Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 77

Chapter 77

KISAREL.

The day went as I had rehearsed, except it was a little bit uncomfortable. Oceans went about his business with a formality so complete that we barely exchanged more than what the job required.

I thought about it all through the drive home until I pushed the front door open and stopped,

Shopping bags. Everywhere. Scattered across the floor of the living room.

I counted fifteen before I stopped counting Different sizes and different brands.

Elgin was on the couch with his arms folded and his legs crossed.

He had an expression on his face that communicated, without a single word, that he had been sitting here waiting for me to come home and explain myself for a considerable amount of time.

“Some men came,” he said. “Said it was for you. Specifically for you.” He raised his brows. “Would you like to tell me what is going on, chérie?”

I couldn’t speak because, amongst the bags, my eyes had already found two sitting slightly apart from the others, identical to the one I had dropped on Oceans‘ desk this morning.

They were actually two now?

My heart was already racing. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it. He had said he would double them. He had said he would add something new. But I thought… I thought he was bluffing.

I crossed the room slowly, picked them up, and poured the contents onto the couch beside Elgin.

They were the same boxes from this morning. The only difference here was that I just counted 12 boxes.

Elgin had already moved on to the other bags.

“Mon Dieu.” He pulled out a dress and held it up. “Arel, this is-” He checked the label and made a sound that was somewhere between reverence and alarm. “This is not from a normal shop.”

I said nothing.

“And these-” He reached into another bag and produced a pair of shoes carefully. “These are not normal shoes. These are shoes that belong in a museum.” He set them down and reached for the next bag. “And this bag – this bag costs more than my grandfather’s car did in 1987, God rest his soul-

“Elgin,” I whispered, my head already calcul

Oceans was crazy. He definitely

my

rse of action.

But I wasn’t buying this. N

“Oh, mon Dieu. Elgin’s voice was hushed, totally ignoring me. “Arel. This is… Wait. This one is Chanel. Arel, these are shoes. There are at least six pairs of shoes in here.”

He opened another bag.

Hermes. Arel Arct. There’s a scarf. And a… Is this a handbag? This is a handbag! This is the kind of handbag people get on wanting lists for for years. And it’s just in a bag. On our floor.”

I couldn’t even make a sound. I pressed my hand to my mouth, my eyes taking in everything Elgin was unwrapping.

TH

Chapter 77

“Chanel agam. More clothes. A coat. This coat probably costs more than our rent.”

Another bag.

“And a… I don’t even know what this is. A pen? Who spends this much money on a pen?”

“Elgin!” I called firmly. “Help me pack them!”

He paused abruptly, a bit startled, and turned. “Sorry?”

“Help me pack everything back into the bags.”

He set the shoes down slowly. “Arel. Talk to me. Who are they from?” He asked. “Think about what you’re doing-”

“I know exactly what I’m doing!” I snapped nervously.

I didn’t say anything else to him. I just picked up my phone, opened a ride–share app, and typed in Oceans‘ address. And in less than five minutes. I was packing shopping bags out of the house.”

“Come on. Help me.” I scolded Elgin.

He hesitated, confused and furious, but helped me either way.

I loaded everything into the boot without letting myself think too hard about what I was doing.

I gave him Oceans‘ address and a large tip and watched the taillights disappear down the street.

When I came back inside and shut the door, Elgin was standing in the middle of the now–empty living room, looking at me with an expression that had moved well past the “girl, what is going on” stage, into concern.

I sat down and told him everything that happened this morning.

By the time I finished, Elgin was sitting back down.

“Mon Dieu, Arel.” He ran a hand over his face. “He’s not going to stop, is he?”

“No,” I whispered. “I don’t think he is.”

“So what do you do?”

I pulled my knees to my chest.

The

“I need to fast–track the job applications.” I sat beside him.

1. up.

, he’ll block every possibility of me ever getting apat’s the only v

lined

this works. If I quit before I have something he will. He has the connections and the

r job. You where with

an offer already signed, there’s up. I keep acting normal. And the moment one

he has time to react.”

temperament to do it without blinking.” I looked at Elgin. “But if I walk in nothing he can do about it after the fact.” I exhaled, “So I stay. I keep showi of those four companies calls back. I hand in my resignation, and I walk out befor

Elgin was quiet for a long time. Then he reached over and took my

hand.

“Then we’d better start sending out more resumes,” he said. “A lot

more.”

I nodded, before he added something that sounded stupid but might seem like the best escape route.

“Or, maybe you could just leave town.”

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