Page 27 of Boss's Red Glare

Ridiculous.

I reach for my phone, dialing Charlene’s number with trembling fingers. She picks up instantly, her cheerful voice grating sharply against my broken heart.

“Maisie! Hey, how was?—”

“Charlene,” I choke out through my tears, voice barely recognizable. “I—I need you. Connor…he lied to me. It was all fake.”

“Wait, slow down, what happened?” Charlene’s voice is suddenly sharp with worry. “Where are you?”

“I’m going home,” I manage to say weakly, wiping furiously at my streaming tears. “Can you meet me there?”

“Of course. I’ll be right there, okay?” she says urgently, her voice reassuringly strong. “Just hold tight. I’m coming.”

An hour later,Charlene sits beside me on the sofa, pizza boxes and an open bottle of wine on the coffee table in front of us. She listens quietly as I pour out the whole miserable story, her face twisted in sympathy and anger.

“Oh, Maisie,” she breathes softly when I finally finish, pulling me into a fierce hug. “I’m so sorry. But…are you sure Connor actually said that? Maybe those women are wrong.”

I sniffle softly, shaking my head stubbornly. “Why would they make it up? And they said Connor told them himself. And, he’s been calling me nonstop. He knows I heard.”

Charlene frowns deeply, frustration clear in her eyes. “That doesn’t make sense. Connor really seemed to care. He seemed genuine.”

“Maybe he’s just a really good actor,” I mutter bitterly, sipping the wine and feeling it burn pleasantly down my throat. “I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” Charlene says firmly, squeezing my shoulder gently. “He’s stupid if he did say that. Because if he doesn’t see how amazing you are, he never deserved you in the first place.”

I nod numbly, trying desperately to believe her words. My phone buzzes on the table again, Connor’s name flashing across the screen. I turn it over sharply, refusing to look at it.

Charlene sighs softly, watching me with concern. “Maybe you should talk to him. Give him a chance to explain.”

“No,” I say stubbornly, fresh tears stinging my eyes. “I can’t hear him say it. I won’t.”

She nods gently, understanding clear in her eyes. “Okay. Then don’t. Not tonight. Tonight, we drink wine, eat pizza, and forget about Connor Bradford.”

I smile weakly, grateful for her unwavering support. “Thank you, Char. I love you.”

“Love you too,” she whispers softly, hugging me tightly again. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

Later that night,after Charlene leaves, my phone lights up again—another message from Connor. I stare at it for a long moment, emotions warring painfully inside my chest. Finally, with shaking fingers, I type out a short, direct text.

Please stop calling and texting. I heard everything. I want nothing to do with you, Connor.

I hit send and immediately switch off my phone, setting it facedown on the table. My heart feels raw, exposed, bleeding freely. I curl up in bed, eyes burning with tears as I replay every beautiful moment we shared this weekend—each kiss, each gentle touch, each whispered promise—now tainted by betrayal.

How could I have been so wrong?

Sleep comes in restless fits, my dreams haunted by Connor’s face, his voice, his smile—everything I’ve lost, everything I thought I’d finally found.

When I wake again, the ache in my chest hasn’t faded at all. Instead, it’s sharpened into something deeper—an empty, hollow hurt that feels impossible to ever heal.

My phone stays silent and dark on the bedside table. I refuse to turn it back on, afraid of what I’ll find waiting for me.

The sun rises slowly, spilling golden light across my room, mocking the darkness still heavy in my heart. I don’t move, staring blankly at the ceiling, unsure how I’ll face another day. How I’ll ever face Connor Bradford again.

Because despite everything, despite the humiliation and heartbreak—I know deep down that part of me still loves him.

And that’s the part that hurts the most.

Chapter Fifteen

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