Sarah thrived at Sterling Designs, her creativity flowing like a river unleashed. She poured her heart and soul into her work, her designs reflecting her newfound sense of self and her rediscovered passion. She was no longer just Sarah; she was Isabella, the artist, the designer, the woman with a past waiting to be fully revealed.
However, the path to her success was not without its thorns. She encountered difficulties in the company, not due to her talent, but due to the unwelcome advances of her manager, Steven Klein. He saw her not as a valuable asset, but as a vulnerable woman, ripe for exploitation. His compliments were laced with innuendo, his smiles with a predatory gleam. She politely but firmly rebuffed his advances, making it clear that she was there to work, not to engage in any personal relationship.
But Klein, accustomed to getting his way, did not take her rejection lightly. He became increasingly hostile, making her work life a living hell. He assigned her the most tedious projects, undermined her ideas in meetings, and spread rumors about her supposed incompetence. He was determined to break her spirit, to force her to succumb to his desires.
"Who does she think she is, this Sarah Walker? She should be glad I showed her interest," Klein muttered to himself, sitting in his office and looking at Sarah through the blinds. "This bitch, I will teach her a lesson."
One evening, as Sarah was leaving the office, Klein cornered her in the deserted hallway. He grabbed her arm, his grip tight and painful. "You think you're too good for me, Sarah?" he sneered, his breath hot and stale on her face. "You'll regret this."
Sarah tried to pull away, her heart pounding with fear. "Let go of me, Klein," she said, her voice trembling.
He tightened his grip, his eyes blazing with anger. "You'll learn your lesson," he hissed, his face inches from hers. He leaned in, his intention clear.
Sarah recoiled, her instincts screaming. She turned her head sharply, avoiding his lips, and pushed against him with all her might. He stumbled back, momentarily surprised, giving her a chance to break free. She ran, her footsteps echoing through the empty hallway, until she reached the safety of her car.
Johnny was waiting for her, as instructed by Damien, and he noticed her frightened face and trembling hands as she held her purse. "Miss Walker, are you alright?" he asked.
"I was just frightened by the light that went off in the building," Sarah lied.
Johnny looked at her, questioning. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm scared of the dark."
Johnny smiled. "Oh, I was scared of the dark too when I was a kid, but then my mother told me everyone's asleep at night. Even the worst creatures need rest, so I was no longer scared." As he went on with his story, Sarah thought, Yes, all creatures, except for sleazy Steven Klein. She was visibly shaken but determined not to let Steven harass her.
When Damien arrived home, he saw Johnny oiling the car. "What are you doing this late?" Damien asked.
"Oiling the car, boss," Johnny replied.
"Is Sarah home?"
"Miss Walker entered the house five minutes ago."
Damien headed for the house, but Johnny's next words stopped him. "Miss Walker got frightened tonight."
"Frightened?" Damien asked, his voice sharp.
"Yeah, she looked like she was running away from something when she got out of the company, but she told me the light went off and she's apparently scared of the dark," Johnny said.
Damien went inside, his mind racing. Is Sarah really scared of the dark? How come he never noticed that?
That night, at home, Sarah tried to hide the incident from Damien. She thought she would go to bed before he arrived, and if he came earlier, she would pretend to be asleep. Damien knocked on her door, and she quickly jumped into bed. In the process, she hit her leg and screamed. Damien got in and saw her holding her leg, a painful expression on her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, coming towards her.
She brushed him off, saying, "I'm fine," and quickly hugged him before returning to her bed. She pulled the cover over her head and said, "Goodnight. Please turn off the lights on your way out."
Damien approached her bed, pulled the cover down to her eyes, and kissed the top of her head. He then turned off the lights and went out. She shouldn't be really afraid of the dark, he thought. If she was, she wouldn't have told me to turn off the lights. She looked weird tonight, like she's avoiding me. Is Sarah mad at me? Did she learn about the engagement.
The next morning, she wore a scarf, even though it was warm inside.
"Good morning," Damien said.
She flashed him a bright smile. "Good morning," she replied, grabbing a piece of bread from the table and heading towards the front door.
"Stop right there," Damien said. "Come back and have breakfast with me. I'll drive you to the company today."
She returned and sat down.
"Why are you in such a hurry today?" Damien asked.
"I have to finish some work, so I thought I'd go earlier."
"Why are you wearing a scarf indoors?" Damien asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "Are you cold? Are you sick?"
"I feel like wearing it today," she replied, trying to sound casual. "Don't I look pretty wearing it? It's... so comfortable."
Damien chuckled, his eyes softening. "It does look good on you. In fact, everything looks good on you," he agreed. "But you don't need to wear it inside." He reached out and gently untied the scarf, revealing a dark bruise on her neck.
His smile vanished, his expression hardening. "How did you get this bruise?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Sarah's heart pounded in her chest. She knew she couldn't hide it any longer. She stammered, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "I... I bumped into something," she lied.
Damien's eyes narrowed. He knew she was lying. He had seen the fear in her eyes just a minute ago, the way she flinched when he touched her. He knew something was wrong. He remembered Johnny saying she looked frightened as she was getting out of the company.
He got up, went to his study, and reviewed the security footage from Sterling Designs. His blood ran cold as he watched the scene unfold: Klein cornering Sarah, grabbing her arm, attempting to kiss her, and then the bruise, the clear evidence of his assault.
Rage, pure and unadulterated, coursed through his veins. He wouldn't tolerate anyone hurting Sarah, especially not that sleazy excuse for a manager.
He sat in the study, punching his fist on the desk. Sarah stood at the entrance, her face scared after seeing him like this. "Why didn't you tell me?" he said.
"Don't be angry, don't hurt yourself over it, it's not worth it," she replied.
"Not worth it? Are you kidding me, Sarah?"
"I'll take care of it."
"You'll take care of it?" he asked incredulously.
He grabbed her hand and walked out with her. He sat her in his car, went to the driver's seat, and sat down. He then moved closer to her, fastened her seatbelt, turned to her, and said, "What's mine, no one can touch." She felt his possessiveness.
They arrived at the company. She trailed after him as he stormed into Klein's office, his face a mask of fury. Klein, sitting at his desk, looked up in surprise, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Mr. Sterling," he greeted, his voice dripping with false respect. "What can I do for you?"
Damien didn't say a word. He walked over to Klein, his eyes blazing with anger. He punched him right in the face, then grabbed Klein's hand, the hand that had touched Sarah, and twisted it sharply.
Klein yelped in pain, his face contorted in agony. "Mr. Sterling, what are you doing? Let me go!" he screamed.
Damien then said, "My woman, it's not your turn to touch." The angry Damien tightened his grip, the sound of bone snapping echoing through the office. Klein's screams intensified, his face turning purple.
Damien released his hand, letting it drop to Klein's side. He looked down at the man, his eyes filled with contempt.
"Touch her again," he said, his voice low and menacing, "and I'll break every single bone in your body."
He turned and walked out of the office, leaving Klein writhing in pain, his career and his reputation shattered. He then went to the CEO, Robert Garth's office, and said, "Fire him and send him to jail," and threw a USB stick on his desk. "I don't want to see this scum out on the street ever again." Damien knew he had crossed a line, that he had acted impulsively and violently when there could have been a better way to deal with the situation. But he didn't regret it. He had protected Sarah, and he would do it again, no matter the cost.
He came over to her work desk and without saying anything, he placed his hand on top of her head, gently stroking it. Her colleagues saw this and looked at each other, surprised. Sarah was left in an awkward position.