Where I Stand
She entered the office the next morning with a knot in her chest she hadn’t been able to untangle all night. Sleep had barely come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face, felt the weight of his words, the warmth of a kiss that had never been meant to exist.
Her feet carried her straight to his office before she could stop herself.
She knocked once and opened the door.
Kelvin was standing close to Stella-too close. Stella’s hand rested possessively on his arm, her body angled toward his. They weren’t kissing. They weren’t even touching much. But Sharon saw it anyway-the familiarity, the claim.
Not this again, she thought, her heart sinking.
For a foolish moment, she had believed him. Believed that what happened between them had meant something real. That he had been choosing, struggling, deciding.
She had replayed every second of the drive home, his confession looping in her head until it felt fragile in the morning light.
Now it felt foolish.
She shut the door quickly and turned, her steps hurried as she walked away.
“Sharon!” Kelvin called.
She didn’t stop.
“Sharon, wait.”
Her pace quickened.
“I said fucking wait!”
The sharpness in his voice made a few heads turn, but she kept walking. He caught up with her and grabbed her wrist, spinning her around.
“Why are you acting like this?” he demanded.
She pulled her hand back. “Like what?”
“Like you’re angry with me,” he said, lowering his voice. “Like I’ve done something wrong.”
She let out a bitter breath. “You really don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” he snapped. “You walked into a room and decided a whole story in your head.”
“I saw you with her,” she said, her voice shaking despite her effort to keep it steady.
“You saw us talking,” he replied. “That’s my fiancée. What exactly did you expect?”
Silence stretched between them.
“I’m not angry,” Sharon said finally. “I’m… overwhelmed. You say one thing, do another, and expect me to be okay with it.”
“I never promised you anything,” he said carefully.
“I know,” she shot back. “And that’s exactly the problem.”
She took a step back. “You kissed me. You told me you had feelings. Then the next morning I walk in and-” she gestured helplessly toward his office, “-I’m reminded of where I stand.”
“Nothing was happening in there,” he said firmly. “You jumped to conclusions.”
“I jumped because I’m human,” she snapped. “Because I don’t know how to be whatever it is you want me to be.”
“You’re acting jealous,” he said, frustration creeping in.
“Maybe I am,” she admitted quietly. “And I hate that about myself.”
That was when Stella walked up behind him.
“What is going on?” Stella asked, her voice tight.
Kelvin stiffened. “Nothing. We were just talking.”
Stella laughed sharply. “You don’t chase someone down the hallway for ‘nothing,’ Kelvin.”
He turned to her. “Can you give us a minute? I’ll explain everything.”
“No,” Stella said, folding her arms. “Explain it now. What exactly is going on between you and her?”
“There is nothing going on,” he said.
The words echoed louder than he intended.
Sharon felt her chest tighten. She nodded slowly, more to herself than to anyone else.
“That’s my cue,” she said softly.
“Sharon-” Kelvin started.
She shook her head. “You don’t have to explain anything, sir. I understand perfectly.”
She turned toward the exit.
“I’ll keep my distance,” she added without looking back. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? That’s what makes everything simpler.”
And then she walked away.
Kelvin stood there for a moment after Sharon disappeared down the corridor, his jaw tight, his thoughts scattered. The sound of heels clicking behind him pulled him back.
Stella stopped in front of him.
“So,” she said calmly-too calmly. “Do you want to tell me what that was about?”
He exhaled slowly. “Stella, not here.”
“No,” she replied, meeting his eyes. “Here is perfect. Because whatever just happened didn’t look professional, and it definitely didn’t look innocent.”
“She’s my staff,” he said. “And she’s emotional right now.”
Stella let out a short laugh. “Emotional people don’t make you abandon your fiancée mid-conversation and chase them through the hallway.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “You’re blowing this out of proportion.”
“Am I?” she asked. “Because from where I’m standing, you looked scared she was walking away.”
“That’s not what it was.”
“Then tell me what it was, Kelvin,” she pressed. “Because lately, you’ve been distant. You barely talk to me. You’re always distracted. And now this.”
