Page 39 of Hated By the Boss

Why?

Why?

Why?

So I swallowed my pride again. Called Sasha this time, but this turned out to be a mistake.

I'm sorry, Ms. Baskerville. I'm so goddamn sorry. If I had known he'd hurt you this way, I would never have encouraged your feelings for him.

Then tell me why, I begged him.

But on this, Sasha remained tight-lipped. I'm sorry. It's all I can say. It's all I have the right to say. I'm sorry, and I hope for your sake that you'll eventually be able to forget him and move on.

His words, God...his words made it so clear that he had never been in love.

Because if he had ever been in love, he would know.

I would never be able to forget Dmitry.

I could learn to stop loving him. I could learn to start hating him.

But to forget him?

Never.

Because that was just how love was, when it was at its most precious.

And it was this very love as well that made me unable to refuse a call when Keagan told me the next day that Thomas was on the phone, wanting to talk to me.

"Dad—-"

I didn't get a word in edgewise after this.

"Oh thank God."

Thomas started weeping then, and I couldn't help remembering the last time I heard him cry like this. It was when my mom died, and the memory made me forget my own pain.

"Daddy." It had been years since I last called him this. "What's wrong?"

"He told me he killed you," Thomas said hoarsely. "I didn't want to believe him, but the things he knew about you..." A choked sound escaped him.

"Who told you—-"

"Dmitry. Dmitry Adrianov."

And I felt my world start to crumble.

Again.

If this continued, Dmitry would soon overtake my dad's record, and he'd win first place for the number of times he made my life hell.

"H-How do you know him?"

Thomas let out a hollow laugh. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"Just tell me." My voice shook. "Please."

"His sister," Thomas said tiredly.

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