Janet stumbled slightly as Victor tugged her along, her heels clicking against the floor of the yacht. She followed him downstairs, her heart still unsettled. They stopped in front of a closed door at the end of a short corridor. Victor turned to her, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“You’re going to be so happy,” he said with a broad grin that almost reached his ears. Then, without another word, he pushed the door open and gently pulled her inside.
The moment Janet stepped in, she froze.