19- rollercoaster ride of feelings

At the office, Abby encountered Duri in the elevator. At first, for a second, her feet stalled and dumbstruck with her eyes fixed on him, but after that, she managed to go inside.

"In what way did you choose him to be your contract husband?" Asked Duri. His voice filled with disdain, which triggered her anger.

Abby forced herself to be quite clenching her fist.

"Since when did you two become close enough to go this far?" He queried her. It was like he wanted to build a wrangle with her.

*Ding*

Abby's focus dragged to the elevator door that was departing, exposing the hallway.

"Mind your own business!" Abby growled softly, leaving the elevator.

Duri felt a leaden burning sensation inside his chest, feeling offended since this was her first time acting rudely towards him.

On the way to her department, she got dragged inside the women's restroom.

It was Clara. Her eyes swelled with vehement as she warned her, "If you do something like that again, I won't hesitate to be your enemy!"

Abby gave a confused glance, clueless about what she was talking about. What is she talking about? She asked herself.

"I can't just stand and watch you hurting him. He's mine."

Clara's confidential words void Abby's doubt instantly. She is talking about Steven! She thought.

"Then hold him right, Ms. Clara." Abby declared casually, which didn't omit any anger, envious. That sowed conflict inside Clara's heart.

"Huh?" She barely voiced. "Aren't you his wife?" With dither she queried.

"Wife?" Abby spared a second for her mind, recalling the news that had been spread around the city, saying, 'A bride ran away with the famous and wealthy man of the city, Mr. Steven.' She then asked for clarification, "Do you think that woman was me?"

Clara remained silent. Yet she couldn't awaken from bewilderment.

"That's not me, Ms. Clara. He's my father's friend. So we look close sometimes." Abby calmly explained in detail. That way, Clara's vengefully throbbing heart eased a little.

"So you two are just someone who knows each other?" Clara interrogated with a mild suspect expression in her scrutinized eyes.

"Yes! There is nothing between us. You don't need to be jealous of me."

Only then did a smile appear on Clara's lips. "You are just someone," Clara jeered, her heart declaring herself.

"Yes!" Abby asserted, offering a happy smile, glimpsing her innocent face, booming with a soft grin for the first time in front of her.

Suddenly, Clara's smile turned into a scowl. "Then how can you behave like that to him yesterday? I warn you!"

That punch awakened the sensation of Steven's slushy lips when he claimed her to cure himself. Forgetting herself, she licked up her lips, perceiving along.

"Oh moh! Did you two kiss each other?" Clara burst with shock.

"No! No! No!" Abby shouted in a rush. "Not like that, it's just..." She chewed, dropping guilty eyes down at the floor.

A woman barged inside the restroom and panted, "I found you!"

Clara's attention was on that woman now. "For what?" She asked.

"Chief editor is asking for you," that woman delivered information as if it were a hurry.

"Let's see in the office, bye." Clara rushed out with that woman, leaving Abby to be tension-free.

"Thank God! I'm saved." Clara muttered, relaxing her muscles. Then she stepped out of the restroom only to find Steven, who was about to pass by but ended up facing her.

Sighed, Abby muttered under her breath, folding her fist tightly, "What an unlucky day!"

"It's already passed 10 a.m. When are you planning to attend the junior meeting today?" Asked Steven.

"What?" Abby was clueless.

Steven gripped her wrist and pulled her along with him to the meeting hall.

"The CEO came!" One of the interns alerted all juniors, who had been chit-chatting fearlessly. There was Duri also. His glance straightly fell on Steven's hand, which almost released hers.

"Go and take a seat!" Steven commented to her.

"But no one told me about this," she thought to herself while taking a seat on the left side next to a random woman.

Duri saw Abby again.

Levi hurried inside the meeting hall with the punch of forms.

"This is the opportunity for your talent," Steven began the announcement.

Levi started to distribute the forms as Steven informed them, "Fill out these forms, and you will be given the task under your talent category. The winners will be qualified."

"Losers?" A random female intern interrogated him.

"First, you should lose the thoughts of being a loser." Steven insisted with a steady look into her.

That female intern gave a confident nod and pointed the pen at the paper by getting inspired.

Abby filled out the form and wrote 'Designing' in the space under the category of special talent.

Then everyone began to write down their talent after finishing filling up their identity as Steven supervised them.

A few minutes later...

Levi started to collect the forms one by one. Steven came over to Abby and snatched her forms, which were left behind since Levi didn't lean ear to her.

"We will inform you about the task in the email later, thank you," Steven announced before grasping Abby's wrist, pulling her from her seat, and walking off, leaving everyone confused about his attitude towards Abby.

Duri flushed out fury, looking at Steven behaving close to her.

"Where are you taking me to?" Abby queried, planting her feet solidly on the floor and stopping him from dragging her.

"We have a lot to do," declared Steven. Levi was waiting behind them with the forms.

Thereafter, he followed them as Steven pulled her with him without even leaving her hand, despite her feet going along with his unlike earlier.

At his office, Levi was informed to drop those forms at Steven's table. Levi did and left once, glimpsing Steven's winked eyes that signed him to empty the office quickly.

Steven stepped in front of Abby and stood closer, facing her.

Her feet proceeded with lying back purposely to get herself distance from him.

"What kind of designing are you mentioning in this?" Asked Steven.

"Anything that is related to this company except structure building." Abby enunciated.

Steven went back to his seat, picked up the pencil box, and put it on the table. "What do you think about this pencil box?"

Observing its plain and neat surface, Abby answered him, "Looks normal; won't attract customers."

Steven came over to her and declared, "I give you a chance to prove your talent. Hand me a perfect design that indicates neatness and should look classy to attract customers. You will be promoted right away, which means you are no longer an intern."

"Okay!" Her face brightened with joy, but his proximity grew nervous in her heart.

"But you should design this right now and here," Steven demanded with his deep voice, which enunciated his want.

"Why?" Confusion sat in her face.

"As a husband, I should help my wife to win her dream."

His dictation choked up her instantly. Her eyes wavered witnessing his steady glaze at her, which didn't even shake a little.

She struggled to inhale fully as she felt her lungs demanding excessive air to feel normal.

He stepped further close and leaned his lips near her ears, whispering, "You are the one who asked me to do my job as your husband."

That silicious spread through her body and picked her to offer him a vehement-free glance real quickly.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as soon as he noticed that.

Abby raised her hand and placed her palm over his chest, declaring sarcastically, "I heard you are an arrogant CEO. But as far as I know..." She paused and gave a gentle stare at his chest that bumped along with his heartbeat before continuing to gaze into his. "You are such a selfish and rude!"

Steven's excitement got buried into the ground sadly.

"You don't even know that woman needs personal space," she dictated, dropping her eyes at his feet, which were standing straight against her feet with a one-inch gap.

Steven chuckled again, "I'm your husband."

"As if!" She mocked him, glaring intently.

The door bang opened, exposing them.

Both Steven's and Abby's sight fell at the doorside only to find Clara, who was clenching her fist madly with a disappointed look that tinged with shock.

Abby stepped back immediately and sighed, feeling guilty.

"Don't you know to knock before entering my office?" Steven voiced mad. However, he managed to be light with it.

Clara's glance dropped down in hesitation. "I apologize, sir!" With a crestfallen heart, she voiced heartbroken.

Abby glared at him, muttering quietly, "Why do you scold her?"

"Huh?" Steven responded as if he didn't get what she meant.

Abby bit her teeth, annoyed. She turned around and tried to explain, "This is not what it looks like, Ms. Clara. We are just arguing."

Hearing her, Steven's eyebrows wrinkled with skepticism. "Why is she explaining to her?" He thought.