Page 75 of Dirty Little Secret, Baby
I try again, and as the anger takes hold of me once more, I finally pound loudly on the door. "Open up!"
But that doesn't get me the result I want either. He's not here. I should drive to his office and confront him there. But suddenly, I realize what must have led me here. Ben was conceived here. We did it again here, and I could just slap myself for being so weak. It started here, and it should end here. Not in that giant skyscraper where his employees and his assistant stand guard like watchdogs to keep me away from him.
"He's not going to open up," a voice calls from behind me. I spin around, squinting against the sunlight, and have to shield my eyes to see who is slowly walking toward me up the driveway. Isn't that...?
"What do you want here? Did you follow me? Did your boss tell you that..." I burst out, once I'm sure that it's none other than Alex's personal assistant walking toward me.
"I know this must look strange to you. But I can assure you..." he begins, raising his hands appeasingly.
"What?" I cut him off. "That the summary dismissal was reviewed by numerous lawyers? That it's legally sound? That your boss is a huge asshole?" I blurt out. "And don't come any closer. I have pepper spray here in my purse, I..." I say, starting to rummage frantically through my handbag for the small canister I haven't seen in a long time.
"Believe me. I understand you. I only did what he asked me to, and I'm tired of working for such an evil man. So tired. And I'm sorry for what he's done to you."
"You mean..." I pause, unable to believe what I'm hearing. His assistant is stabbing him in the back? Is this really happening?
"I mean you deserve the truth. But Mr. Rodgers doesn't give a damn about anything but money, power, and influence. He has no consideration, he's..."
"An asshole," I finish his assistant's sentence. This still seems a little strange to me, but at the same time, it feels so good to share my anger with someone who knows him too.
"Oh yes. That he is," his assistant says.
"Do you know where he is? I want to talk to him. Give him a piece of my mind. One last time," I say, feeling a spark of hope, because this man will surely not deny me any request that could make things unpleasant for his boss. It never would haveoccurred to me that his own assistant held a grudge against him. Well, sometimes karma strikes back faster than you think. Serves you right, Alex Rodgers!
"It's hard for me to tell you the truth, miss," he says, looking away in shame.
"What? I thought you wanted to help me? No? What is it, then? Was that all just talk?" I ask, planting my hands on my hips.
"No, it wasn't. It's just that..." he trails off again, looking at me with a pained expression.
"You're afraid of being fired? Is that it? The man took everything from me. I'm left with nothing. And I'm sure you'll find a new job. Do you really want to keep working for someone you despise?" I ask.
"All right. But you're not going to like it," the assistant says, and his eyes seem to darken in that moment.
"He's up there," he says, pointing to the windows on the second floor. I know all too well what's behind them: his bedroom. "And he's not alone in there. You might remember his former assistant?"
"That Dilara?" I ask, feeling something tighten around my entire body, and I almost feel like I'm going to throw up.
"Exactly. She still technically works for him. But he pays her for sex. Crazy, right?"
"How do you know..." My voice becomes thin, and I fight back tears because I feel so damn stupid. Of course. He was filthy rich; he could just buy a woman. Several, even. And I thought all those conversations over dinner were real. The first prize for stupidity definitely goes to me this year.
"I'm his assistant. I know his dirty secrets," he says, his eyes glinting darkly again. "If you want, I'll show you. Come on."
As if on autopilot, I follow him. We walk around the house, past hedges and newly planted shrubs, and sometimes right through them. Neither of us pays any attention to the flowers and flowerbeds. My broken heart is hammering wildly, and I wonder if I can really bear the sight. But curiosity compels me to follow the man who apparently wants to get one over on his boss.
"Here," he says finally, pointing to a ladder lying on the ground. "Help me. We'll carry it to the front, lean it up, and then you can have a look. But keep your composure. From what I hear, he's into anal sex."
I fight back the urge to vomit, because that's something I can't even imagine and have no desire to try. But together with my new ally, I carry the ladder back to the front. He leans it carefully against the house, and it seems to be the perfect length to risk a peek through the bedroom window in question.
"I'll hold it down here. Please be careful and don't lose your composure, whatever you're about to see."
I nod and start climbing the ladder. Rung by rung I ascend, and it feels like the air gets a little thinner with each step. I'm getting dizzy, my vision goes black for a few moments, and I have to stop several times.
"Everything okay?" the assistant calls from below, still holding the ladder steady. I can't manage more than a thin "Yes" and focus on the climb.
Then I'm there. I just have to see. I take a deep breath, climb the last rung, peer through the bedroom window, holding on as tight as I can so I don't fall, and see...
NOTHING.
