Claire
I leave Liam halfway down the corridor, so I can return to the business at hand.
I have executives to thank and a contract to sign.
It’s all happening, and I feel like I’m on cloud nine, considering our new client and the hunky man that’s taking me out to celebrate later.
I was really worried that he’d be pissed that I landed this big client and he didn’t. But I should’ve known that Liam is more of a man than that, that he doesn’t indulge in childish games and jealousy.
There’s a new sense of intimacy between us as I realize he cares more about me than he does about the campaign.
And that turns me on at a whole new level. I feel relieved that there’s no longer any competition between us, and we can just focus on being together.
He seems genuinely happy for me, and in truth, I relish his attention and how he’s proud of my success.
My life is coming together, both personally and professionally. Now my team and I don’t have to stress about landing the biggest campaign of our lives anymore—because we’ve actually done it. We’ve won, and my little company Epica is going to survive and thrive.
But beyond everything, this experience has made me acutely aware of the fact that Liam means more to me than I’d previously realized or allowed myself to admit.
What started out as a fling is maybe turning into something more real. Dare I hope?
I walk toward the Velvet Luxe team and see Evan talking to them. He looks furious, and suddenly I’m really wishing Liam hadn’t gone. I look back and see him down the hall, making a phone call by the elevator, and I long to go to him and to ask him to control his VP.
Evan glares at me as he speaks to the executives, and I feel that something’s about to go down.
He seems livid, and I wonder why. I won the account fair and square. Besides, he works for one of the biggest agencies out there; it’s not like they’re gonna suffer very much from losing one client.
The executives look up as I nervously approach them. I don’t know what he’s doing or what he’s saying, but it looks suspicious from the way they are all now looking at me.
I stop in the hallway a little awkwardly, wondering if I should come or if I should go.
Before long, my question is answered because the woman who was so nice to me earlier, the one who announced me as the winner, asks me to come join them.
It’s just Evan and I and the Velvet Luxe people standing in a circle outside the conference room. He casts me a self-righteous look, as if he’s in on some secret that I’m not aware of.
“Claire,” the woman says. “I’m afraid that we’re gonna have to retract our previous offer. We’ve been made privy to evidence that you cheated and stole ideas for this campaign. We can’t have that kind of deception around our brand, and we’ve chosen to go with someone else.”
Time slows down as I take in what this means. I stare at them in disbelief and don’t know what to say. I see Evan in his corner, smirking—and I realize all at once this is because of him and Liam.
They must’ve set me up so that even if I won, it would be taken from me.
Surely, if Evan’s doing this, then it’s from Liam’s direction. I look over my shoulder and see him, my handsome dream guy, at the end of the hall chatting on his phone.
Is he sticking around to see my fall from grace? This is obviously an orchestrated move between them.
My heart shatters into a million pieces as it becomes clear that Liam never even liked me. It was all an act. He was pretending to be interested in me to lower my guard and to facilitate this underhanded plan.
He’s as ruthless as ever. I dared to go up against the biggest shark in the tank, and I let get wrapped up in his net instead, hook, line, and sinker.
I try to explain myself to the executives, to defend my company and our campaign, but they’re hearing none of it.
I plead with them, “This isn’t right. I didn’t steal anything. Those ideas are all mine. The people you should be looking at is Dignity Creative. They’re trying to undermine me to win this contract.”
One of the suits speaks up. “We’re sorry, Claire. We just can’t be associated with this kind of controversy. Whether you stole the ideas or not, the rumors reflect poorly on your character and that of your firm.”
I hold back the tears that are threatening to give me away. I’m not gonna give Evan and Liam the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
I never should’ve trusted Liam. I knew better, I kept telling myself not to go there, and in the end, I got burned.
It’s all my fault.
Images of Liam and me bombard my thoughts. All the nights, all the secret smiles, all the tender touches…it was all a game, an act to win.
Sure, I spied on him briefly, but he’s been setting me up this entire time.
Everything between us was untrue, and the mere thought of that makes me feel nauseous.
I storm down the hallway, intending to talk to Liam and to tell him what a piece of shit he is.
Evan catches up to my brisk pace and says, “Claire, you had this coming. I know that you snuck onto Liam’s computer and found the folders containing our ideas. I saw the login code. You’ve been caught in your own web. I had to expose you for the criminal that you are.”
I feel like punching his smug face.
I think back to the moment when I had decided to snoop around on Liam’s computer. I never should’ve done it. But I didn’t steal anything.
And from what I know, he’s changed the entire campaign anyway.
“I didn’t steal anything from you guys, Evan, and you know that,” I say.
“On the contrary, I have evidence. Besides, this was gonna go badly for you either way. Liam and I have been planning to acquire your company from the beginning. You’re not strong enough to stand on your own. We’re gonna buy Epica, and every member of your team is gonna come to our side. And because you spied on us, we’re gonna cut you out, and you will no longer be a part of your own company,” he says wickedly.
The truth hits me hard. “You were setting me up from the beginning? To get my company?”
How could I’ve been such a fool?
“Exactly,” he says, as though he’s enjoying every minute of my misery.
I see Liam standing further down the hallway at the elevator. He smiles at me, and I walk towards him.
“How could you, Liam? You’re a terrible person, and I never should’ve trusted you!”
He looks surprised by my harsh tone and words, but before he can object or say anything to me, I deliver a slap across his face…hard.
He raises a hand to his reddened cheek and shoots Evan a dirty look.
“Evan, what have you done? What did you tell her?” he says furiously.
“He told me the truth, Liam,” I say as the hot tears form in my eyes. “You’ve been using me this whole time. How could you?”
The elevator door opens, and I dash inside and close the doors before Liam has a second to stop me.
I never want to see him again. I’ve never been hurt like this before. The betrayal makes the world seem bleak and gloomy.
At the main floor, I rush out of the building and duck into a cab before he or Charlotte or anybody else can do anything.
I just lost the biggest campaign of my life, the best client we’ve ever signed on, all because of my own foolish naivety.
I knew not to trust him. Charlotte and I talked frequently about the fact that I shouldn’t trust him. I know his reputation, and yet I went there anyway.
I thought maybe I was just a fling to Liam, but I never imagined he was faking everything to take down my business. The truth is so much worse than I thought.
The world is crumbling down around me, and I wonder how I’m going to tell my people at my company that I’ve just lost everything. I’ve allowed my success to slide right through my fingers—all because of a guy.
Tearfully, I ask the cab driver to take me home. I want to be in my apartment and to never come out again.