Sleeping With The CEO
Chapter 78: Omen

Chapter 78: Omen

Growing up, Derek had known thunderstorms to be bad omens. A holdover from childhood where every single scary story that he had ever heard had always begun with ’ It was a dark and stormy night...’

But that Friday, there was no thunder, no lightning. Just cold rain falling down on them for hours on end. So Derek did not pay it any mind. He had not seen any need to be on edge. But he should have been. Especially since the first person that he had run into that morning had been his uncle.

The older Haven, was back to his scheming self now that the crisis that he had created was well and truly behind them.

"Nephew, lovely seeing you at work so early. One would think that with the magnificent save you pulled last time, you would be giving yourself a bit of a break, perhaps a vacation somewhere," He’d said, raising his brows suggestively like he and Derek were sharing a joke, his laughter as fake as a hyena’s cackle. Then, with his playful banter having been heard by all, he moved in close and let his venom out. The words were meant for Derek’s ears only.

"You might think your little stunt at the solar panel plant bought you some immunity, but it did not. You are just a pup playing in the big dog’s pen. Sooner or later, you are going to slip up, to mess up, and I am going to sink my teeth so deep into you, I’ll cave that thick skull of yours in," He’d said, whe he had backed away, he had still been smiling, thinking Derek would somehow be cowed by such a useless threat.

Instead of backing off and letting his uncle think that he had won the round, Derek had moved in, his own attack disguised as a hug.

"Uncle, the day I let a toothless dog like you chase me out of the company, pigs will fly. You are nothing without the family name and everyone knows it. Your younger twin brother got chosen for the position of CEO over you. Then his wife, who is my mother took over instead of you. She retired, and I am in charge now. But here you are, still barking at ghosts only you can see. Give up...uncle, find yourself a nice retirement home and let young blood run things peacefully," He had left his uncle there, fuming, and gotten into the elevator, where he had the pleasure of watching the man’s murderous glare follow him until he disappeared.

After that brief exchange of barbs, Derek had walked into his office feeling on top of the world. As usual, he had found Emily already there. He had thought that she’d looked a bit under the weather when he had greeted her. But he had explained it away, as it probably just being because of the rain before going into his office to work.

Which brought him to the present moment.

A moment that Derek did not want to believe was actually happening. He looked at Emily, she had on a simple black suit. The buttons of her white blouse were done all the way up to her throat. Her hair was in its usual high ponytail.

It could have been any other Friday, but this time, things were different. Emily had just said something he had not seen coming...at all. She might as well have shot him in the chest, that was how much of a surprise her words had been.

"...I am off for the weekend, and for all the other days after. I am not coming back Derek...I quit..." Derek tried to make it make sense, but it did not.

She was quitting...what?! He looked at her and she looked devastated. No one who had just quit had any right to look like that. Had he fired her instead and then come up with the scenario where she quit to make himself feel less guilty?

But that made no sense. Why would he fire her, Emily Molson was the best PA that he’d ever had. Her words repeated in a loop in his head.

"...I am off for the weekend, and for all the other days after. I am not coming back Derek...I quit..." Nope, Emily had definitely quit on her own, which left Derek with one final burning question.

"Why?" He managed to force out, instantly hating himself. His voice sounded, small, lost, nothing like the in-control CEO that he was.

But the current situation was very much out of his control, so he could be forgiven for acting out of character.

"I have been over-stressed for a long time, so I am taking time for myself," Her voice was shaky, and she would not look him in the eyes.

Lie...a lie, she is lying.

His mind screamed. But it was already too late, she was handing him a letter. Her resignation was all typed out and ready.

"I have sent an email to Human Resources," She told him, taking a respectful step back.

"They will read it on Monday, but I did not want you to be blindsided," She gave him another sad smile.

"Thank you, Derek, for everything that you have done for me in the past two years. I am truly, grateful," Then why are you leaving?! He wanted to yell, but instead he felt a mask of coldness fall over him.

"Very well then, Miss Molson. Thank you for letting me know," He walked away from her like it was nothing, his letter held in his hands.

He did not look back when she left, his focus on the raindrops falling down the window.

" Goodbye, Derek," Her words were soft, almost lost in the sound of the rain, but he heard them anyways and they felt like a stab to the heart.

"Goodbye, Emily," And it felt like he was helping her twist the knife in deeper. He heard the door open, followed by the sound of her nearly silent footsteps and then a soft click as is closed behind her.

And just like that, Emily Molson was gone out of his life. It felt as though the rain was erasing all traces of her.