Cursed By Fate

James stood there, dumbfounded, watching Carolina and Laura. He was so confused that he didn’t know what to do. “Laura, what are you doing? You don’t look fine going to work. What happened between you and Carl?” James asked, concern etched on his face. “Why are you guys putting us in the dark? If anything goes wrong, we can always talk it out and settle it. And now you want to go to the office in this manner? Do you even know how your employees are going to look at you?” James said, patting Laura’s arms.

“Girl, you need to get yourself together. You can’t go to the office in this manner. Your investors are going to think you’re going through a trauma. You can always fix another meeting another day since you can’t make it to the meeting today,” Carolina said, not agreeing with Laura going out.

“That’s true, I should get her something to eat and change into, so we can go out and get some fresh air,” James told Carolina.

” Don’t worry yourself guys , I will be fine ” Laura insisted.

“Laura, you should stop! We’re just worried about you going to the office in this state, that’s all. We’re not trying to dictate your life for you; we simply care,” Carolina said, concern evident in her voice.

“I don’t need your empathy, okay? I’m fine,” Laura yelled angrily, stomping out of the house.

“Laura, dear, we can’t let you go in that state. You’re not okay,” Carolina said, wanting to stop Laura.

“We should probably let her be. She needs to clear her head. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of them, but I think…” James said, trailing off as Laura got into her car and drove off.

James and Carolina exchanged a worried glance. “Let’s follow her to the office and make sure she’s okay,” James suggested.

They quickly got into James’ car and followed Laura to the office, making sure she arrived safely. As they watched her get out of the car and walk into the building, James and Carolina exchanged another worried glance.

“I hope she’s going to be okay,” Carolina said, concern etched on her face.

“Me too,” James replied. “Me too.”

” What do you think we should do about Carl , he has not been himself for days too “. James said worriedly.

” I think we should just let them be , they are adults, they should be able to fix whatever is going on between them “. Laura suggested.

” You’re right. Let’s see how it goes ” . James said and drove off to drop Carolina at her place before going back to his workplace. As Laura walked in , the people around and inside the company began to watch her and whispered to each other. Laura noticed but played a deaf ear to whatever they might be talking about.

She went straight to the conference room for the meeting with the investors.

” Are you sure you are fine ma’am?” Her personal assistant asked in a whisper when she noticed her.

” Yeah, I’m” Laura replied with a broad fake smile.

” But you don’t look fine ma’am” her personal assistant said.” Even the investors are watching you ” she said pointing at the young men seated before the table.

” Don’t worry about me , I’m fine” Carl said and walked to her seat.

” So what do we have in our agenda today ?” Laura asked going straight to the point.

”

As the meeting began, Laura tried her best to focus on the discussion, but her mind kept wandering back to Carl and their argument. She couldn’t shake off the feeling of sadness and anger that lingered inside her.

The investors presented their proposals, and Laura nodded along, trying to appear engaged. But her eyes kept glazing over, and she found herself zoning out of the conversation.

One of the investors, a middle-aged man with a condescending tone, spoke up. “Laura, are you sure you’re okay? You seem a bit… distracted.”

Laura forced a smile and nodded. “I’m fine, thank you for asking. Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

The investor raised an eyebrow. “Tired? You look like you’ve been through a war. Is everything okay at home?”

Laura’s face flushed with anger, but she kept her cool. “Everything is fine, thank you for your concern. Let’s focus on the agenda, shall we?”

The meeting dragged on, with Laura struggling to keep up the pretense of being fine. She knew she wasn’t fooling anyone, but she was determined to get through it without breaking down.

As the meeting finally adjourned, Laura let out a sigh of relief. She gathered her things and stood up, trying to make a quick exit.

But the investors lingered, chatting among themselves and casting sideways glances at Laura. She knew they were talking about her, and it made her skin crawl.

“Laura, can we have a word with you?” one of the investors asked, approaching her.

Laura’s heart sank. She knew what was coming. “What is it?” she asked, trying to sound calm.Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“We’re concerned about your… state of mind,” the investor said, his voice dripping with condescension. “You don’t seem like yourself today. Is everything okay?”

Laura’s anger boiled over, but she kept it in check. “Everything is fine,” she repeated, her voice firm. “I just need some rest, that’s all.”

The investor nodded, but his eyes said he didn’t believe her. “Okay, Laura. But if you need any… help, don’t hesitate to reach out.”

” Even If I need help , do you look like some one who can help me ? ” Laura thought to herself.

Laura forced a smile and nodded, feeling like she was being patronized. She knew she had to get out of there before she lost her cool completely.

As she walked out of the conference room, she felt the weight of the investors’ gaze on her. She knew she had to pull herself together, for the sake of her company and her reputation.

But as she walked back to her office, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was on the verge of a breakdown.