I sat on the floor, traumatized. I stuck my fingers in my ears, trying to cover the sounds of grunts and moans, but I still knew what was going on out there. Each time I heard her cry out his name, my heart broke into more pieces.
After what seemed like an eternity, it became silent. I didn’t even try to hear what it was they were saying. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I realized what a fool I was and I stuck my fist in my mouth to hide my sob.
A few minutes later, the closet door opened and I shielded my eyes from the light streaming in. Underneath my hand, I saw Paul lower himself to his knees and I heard him take a shaky breath. I sat there feeling physically sick.
“Aly,” he whispered, reaching out a hand to me. I quickly shoved it aside and stood up on my own. He stood up with me and blocked me from leaving the closet.
“Aly, I am so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. She was frantic. I had to calm her down.”
I gave him a look that told him exactly what I thought of that excuse as I lifted my hand and slapped him hard across the face. His head whipped to the side from the impact and his eyes showed shock and pain. I pushed him aside and walked out of the closet. Seeing the cushions on the couch askew made me want to vomit. The tears started again and I swiped them away.
I felt him put his hands on my shoulders and I turned quickly to face him, more livid than I’d ever been in my entire life. “Don’t you dare touch me,” I seethed as I shrugged his hands off me.
“Aly, please. Please listen to me,” he begged, his eyes tortured and a red mark from my slap blazing on his cheek.
“Listen to what, Paul? Listen to you explain why you just banged your girlfriend right after having made love to me? While I was in the closet, no less!” I yelled.
He winced.
“I cannot believe that just happened, that you thought that was the only option you had. You are an a*shole! Plain and simple. You have sunk to a level I never thought possible and I’m sick.” I turned away from him and wiped my eyes, refusing to let him see me cry.
“Aly!” he cried out, “I am so sorry.” He started pacing and ran a hand through his hair. “Please believe me. I know that was a horrible thing to do. I just didn’t know what else I could do to convince her things were okay. I had to get her to leave as fast as possible and that was the only way I knew how. I felt horrible the whole time, knowing you were right there. It was all I could do not to shove her out of my office and run to you.”
I turned back to face him. “Yeah, but you didn’t. You went right on screwing your girlfriend with no thought or care for me, and after what we had just shared.” I covered my mouth as the realization of what I’d just done hit me. “Your girlfriend! Oh my gosh! I had sex with you and you have a girlfriend. I am mortified and humiliated beyond what I ever thought possible.” He started to say something, but I held my hand up to stop him.
“I don’t want to hear anymore. Consider this my two weeks notice. I can no longer work with you. I’ll finish these two weeks from home on my computer laptop. All communication between us will be strictly about business via email.”
I turned around and headed for the door. I’d barely taken two steps when he grabbed my wrist and whirled me around, slamming me into his chest.
“No! No, no, no. I won’t let you do this. Please,” he begged, forcing me still when he wrapped his arms around me. I struggled to get free, but his hold was too tight. “I can fix this, I’ll do whatever it takes. Just don’t walk out on me, not now.” I felt him shudder as he held me tight. A part of me wanted to reach out and comfort him, but then the searing pain of what he just did hit me and the rage came roaring back.
I tried stepping out of his hold again, but he held me even tighter.
“Paul, let me go,” I demanded.
“No. Not until you tell me you’ll stay. I can’t let what just happened take you away from me.”
“You should have thought about that before you had sex with Casey...in front of me.”
He stroked my hair, almost like he was willing me to stay. “I know, I’m so sorry. I knew you’d be upset, but I didn’t know what else to do, Aly.”
“I can’t hear that anymore!” I cried. I lifted my head to look at him. “Don’t you see? It doesn’t matter. You did it. You had sex with me and then had sex with your girlfriend, right after, while I was hiding in the closet from our encounter. Nothing you say or do will change that, Paul.” I pounded on his chest, completely frustrated.
He gripped me to him. “I know. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that. But I refuse to let you resign and walk out on Pierce Homes. We need you, I need you. Please don’t leave us, Aly. Don’t leave Glendale and Hidden Creek.”
He used the tactic he knew would work, our projects. He knew how much they meant to me and how it would kill me not to see them through. I hated him for it and I refused to let him manipulate me.
I let out a groan. “You know how important what we do is to me, how important these projects are. It would kill me to leave before they’re completed, but I have to put myself first this time. You don’t deserve me, Paul. Not after what you just did. I need time to think and I can’t be around you.”
He closed his eyes in pain, and leaned his head back.
“I’ll be out until Monday. If you need me for anything business related, you can email or text. Anything else, you can shove it up your ass.”
I finally untangled myself from his arms and strode out of his office, slamming the door behind me. He didn’t stop me this time. I grabbed my purse and ran out the door.