Page 36 of Devilish Bully
Knowing that I never misread or miscalculate, I refuse to believe Kendall would walk away from me. She’ll never find anyone better, so this doesn’t make sense.
I scroll down to her name and hit call.
It doesn’t ring.
There’s only a harsh beep.
“Your number has been blocked by this user,” a message says.
I roll my eyes and pick up my desk phone, calling Kendall that way.
“Your number has been blocked by this user.” The message returns.
Groaning, I slip out into the hallway and request to use my receptionist’s phone.
It rings once.
It rings twice.
“Hello?” Kendall answers.
“Why would you block me, Kendall?” I ask. “That’s not very mature of you.”
“You’re the last person to teach anyone about the word mature.”
“Come to my office so we can talk.”
“I don’t have anything else to fucking say to you,” she hisses. “And the only two words I would ever want to hear from you are ‘I’m sorry.’”
“I’m not sorry.”
She ends the call, and I sigh and call right back.
“Your number has been blocked by this user.” The message returns.
THE ACCOUNTANT
KENDALL
The last time my heart bruised this badly was in college. Now, the ache in my chest is heavier, sharper, like it’s pressing against every breath. And I feel far more foolish about this so-called “breakup.” At least the guy in college was my actual boyfriend.
Lucian was…
“Nothing,” I whisper. “We weren’t anything. We were nothing.” The words taste like lies, but I force them again, harder, hoping they’ll stick.
I place the last of Myra’s and my belongings in the storage container, beyond grateful that I never told Lucian about selling my brownstone. Each box feels heavier than it should, the weight pressing down until my arms tremble.
My new place won’t be available until the end of the month, so I’ll be using my savings to live in a hotel suite. A hotel suite that has a view of Hudson Yards, far away from Pearson Tech.
As I slide behind the wheel of my car, my chest tightens. Notifications sound with more blocked calls and texts from him, each one a fresh sting I refuse to answer.
I swipe them away, but the burn lingers behind my eyes. And then a news alert pops up with his name.
I can’t help but open this one. Just this one…
Billionaire Lucian Pearson Cancels IPO, Company to Remain Private
THE CEO
