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~song dedication~ Do Better By Say Anything

My apologies for the wait, but I hope you guys have been excited for these chapters to come out. I hope you guys enjoy this book. I can't express my gratitude and support from all the consistent readers. So I've been working extra hard on the chapters. Enjoy, leave comments, vote, and don't forget to recommend me to others. 

-VIOLETTEA<3

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"Victoria, get your ass out the door, you're going to be late for the interview," London yells from the hall. I went to check my phone for the time but I remember that I lost it between the club and Mr. Gold's house 

I unbuttoned the top two buttons to my baby blue blouses, adjusting my white pencil skirt, I groan as I smooth out my skirt. Forcing my hands by my side so I'll stop my rustling, I finally gave up on trying to fix my appearance. I felt like a mess regardless of how many times I adjusted my dark curls. My lips were bruised, there were bags under my eyes, and when I walked it was painful.  Grabbing my flats I shook my head, "This is just gonna have to do." 

I grabbed the keys to my silver baby but known to others as just a normal Toyota. 

"I get to drive!" She taunted as she snatched the keys out of my hand. 

"Fine- but if you crash it, you pay for it!" I yelled as she skipped out the door. 

"You never told me how last night went. " London says giving me a side glance. 

I continue to stare out the window as the scenery just passes me. 

Smirking to myself I say, "Yeah, you're right."

"So..." 

"So what?"

"A 'thank you, for taking me to this bar to meet such a hottie' could be nice. Or maybe a 'he isn't worth talking about could be helpful to my imagination." She rants exasperatingly. 

"Okay, okay." I laugh. "Well for one it was a mistake..." I bite my lip, "...that's gonna leave me sore for weeks." 

She squeals, "So he did you good!" I roll my eyes

"Yeahhh..." I blush and try to hide my smile. 

"What was he like!?" 

"It was- well umm- Addictive. after we did it," I swallowed as the car got suddenly hotter. "-well, I guess you could say we couldn't stop." 

"But how did you feel about him?" 

I paused to collect in the thoughts that were prominent in every break of time but were also so quiet I had to really listen to hear those whispers. 

"The feeling was so distantly noticeable, like a breeze on a crisp morning, but in that breeze was when he felt like a due over. Like if I lost my sight of color, but gained back every time he looked into my soul. And at that moment I could note every distinctively bright color." 

 A silence fell and all I could do was wonder why he felt like that to me.

"What the actual fu*k." She said brokenly like she was beyond shocked.

" This man must be a god with his package!" She started to squeal excitedly. "Better than any therapy session, that's for damn sure. " My lungs hurt from how much we chortled. 

But when we finally started to breathe normally again she commented, 

"I'm glad the night went well." 

"Well just like Cinderella's story, the magic only works till 12." The silence that followed was tinted with the more sympathetic approach in her response.

"He was gone?" 

I remember the absence of his warmth as I laid tangled in those sheets. All alone.

"Like a dream,"  I muttered distantly. I gazed out the window to see clouds drifting in. 

"Just forget about it. You had great sex, your gonna have a great job, and you'll have a great life. There's plenty of fish in the sea for you."

I exhaled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

~time  skip~

"Use someone's phone to call me."

"Alright, see you later. Love ya."

"Love ya boo." She says before she turns up the beat in my car. Shutting my door and I walked backward watching her drive away. 

An unsettling feeling bubbled up in my stomach, but I didn't know if it was the feeling of being insignificant to the "Golden" Corporate's enormous skyscraper, or the essence that something unexpected was bound to happen. 

I settled for that feeling but had to bind to that feeling a bit of confidence. I pulled open the doors entering the building. 

The receptionist sat hidden inside the desk. My feet shifted towards the desk. The woman sitting behind the counter flashed me a pearly smile. "You must be here for the interview, I'm April." She extends out a hand up to me. 

"Victoria," I say shaking her hand firmly. 

"I'll send for the CEO's assistance to have you escorted to his office." She dials in a number rapidly.

"His office? I'm being interviewed by the CEO?" I asked confused. 

"He's decided to take up more projects today."

My day couldn't get any worse.

 "-which usually means he's avoiding his conscious."   

Yeah me and him both.

"Take a seat while you wait for Clara."

"Thanks." 

I wander away from the desk and walk by a waiting chair, but I wasn't gonna sit because I didn't want to get too comfortable. I lean up against the chair and prop my knee on the cushion. I groan and rub my forehead.

 I examined the people walking along the sides of the building. Not one gazed back curiously. Sometimes life seemed to make people look like objects just passing by, in their everyday function. But life had the beauty of making peoples life's chaotic under the microscope when they get to tell their stories. 

And just like that, he appeared in my mind again, but it was fuzzy. What was his life like, and did he belong to the traffic of appearing as a normal person? Or did he have this love story he wish he could tell the world, and I was a sliver or paper cut to that connection? Has he even thought about me, beyond that he left a woman in the penthouse? The woman who felt just as lonely waking up in his bed as if she did in her own. 

The elevator door slides apart and I beheld the sight of the blonde strutting like a model in a black signature suit. And the epiphany hit me harder than the bitch slap I could've given myself. Mr. Gold ... THE GOLDEN COMPANY!!

"You've got to be shitting me," I mutter under my breath.

"Follow Clara." April states as she buzzes on her computer. 

I bite my pride back and approached Clara as professionally as possible. But beyond the rage that burned to come out, a deep twisting gut feeling was pressing down on me. 

I brushed past her and entered the elevator. I kept my face calm and composed. She huffed and pressed her chest out. "He doesn't have time to waste on a harlot like you." 

I wanted to cry out and admit that I wish that was the case. That I wanted nothing to do with him and I had nothing to do with him. Clara should be beaming with joy to witness a quality shit show. I could gouge my own eyes out. This is by far the stupidest thing I've done, and sadly that surpasses a lot. 

I glared at her head.

  Don't rejoice too loud when you win front-row seats.

 I was going to heave up my breakfast, and this elevator wasn't helping with my nausea-and the heat! I felt I was also going to have a stroke. If I suddenly got sick maybe I could get out don't be stupid.

You've earned this job, don't let one bad decision dictate your life.

One bad decision will not hold my fate.

The elevator door opened. Clara's heels clicked the seconds till I had to face this man. I followed sheepishly. One night doesn't determine a future. Right?

I didn't know exactly what to do but I know I should go in there prepared. 

Fake it till you make it. Maybe?

Stop second-guessing for once go in there and improvise. 

Her footsteps became slower and my rate increased. The jabbing pain reminded me I wasn't breathing properly. I need to find peace within myself because I'm going to remain strong. There was no chance in hell I could pass up this opportunity. 

Deep calm breaths filled my lungs, and my scattered brain tried to organize itself. 

I could pretend to not remember him. Life will go on, it doesn't need to be a story of my major mistake. He can go sleep with another woman, give her the love she dreams of, and chase after her till his heart's content. 

Clara halted abruptly, barely glimpsing over her shoulder at me. She smirked and whipped the door open. 

My body was gaining and losing heat in an irregular way. 

"Castle the slut's here to be interviewed."

To Be Continued... 

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I'm so excited for part two of chapter 5. 

Sorry it took a while to update, but my consistent updating 

scheduled will be every week (which I will, later on, be able to determine the day)

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-VIOLETTEA<3

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