Page 2 of Bossy Mountain Daddies
The woman moves slightly, and I see her face.
Alicia.
My boss.
The same woman who unfairly criticized my presentation skills in front of the entire team yesterday. The same woman who's been sending me on coffee runs while telling me I have to "pay my dues." The same woman who, two weeks ago, shook Daniel's hand with a lingering touch when he dropped by the office to bring me lunch on my first day.
I should scream. I should throw something. I should storm into the room and demand explanations. That's what people do in movies, isn't it? The wronged woman always makes a scene, always ensures her betrayers know they've been caught.
But I don't make a sound. I stand perfectly still, watching as Daniel's hands grip Alicia's thighs, as she runs her fingers through his hair—hair I'd touched just this morning as he slept, before slipping out early for a meeting.
"God, you're so good at that," Alicia murmurs, and Daniel makes a pleased sound in response.
I feel nothing and everything all at once. My body is numb, but my mind races with memories that suddenly shift into focus with painful clarity. Daniel's late nights at the office. The text messages he'd angle away from me. How he'd started showering as soon as he got home. His sudden interest in my work schedule, always asking when I'd be home. The way he'd been distant in bed, claiming stress and exhaustion.
No wonder he's been acting weird lately. No wonder he barely looks at me anymore.
Tears threaten to spill over and drown me if I acknowledge them. But I can't fall apart in this doorway while they're still?—
I back away, careful not to make a sound. One step. Two. My hand still on the door, easing it closed while making no noise.
My legs feel unsteady, but they somehow carry me away from the bedroom, away from this unbelievable hell. I move quietly, gathering my purse and keys from where I'd left them on the kitchen counter.
I slip my feet back into my heels, the discomfort barely registering now. My lunch break is nearly over. I should be heading back to work, back to the cubicle outside Alicia's office where I'll smile and nod and pretend I don't know where her smug satisfaction comes from.
I shut the door behind me as quietly as I can. I don't want them to know I was here. Not yet. Not until I figure out what to do next.
The elevator ride down is a blur. I stand in the corner, staring at my reflection in the polished metal doors. I look the same. Same blue blouse. Same dark hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. Same slight crease between my eyebrows that Daniel once traced with his finger, telling me I worry too much. But something has broken inside of me.
The doorman nods as I pass, and I manage a tight smile in return. The summer heat hits me like a wall as I step outside, the concrete sidewalk shimmering in the afternoon sun. I walk toward my car, keys clutched so tightly they leave imprints on my palm.
I don't cry. Not when I unlock the car door. Not when I slide into the driver's seat. Not when I sit there, hands gripping the steering wheel, staring at nothing.
I don't cry because if I start, I might never stop.
I slide into the car seat and grab my phone from my purse, scrolling to Charlotte's name. She answers on the second ring.
"Hey, girl. How’s it going?" Charlotte sounds surprised but pleased to hear from me.
I pull onto the main road, merging into traffic without really seeing the other cars. My body is on autopilot while my mind replays those images—Daniel on his knees, Alicia's head thrown back, our bed, our apartment, our life together completely destroyed.
"Skye? You there?"
"Yeah," I manage, my voice sounding strange. "I'm here. I just—" My throat closes up, and I swallow hard, focusing on the road as I take a random turn away from the office. "I just saw something."
"What's wrong?" Charlotte's tone changes immediately, concern evident in her words. "You sound weird."
A horn blares as I drift too close to the center line. I jerk the wheel, correcting my course, blinking back the tears that have finally decided to make an appearance.
"I went home for lunch," I say, the words tumbling out now. "I was hungry, and we didn't have any food, and I was just going to make a sandwich or something and then go back to work, but?—"
"Breathe, honey," Charlotte says gently. "Take a breath."
I inhale shakily, stopping at a red light. An elderly woman walks her tiny white dog across the crosswalk, her world completely intact, completely normal. I watch her and wish my life could go back to being normal.
"Daniel was there," I continue, my voice steadier now. "In our bedroom. With Alicia."
"Alicia? Your boss Alicia?"
