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Mr. Thorne surely wasn't at home. I knew he’d gone to work. Grandma Thorne, too, left early this morning. Still, I couldn't help but feel his watchful eyes here… on me.
Today was Friday. I'd only attended the office twice this week. My first day and the day of the meeting. Somehow, he’d made the meeting quite uncomfortable for me.
I didn't need to look to see that he was staring at me. Before the meeting, during, and after. But I was proud of myself for how I handled it. I handled it like a pro. Like, I didn't give a shit.
Internally, I was screaming, struggling to maintain composure each time I felt his stare on me. But I didn't spare him a glance.
It was what he wanted. Little interaction. I'd given him that. Heck, I’d give him no interaction if he wanted.
I was his daughter’s therapist. It was against ethical considerations to be involved with him. I couldn't risk my professionalism for someone like him. He wasn't worth it.
And this was only the beginning.
“Virginia.” I turned in the direction of the study. His bedroom would be the last place I'd check. Slowly, I pushed the big doors open. This would be the second time I was disobeying orders.
Well, the first time wasn't my fault.
I quickly walked to the shelves when I didn't spot her in an open area. As I glided through the shelves, I wondered why I was searching for her.
Honestly, I just wanted to know if she was doing okay. I couldn't trust Joseph to ensure his fellow employee’s well-being. Or maybe Joseph had even—
I sighed when I spotted her between a shelf. She was kneeling, back turned to me, and hands busy dusting the books.
“Virginia.”
She jumped out of her skin— something sort of the Tom and Jerry movie. “Jesus fucking Christ, you scared me.”
I narrowed my gaze on her.
“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.”
She shook her head, returning to her activity. “It's fine… I was just too in my head.”
Only after she said that did I notice the lag in her movement. “Are you alright?”
There was a beat of silence before she spoke. “I'm fine. I really am. I'm just…” She heaved.
“Just what?” I urged gently. Something was definitely wrong.
“It’s… it's nothing, really.”
I frowned. “Is it Joseph?”
She froze before clearing her throat. “It's… It’s none of your business, Evie.”
I eyed her warily. I'd known Virginia for just a short time. But it was enough to know she didn't have any bone of disrespect in her. If she did, she’d use it against Joseph.
Except… the bullying was deeply rooted.
“I'm sorry. Please forgive me.” She quickly stood up to bow.
Now, this was all getting weird.
I decided to cut her some slack. “It's alright, Virginia. Sometimes things happen, and we’re not ready to share.”
She nodded. But I was still going to ask a question.
“Do you by any chance know why Joseph acts… out of line to me?”
