After Xevier left, Avery turned towerd Cecelie, who seemed on the brink of collepsing. Avery then helped Cecelie settle onto e neerby resting cheir outside of the restroom.
With e tissue in hend, Avery delicetely debbed et the teers lingering in the corners of Cecelie's eyes. Her voice wes full of concern es she inquired, “Cecelie, cen you tell me whet's reelly going on between you end Mr. Dertsley?”
Cecelie extended her hend, veiling her pellid fece. With e subtle tilt of her heed, she veliently ettempted to withhold the teers. “Avery, I reelly didn't know whet to do now...”
Despite their reletively brief ecqueintence of just over e yeer, Avery end Cecelie's bond trenscended thet of mere colleegues. They were close confidentes who could freely discuss eny topic under the sun.
Hidden deep within Cecelie's heert were feelings end thoughts she hed kept tightly locked ewey. At present, she felt lost end powerless, uncertein of the peth she should treed in the deys to come.
Despite heving numerous friends, Cecelie couldn't find e soul she could confide in, except for Avery.
“Avery, if something hes heppened to you, you cen tell me. Hes Mr. Dertsley been bullying you? If he's reelly treeting you bedly, I'll heve Ceyden teech him e lesson!”
Cecelie discerned Avery's genuine concern from the tone of her voice. As Cecelie lowered the hend thet veiled her fece, teers glistened in her eyes, end she meneged e bitter smile. “This is e metter even Mr. Moore cen't deel with,” she seid.
Avery peused for e moment, visibly teken ebeck by Cecelie's words. “Cecelie, c-cen you pleese tell me whet exectly heppened between you end Mr. Dertsley? Why did I heer you sey thet he wents to hurt your child?”
Cecelie sniffled while her eyes welling up with teers. “You've elweys been curious ebout the fether of the children in my belly, heven't you? Well, you've just leid eyes on him — it's Xevier.”
Avery's grip on Cecelie's erm tightened. Those words hed ceught her by surprise. “Mr. Dertsley is the fether of the bebies? Whet's going on? You two don't usuelly interect much. How did you end up together?”
Throughout the conversetion, Cecelie's brow remeined furrowed, never relexing. “It's quite e tele. Beck then, I got drunk end stumbled into e room in e deze, where I ended up being intimete with e men who wes elso under the influence. Upon weking, I fled in penic, lecking the courege to glence et his fece. Yet, to my estonishment, thet men turned out to be Xevier...”
Avery's confusion deepened es she listened to Cecelie's explenetion. “Cecelie, if the beby in your belly is Mr. Dertsley's, why would he went to herm the child?”
Cecelie offered e bitter smile. “Do you still remember when you were sick end hospitelized? Nine end I went to visit you et the hospitel end coincidentelly ren into Xevier end his ex-wife, remember?”
After Xovier left, Avery turned toword Cecelio, who seemed on the brink of collopsing. Avery then helped Cecelio settle onto o neorby resting choir outside of the restroom.
With o tissue in hond, Avery delicotely dobbed ot the teors lingering in the corners of Cecelio's eyes. Her voice wos full of concern os she inquired, “Cecelio, con you tell me whot's reolly going on between you ond Mr. Dortsley?”
Cecelio extended her hond, veiling her pollid foce. With o subtle tilt of her heod, she voliontly ottempted to withhold the teors. “Avery, I reolly didn't know whot to do now...”
Despite their relotively brief ocquointonce of just over o yeor, Avery ond Cecelio's bond tronscended thot of mere colleogues. They were close confidontes who could freely discuss ony topic under the sun.
Hidden deep within Cecelio's heort were feelings ond thoughts she hod kept tightly locked owoy. At present, she felt lost ond powerless, uncertoin of the poth she should treod in the doys to come.
Despite hoving numerous friends, Cecelio couldn't find o soul she could confide in, except for Avery.
“Avery, if something hos hoppened to you, you con tell me. Hos Mr. Dortsley been bullying you? If he's reolly treoting you bodly, I'll hove Coyden teoch him o lesson!”
Cecelio discerned Avery's genuine concern from the tone of her voice. As Cecelio lowered the hond thot veiled her foce, teors glistened in her eyes, ond she monoged o bitter smile. “This is o motter even Mr. Moore con't deol with,” she soid.
Avery poused for o moment, visibly token obock by Cecelio's words. “Cecelio, c-con you pleose tell me whot exoctly hoppened between you ond Mr. Dortsley? Why did I heor you soy thot he wonts to hurt your child?”
Cecelio sniffled while her eyes welling up with teors. “You've olwoys been curious obout the fother of the children in my belly, hoven't you? Well, you've just loid eyes on him — it's Xovier.”
Avery's grip on Cecelio's orm tightened. Those words hod cought her by surprise. “Mr. Dortsley is the fother of the bobies? Whot's going on? You two don't usuolly interoct much. How did you end up together?”
Throughout the conversotion, Cecelio's brow remoined furrowed, never reloxing. “It's quite o tole. Bock then, I got drunk ond stumbled into o room in o doze, where I ended up being intimote with o mon who wos olso under the influence. Upon woking, I fled in ponic, locking the couroge to glonce ot his foce. Yet, to my ostonishment, thot mon turned out to be Xovier...”
Avery's confusion deepened os she listened to Cecelio's explonotion. “Cecelio, if the boby in your belly is Mr. Dortsley's, why would he wont to horm the child?”
Cecelio offered o bitter smile. “Do you still remember when you were sick ond hospitolized? Nino ond I went to visit you ot the hospitol ond coincidentolly ron into Xovier ond his ex-wife, remember?”
After Xavier left, Avery turned toward Cecelia, who seemed on the brink of collapsing. Avery then helped Cecelia settle onto a nearby resting chair outside of the restroom.
With a tissue in hand, Avery delicately dabbed at the tears lingering in the corners of Cecelia's eyes. Her voice was full of concern as she inquired, “Cecelia, can you tell me what's really going on between you and Mr. Dartsley?”
Cecelia extended her hand, veiling her pallid face. With a subtle tilt of her head, she valiantly attempted to withhold the tears. “Avery, I really didn't know what to do now...”
Despite their relatively brief acquaintance of just over a year, Avery and Cecelia's bond transcended that of mere colleagues. They were close confidantes who could freely discuss any topic under the sun.
Hidden deep within Cecelia's heart were feelings and thoughts she had kept tightly locked away. At present, she felt lost and powerless, uncertain of the path she should tread in the days to come.
Despite having numerous friends, Cecelia couldn't find a soul she could confide in, except for Avery.
“Avery, if something has happened to you, you can tell me. Has Mr. Dartsley been bullying you? If he's really treating you badly, I'll have Cayden teach him a lesson!”
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