Room for You
Chapter 11

“Get out of my face! I'm tired of looking at your face!” Anastasiapointed at the door and yelled at Hayley. “What's wrong? The mandidn't please you well because he wasn't strong and fit enough? You'dbetter treat me with some manners before everyone in the companyknows about your dark secret. If word about it gets out, I wonder howyou're going to move on in your career.” Soon, Anastasia dialed theintercom and spoke to Grace. “Please come here.” As soon as herassistant arrived, Anastasia pointed at Hayley, who was sitting on thecouch, and coldly said, “She is not my guest. Please see her out of thisbuilding.” “Who says I'm not? I came here because I wanted to engageyour service in jewelry designing.” Hayley folded her arms, actinghaughtily. However, little did she know that the necklace she waswearing was beginning to catch Anastasia’s attention as the lattersquinted and looked closer. How come Hayley is wearing mymasterpiece? Is the necklace really custom-made, or is it just acounterfeit that looks like a real one? “You'd better get out of my facebefore you piss me off.” Anastasia stood up, speaking impolitely toHayley. However, Hayley reacted with a darkened look on her face andgritted her teeth while opening the door. “I'm going to speak to yourmanager about your attitude and make sure you're fired from theoffice.” Meanwhile, Grace was stunned when she saw that, initiallythinking Hayley was indeed a guest, only to realize she was here tomess with Anastasia. As soon as Grace stepped out of the office, Graceanxiously urged her superior to do something. “She mustn’t complainabout you, Miss Tillman. Please stop her!” On the verge of losing hertemper, Anastasia opened her office door just before she was greetedby the sight of Hayley growling in the open workspace. “Tell your bossto see me. I want to complain about your designer, Anastasia! I engageher as a client, but she rudely turns me down and tells me to get out ofher face.” At that moment, everyone else in the office only watched thelady's madness in silence, as if they were enjoying a show. Soon,Anastasia took a deep breath and walked closer to Hayley. “What doyou want?” “What do I want? I want you out of this company!” Hayleyclenched her jaw and revealed her sinister nature. Already consumed byher anger about the incident that happened five years ago, Anastasiaeventually succumbed to her emotions. Her impulse prompted her toteach Hayley a lesson, even though that might cost her job. BeforeHayley could react, Anastasia raised her hand up high in the air andswung it across the former's face, giving her a big slap on the cheek."Ah..." Hayley shouted in pain, collapsing onto the ground. “I'm yourclient, Anastasia.” At that instant, every bystander in the office took adeep breath in a worrying manner when they saw how Anastasiaslapped her client. Has she lost her mind or something? Where did sheget the guts to slap her client like that? Does her family own thiscompany or something? On the other hand, Anastasia fixed her gaze onthe necklace around Hayley's neck, replaceing it somewhat an eyesore.Therefore, she spared no thought about the necklace’s genuinenessand went on to ruin Hayley's fake acting by forcefully tearing it off herneck as soon as she crouched down. “Ah!” Hayley screamed in fear.When Anastasia tried to pull the necklace away from her, Hayley, whowas piqued by her outburst, quickly got a hold of her hand and refusedto let her destroy it. This is my favorite necklace! It's worth a few million,so no one can destroy it! While the two ladies were fighting each otherover the necklace, a man’s deep voice was heard in the elevator. “Stop,Anastasia!” Anastasia looked up just when Hayley also heard thefamiliar voice. With her hand on her cheek, Hayley looked up indisbelief before she was stunned by who she saw. How come Elliot ishere? Seeing Anastasia’s firm grip on Hayley's necklace, Elliotimmediately grasped her wrist and pulled her up with a frown on hisface that clearly suggested he was angry. “Are you done messingaround here?” As soon as Elliot finished his sentence, he walked closerto Hayley, who froze in fear because she didn’t expect him to show upthere and had no idea that he knew Anastasia. Oh dear, I'm so

screwed! Just when she thought her secret was going to be exposed,the man suddenly crouched down and asked with a tender voice, “Areyou alright, Hayley?” “Elliot, it hurts...” Hayley immediately put on ashow, tears gushing out of her eyes like a waterfall in that instant. Then,she weakly leaned into Elliot's arms and pretended to cough, coveringher neck with her palm like she had just been suffocated painfully. Inthat instant, Anastasia was left with her eyes wide open, unable tobelieve that Hayley and Elliot knew each other. Why is Elliot treating herso gently? Who are they to each other? Unknown to Anastasia, everyother bystander couldn't help but feel scared for her, thinking it wouldbe the end of her career for slapping the boss’ lover. On the otherhand, Hayley was observing Anastasia and Elliot's interaction under theguise of her tearful face, but as she continued to watch closely, shebegan to feel happier because she was sure that Anastasia had no ideashe had spent the night with Elliot. Therefore, she came to theconclusion that neither of them was aware that they had slept witheach other that night, feeling grateful that luck was on her side. “Carryme, Elliot...” Hayley placed her arm around Elliot's shoulders, pitifullybegging him. When the man noticed Hayley's sorry state and herswollen cheek, he carried her in his arms and walked toward theelevator. As soon as the elevator door closed, Anastasia was still caughtin a trance. So, I can't believe Hayley is able to become Elliot's girlfriendafter just five years. “What are you waiting for, Anastasia? Pack yourstuff and get out of here! I can't believe you just got on the wrong sideof President Presgrave’s lover, as if offending a client wasn't badenough. That's pretty gusty of you!” Alice came closer and mockedAnastasia, thinking the reward was hers to claim. Meanwhile, Anastasiatook a deep breath and decided to take some time to process the news,replaceing it too strange to believe that Hayley had become Elliot's lover. /don't see how Hayley is attractive to an outstanding man like Elliot. Theonly explanation is that this man has gone blind. That must be the onlyanswer to it. After all, he deserves someone else better than a wicked ladylike Hayley. Anastasia returned to her office with puzzlement as sheclosed the door and disconnected herself from the rumors outside heroffice. In the meantime, Elliot was sitting on the couch in his officewhile Hayley was wiping her tears with tissue paper and whining aboutwhat happened earlier that day. “Anastasia was my.... classmate. Sheand I have a bitter history, but I didn't think she'd turn me down when Iengaged her, let alone humiliate me. When I threatened to complain,she came at me and went physical, even strangling me with mynecklace. Look at my neck. It's all red now.” Noticing the red markaround Hayley's neck, Elliot could tell how hard Anastasia went physicalwith her and began to reframe the way he perceived Anastasia’scharacter. “I sympathized with the loss of her mother at a young ageand also understood that her father neglected her for most of the timeduring her childhood, but I didn’t know she would go so far as to hitme.” Hayley covered her face, shedding tears in silence. “I'll take care ofthis matter.” Elliot comforted the lady. “I'll get someone to take youhome.” “How are you going to take care of this matter, Elliot? Are yougoing to lay her off?” Hayley looked at Elliot with her tearful face, tryingto play on the man’s sympathy by showing her vulnerable side. Soon,Elliot dialed the intercom and told his assistant to take Hayley backhome. When she stood up from her seat, she seized Elliot's sleeve andurged him to take action against Anastasia. “Elliot, you mustn't go easyon that lady. Someone with no manners like her is unfit to be youremployee.”