by Taylor Lowe
“Sam, thank God, you finally answered,” David said sounding relieved when she answered the phone and her insides twist with guilt and shame. “Please let me come over so we can talk! Give me a chance. I know we can figure this all out,” he pleaded her desperately. She bit down on her lip hard realizing that it was going to be so much harder than she imagined.
“I don’t think that is a good idea David,” she managed to finally say. He started to reply but she cut him off. “Are you really suing my father?” She asked focusing on her irritation that he would do such a thing and making it so much easier to do what she had to do.
“Yes,” David answered after a moment of silence. “He is wrong in what he is doing to us Sam,” he said and she shook her head in negation even though he couldn’t see it.
“No he isn’t, you shouldn’t have done that,” Sam told him angrily. Why couldn’t he just accept that this wasn’t meant to be, it was so clear to see!
“Sam listen,” David started again but she cut him off. She couldn’t let his speak or she would break down and she had to be strong to do what needed to be done.
“No, I want you to drop it David, you can’t do this to him,” she insisted.
“And what about us Sam, he can just make us do what he wants with us,” David replied sounding angry.
“There is no us anymore! I told you that it was a mistake,” she told him silently begging him to just stop all of this and accept that it was over.
“No,” he snapped, “Sam I refuse to believe this was a mistake!”
“I am sorry David but it was,” she insisted sadly.
“No,” he shouted and she jumped slightly with surprise. “Say you’re scared, say you changed your mind, but don’t say it was a mistake because it wasn’t. I don’t fall in love by mistake,” David argued and her stomach drop to her feet, he couldn’t have just said that he loved her. That was impossible!
“Y-y-you don’t mean that, you can’t,” she said her voice shaking terribly.
“I can very well mean it Sam, and I do,” he replied with a calmer voice.
Sam shook her head in denial, he barely knew her; he can’t be honestly in love with her! “David drop the lawsuit please,” she begged going back to the subject at hand, not wanting to hear him say L word again.
David sighed loudly before he spoke again. “Sorry Sam, but I have to do this, I won’t let him bully me around and you don’t have to either.”
“He doesn’t bully me around; he is my father! I must do what I can for him, please, please, drop it,” she begged.
“I won’t Sam, no matter what you say I won’t. He is doing all this for himself not you. He may be your father but doesn’t love you, not like I do. You don’t have to do as he says Sam; I promise that I will be here for you…always!” David replied with a pleading tone.
Sam felt her chest tighten, how can he say such things. How could he dare to promise to be there for her always? No one in her life had ever been there for her always, no one except her father of course. She ended the call without saying another word. She just wasn’t able to take any more. She fell down on the sofa tears streaming down her face. Her world was upside down and turned inside out. She wasn’t so sure what was right any more. Sam begged silently that someone tell her what she should do.
The next day Sam felt herself shaking as she got stepped out of the car; she didn’t feel prepared for what she had to do. She stared at the building trying to prepare herself for what was going to be quite possibly the hardest day of her life. No matter how hard she tried not to, yesterday’s conversation kept running through her head. David is lying; he had to be she told herself. There was no way after such short of time he could feel that way. But why else would he be fighting so hard with her and her father?
No! She told herself, he was lying and because of that she hurt and betrayed her father! Her father had been there with her all these years and would be until his dying day. Who knows how long David would really be interested in her, despite what he had said. Jeff had tried to warn her that day, he told her she couldn’t keep a man.
Remembering that day Sam didn’t allow herself to believe that David really loved her; he was so out of her league. It would be only a matter of time before he realized it and passed her up for someone else much more attractive than her. Then she would be alone, completely alone. She shoved all the sadness, guilt, and shame she felt deep down inside her till she felt nothing then she walked inside. “Good morning Samantha” Mrs. Simpson greeted her warmly but Sam just nodded as she made her way to her desk.
“I thought you got fired,” Tabby asked her in a whisper when she sat down.
“My father gave me my job back when I apologized,” she said momentously revising what she had to get done.
“So that’s your choice then,” Tabby said frowning at her clearly disappointed. Sam was tired of people judging her all the time.
“Yes Tabby this is my choice! I choose my father over some guy I have only known a few weeks and whom I met when I was drunk in a club,” Sam shot back at the woman before her.
“Well that guy made you the happiest I have ever seen and that guy really loves you. You really should see the mess he is these past couple of days!” Tabby retorted and Sam flinched at the L word then plastered a cold smile on her face.
“No he doesn’t, if I did what you asked and choose him over my father what am I to do when he moves on to something new and I am alone with no one?” Sam told her friend, wondering why everyone didn’t get it, she and David weren’t meant to be.
“So that is your excuse for kicking him to the curb. Better I dump him before he dumps me? I got a lot of experience with men Sam. So I really know them and I can pick out a player, a prick, or a good guy a mile away. David is a good guy Sam and he isn’t going to be around a few weeks then go away! He seriously wants to be with you,” Tabby argued but Sam shook her head again refusing to fall for their logic.
