Chapter 5 SO IT WAS JUST MY ILLUSION; THE END OF EVERYTHING

The next morning, I woke up on the sofa, realizing I must have dozed off there last night. With a sigh, I rushed to my bedroom to get ready for work. After dressing up, I hailed a cab and headed to Vienna Suites.

As soon as I arrived at my desk, I dropped my handbag and proceeded with my usual morning routine. While making my rounds, Cynthia, one of the staff members, approached me with a complaint.

"Ma, there's gossip going around about a female staff secretly having an affair with one of our customers," she reported.

I exhaled sharply, already feeling irritated. "Find out who started spreading this and bring them to me," I instructed.

A few minutes later, Cynthia returned with a nervous-looking girl named Jessica.

"Jessica," I began, my voice firm. "Are you the one spreading rumors about a staff member sleeping with a customer?"

She stammered, unable to meet my gaze. "Ma... I... Uhmm..."

"Speak!" I ordered, my tone sharper this time.

Jessica trembled under my stare before finally admitting to it. I studied her intently, watching as her hands shook.

"Do you know what happens next?" I asked, my lips curling into a knowing smile.

Jessica looked at me, confused and afraid, unsure of what I was planning. That was the thing about my wrath-it was never immediate. I let people think they had gotten away with their wrongdoings, only to strike when they least expected it. I dismissed her with a deceptive smile and returned to my laptop.

A sudden beep from my phone caught my attention. When I checked, my heart clenched slightly-it was a WhatsApp message from Jayson.

Hey Mandy... How are you doing? I don't know what you must be thinking right now, but I didn't mean to be silent these past weeks... I just wanted to check up on you. Text me back when you get this message.

I scoffed, feeling a surge of anger. After weeks of ghosting me, this was all he had to say? Without much thought, I typed a cold response.

I'm fine.

Then I tossed my phone aside and returned to work, more irritated than ever.

A Month Later

Jayson continued his on-and-off behavior, leaving me hanging with half-hearted apologies. Meanwhile, Nathan was still persistent, making it clear that he wanted to be with me.

"I won't stop chasing you," he had said once. "When I come back, we'll go on a proper date."

But I didn't want Nathan. My heart still belonged to Jayson, no matter how much it hurt. It was a cruel reality-my love for Jayson was never reciprocated. What he felt for me was nothing more than desire and lust.

At work, I focused on my responsibilities, trying to numb the pain. When it was time to pay salaries, I deducted a painful amount from Jessica's paycheck.

The moment she received the alert, she rushed into my office, fell to her knees, and pleaded.

"Next time, focus on your work and mind your business," I told her sternly. "You're here to work, not to gossip."

Maybe this would teach her and the others a lesson.

I then summoned Adrian, the staff member rumored to be in a relationship with the customer. When she arrived, she gave me a pleading look.

"You already know the hotel policies, Adrian," I said, my tone unreadable.

She nodded slowly, awaiting her fate.

"You may leave. I'll get back to you," I finally said.

Adrian let out a sigh of relief, thanked me, and left my office.

I leaned back in my chair and muttered, "These staff members... I don't understand what's wrong with them."

Later that evening, I arrived home, exhausted and hungry. I grabbed a pack of Golden Morn, poured it into a bowl, added three spoonfuls of milk and some walnuts, then stirred. Taking my meal to the bedroom, I set it on my bedside table before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

After changing into my pink pajamas, I sat on the bed and began eating. Once done, I checked my phone. No message from Jayson.

Instead, there was a text from Nathan, telling me how cold it was where he was because winter was approaching. Then, a message from Hazel.

I hadn't seen her in months. I missed her teasing, her energy, her way of making everything seem lighter.

She's visiting for Christmas!

The news made me smile genuinely for the first time in a while. After responding to both messages, I set my phone aside and drifted off to sleep.

Hazel's Arrival

A month passed, and Christmas was fast approaching. I was on festive leave, trying to regain some sanity.

One Saturday morning, Hazel called.

"I'm close to your house," she said. "What should I get?"

"Anything!" I replied.

Minutes later, she arrived with bags full of gifts and foodstuffs, completely stocking my house.

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever," I thought as excitement filled me.

But Hazel immediately noticed something was off.

"Mandy, you look pale... and you've lost weight," she said, concerned.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I buried my face in her shoulder and burst into tears.

"Oh, Mandy... What's wrong? You know I hate seeing you like this," she said, rubbing my back.

Sniffing, I wiped my nose before whispering, "It's... Jayson."

Hazel's body stiffened. "What happened? Is he dead?"

"I don't even know what's happening," I confessed. "One minute he's sweet, the next he's distant. He ignores my messages for days."

Hazel let out a deep sigh before hugging me. "I warned you, Mandy. I knew he wasn't real. You got carried away by an illusion-how he made you feel, the idea of him."

I said nothing, just nodded weakly.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Nathan. I hissed and tossed my phone aside.

Hazel raised a brow. "And who the hell is that?"

"Nathan... A guy I met at work. He's been asking me out, but I'm not interested."

Hazel stared at me in disbelief. "Wait... So this guy actually lives abroad? You even went on dates with him, and I'm just hearing about this?"

She scoffed. "Mandy, give him a chance! It's time to move on."

I shook my head. "I can't. I still love Jayson."

Hazel sighed in frustration. "Fine. But mark my words-one day, Jayson will tell you he's done. He already has someone else wherever the f**k he laid his nest."

Her words stung. A cold realization hit me as memories flashed back-Jayson sneaking off to make calls when he thought I was asleep.

Oh, no...

Tears welled in my eyes.

I was drowning in my illusion of him. Maybe I was just scared of being alone.

Hazel snapped me back to reality. "Mandy, let's watch Netflix."

I forced a smile. "Sure."

We picked Parasyte: The Grey and settled in.

That night, we ended up going to a club. But the moment a strange guy, reeking of cigarettes, approached me, I knew I had made a mistake.

I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready for any of it.

As soon as we got home, Hazel confronted me. "Mandy, I just want you to be happy. You're a shadow of yourself."

Tears filled my eyes again. "I don't know how to stop loving him."

And that was the hardest truth of all.