Chapter Sixty Eight; I can't...

"You work for me and I own this place, if I say this isn't work hour then it's not."  He said with a husk-deep voice, yet calm.

Amanda was quiet, but he got the message. 

"But yea, you should get back to work."

Amanda stood there knowing that she had somehow derailed, knowing that he deserved an explanation. She wouldn't just dip on him without explaining why. so, she decided to make things clear.

"I'm just afraid I can't do this anymore now that Rebecca is here because she wants to have you, and I can't compete with that." Amanda saw the look on his face and he now stood upright for clearer understanding. He slightly moved away from the table which he was resting on.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as his expression gave off confusion. 

"She is obsessed with you and it's so obvious, I can't compete with that,"

"What do her feelings for me have to do with you? And how does that change the way I feel about you.?"

Amanda sighed, slightly rolling her eyes and almost getting emotional because Raymond might never be able to see her view.

"Cut me some slack, will you?" She spoke with an emotion packed tone.

"Rebecca is a powerful influential woman and who am I? Just an assistant..."

She began to tear up, she sniffed, turning around to hide her tears while her hands reached her face to wipe her tears.

"Hey..." Raymond was now before her, his hand reaching to her cheek, raising her face, now looking into her teary eyes.

"I don't know why Becca is in this picture or in our conversation at all, but she should be insignificant in this conversation because she is in both our lives.

Did he refer to her as Becca? That didn't make her feel better. He still called her by her informal friendly name. It sounded like he still had her in a special place in his heart. Maybe she was wrong, but it just seemed like Rebecca in the picture would make her go through the same thing she went through during the time he was seeing Cassie.

And this time, it won't be for a short while. Rebecca would be around for five years, and if she didn't work on how she felt about Raymond, she might go crazy in Five years.

Amanda knew she couldn't do this, her heart was already too trapped to be able to live through another round of torture.

Amanda sniffed, wiping her nose.

"I can't, I can't do this."

Raymond now moved his hands to her face, cupping her cheek and wiping her eyes at the same time.

"But we can, the two of us," he said as he tried to console her. His eyes showed concern, she almost believed him, almost believed that they could move past this together, but she already knew how this would go. 

"I can't," she said with a much more stable voice like she now had herself under control.

"Why? Is this about something or someone else apart from Becca?"

Yea, he call her Becca again and that was where her stable state drew the line, she needed to leave there, and he needed to understand.

"I'm seeing someone else," she said as she tried to move away from him but his hands were still not letting her go. That was the only thing she could come up with at that time, a lie which she wasn't sure was the best idea.

Raymond paused, but still had one of his hands on her shoulder. 

He wasn't sure it was what he heard that she said.

Who was she seeing? 

For how long? 

Had they gone to bed with each other?

The thought of that made him sick, made his heart heavy and he was raging in anger for a reason he wasn't very sure of. He took his hands off her, turning and moving away from her. His back was now to her face, he ran his hair through his hair as hurt and rage took over him.

"Since when?" He asked.

His heart suddenly ached and he felt pain, a complicating type of pain which as caused by mere words. What had she done to him? Why was she different from any other girl he had ever been with? Why was the thought of her with another man getting him so rattled? 

His fist tightened but he was sure it was not to hurt her, maybe to break down anything that he would come across this very moment. He was almost losing it, but he got himself together even though the pain was heavily felt.

"A couple of weeks," Amanda responded, managing to still keep the act together.

Oh, what got to him most was how she could look him in the face and say these things without any remorse. 

Was she happy with this person? If she was so happy why did she let them sleep together on his birthday? Was this a game to her? 

"Is this a game to you?" He asked.

"Was it to you?" Amanda reversed his questions to him. She even made the sentence in the past tense, she was done? Done with him?

The idea of anyone leaving him was new to him, but someone leaving him for another man was more absurd. 'This is not the time to let ego get in the way.' He thought to himself.

"I would only be able to maintain work relationship from henceforth." She said.

"And if there is nothing else I need to do for you regarding assisting you, I would see myself out."

She said as she found her way out.

Raymond watched her leave, but he still stood there reminiscing over what had just played out.

Who could get his heart ache in such an unexplainable pain and anger at the same time?

Amanda only belongs in his hand and no one else! 

Who was she seeing?! He asked himself, running his hands through his hair, letting out a scream of frustration.

Did the person know she was his? at least till recently? 

He moved to his chair, he sat as he felt like there was nothing he could do. That he was helpless and didn't have the slightest idea of what best to do.

He put extra effort into getting this divorce settlement started, and when there had begun to see progress, the reason he pulled through with it now left his life?

His dad and the lawyers had managed to get Rebecca to go way below her initial bargain, now to something they could work with.

He and Rebecca had concluded with the new agreement over dinner and he was happy to finally start closing of a chapter he had shut out a long time in his life. Paying Rebecca Twenty five thousand a month for five years wasn't a big deal. They had offered to pay her off once or two to three times, but she insisted on making it monthly.

He wondered at what point Amanda decided to give another person a chance. There was now a significant progress in his divorce and he was hoping for a better response from her. Expected to be at least happy for him, happy for them, but he was getting the opposite of what he thought.

Well, he had fallen for his assistant who now happened to be the first person to ever reject him. He brushed his hands over his hair before angrily punching his table.

 Hee knew how Amanda made him feel when they are alone with each other. Could he put out all he felt and just see her like he saw other women? Like he saw other of his employees?

Amanda was back in her office, but she had gone to the restroom to sob. If lying was a job, she would never consider it. Especially lying to Raymond. She had better get familiar with lying to him because it looked like a lot of that act will be needed in the future. To keep up with her imaginary boyfriend. Well, she hoped it would only be imaginary for a while before she found a suitable one. She brushed herself up, moving back to her desk. Her face was a little too obvious that she had cried, but she reached for her makeup, retouching her face to cover it up.

She was not going to deal with Rebecca, matter of fact she was supposed to be dating someone else now, so she better come up with a plan.

Her telecom had rung and it was from Rebecca.

She asked that she come to assist her with something, surprisingly she sounded polite, unlike most times.

Amanda was glad to leave her desk away from Raymond's reach, well, not like Rebecca's presence as any better.

She walked into the newly cleared office, there were files and a cardboard box (carton) on the table, but every other thing werewell kept and clean.

"Oh, there you are," Rebecca said with a welcoming tone. 

"So, tell me, what are the things that have changed since I left Blazzers?"

Amanda was uncomfortable with how comfortable Rebecca seemed or pretended to be. She wasn't sure yet if it was real or just an act.

"Nothing much," she said before snapping out of her thought.

"Though I don't think you are expected to carry out any role." Amanda completed.

I can't let myself always sit here and not do anything, I will get bored."

'always sit here? Did she plan to come here always? Didn't she have a firm that needed her attention?