Just then Mrs. Simpson ushered David and his lawyer, which she was surprised to recognize from the night in New York, to her father’s office. Sam ducked her head toward the table as they passed so he wouldn’t see her. Her heart raced and she felt so awful noticing how haggard David appeared. She cursed silently feeling panicked but she closed her eyes forcing herself to stuff all of the dangerous feelings away before they threaten to overtake her.
“Stop being such a coward Sam and take a real gamble on someone for once,” Tabby pleaded with her when they had entered in her father’s office and Sam shook her head feeling numb once more.
“I won’t, I can’t! David and I are not going to happen,” she hissed standing up as her father motioned towards her. “And after today, we will never happen,” Sam added flatly.
“What are you going to do Sam?” Tabby asked looking at her worriedly.
“What I have to,” she replied. She entered in the office. David sat with his lawyer across from her father and his. She avoided looking at David as much as possible.
“Sam what are you doing here,” David asked surprised.
“I work here,” she said numbly not looking at him afraid of what would happen if she looked into his eyes.
“What is the meaning of this Mr. Peters,” he demanded of her father and she could feel his gaze still locked on her and she kept avoiding his eyes and telling herself she was going to be doing the right thing.
“She is here to contradict your claims of harassment. Go on Samantha tell everyone here your account,” her father demanded with a happy sneer. She took a deep breath, she had to do this, there was no other way, and exhaled slowly.
“I am not in a relationship with David Andrews nor have I been. We have merely seen each other on a couple of times but it was an only attempt on my part to cause problems for my father and his company,” Sam stated robotically, she had memorized her lines to perfection. David stood up so quickly that he knocked over the chair.
“Stop Sam! You know that is a lie,” he shouted at her and s
he grimaced and keeping her gaze on the floor, feeling so guilty and ashamed for lying. She didn’t want to lie like this but he didn’t give her any other choice, she begged him to just drop it. “What the hell did you do to make her say that?” he shouted at her father, glaring menacingly.
“He didn’t do anything, I am here of my own free will,” she said with a flat tone, desperately trying to keep from crying and letting her true emotions spill.
“I don’t believe you Sam! Don't be afraid of him, you don’t need him. I told you I am here for you and always will be but you have to stop this,” he pleaded and moved closer to her. She tried to back away from him but he grabbed her hand. She gasped in surprised looking at him for the first time since she entered the office.
Her heart ached as she saw the pleading look in his face, his eyes filled with emotion, and her hand warmed with his touch. She wanted to run to him. Hug him tightly and kiss him never letting him go, believing he would always be there for her but she knew that was only a beautiful dream. She jerked her hand from his and forced her eyes back to the ground. “No he is my father and you are,” she started harshly returning back to the script, “a co-worker…I used. I’m sorry,” the last part she softly mumbled under her breath.
“He may be your father but he is using you like a puppet. We both know that he forced you into lying for him. I love you Sam and I will ask only one more time,” David told her with anger and desperation dripping from his voice. Sam felt the world stop; he had said he loved her in front of everyone there. Did he really mean it? She had never wanted something to be true so bad in her life but she couldn’t give in to him and betray her father again. “Don’t do this Sam please, don’t let him rule you like this,” David begged her with a softer tone but she shook her head.
“There you have it. I believe that removes all grounds you could possibly have for your harassment case,” her father said smugly. David’s lawyer, started to say something but David cut him off. His face turned to a cold hard emotionless mask.
“We didn’t lose any grounds; your daughter would have to explain how she planned how on using me to causing you problems when she didn’t even know I was going to work for you when we first met and slept together in New York,” David told her father harshly and her father’s smug smirk disappeared into cold stoic expression then he turned his icy glare towards her.
“But forget it, obviously I was wrong in thinking I had something with her! I hope you’re both very happy together,” David finished coldly and Sam felt the words cut her like a knife but she knew she deserved the pain. This is for the best…for both of us, she thought keeping her stare on the floor.
“We still have the matter at hand about the unlawful termination,” David’s lawyer began and her father coldly dismissed her. Sam nodded and left the office quickly. She went to the bathroom as quickly as she could without running. She entered in the first stall she could and threw up. She began to cry and it was impossible to stop the stubborn tears as she crumpled to the floor of the bathroom. If she was doing the right thing, why did she feel so horrible she thought as she hugged her knees.
Sam wasn’t sure how much time passed when she got up exhausted. She walked over towards the sink and glared at her reflection in the mirror. She sighed heavily feeling as if she aged forty years. She grabbed some tissue to clean her face and left the bathroom. She sat down at her desk gathering papers that need to be filed feeling empty and drained of life.
“That was the dumbest thing you have ever done,” Tabby hissed at her and Sam just shook her head. “He will never want anything to do with you after this,” she added bitterly.
Sam grabbed the papers angrily. “You don’t think I don’t know that! It had to be this way, now I have work to do, leave me alone!” She demanded stomped off with the papers.
