𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲 | ✓

33 (𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝)

Manipulation was never on the list of my skill sets. Or at least I thought it wasn't.

The number of things I thought I'd never do in the entirety of my life, but I'm ending up doing the exact thing because of Gracie, is dangerously increasing.

But I did this because it's the best thing for everyone.

Or so I've been telling myself, for my conscious' sake.

I shut William's office door behind me and make my way to the elevator. He called me over, just to show the contract Gracie and he signed a few hours ago. Seeing William as excited as today is a rarity, and a small pang of guilt shoots through my gut. Somehow, I succeeded at convincing him it was his idea, a remarkably outstanding notion, to offer this deal to Gracie Stewart.

I sigh and shake my head as I get inside the elevator and push my floor's button.

Mentally, I prepare myself to be in the same room with her, alone.

At Saturday's lunch, it wasn't that hard to lock away the memories of those two nights we shared.

It's been a little over a week since those two nights. I shove my fingers through my hair, frustrated how time has been going too slowly yet way too quickly, locking me in a paradoxical state.

Ever since that Sunday night, Julia's presence back at home has become astoundingly suffocating. I cannot even sleep in the same bed as her, because my mind keeps reeling to if it was Gracie instead of her.

A very dangerous train of thoughts I can't afford to set myself on.

I don't know exactly at what point I fell in love with her five years ago, but I discovered it in that one-week break we had. The time I asked her to give me space when for the first time I doubted her motives, and my trust wavered.

The signs were so damn clear, but it was too late. I was in too deep. Despite my better judgment, I found myself wanting, maybe even needing, to trust her. Even though the warnings and red flags of our relationship were in full view, I accepted the risks and went back to her.

I loved the sense of being in love with her. I wanted to stay in love with her.

A fool. That's what I was.

I inhale sharply, ignoring the agonizing longing stabbing me repeatedly.

Two years. It took me two whole fucking years to move on from her and convince myself, I don't love her anymore. I can't love her anymore. After what she did to me, had been doing all those months, she didn't even deserve my hatred.

It took her one night to break the walls I had built around my feelings and the memories I had of her, hidden in the farthest corner of my head. She set my two years' worth of progress up in flames.

I loved her insanely. It took me two years to move on. After that night, it seems like I'm back to square one.

On top of that, Kathryn's mad at me too. The closest person to a mother figure in my life. Not that I can blame her. From the second she figured out something happened between me and Gracie during that weekend, she's been rejecting my calls.

She answered the first one though, saying she didn't expect this from me, and how I've been handling it. That this is not the kind of man my mom would've wanted me to turn to.

She's right. As hurtful as her words were, they were true. I'm damn sure Mom would've been beyond pissed if she was alive and aware of it.

It's horrifying for me too. For all my life I've been trying to not be like William, and I ended up just like him. A vile cheater.