Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 109: You Are Fired.

Chapter 109: You Are Fired.

"Uhm," she made another attempt, "If ’like’ doesn’t fit, y—you love me then?"

Archie’s brows pulled into a frown.

"That’s wrong too. I checked the dictionary meanings of those two and it’s not... enough," he said.

"Enough? That’s not what I’m supposed to learn from what happened last night...then what?" Avery bit back the words at the tip of her tongue. She was the one who was dreaming big, thinking he loved her...or at least, liked her. Things like what happened last night was pretty common in the 21st century and not in any way new; especially when she was married to him, in name. People made out with other people without any feelings apart from mere attraction...

Yes! That was it. He was attracted to her, or rather...her face. Now that she had completely dispelled all hate she had for him that had been clouding her train of thoughts, she now had one thought hovering at the peak of her mind.

Archibald Donovan might have taunted her with different insults—dumn,slow, blind to something that was pretty obvious— but not once had he called her ugly, or insulted her facial features. Surely they hadn’t been big fans of each other, but all the hate she thought he harbored for her was all in her head.

"This is going in the wrong direction, I fear," His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I don’t think you’re ready to handle this."

Though she was confused, Avery didn’t let any hint of that show on her face.

She forced a grin, "You are attracted to me, right? That’s perfectly normal. It’s nothing we uh, we have to discuss."

"Forget it," Archie took a deep breath in, willing himself to be patient. He gestured towards the open elevator, "You should go. The doors will be closing soon."

Avery didn’t need to be told twice before spinning on her heels and hurrying straight into the enclosed space. As the doors took a few seconds more before closing, she got flustered by Archie’s intensified gaze on her and blurted out,

"I know you aren’t bothered by it and only wanted to let me know why you did ’that’ last night—so i wouldn’t think you’d do that to every other woman on the face of earth, if they tell you they’re in pain—but it’s alright." She forced a small laugh, very well aware that she was only rambling and making no sense with the words she just said before repeating, "What am I saying? It’s perfectly normal to be attracted to me..." As the doors slid close, her meaningless ramble completely trailed off and disappeared.

Still standing rooted to the same spot she left him, Archie muttered, "That’s the problem, Ava. The word isn’t ’attracted’, it’s ’obsessed’, which to you I believe, is perfectly abnormal."

He turned around and walked to the couch he had been sitting on earlier when she came downstairs, gathering the stack of documents that were lying on the glass table. His eyes scanned the headings of the pages, darkening as they read:

Change Of Name Document Proof: Avery Michelle McCallum to Ava Michelle Donovan.

Marriage Certificate: Ava Michelle Donovan & Archibald Alexander Donovan.

The documents bore the same date from three years ago, and in a few weeks, she would be celebrating an anniversary she knew nothing about. With him.

Seeing the dark glimmer in her eyes earlier today had misled him into thinking she was ready; tainted enough for him to reveal his true self without fear of her bolting out of his life. But no. She was still the same; the direct opposite of who he was.

Normal; while he was abnormal. Needed everything to be pure white and clear; while he craved a sinister and dark environment. They couldn’t be more different.

He returned the documents into the folder in his hand, letting it dangle from one hand while he crossed the living room towards the door right under the stairwell. He went through the normal procedure of scanning his prints before stepping through the doors, waiting to hear the sound of it closing behind him before continuing on his way.

The door was pushed open as soon as he got there. And just as he expected, the person sitting right beside the bed was Stephanie Brookes. No one was more trusted by the other doctors to watch over Arthur while they went for lunch or took turns taking a rest or nap. The others always accompanied him in groups of twos and threes, while she was the one man army trusted to do her job perfectly even in case of emergencies.

"Ms. Brookes," he called out to her, relishing the look of surprise— and slight fear— that flickered across her face.

"Mr. Donovan." She rose to her feet immediately, hurrying across the room to give a small bow. "You are back."

"Obviously," Archie deadpanned. "Didn’t get any news about him while I was gone. I am guessing it’s safe to presume everything is alright?"

Stephanie nodded vigorously, her voice sounding a little too enthusiastic when she replied.

"Yes, he is. From the last full body check-up he underwent..." she trailed off, turning to open a drawer by her side and retrieve a report file. The next few seconds were exhausted with her flipping through the stack of papers, a smile blooming on her face when she finally found what she was looking for. "Here," she said, extending a printed sheet to Archie, "That’s the doctor’s report for the last check-up. The summary of his observation is that Arthur is expected to gain consciousness anytime soon."

"Anytime soon... Shit; What a bad timing," Archie commented, without so much as a glance to the paper that was handed to him. Instead, he spent his time studying the reaction of the lady in front of him to his next few words, "You are fired, Miss Brookes."

Confusion at first, then realization, then shock, fear, and horror.

"Mr. Donovan—" she began, only to be interjected almost immediately.

He wasn’t here to play, after all, but to get this over with and get to the next step of his plan. "There’s a chance for you to secure your position though." At the questioning look in her eyes, he added, "By helping me with a very important task."

"What important—No, that doesn’t matter. It’s alright. I will do everything and anything so—"

Archie interrupted her for the second time in a the same minute, "Just as I thought. But why don’t you hear what the important task is before agreeing?"

"I don’t care," Stephanie responded, shaking her head slightly. "I will do anything. Just please, don’t fire me and...and...let me stay. At least until he wakes up and I confirm that he’s alright."

Archie shrugged in total indifference, though his eyes narrowed the tiniest bit in resentment.

"Your presence doesn’t hurt me and neither does it hurt him." He gestured towards the motionless and unconscious Arthur before continuing, "So I have no problem keeping you here as long as you help me with this. Help," he placed emphasis on the last word.

"What...do I have to ’help’ you with?" Stephanie asked tentatively, as if she was just realizing the gravity of what she had agreed to, and gotten herself into. She could only hope it wasn’t a task that was life threatening.

However, Archie’s next words confirmed her fears.

"Valentina McCAllum. Go see her," he stated, a glint of determination sparkling in his eyes.

★★★

Avery sighed, running her fingers through her slightly disheveled hair for the umpteenth time in the thirty minutes she had spent, standing in front of the church and waiting for the evening mass to commence. Her loud sigh wasn’t as a result of impatience from standing outside for so long, but as a result of frustration from receiving the fifth call in three hours from Jodi, just to ask the same thing.

Flashing a polite smile at a student in high school uniform who came to sit on the bench beside her—probably waiting for the same purpose as she—Avery slipped on her headphones and swiped the icon to connect the call.

"Are you okay?" Jodi’s worried voice came from the other side of the line. And for a moment there, Avery felt guilty for finding the persistent calls frustrating just a few seconds ago.

"I am, Jo," she exhaled out loud, "I promise to call you the moment the comments start getting to me. Does that reassure you?"

"Nah, it doesn’t," was Jodi’s straight-up reply.

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