Leap OF Fate novel Chapter 68

After attending his meetings, Justin sat at his desk buried in a mountain of paperwork. He was back to his old workaholic self.

His brows knitted together as he focused on his computer screen. His fingers deftly flew on the keyboard as he composed an email in total concentration. Since their breakup, he buried himself with work. Exhaustion had been his friend. Serene could not invade an exhausted mind and body.

“Come in,” Justin said, not bothering to look away from his screen.

“Mr. Rain, the Security department sent this external drive containing the security audio and videos of your office for the past quarter. You can review it and let me know if we could delete them,” his secretary said in a single breath.

“Ok. Leave it here,” he answered and continued what he did.

The hard drive lured his attention. He plugged the device in his computer and scrolled over to the day he saw Serene and Bryan in his office.

He scoffed before hitting the play icon. Let’s see who’s telling a lie now.

In the video, his secretary ushered in Serene and advised her he’s still in a meeting. She obediently sat on the couch and played with her phone. Her brows knit tightly in concentration and would sometimes utter an expletive or squeal in excitement.

His chest tightened at the sight of her. He had been trying to suppress her memories in his mind for the past month. Seeing her now not only brought a fresh batch of pain but also longing and anger. His mouse cursor moved to the stop icon, but his finger did not click it.

After a while, Bryan came in and approached her. She’s still into her phone and did not notice him.

“You’re back!” Serene’s excited voice stabbed his heart. He missed that.

“Disappointed much?” Bryan’s familiarity with Serene never ceased to annoy him.

“The secretary said that Justin’s still in a meeting,”

“Yeah.” A fresh wave of rage fueled in him as he watched Bryan stare at Serene. Then from out of nowhere he said, “Shen, thank you.”

Justin inched his chair closer, his nose almost touching his monitor. He felt his heart kick into his ribcage and his hands suddenly turned cold. An ominous feeling wrapped around his heart.

“Chester and I talked things out. He’s no longer divorcing me. He told me you asked him out for coffee and talked some sense to him. Honestly, it surprised me you’d help me iron out the misunderstanding between us.”

“He said that you empathized with me.

You’re right, it’s tough being on our spot. We work hard to convince them about their place in our hearts, but it’s easy to have all of that thrown out of the window with just a single suspicion, baseless if I may add.

So, thank you for talking to Chester. All that you said somehow sank into him. Of all the people who would talk sense to him and ask him to give me a chance, it had to be you, the person whom we both hurt.”

Justin pressed on the pause icon. He took several deep breaths and pressed the space between his brows.

Serene empathized with Bryan. Both felt that they always had to defend their position, to prove their love, and a mere suspicion could make their partners throw all their love away.

His hands harshly gripped his hair. He had a bad feeling that Serene had not been lying all along. No, she must be. They were hugging each other. He saw what he saw. He clicked the play icon again, and the video continued.

“It’s fine, Bryan. As I have told Chester, I feel for you because I find myself in a similar predicament. I know your struggles. And I am happy that you and Chester have patched things up and would no longer pursue a divorce.” She smiled at him.

Serene’s eyes widened when suddenly Bryan lunged himself on her and gave her a tight hug. “Thank you so much, Shen. You don’t know how much it meant to me.”

Justin repeated the clip from the time Bryan came in to the time he hugged her. It was barely 10 minutes, but he had been playing it over and over for what felt like more than an hour.

His eyes watered from knowing that she told him the truth. Didn’t she say she was waiting for him so they could go home together? His tear silently rolled down his cheeks. Home. A bitter smile stretched his lips. Was that Magnolia Crescent?

Indeed, they made a beautiful home. He looked forward to coming home to her daily. But since she left, Magnolia Crescent felt hollow. All he saw were endless rows of cold walls suffocating him. She took away the warmth and the joy of the place when she left.

Taking a deep breath, he clicked the play icon, and the video played.

He saw himself come in the door and land a punch on Bryan’s jaw, startling both of them.

He zoomed on Serene’s surprised and terrified face. He scared her. She looked like a bunny cornered by a predator.

“What are you still doing here? Get out! Follow him!”

“Justin, it’s not what you think --”

“what do you want me to think, Serene? That you two were innocent, and you were just talking casually? Do you really fucking think that I am stupid, huh, Serene?”

“Justin, please calm down ok? We were really just talking.”

“You were hugging each other! Don’t you fucking deny it! I saw it with my own eyes!”

“I do not deny that, Justin --”

“Good! Did you enjoy it? Finally, you got him back. You cunning little thing. You used me to get closer to him and snatch him away from my brother --”

Slap!

He sneered at himself. He deserved that slap. Serene’s wide, teary eyes added salt to his already bleeding heart. She looked so pitiful while he looked so ferocious.

“I did not do such a thing, Justin. How many times do I have to tell you we were over?”

“Over? How could you two be over when you deliberately used my office to rendezvous with him!”

“Do you hear how crazy you sound? Of all the places, why would I pick your office to rendezvous with him? Can’t I do that elsewhere? I came here after going out with your mother. I was hoping we could go home together. I did not expect to see him here. I think he came over to talk to you about something, but he saw me playing with my phone on the couch and approached me. He thanked me for talking to Chester last time.”

“You talked to Chester?” he said in disbelief, his brows hitched up like his voice.

“Yes. During your parents’ anniversary, I heard Bryan and Chester argue and I heard Chester that he wanted to pursue divorce. I talked to your brother when I brought you lunch last time. I told him how much he mattered to Bryan and asked him to rethink his decision.”

“Of course you knew that. You two probably sneaked behind our backs.”

“What? Do you know how crazy you sound right now? I didn’t need to talk to him to know how much Chester means to him. He gave up his family for your brother for crying out loud!”

“Did he tell you that too?”

“Oh please! None of his family attended his wedding, not even his younger brother Gideon. Wasn’t that telling enough?”

“You must really think of me as a fool, Serene. Chester divorce Bryan? Really? Is that the most your creativity could get you?”

“That’s the truth, Justin. I would never lie to you.”

“Never lie to me? Didn’t you just do that? You lied to me about you and Bryan being over. Tell me, Serene, is that the only lie you made? Or were you also lying when you said that you loved me?”

“Justin, I never lied to you about anything. I had always been honest with you. I love you --”

“Shut up! Aren’t you repulsed? You love me? That’s the biggest bull I’ve heard in my life.”

“Justin, please don’t say that. I love you. I love you so much. That was never a lie. Please, Justin, believe me. I never lied to you…”

“Get out, Serene. I don’t want to see you again. I hope you’re no longer here when I come back from my meeting.”

Justin wanted to kick himself for every hurtful word he said. Serene pleaded with him, yet he turned deaf to her pleading. How could he doubt her? He coldly dismissed her. How could he do that?

He then recalled seeing her outside his villa, sitting pitifully on the gutter, waiting for him. Her disheveled look etched on his memory. But what did he do? Didn’t he push her away? He watched her stubbornly stay outside his villa that night. He ignored the multiple times his conscience asked him to go out and carry her inside, but he steeled himself, all the while thinking that she deserved all of it.

She deserved it? He laughed at himself in mockery. She did not deserve any of it.

“I won’t make the same mistake twice. Go away, Serene. Get out of my life. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

“No… No... No. Justin, please don’t do this… please Justin, don’t leave me.”

“I said, get out of my life!”

He angrily shoved the documents on his desk at the memory. How could he do that to her? Didn’t he promise they would grow old together? He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, yet he was not willing to listen to her. She’s right. A single doubt toppled over their relationship. His jealousy blinded him, and now he lost her.