Trust and Promises

The words hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. He felt overwhelmed for a moment, like he was a whirlwind of crazy thoughts.

His mind struggled to process them, as if he'd misheard, as if his brain refused to accept the meaning behind them.

He stared at Rachel, waiting for her to correct herself, to say she was joking, to say—

Anything but that.

But then, it started to make sense. The way she was always alone. How she never interacted with anyone in office. It was always to Gareth Smithers' office and out.

Nowhere else.

It wasn't that difficult to believe. Office harassment most often involved the boss and the secretary.

Darren blinked, now seeing Rachel in a completely different light.

"You're the one who reported him for sexual assa—" His voice faltered before he could finish the word. His throat felt tight, breath becoming uneven. "Gareth assaulted you?"