Chapter 56

Priscilla's POV

I heard footsteps approaching where I was seated. I felt too tired to raise my head to see who it was, but I had a hunch it could be Iiz. She was possibly the only person in the house who cared about me.

Suddenly, I heard someone say, "Hey!" I quickly lifted my head, only to find out that it wasn't Iiz, but Max. I wasn't in the mood for him after all the terrible things he had said to me earlier. I decided to ignore him completely.

"Priscilla, it's late. You should get some rest," he said, pretending like nothing had happened. I knew he was trying to act like everything was fine, and that I shouldn't let it get to me. But I didn't feel like talking to him right now. I'd rather keep quiet than say something I might regret later.

"Priscilla, stop acting like a child and throwing tantrums. It's late, and you should go to sleep. Why are you still angry about what I said earlier? If what I said wasn't true, you wouldn't still be angry. Your anger shows that I was not wrong after all," Max said sarcastically. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't believe he was saying this again. I didn't know what I had done wrong to deserve this from him. Without saying anything, I gathered all my things, put them in my bag, and made my way out of the pool area. As I walked, I felt a hand grab me from behind. I knew it was him.

"Please let go of my hand!" I said, trying to sound as normal as possible. I didn't want to cry in front of him and satisfy his ego.

"Oh, yeah, I should have known. If I touch you, it's a problem. But if Nicolas touches you, everything is fine. There's no problem, right? I was right after all," Max said. The tears I was trying to hold back finally flowed out of my eyes. I can tolerate anything in this world, but I can't tolerate anyone questioning my character.

"Max, I didn't expect you to be so narrow-minded. Since this morning, you've been sulking and questioning my character. Why? Because you think I'm dating Nicolas? Well, let me tell you, nothing is going on between Nicolas and me, nothing at all. I'm not expecting you to believe me. You can think of me however you want - I don't care. Just know that whatever you said has hurt me a lot, and I can't ever forgive you," I said between my sobs before running upstairs. I was so hurt by his behavior. He always does this to me - he always finds a way to hurt me for no reason.

***

I spent the entire night sitting on my bed, sketching my dress designs. I didn't want to bother Liz because she had been at court all day and I knew she must be exhausted. So, I decided to focus on my work until morning. My body ached, but I had no other option. I couldn't sleep while alone. I was too frightened to close my eyes due to the nightmare that haunted me.

Eventually, I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water soothe my body, easing my muscles and washing away all my worries. After my shower, I wrapped a towel around me and went to my closet. I put on a pair of jeans, an oversized shirt, and sneakers. I combed my hair and applied some lip balm before heading downstairs.

When I reached the dining room, I found only Max there. Liz must have left early, and Lurry was probably still sleeping since it was Sunday.

"Good morning, Ma'am. Are you okay? Your eyes look red like you've been crying all night," Marie asked. I forced a smile and replied, "Marie, thanks for your concern, but I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well. Could you please make me a cup of coffee?"

"Ma'am, coffee is not healthy for a pregnant woman. I suggest you do not drink it," Marie advised.

"It's okay. I'll just grab something later at work. Have a great day, Marie," I said and headed towards the door. But Max's cold voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Where do you think you're going without having your breakfast?" he asked. I stood frozen in place, not having the energy to deal with him. Without saying anything, I continued making my way out of the house.

"Priscilla, stop!" Max yelled again, stopping me. Without saying anything again I walked out of the house. I don't care about his anger or thramtrams, if he was stubborn then I'm even more stubborn, I won't let anyone threaten me at all, not even him. He was no one In my life and I was not going to make him someone I'm my life.

After getting inside the car, the driver started the car and drove off. After a 30-minute drive, the driver finally stopped the car, got out, and grabbed my bag. I made my way inside the building. As soon as I entered the building everyone's eyes were on me and some started even mumbling to each other. I didn't care if they were talking about me or not. I didn't have the energy to deal with them right now.

As I made my way to the elevator, I stepped inside, but before the doors could close, Zara and her group squeezed in with me.

"Look who's here, guys! I didn't expect you to show up for work after the trending news was published. I mean, if I were you, I wouldn't be able to face the world," Zara said sarcastically, and her friends burst into laughter.

"Zara, if you're talking to me, just get to the point and stop beating around the bush. You're wasting my time and yours as well," I said, gazing lazily at her. I wasn't in the mood for her games.

"It seems like you haven't seen the news yet," Zara said. She pulled out her phone from her bag, typed something, and then handed it over to me. My eyes widened when I read what was written along with my pictures. This was the reason why people had been staring at me and murmuring. I felt like bursting into tears and crying my heart out, but I did everything I could to keep calm. I shouldn't let these things pull me down. I'm stronger than this, and nothing can break me. I've been through tougher times than this, and I know that this too shall pass because nothing lasts forever.

I handed Zara her phone back with a smile, her friends along with her frown looking at me with questioning gaze.

"You know, Zara, there is a saying that I have heard. If people do not talk about you behind your back or say anything bad to your face, it only means that you are not progressing in life. It indicates that you are not doing anything worthwhile. Currently, people are talking about me because I am making progress in my life, whether it is by trapping Max with these babies or by getting a job in a well-known company. I am doing something meaningful in my life, and as humans, we do not like to see others succeed. We would do anything to drag down those who succeed to the mud. If I were you, I would have done something to give people a reason to talk about you. Even now, I am trending all over Camptown, while no one even knows your name or if you exist." I told her, trying hard to control the overwhelming feeling that was swirling inside me.

Zara and her friends looked pale and angry as they glared at me with red faces.

