Page 45 of Insufferable Boss

I knew he was trouble. Diana had known it too, and I thought that I was prepared. I was sure that I had been prepared, but then here I am falling and making a fool of myself every day, and I was completely powerless to stop it. I watched him, and it was then that I got some insight into my deep, genuine dislike for him. He was brutish and pompous, but he couldn't be ignored by anyone, whether they liked him or hated him, and the same went for me. I had tried to ignore him, and I failed, so he was a threat to me. There was no way I could be comfortable around him, and yet he seemed not to care, not to be affected. I felt like I was the one being controlled, and he was just letting me believe that I was the one in control. I felt condescended to and scrutinized every moment I was in his presence, and he didn't even have to say a word. Or even look at me, for that matter. Right now, I was standing in the middle of his apartment, lost, and he sat there scrolling through his phone.

I might have as well not existed. Even a fly would have gotten more attention. Or perhaps he is just pretending and preferring to act as inhalant as you are? That troublesome voice came to my head again however I didn’t care.

I truly didn't care. I was ready to leave, and so that was exactly what I did. Without engaging in further conversation with him, I headed to the foyer, changed my clothes, hung the towel on a hook by the side, and was ready to leave. I also found my phone on the gorgeous console by the wall, as well as my shoes neatly arranged at the entrance. I quickly put them on, and without a further word, I pulled the door open, shut it behind me, and just like that, I was gone. I heard the click of the door behind me but didn't stop to think. True, there was no need for us to be hostile with each other in this way, but it was the only way that made sense to me now. Any other way just felt like a mistake, and I couldn't care anymore, not until I was somewhat stable.

And he was right. Turned out, I didn't need any special keys to head down, but I was certain that without his permission, I would never be able to come up on my own. Soon, I arrived on the ground floor, and I was on my way in my damp clothes, headed back to my hotel. It would take about twenty minutes to reach there. It wasn't too far, but I didn't mind. I had had more than enough exercise today, but since I was going to need another shower anyway, there was no issue. Plus, the walk was sure to do me immeasurable good since I needed to completely get out of my head and think.

But life never went my way, especially regarding what I was supposed to be thinking about because just as I was exiting the lobby, I ran into the last person in the world that I wanted to see.

"Lena?" he called, and at first, I ignored the voice, even though it sounded familiar. But when he called again, it became virtually impossible to deny that I knew exactly who that was. And so, I froze, weighed my options, and knew that I would be completely stripped of my pride if I didn't respond. Forever. And so, I stopped and turned around.

Dylan stared at me from across the room, dressed in a blazer and slacks, while I basically looked like a wet dog. A wet, frivolous dog. He was my brother, alright, and for this reason, my shame could no longer be measured. Immediately, a humorless smile came to his face.

"This can't be real," he said as he began to approach.

I turned to face him, squared my shoulders, and brushed my hair behind me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

I stared at him and then shrugged.

"I was running in Central Park and ran into Kane."

"Kane? You ran into Kane?"

He was incredulous with wry amusement.

"Well, welcome to New York, dear sis, but Central Park's quite big, so forgive me for thinking it peculiar that you ran into Kane. And I guess... it rained as well?"

His eyes ran down my appearance.

"What the hell is this? Are you... are you sleeping with Kane? Like, did you take a shower at his place, or did he just happen to dump a bucket of water on your head?"

I decided then that there was no point in listening to any of this. He could think and believe whatever he wanted, but I wasn't going to stay here and entertain it for a moment longer. People were beginning to stare at me as though I had broken into the place and had been caught stealing red-handed or something.

But before I left, I did have my own question.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Aren't you suing him?"

"I'm here to lobby for a settlement," he said without any shame, and I cocked an eyebrow. I started to leave then, but he caught my arm and stopped me.

"I was going to bring this to some kind of vote eventually with the other owners, but now that I've seen you here, I completely understand that I'll never win. You'll back him, won't you? He's completely bought your loyalty and opinion in every way."

"I understand that you're trying to annoy me," I said. "And it's working. So let go now before I lose my temper on you."

"I only speak the truth," he said but did let go of me. "I'll be sure to let the others know the reality of the situation."

"What others?" I asked. "And what situation? I can see you want to get sued again."

"Wait, you're threatening to sue me if I reveal this?"

"Reveal what?" I asked. "Did you see me in any compromising situation? Am I half-naked? I am in exercise attire, and because my hair is damp, you're jumping to ludicrous conclusions. One word about this, and you'll have two lawsuits to worry about."

After this, I turned around and exited the building.

20

Lena