Page 188
Story: In Love After Office Hours
Are you just going to stand there like an idiot?
She knew the safest and smartest thing to do now was to leave, to forget what she had watched, but instead she turned to her boss, saying unevenly, "I don't understand..."
"It's his apology," Gareth said gently. "And it's a good one, too - if you'd take the chance to watch it until the end."
Her gaze slowly moved back to the screen.
The movie turned out to be a montage of mostly CCTV clips, artfully woven together to tell a story that was threatening to rip her heart into pieces. Although it had its moments of comic relief, it could never pass for a rom-com, with its refusal to shy away from the most painful moments of her life. And of his.
She tried her best not to cry when it showed a flashback of Acheron confronting Amelia for the way she had almost wiped his fortune in a single fortune. But then she saw they had also managed to acquire footage from her neighbors' own security cameras, and one of it showed her three Great-Aunts walking with proud expressions on their faces.
It was that day Astrid's affair had been exposed, and she gazed at her Great-Aunts with blurry eyes, her heart fit to bursting as she watched them to take things by stride.
We will weather this together,their faces seemed to say,just like we had weathered the past storms.
And in spite of her better judgment, Pippi started to cry once more in Gareth Evans' presence.
Oh, if only she could just have even a fraction of their strength...
At that point, she didn't think there could be anything else that would make her cry harder, but she was wrong.
The second half of the movie comprised of a series of interviews, and the first "guest" to show up on the screen was none other than Gareth himself.
I never thought the day would come that Acheron Simonides would come asking for my help - and I had certainly never imagined my secretary would turn out to be the only woman who could bring Simonides to his knees.
And then it was Millicent Longbourn's turn, and her words were as candid as ever.
I'll be honest - I once thought it wouldn't matter who my successor would be. I'd hate her all the same because, obviously, I'd rather have Acheron for myself. But when I met dear Pippi - let's just say I'm not the type to fight a losing battle. And I don't mean it's because I'm afraid to compete with her. I'm saying it's no good since Acheron's only got eyes for her.
Wickham and her whole family were also interviewed. Everyone was in it, even her neighbors, her old boss Mr. Collins and near the very end of the movie - there was Amelia, too.
Acheron told me that you think he loves me more because the only risks he's taken were for my sake. I guess it's true, if you're thinking about how he's risked his life and livelihood for me. He's even asked me countless times to run away with him, start a new life with him - but you know one thing he's never asked?
He's never begged me to love him.
And yet with you...
The screen suddenly went black, and Pippi started in her seat.
Was that it?
A moment later, Acheron showed up. He was alone in his living room, and he was looking directly into the camera.
"I don't mind begging over and over again. Because otherwise, it would mean I've lost you for good, and that's the one risk in this life I could never afford to lose. I love you, Pippi. Always and forever."
Gareth glanced at his secretary, saying, "In case it's escaped your notice, this movie's actually playing live on all of the company's social media platforms as well." He saw Pippi turn green at the words and suppressed a smile, thinking that a shy thing like Ms. Jones indeed had her work cut out for her once she became the billionaire's wife.
Pippi glanced at the TV and saw the camera following Acheron as he walked towards the front door.
Oh.
She rose to her feet, saying awkwardly, "Um...can I...um...?"
"Do I translate that to a request for taking the rest of the day off?"
Pippi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, sir."
Ten minutes later, and she was inside the elevator and well on her way up to see Acheron. A part of her was still terrified beyond belief, but the bigger part of her wanted to jump for joy. She would take on all the risks in the world as long as it meant they would betogether.
She knew the safest and smartest thing to do now was to leave, to forget what she had watched, but instead she turned to her boss, saying unevenly, "I don't understand..."
"It's his apology," Gareth said gently. "And it's a good one, too - if you'd take the chance to watch it until the end."
Her gaze slowly moved back to the screen.
The movie turned out to be a montage of mostly CCTV clips, artfully woven together to tell a story that was threatening to rip her heart into pieces. Although it had its moments of comic relief, it could never pass for a rom-com, with its refusal to shy away from the most painful moments of her life. And of his.
She tried her best not to cry when it showed a flashback of Acheron confronting Amelia for the way she had almost wiped his fortune in a single fortune. But then she saw they had also managed to acquire footage from her neighbors' own security cameras, and one of it showed her three Great-Aunts walking with proud expressions on their faces.
It was that day Astrid's affair had been exposed, and she gazed at her Great-Aunts with blurry eyes, her heart fit to bursting as she watched them to take things by stride.
We will weather this together,their faces seemed to say,just like we had weathered the past storms.
And in spite of her better judgment, Pippi started to cry once more in Gareth Evans' presence.
Oh, if only she could just have even a fraction of their strength...
At that point, she didn't think there could be anything else that would make her cry harder, but she was wrong.
The second half of the movie comprised of a series of interviews, and the first "guest" to show up on the screen was none other than Gareth himself.
I never thought the day would come that Acheron Simonides would come asking for my help - and I had certainly never imagined my secretary would turn out to be the only woman who could bring Simonides to his knees.
And then it was Millicent Longbourn's turn, and her words were as candid as ever.
I'll be honest - I once thought it wouldn't matter who my successor would be. I'd hate her all the same because, obviously, I'd rather have Acheron for myself. But when I met dear Pippi - let's just say I'm not the type to fight a losing battle. And I don't mean it's because I'm afraid to compete with her. I'm saying it's no good since Acheron's only got eyes for her.
Wickham and her whole family were also interviewed. Everyone was in it, even her neighbors, her old boss Mr. Collins and near the very end of the movie - there was Amelia, too.
Acheron told me that you think he loves me more because the only risks he's taken were for my sake. I guess it's true, if you're thinking about how he's risked his life and livelihood for me. He's even asked me countless times to run away with him, start a new life with him - but you know one thing he's never asked?
He's never begged me to love him.
And yet with you...
The screen suddenly went black, and Pippi started in her seat.
Was that it?
A moment later, Acheron showed up. He was alone in his living room, and he was looking directly into the camera.
"I don't mind begging over and over again. Because otherwise, it would mean I've lost you for good, and that's the one risk in this life I could never afford to lose. I love you, Pippi. Always and forever."
Gareth glanced at his secretary, saying, "In case it's escaped your notice, this movie's actually playing live on all of the company's social media platforms as well." He saw Pippi turn green at the words and suppressed a smile, thinking that a shy thing like Ms. Jones indeed had her work cut out for her once she became the billionaire's wife.
Pippi glanced at the TV and saw the camera following Acheron as he walked towards the front door.
Oh.
She rose to her feet, saying awkwardly, "Um...can I...um...?"
"Do I translate that to a request for taking the rest of the day off?"
Pippi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, sir."
Ten minutes later, and she was inside the elevator and well on her way up to see Acheron. A part of her was still terrified beyond belief, but the bigger part of her wanted to jump for joy. She would take on all the risks in the world as long as it meant they would betogether.
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