"Be careful. If you get too angry, you might age before your actual age," I said sarcastically. Luckily, the elevator door opened, and I got out, heading to my office. When I reached there, I found Twinkle and Pinny already at their desks, along with another unfamiliar guy sitting at a manager's table, which means he was our supervisor.

"Good morning, everyone!" I greeted, trying to sound cheerful. I couldn't let those unimportant news ruin my day unnecessarily.

"Hi Priscilla, how are you doing today?" Twinkle asked with a smile.

"Are you okay today? I heard that you were hospitalized yesterday," Pinny added. I walked to my desk and placed my things on the table.

"Don't worry about me, guys. I'm good, and I feel alright," I said, and I honestly meant it.

"Um, did you see the news?" Twinkle asked.

"I have seen the news and guess what? I don't give a damn about it. I don't care about what people think about me, and their opinions don't matter. I only care about what I think about myself. Everyone is free to think of me how they want to, and I really can't control people's thoughts," I said, as I started bringing my drawing materials out of my bag and placing them all on the table.

Wow, honestly, if I were in your place, I wouldn't have come to work today or said whatever you're saying right now. Maybe I would have locked myself in the room and cried my heart out."Pinny said, "

"Well, I don't think hiding your face behind the pillow does any good for anyone. Only those who are guilty hide behind the pillow and cry. Those who are not guilty walk with their head held high, even if people talk badly about them. Anyways, I have to submit all the sketches I have made to Mrs Liana," I said. After arranging my things on the table, I sat down.

"I think you are right, Ms Priscilla," said the guy who was sitting on the manager's chair, smiling warmly. After looking at him, I finally realized that he looked more like Mrs Liana. Could it be that he was her son?

"I'm Henry, by the way, your manager and your supervisor. I'm in charge of the new project, so everything regarding it will be submitted to me. I hope we all will work well together on this project," he said, still smiling warmly. Lucky are those who can smile like this.

" Nice to meet you, sir," the three of us said in unison. Afterward, everyone went back to their tasks, and I continued working on the final sketch I couldn't finish the day before. I was hoping that my sketches would be legible for the contest and that Mrs. Liana would like them. The day went by in a blur, and I didn't eat anything again. I was starving. After stretching my body, I got up from my chair and walked to Mr. Henry's table.

"Sir, I have created nearly ten sketches, and I would like you to take a look at them and tell me if I've done the right thing or not," I said, placing the file containing my sketches in front of him. Mr. Henry closed his laptop and began to examine my sketches.

"Wow, this is amazing. You truly have a special talent," Mr. Henry exclaimed, looking at my sketch. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least something good happened today after such a long day.

"Thank you, sir. Can I go home now?" I asked. I was both hungry and tired and couldn't stand for another second on my feet.

"Of course, you can. But you must come in early tomorrow morning. We will have a very important meeting about all your sketches to see which one of you will be eligible for this contest," Mr. Henry said, without removing his eyes from the sketches.

"Okay then, sir. I'm heading home now," I said, walking back to my table and starting to gather my things.

"Bye, guys. See you all tomorrow," I said, as I made my way out of the office. Twinkle and Pinny waved at me.

As I exited the elevator, I heard whispers, pointing fingers, and laughter directed at me. However, I decided to ignore it. I knew I wasn't the one responsible for trapping Max, but rather it was the other way around. I didn't care about their opinions or words. I was being falsely accused. As soon as I stepped outside, I noticed Nicolas leaning against his car. He flashed a smile when he saw me, and I walked over to him.

"Hey Nic, how's it going today?" I asked, relieved to see him, as I was incredibly hungry and eager to eat.

"Hi Cilla, my dear friend. How are you doing today?" Nicolas replied, smiling and revealing his dimples.

"You did me a favor by coming here. I'm so famished that I could devour your car right now," I joked.

"I'd rather take you out to dinner than let you eat my baby," Nicolas responded, and I smiled at him.

"Let's go then. I promise, once I get paid, I'll take you out for dinner too, and I'll come along with your future wife," I teased, and he grinned.

"Aren't you my favorite friend? I believe that you were sent by God to bring Liz and me together, and I knew you would do it at any cost," Nicolas said, and I burst into laughter. I couldn't believe he was this infatuated.

"Just remember one thing, my friend. There's no love without pain, and there's no pain without love. If you're in love, be prepared to get hurt, because happily ever after only exists in novels and movies, not real life. It's just a fairytale," I warned him, and Nicolas looked at me with a skeptical expression.

"Please don't give me that discouraging speech when you've never been in love. You're saying this because you haven't experienced what love is like. Yes, I know there's pain, but what about all the happiness you'll experience before that?" Nicolas asked, and I scoffed.

"Don't come crying to me later when your heart is broken," I joked.

"Of course, I'll come to you. Come on, let's go. It's getting dark," Nicolas said, opening the door of his car for me. I got in, and he closed the door. After getting in, he started the car and drove off.

"Hey Nic, do you know what's going on with Max? He's been acting really strange since yesterday and I have no idea why. I'm still so upset about all the hurtful things he said to me," I confided to Nicolas, who kept his eyes on the road.

"I'm not sure. He didn't mention anything to me, and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Maybe he's just under a lot of pressure from work," Nicolas replied, but his response didn't sit right with me. It felt like he was hiding something.

"Nicolas, please don't lie to me. Did something happen to him at work?" I asked, feeling like there was something more to this than just work stress. I knew Max well enough to sense that something was off, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"No, nothing happened at work. He might still be dealing with the aftermath of his divorce and all the people he trusted betrayed him, maybe that's why," Nicolas said. He made sense. Max was heartbroken, but that doesn't justify what he said to me.