Be brave, Abi!

"What?"

"They're jealous because you're pretty." He's really good at flirting and that still hasn't changed. I still feel shivers and chills inside me.

The next day, Noah's employees treated me the same way. I feel like an outcast there because I just worked for the company.

I was alone in the kitchen when suddenly one of the company employees entered. I immediately bent down and walked out of the kitchen.

"Mrs. Brown?", she called to me, so I immediately turned around to face her.

"Yes? What's that?"

"You don't have to leave. I don't want to be alone," she said to me, so I smiled at her while nodding.

We were in the kitchen when she suddenly said, "Mrs. Brown. Let go of what they're saying about you. They're just jealous of you. The truth is ... You're really pretty," she said to me, so I was glad of what he said.

"Thank you," I said while there was a broad smile on my lips.

"My name is Mia Alfonso," she introduced herself while reaching out for my hands.

"Abigail Brown," I reached out for her hands and we both shook our hands.

She was the first person to approach me and wanted to be friends with me. I felt delighted while looking at and talking with her. After we talked, I immediately went back to my desk and looked in Noah's direction, but he wasn't inside his office, so I immediately texted him about where he was.

"I'm with Mom," the moment I read that, my chest ached a little. Why didn't he take me? I also want to get to know his family and his family to get to know me.

I didn't text him back and just focused on my tasks. After doing all the work, I walked towards the exit when someone blocked my way. I raised my head and saw his employees. I smiled at them, "I'll get going now," I said, and was about to walk away from them when suddenly someone stopped me and glared at me.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked me.

"What? I'm going home. Why?"

"You're not going anywhere," she said to me. I looked at her face, and saw how beautiful she was, but her attitude... it made her look ugly.

"I'm sorry, but I need to go," I started walking away, but she stopped me by holding me at my wrist. She's not an employee of the company, and I don't have any idea who she was.

"You don't know who I am, right?" she asked me.

"Yes? What?"

She scoffed, and I could see Noah's employees were laughing at me. "Abi..." she uttered, casually, as if she knew me very well.

"Yes?"

"Let me introduce myself to you," she said and gave me an evil smirk. "I am Noah's sister, Charlotte Brown," she introduced, and my eyes widened. How can I know her? If I didn't even see and know them, personally.

"How can she not know her husband's sister?" they started to gossip about me. I could see how they made fun of me. I looked at Charlotte, but she spoke again, "How pity. I guess you didn't know me and my family. Because Noah didn't bring you into our home, right?" she uttered in front of the people around.

"In short, you... not welcome to our house," she said to me with blazing eyes. They even whispered about me, and I couldn't know why I couldn't move. I was too stiffened at where I was standing while they were making fun of me. I could see the smirk on Charlotte's face and started walking, but before she could get away, she bumped into me intentionally, so I fell to the floor. I was sitting there like a fool while everyone was looking at me.

I don't know how I got home. All I knew was that I was already in our room but I still couldn't see him. I feel so annoyed and mad about myself. I was not even able to defend myself from his oppressive sister. I went to the bathroom to take a quick half bath but as soon as I entered, tears suddenly escaped my eyes, followed by my fist meeting the wall.

A great sob escaped me, and I covered my face with my shaking hands. I didn't know what to do but release the pain and soreness that was in my chest. I need Noah. I really need him right now. After I took a bath, Noah didn't come. I am now sitting on the floor next to the door. I was still waiting for him. I need someone right now, so, that someone ... is him.

Morning came, and I noticed that I was in bed already. I looked around, but I didn't see him. I went out of the room and went downstairs. I saw him, sipping his coffee while reading a newspaper. I started to walk closer to him, but I never said a word. I just sat there and sipped my coffee.

"How was your mom?" I asked him, but he didn't even answer me. I looked at him, "Noah? I am asking you," I uttered to him in a bit rude tone, causing him to stop what he was doing and look at me.

"What is it?"

"I am asking about your mom. How is she?" I asked him again.

"She's fine," he answered me sparingly and coldly.

"Ah, I see."

He then continued what he was doing and suddenly my eyes got wet with tears. He didn't even ask me if I was fine. I guess he didn't care about me anymore. I guess.... he's just playing along with me. Noah... didn't really love me in the first place, so... what do I expect from him?

I started chewing on my lower lip and my eyes welled up with tears. I don't want him to see me crying again, but I can't stop what I am feeling. The sadness really dominated inside me.

Silence surrounds us. We did not talk to each other until we finished our meal. I looked at him and said, "You can go first. I need to go somewhere," I uttered to him, but he just nodded his head and started to drive away from me. A deep sigh came out of my lips while looking at him driving away. I am hurting. I am in pain, but the person that I need right now doesn't care about me at all, and that hurts even more.

I started to walk as I wanted to get some fresh air. I continued to walk but as I stepped forward, I felt I was slowly weakening because of the pain I was feeling. My eyes were filled to the brim with tears. I felt cold tears start to stream down my face as I walked.

I stopped walking, covered my face with my hands and started crying in the middle of the crowd. I didn't care about them anymore. I just want to cry this all out. I want this pain to get off me as fast as I can.

I... I am hurt, but no one can see it, even my husband.

I was still standing there in tears when suddenly someone stood in front of me. I didn't bother to look who it was as long as I just kept crying.

"You can do it, Ms. Just hand on there," he said and walked away. I wiped my tears away and raised my head, but I couldn't see him anymore. Who was that? Who... was that?

I fixed myself and walked towards the company. I don't know how to face them, the people who saw me yesterday. I know they're laughing at me right now. I was inside the company when I could hear they were murmuring while I was walking in front of them. I heard all the things they said about me, but I had to ignore it. I had to endure it.

I was at my desk, and I never looked at Noah's office. I started to do my tasks, but I had to give a document to him. I took a deep breath before I took the folder and started to walk towards his office. I knocked before I went inside.

"Sir... These are the documents that you need to sign," I uttered, and placed the folder on his desk without even looking at him. I bowed my head in front of him before I went out and went back to my desk. I didn't want to see him, but I am working under him, and I had to treat him like a boss right now.

I was inside the bathroom, and I was about to go out when, suddenly, "Yes, have you heard about it? She didn't even meet her husband's parents. How pitiful of her," I heard from the staff member around the bathroom. I leaned my back on the door while listening to what they were talking about me.

One thing is for sure... I need to be brave.

To be continued...