Chapter 1: 1) An Unfortunate End
It was a busy day, cold and gray. Gwen paced her living room. It was not a good day. She had already spilled her coffee on her white outfit (had to change), tripped over her shag carpet, and broke her chair when she tried sitting down to eat her breakfast. Now Gwen wasn't superstitious, but after so many mishaps, it was starting to make her nervous. She didn't have the time to be nervous now. 'Today is an important day, I can't mess this up' She thought to herself.
Letting out a sigh, Gwen picked up her pink purse from the arm of her plush sofa and rushed out of her door. Today is going to be a success. The taxi was waiting outside, after getting comfortable she called to the driver, "I need to go to the coffee shop on the corner of Linden and Meryl!" Her demand was curt, not quite rude-but definitely not friendly. The taxi driver shrugged his shoulders and put the car into drive, not something he wasn't used to by now. The way she carried herself was graceful yet she held her nose high in a way that made it seem like she was better than everyone.
Gwen tapped a message on her touch screen phone, letting the person she was supposed to meet know that she was running late. She put the phone in her purse on her lap, she wasn't going to sit her stuff on the seat, that's gross, and she could barely manage sitting her fanny on the surface of the back seat.
It's going to take ten minutes from here to get to the coffee shop...Gwen's nerves were on fire; for a couple of reasons. She was in the process of completing her lifelong goal. She had sacrificed so much for this-betrayed friends and family for this- walked all over those around her and used people for her stepping stones to get where she wanted to be. She was going to meet her boss/lover, Eric Gregg. She had pushed her way and schemed to work under him, and to ensure she would get the promotions she wanted and needed, she seduced him. He was a handsome man, well off, and high in society, however, Eric was not her aim. She was aiming higher. 'I have to keep my standards high.'
'I'm 32, it has taken me so long to get here.' It has in fact, taken her a long time. She had gotten her finance and bank management bachelors degree at 21, maneuvering her way into the management world of finance, she had lied and cheated and played the victim numerous times to give herself an advantage. She has accused coworkers of vicious things towards her, planting evidence and getting away with it. She has caused relationship drama to leverage her way up and up and up.
32 years old with only a house, paid in full, on the nice side of the city, nothing more to show for it. No pets, no family, and no friends; she dropped that hindrance a long time ago. Gwen spent all of her free time devoted toward reaching her goal. Her goal? She is going to be richer than anyone and marry the wealthiest man in the state. Granted she has her reasons. She wasn't raised by the best parents, wasn't in the best situations. Grew up poor, hungry and wanting. She never wanted to have kids, not with how she grew up, it's no loss to her. In elementary school and middle school; she was treated like trash, and taken advantage of physically. In high school, she turned things around, and ruined her classmate's life strategically. She had gotten her justice outside. As soon as she graduated, she left the town, left everything behind, and went to college and built herself an empire. She was hungry for power. She was hungry for the best. Shallow, lonely, determined, vindictive, greedy. Gwen was not okay.
Now that she was so close, her heart started to sway and hesitate. Before, she didn't need love, she didn't need to have fun. She was hell bent on never needing anyone, running constantly for so long. Gwen was getting worn out. The villainess was growing tired of running like her life depended on it. She was starting to change her mind. It would be a waste to stop now.... However, her thoughts kept going back to all the people she had hurt and betrayed. She regretted every situation. All of that harm caused would be in vain if she turns back now though.
That whole morning put Gwen in a different state of mind. Maybe it was due to the new deadline looming over her head at work? It never bothered her before. Staying late at work to finish stuff, getting over 60 hours of work in a week in, it never bothered her before. Maybe it's because she is older? This morning put her on edge. All the determination drained from her. It wasn't from devastation. It wasn't from all of the work. Why is she feeling this now? All of her exams in college? All of the bad things she did? Why didn't she feel like this before now?
"Lady!?" the cab driver yelled, concerned.
Gwen came to from her thoughts "Sorry?"
"Are you okay? I've been calling you for a minute or two-Do I need to take you to the hospital?"
"Oh-Sorry!" Gwen struggled to find her words, "I must be nervous about my meeting, I appreciate your concern though" The taxi was stopped in front of the building next to the coffee shop. "Thank you for the ride, how much?"
