AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He shuffled off the bed and sprinted out of the room. I was left with a tear-stricken face and a hole in my chest.
I didn't think I’d ever recover.
Raising my eyes to the clock, I released a sigh. Safe to say, I completely detested him afterward. He came back begging me not to file a case.
He said he was drunk. And didn't mean anything he said. I knew it was all a lie, so I told my father and reported the case. We tried to sue, but his parents were rich. I didn’t get justice.
Stephen finished school never to be seen again. But he’d left me with a scar.
***
Present Moment
The rays from the laptop softly hit my eyes, reminding me that I'd been staring for too long. You couldn't blame me. There was nothing to do.
I’d accomplished all pending tasks. Serving coffee, sorting emails, and itemizing tasks. Perhaps that's why my mind decided to strut forbidden territories… unwanted memories.
My throat was suddenly parched. I wanted water. The only water dispenser on this floor was in Mr. Thorne’s office. I wasn't ready to go there without a reasonable mission.
Ground floor, it is.
As I left my office, I couldn't help but think of Sophie. She smiled. I opened the elevator.
I didn't know whether to tell Mr. Thorne or not. Mainly because I didn't want to… raise his hopes.
After that day, I tried to say the same thing, but she didn't smile again. She returned to her shell and simply focused on her drawing— the bird.
The doors opened, and I got out.
If I hadn't known it before, the day of the drawing clearly showed that Sophie was a special kid. Perhaps drawing was her talent. The picture of the bird wasn't perfect, but it was impressive for a five-year-old. And she'd drawn it off by heart… three days later.
All I needed to focus on now was another strategy. Something to incite the same reaction or even better in front of her loved ones.
I headed to the water dispenser. Then, I grabbed one of the disposable cups. The water trickled into the cup when I pressed the button.
My thoughts wandered as I glanced around. What if there were robots that assisted the workers? Would Mr. Thorne still need a secretary? Would the receptionist be replaced? Could these robots not, by any chance, misbehave?
“What are you doing?”
“Ah!” I shrieked when I heard a voice. I turned to see David. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. But you were just too lost in thought,” he smiled. “How are you?”
I was still surprised that he was the head of engineering. And he was talking to me. I mean…
“Parched. Needed a cup of water.” I brought the cup to my lips. Then moved aside. After pouring himself a glass, he drank.
As I stared at him, I couldn't help but be curious. “Do you think these robots can someday take over the world?”
He chuckled. Then, he shook his head. “Come, let me show you something.”
I raised a brow.
“I want to answer your question.” He shifted his weight to one foot. “Plus, I don't bite, Evie.”
Curiosity got the best of me as we dropped our cups, and he led us to the elevator. He pressed the number seven. The elevator began to ascend.
The silence was a bit weird as he kept smiling at me. Did his mouth not sometimes hurt?