"Samantha," Her father called from his office a few hours later. He was now the only one in the room. "You failed to mention that you met David in that silly little trip of yours to New York," her father shot when the door was closed and she flinched with his harshness.
"I am sorry I didn't think-" she started staring at the floor.
"No it’s obvious you didn't. Let this be the last time you keep something from me understood," he demanded and she flinched again and nodded in agreement.
"It didn't matter in the end; neither of the lawsuits will go to court. We came to an agreement, he agreed to leave the company quietly and I have given him a generous severance check and a good recommendation. I am happy to say that he is going back to New York where he belongs!" Her father explained with a large smile on his face.
Sam felt her heart ache hearing David was leaving and knew for sure she would never see him again. “That is good. I am glad that despite my stupidity things have ended well,” she told him and he nodded dismissing her from his office. Leaving her father’s office and Sam went to file the papers she held so tightly her knuckles had turned white.
This is good, she told herself. Now her life could return to the normal routine that she had so desperately wanted when David had arrived and messed it all up but somehow this victory didn’t seem as good as it did a few weeks ago. Sam continued working throughout the day robotically, she spoke to no one and no one spoke to her.
Chapter 8 Better Off
David stomped out of the office angrier than he had ever been in his life. Out of all the things he expected, what just happened in that office didn’t even come near it! Just yesterday David was confessing to his best friend about how much he loved her. He knew she wouldn’t take her father’s rejection very well but for Sam to flat out lie and turn her back on him like that. How could she do this to him!
Why she couldn’t see that her father was just using her, David thought getting into the passenger side of the car slamming the door with all his might. Mark looked like he wanted to say something but David gave him a glare that told him he didn’t want to hear anything Mark had to say. He felt so stupid, so betrayed, and so hurt. How could she have been so cruel? He wanted to hit something so bad, to smash his fist over and over again till he didn’t have the strength to lift it for another punch.
When they arrived he jumped out of the car and raced up to his apartment before the car didn’t come to a complete stop. “Whoa man, David, just take a minute to calm down!” Mark called after him. David scoffed to himself.
“Calm down, how the hell can I calm down,” he spat throwing and stuffing his clothes into suitcases. He had to get out of this horrible town as soon as possible. He didn’t want to spend another night in the same town as those two.
“Maybe you should try talking to her again,” Mark offered leaning against the door of his bedroom. Been there and tried that, David thought bitterly. She ignored him and only talked to him to beg him to spare her father of a lawsuit!
“You know what Mark; I don’t want to see her ever again much less talk to her. She stabbed me in the back and made me look like an idiot,” David said angrily zipping up the suitcases. He felt just like that, a complete idiot. “She obviously prefers his company before mine! I begged her man; I practically fell to my knees and begged,” David shouted throwing one of the suitcases to the living room. It barely missed Mark and knocked into and shattered a lamp.
“I know you did,” Mark said quickly entering in the bedroom looking to the mess of lamp on the floor.
“Stupid woman, I never gave anyone what I gave her! Many women wanted me like she had me,” David shouted throwing a second suit case to the living room. “How did she repay me? Embarrassing and rejecting me! Did you see his face, that freaking smug look on his ugly face,” David shouted again turning and punching a hole into the wall.
He leaned against the wall hurting more than he had ever hurt in his life. She was right about one thing, he really didn’t love her. He could never love someone as traitorous as her. He even doubted love existed honestly. Everything he had seen today told him otherwise.
Mark patted him on the back in attempt
to comfort him. “Let’s get you out of here,” his friend told him with a flat tone. David nodded mutely and let Mark guide him out of the apartment. Tabby was coming up the steps just as they left the door. She rushed up to David surprising him as she wrapped her arms around him in a firm hug.
“I am so sorry David! I really am,” she said with a down fallen face. He attempted to give her a smile but only the corners of his mouth managed to turn upward.
“Thanks Tabby but you don’t need to be apologizing for anything,” he told her sadly. Tabby scrunched her face into a worried concerned face looking like she wanted to say something but David knew all too well there was nothing anyone could say to fix this mess. “I will wait for you in the car,” he told Mark giving his friend a chance to talk to Tabby before they left.
He lugged his suitcases down the cement steps to the car, and brutally tossing them into the trunk of his car. He glanced up at the Mark and Tabby and watched them talk in hushed voices leaning in towards each other so much their foreheads were touching. David felt the ache of longing and envy that was enough to nearly knock him to his knees. Why couldn’t Sam have chosen him, he would never have asked her to do the things that twisted excuse of a father she had. Why wasn’t he good enough?
David looked away from the couple unable to take the pain it caused watching them and got into the car. He closed his eyes leaning against the seat taking slow deep breaths trying his best will away all these horrible feelings he was feeling. He would rather feel nothing than this!
Back in New York, David sat on the sofa and taking a long drink from the nearly empty whiskey bottle. He spent nearly all of the week since his return in complete drunkenness. It was the only time he felt nothing, and that’s exactly how he wanted to feel. Life seemed to have lost all its color and he didn’t see the point in anything anymore.