"That will be 15.50" He looked at her from his seat, over his shoulder.
Gwen handed him a 20. "Have a good day." She stepped out, her purse on her shoulder. She breathed in and let out a deep sigh. Today was ominous.
Once inside, she scanned the cafe for Eric's face. He caught sight of her and was waving to Gwen from the back of the hall. She eagerly walked to him waving back, for a moment her uneasiness gone. He was a very charming man. Very sweet in all the right ways. Very tender and very handsome. Not handsome in the most attractive way, but handsome in a way that made you look twice. His dark brown hair speckled with grays, his deep brown eyes sparkled and drew you in like the black hole. Gwen had suppressed her feelings for a long time. Once in a while, she could feel her heart flutter when she was with him.
In public they kept the image of coworkers, boss/employee relationship up. Especially when it was in this part of town, most of the people from work hung out here.
"Glad you made it safe," Eric stated cheerily. "You aren't usually late, I was getting a little worried."
"Sorry, I seemed to have gotten a bad start to my day." She sat down in the seat in front of him. Eric had already ordered her coffee, blended Carmel mocha frappe. With him doing things like made Gwen ponder on what life would be like married to such a devoted man. "Thank you for the coffee." she gave him a genuine smile.
"It's the least I can do, and well, I hope I can change your bad day and make it into an even better day." He pulled out his suit case and brought out some paperwork. "I have here an offer for you, one that you have been working hard towards." Eric handed her the documents. "I hope you can come to a decision by the end of our visit." He flashed her his charming mischievous smile. Gwen tried to ignore the gnawing in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm sure I can give an answer" she took a drink of her cold coffee,"if you don't mind me reading over everything. "
"Be my guest." His eyes beamed.
Gwen didn't just scan the pages. You can't do that in this business. You have to look out for clauses, bonuses, retirement, you have to look at the job details, expected hours, estimates for how much money you have to make the company biannually, etc. She was going to be working directly with Axel Lemmings, the CEO of the whole company. The richest man in the state, one of the richest men in America, who managed to somehow still be unmarried. She felt a pang in her heart. This was what she wanted. She wanted it so bad, but her thoughts came rushing through. You don't deserve this. You trashed your whole life for this and fucked people over. You are screwing Eric over.
She was about to put the papers down when she heard a commotion.
"HE HAS A GUN!" a woman screamed.
Everyone ducked. It wasn't just a gun hanging on his pants in a case strap, it was in his hands, aiming -BANG! The noise was deafening. The man let out a few more shots.
Eric had grabbed Gwen by her arm and pulled her to him under their table. They were sitting ducks the man was shooting anybody.Why here, why now?? The fear, the anxiety, her guilt, it was all building up inside her chest. She could feel herself screaming.
The shooter made eye contact with Gwen, pointed his gun and shot.
"GWEN!!" Eric screamed. She could feel the pain flare up like a fire everywhere. Was she shot? Where? She started to feel light and fuzzy.
"Eric," she managed to garble. "I-" Her voice started to quiver, "I really really liked you." He grabbed her hand. Holding her, blood was coming from his chest, gushing out, spilling over her. The bullet had shot through Gwen and peirced Eric in his chest.
"Gwen." He whispered, and then silence. The screaming stopped. The shooting stopped. Gwen faded in and out of consciousness, until it was all black.
Gwen was an endless swirl of nothing but thoughts. Flashes of her life. Regrets creeping up. It was the feeling of loathing and seething rage. She hated everyone. She had no one.... Eric. Her thoughts were swirling around Eric. She didn't hate Eric. She regretted not fully loving anyone. From the bottom of her heart, Gwen wanted to make things right. She wanted to turn back time; wanted to undo all of her revenge schemes; to stop all of those mean embarrassing things she did to her peers; to not be so afraid to love someone. Why did she not have that ability?
Images came rushing to her point of thought. Images of her mom beating the shit out of her when she was small, of her dad being inappropriate towards her in a sexual way, of her classes mates bullying her that led to sexual assault in middle school.
'That doesn't excuse any of my behavior, and its too late now... ' Gwen couldn't think of single time that she did anything without an ulterior motive...'I think I'm dead...'
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