He hesitated-and that hesitation told her everything.
“You have feelings for her,” Stella said quietly.
“No,” he said too quickly. “It’s not like that.”
“Don’t insult me,” she snapped. “I know you. And I know when something-or someone-has your attention.”
Silence stretched between them.
“She’s young,” Stella continued. “Innocent. Easy to impress. Is that what this is about? A distraction because things between us have become real?”
“That’s unfair,” he said, finally looking at her.
“Is it?” she asked. “Because you didn’t deny it.”
He sighed. “I care about her well-being. That’s all.”
“Care doesn’t look like that,” Stella said. “Care doesn’t look like confusion. Or guilt.”
She stepped closer. “Kelvin, I’m about to marry you. I need to know-are you choosing me, or are you keeping me because it’s convenient?”
He swallowed. “I chose you. I proposed to you.”
“Yes,” she said. “But you proposed while your heart was already somewhere else.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why does it feel like I’m competing with her?” Stella asked softly.
He had no answer.
Stella straightened. “I won’t fight for a man who isn’t fully here. If there is anything unresolved between you and her, you need to end it-completely.”
“She already said she’d keep her distance,” he replied.
“That’s not enough,” Stella said firmly. “You’re her boss. You control the situation, not her. If this continues, I’ll start wondering what else you’re capable of hiding.”
He stiffened. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m protecting myself,” she said. “Because I won’t marry a man whose loyalty wavers every time someone looks at him with admiration.”
She turned to leave, then paused.
“One more thing,” she added without looking back. “If I find out you lied to me-even once-I won’t walk away quietly.”
When she was gone, Kelvin stood alone in the corridor, the weight of her words settling in.
For the first time, he realized something terrifying.
In trying not to hurt anyone, he might already be losing everyone.
He stood there for a moment after Stella walked away, the echo of her words still ringing in his ears. The office felt tighter somehow, like the walls were closing in. He returned to his office, finished up in silence, and by the time work closed, his head was pounding.
As he drove out of the compound, he slowed instinctively.
Sharon.
She was walking toward the gate, her bag slung over her shoulder, steps quick-as if she wanted to outrun the day.
“Sharon,” he called out through the open window.
She stopped. Slowly. Reluctantly. Then turned.
“Yes, sir.”
“Can I give you a lift home?,” he said, keeping his tone neutral, professional. “It’s late.”
She shook her head almost immediately. “No, thank you, sir. I’m fine.”
“You don’t have to be difficult about it,” he said, a slight edge creeping in despite himself. “It’s just a lift.”
“I know,” she replied softly, her eyes dropping for a second before lifting again. “I’d rather not.”
He opened his mouth to insist-to say something he hadn’t thought through-
Click. Click.
Heels approached from behind.
“Oh, Mr Kelvin,” Lillian said brightly, appearing beside him as if on cue. “Perfect timing. Can you give me a lift home? My car is acting up again.”
He froze.
What the hell is she doing?
The timing was too perfect. The smile too calculated. The situation too loaded.
He glanced at Sharon.
She didn’t look surprised. If anything, she looked… resigned.
She gave a small, polite nod. “Good night, sir. Good night, ma.”
And then she walked away.
Just like that.
Something hot flared in his chest-anger, frustration, regret-all tangled together. He didn’t call her back. Didn’t trust himself to.
“Get in,” he said curtly, already unlocking the car.
Lillian smiled faintly and slid into the passenger seat.
He drove off immediately, the engine responding to the pressure of his foot. The silence in the car was thick, uncomfortable.
“So,” Lillian began lightly, adjusting her seat. “You and Sharon seem close.”
He didn’t look at her. “We’re not.”
“Oh?” she said. “Because people are talking.”
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “People should focus on their jobs.”
She chuckled softly. “I agree. Especially when lines start blurring.”
He finally glanced at her, his eyes cold. “Be careful, Lillian.”
Her smile didn’t waver. “I always am.”
But the rest of the drive passed without another word. His thoughts were nowhere near the woman beside him-only on the one walking away in the opposite direction.