Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 25039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25039 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 125(@200wpm)___ 100(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
The voices outside the manager's office were loud enough for her to hear exactly what everyone was saying.
They were all talking about her, of course.
And laughing at her.
It was enough to drive one insane, and she was certain she would've indeed lost her mind...if she were still her old self.
But she wasn't.
And that was what kept her from breaking down.
The knowledge that she wasn't alone.
Never was.
Never would be.
Fear not, Heaven.
Fear not.
For I AM with you.
The ice around her heart didn't just melt at the warmth of His voice. Her heartbeat also slowed down, and she was able to breathe more easily as His presence invited her to rest. The peace she felt was so tremendous that by the time she heard the door open—-
Micah.
It was God alone who kept her from fainting, God alone who even enabled her to rise to her feet as she watched the other woman walk towards her.
"We meet again," Micah said with a curl of her lip. "Unfortunately."
"Hello, Micah. You look good," Heaven said softly. The other woman no longer had gaunt cheeks or dark bags under her eyes. And best of all, there wasn't the faintest scent of booze clinging to the other woman's frame.
Micah told herself that she was just imagining the sincerity in Heaven's voice. They were all the same. Women always hated her for no reason, and she would be a fool to pretend Heaven was different.
"Spare me, please," Micah spat. "You know I've never fallen for your goody-two-shoes image. And anyway—-"
She let a moment pass, but only so she could hold Heaven's complete attention as she spoke her next words with vicious relish.
"I'm here on behalf of Hale."
The younger woman flinched just as Micah expected, but what she didn't expect at all was how seeing this didn't give her any pleasure.
You're just imagining things, Micah told herself.
And besides, she had no choice.
She had to get rid of Heaven...before Hale found out the truth and got rid of Micah instead.
Heaven struggled between relying on pride and seeking God for comfort. The prospect of humiliation and more hurt loomed before her, and her weaker self just wanted to end it.
Just turn your back and walk away, Heaven!
You already know she's out to hurt you!
So just go!
But because she knew she would only be tormented by countless what-ifs if she didn't at least ask for the truth—-
"C-Could you..." Heaven had to swallow hard as pain stole her ability to speak steadily. "I j-just want to k-know," she ended up stammering. "How are you and Hale—-"
"Oh, dear." Micah gave her a pitying look. "You don't even know I'm his best friend, do you?"
Liar.
It was what Heaven instinctively wanted to scream.
But she didn't.
Because even though Micah had lied before—-
Her heart was somehow convinced that Micah was telling the truth.
And when she tried to recall the other people in Hale's life that she occasionally heard about from Devon and Harry—-
One was Rush, and the other one was...
"Mikey," Heaven heard herself whisper. "You're her. M-Mikey. Aren't you?"
Micah ignored the way guilt lashed her conscience. "The one and only, darling." Survival wasn't possible without getting one's hands dirty, and Heaven needed to learn this. Hale would also realize that Heaven wasn't really the girl for him, so she was just saving him from an expensive divorce settlement.
I'm only doing everyone a favor here, Micah reminded herself, and that was why she had to see this to the end.
"Save yourself additional embarrassment and just leave," Micah advised the other woman coolly. "Hale doesn't want to have anything to do with you anymore." She stalked to the door while speaking and threw it open.
Perfect.
Dozens of employees were caught standing outside the office, obviously in hopes of finding out something new to gossip.
"I know you're all worried about your boss," Micah said sweetly, "but everything's under control now. I've come just in time to protect your boss from the gold digger, and needless to say, there will be no wedding."
RUSH KENSINGTON FELT as if he had walked into a funeral upon returning to the suite of penthouse offices owned by his friend.
It had been a lot noisier earlier. Merrier even. But this time, it was the opposite. The silence was oppressive, and the tension evident in the way everyone watched his every move.
Rush entered his friend's office just in time to see Hale jerk to his feet.
"What's wrong?" he demanded.
"I..."
Don't fucking know what to say.
Hale couldn't remember the last time he was at a loss for words like this.
His panic had inexplicably disappeared as soon as Micah had hurried out of his office. Even the tightness around his throat had vanished. It was almost as if everything was a figment of his imagination...or a fucking illusion from the Devil himself.
The last thought came out of nowhere, but an icy chill immediately blanketed his bones, and Hale felt as if he was losing his mind.