Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 273: Numb

Chapter 273: Numb

Emily did not remember much about the ride back to the city. Just snippets here and there. Like somebody had been standing behind her, with their hands over her eyes. Covering them so that she could not see, and then uncovering them so that she could once again see everything around her. She remembered the same man who had grabbed her off the street, leading her back to the car that she had come in. But she did not remember getting in. Emily remembered the bright lights of the city off in the distance. But try as she might, she could not recall the exact moment when they had entered the city.

She did not even remember when they had reached her neighbourhood. But she did remember the car coming to a stop, and somebody helping her out of the vehicle.

"Are you all right?" A voice had asked. Emily had no idea what she had said in reply, but somehow she had blinked, and both the car and the owner of the voice had been gone, and Emily had been standing in front of her apartment building, feeling as though she were made of lead. She had no idea how long she had stood there. Just staring at the building. But at some point, she’d had the bright idea to leave.

No fixed destination in mind, no path to follow.

Emily had just picked a random direction and had begun walking. What she had done had been reckless. It had not been safe at all. In fact, with that move she had put herself in so much danger. Anything and everything could have happened to her.

Anyone walking the streets alone late at night was painting a huge target on their back, and being a woman, Emily knew that that target was especially interesting to a lot of ill-meaning people. But somehow in that moment it had felt like the most obvious thing in the world to do. Her world had literally just been torn apart. It was either keep moving, or lay down and never stop crying.

So Emily had walked, and walked. By some miracle she had been left alone. No one had bothered her. There had been cat calls and wolf whistles, but no one had approached, so Emily had just kept on walking, not really sure where it was that she was going.

After what had felt like an eternity of walking, Emily had startled when she had blinked, and recognised some of the buildings where she was. She had not visited the particular area that she’d come to in a while. But she had still known it like the back of her hand. She had worked there for a while after all.

Bee’s diner had looked just as it had, when Emily had left it all those months ago. Nothing about it had changed. In fact, it had looked so unmoved by time that Emily had panicked for a few seconds. Thinking that she had been caught up in some sort of dream. That she had imagined everything that had happened. From her going back to Haven Group, to her and Derek’s relationship. But then she had felt the gut-wrenching ache in her heart. The awful pain had been enough to assure her that everything, that had happened since she had left the diner had been real. No slaps or pinches had been needed.

Emily had gone into the diner with the cautiousness of an adult returning to a school that they had gone to in their childhood. A little bit scared but still excited. Nostalgia pulling her in, despite her knowing that most likely nothing would feel safe, and familiar like it once had. That no one there was likely to even recognize her.

She had meant it to be a quick trip in and out. But that had ended up not happening. Instead, Emily had walked into the diner, and been greeted by a bored blonde woman chewing some bubble gum. Emily had taken one look at the Roberta name tag clipped to the woman’s chest, and she’d found herself crying. Literally bawling in the middle of the diner. The next thing Emily had known.

She had been seated, old Ben right next to her. A worried look in his eyes. The questions clear to read on his face. ’What happened? Who hurt you? Are you alright?’ But he had not asked. All that he’d done was give her a chocolate chip cookie. And Emily had forced it down, crying around each bite, but still forcing herself to swallow.

She had spent the night there, Ben plying her with cups of tea and little treats, still not pushing her for answers, and it had dawned on Emily that her body had known that that was exactly what she would need.

Silence.

A place to just be for a little while.

To let everything that had gone on settle over her. So rather than run, Emily had basked in the quiet. Grateful for the fact that she did not have to explain anything, that she could just be. Those hours at the diner had allowed her to think, to map out a way forward.

And by the time that day had come, chasing the night away. Emily had known exactly what she was going to do.

The last time that she’d left Haven Group. She had made the mistake of not making sure that the letter had reached its final destination. But Emily had learned a lesson from that.

She would not be repeating the same mistake twice. Emily had typed her resignation letter with steady hands. The ancient printer in the rarely used office at the back of the diner, spitting out a physical copy of the letter after a bit of poking, and prodding.

After giving Ben a big hug. A huge fake smile plastered across her face, as she had told him that she would be okay. That she’d just been having a minor problem.

"Everything will be fine Ben, I promise. I’m fine, She had lied. And then she had gone to Haven Group and blown to smithereens the little that was left of her life. The plan in going there so early had been to just drop off the letter, and go without anybody knowing that she’d ever been there.

But Emily had found Padma waiting, and she’d been forced to interact with the woman. Knowing full well that most likely her escapades of the night before, were written plainly in her dishevelled appearance. Her swollen red-rimmed eyes giving away the fact that she’d been crying.

But by some miracle, Emily had managed to hold herself together. Calmly refusing all offers that Padma made in an effort to get her to stay. Resignation letter delivered. Emily had walked out of Haven Group headquarters, not really feeling anything.

From the moment that his mother had revealed Derek’s engagement. Emily had been feeling a numbness spreading across her body, and once she had handed in her resignation letter. It was as though the numbness had taken that as permission to take her over completely.

Chilling every part of her until she could no longer feel a thing. In a space of less than 24 hours, Emily’s world had shattered into a million pieces, and she had no idea if there was enough of her left to rebuild with.

She had no job, she had no boyfriend.

All that she had was a broken heart. Finally making it home after all that she had been through. Emily barely managed to make it to the living area before she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Her bag falling somewhere to her left. Her phone, now silent since Derek was no longer calling her non-stop. Tumbling out of her pocket, and joining the bag.

Had she the energy, she would have reached for it. But Emily was tired... so very tired. But she could not sleep. And so she just curled up on the carpet, staring at the fibers, willing her mind to not think.

Thinking would only lead to heartache and pain. To her yearning for things that she could not have. So Emily let the numbness that had spread through her body go to her mind as well, letting it go blank. No thoughts on anything. Especially Derek Haven, and what their future could have been.