Page 78 of Bestie's Bossy Billionaire Brother
“What happened?” Fred asks.
After a few moments, Jamie enters the room with a few sheets of freshly printed paper stapled together. “Mr. Burke, we got a hold of Jason Hall’s proposal.”
I hold my hand out. “Give it to me.”
She crosses through my office and passes the document over to me.
“Let’s look at this bad boy,” Fred says, standing beside me so he can read it, too.
As I go through the proposal, my heart sinks. This is it. This is my proposal, down to the very last detail. How could this have happened? Did someone on my team sell me out?
“What the hell?” I mumble, scanning through everything a second time to make sure I’m not mistaken.
“That’s our proposal!” Fred exclaims, anger evident in his expression. “We can’t let this go. It’s theft, plain. We need to prove it, and we need to do it quickly.”
I nod, but my mind is racing. Could it be possible that Catherine had something to do with this? I feel guilt creeping up on me for even considering it, but then again, the timing is just too suspicious.
But then my phone rings, distracting me. Catherine’s name flashes on the screen, but I ignore it. I need a clear head to figure this out.
As I talk with Fred about our next steps, I receive a message on my phone. Thinking that it’s Catherine, I open the message.
I furrow my brows. It isn’t Catherine; it’s pictures of her with Jason sent from a blocked number. I recognize the outfit she’s wearing—she wore it on the day we went to lunch nearby the office.
“What is this?” I mutter, my voice barely above a whisper. Fred looks over my shoulder at the photos.
“Is that Catherine texting you?” he asks.
I shake my head, unable to speak. My hands shake as I scroll through the photos. They’re together, laughing and smiling, like they’re back together.
Betrayal sinks in as I look at the photos, a mix of hurt and shock spreading through me. It’s Catherine and Jason, together, all smiles. The doubts about love I’ve kept at bay for so long these past few months now rush to the front of my mind. Did Catherine, sweet and kind, play me for a fool this whole time? Maybe she never cared for anything beyond what I could offer her career. I thought we had something special, that she could love someone like me. But these pictures tell a different story, hinting that I was nothing more than a stepping stone for her plans with Jason.
Confusion takes over, making me question everything about us. Was our whole relationship a lie to get to my work? The warmth of her smile, her touch, feels like a distant memory compared to the sting of these images. Maybe it was never about us; it was about her getting ahead. And that hurts, thinking she’s been plotting with Jason behind my back. It’s easier to believe this than to think that I might not be worth loving for who I really am.
I can feel the anger and bitterness rising within me. How could she do this to me? I thought what we had was real. But now, it all seems like a lie. I can’t believe that she would go to such lengths to hurt me.
Just then, Jamie steps into my office, interrupting my thoughts. “Mr. Burke, do you need anything else from me?”
I don’t reply, lost in my own thoughts and emotions.
“Oliver, what’s going on?” Fred asks, concern etched on his face.
I shake my head, unable to find the words to explain to him what I’m feeling. “I think I need some time to think all of this over. Maybe it would be best for the both of us to come up with some ideas on our own.”
Fred nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Of course, take all the time you need. But we need to act fast. We can’t let them get away with this.”
I know he’s right, but my mind is clouded with anger. I can’t believe Catherine would do this to me.
As Fred leaves my office, I sit at my desk, staring at the photos on my phone. I feel sick to my stomach, and the more I think about it, the angrier I become.
“Arrange for interviews for a new nanny,” I tell Jamie, my voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe with an agency this time.”
Jamie nods, a small smile forming around the corners of her lips. “Of course, Mr. Burke. I’ll take care of it right away.”
As she leaves my office, I can’t help but feel a sense of betrayal. Not just of the proposal, but of Catherine and what we could have had. But now, it seems like that’s all gone.
A heavy weight settles in my chest, a deep, aching sorrow that’s hard to comprehend. It feels as though I’ve been hollowed out, the dreams and tender moments I shared with Catherine now tainted with the sting of betrayal. Each memory, once a precious keepsake, turns into another sharp jab to my already bruised heart.
Did she ever look into my eyes and see the man who cared for her, who wanted nothing but her happiness? Or was it all just a façade, a strategic play orchestrated from the start? The thought that her affection and soft, comforting touches were never real—that they were just tactics used to deceive me—creates a pain that’s almost unbearable. It’s the loss of trust, the shattering of sincere affection that devastates me beyond the professional betrayal. It’s the cruel confirmation of my deepest fear: that genuine love was never meant for me.
