TAMARA'S POV
The next day at work, I was busy when I began to hear whispers and murmurs around me. I looked up to see my colleagues all in little groups watching something on their phones and some were even casting glances at me. I was surprised because things like this never happen when we're at work as Mrs Ben wouldn't allow it. I wondered what they were watching as I looked around for any sign of Mrs Ben. A notification popped up on my phone and I checked the sender who happens to be a girl from this department too. I looked up at her and she was looking at me. I think she's trying to communicate something to me so I clicked on the file she had sent and there was a picture. Two pictures merge together but that wasn't the problem, the problem is that I'm the one on the pictures. The first one is when I arrived at the hotel for the party last time, and there's a caption on it that says: "what she wore to the night party" and the second picture was me leaving the hotel in the morning with the caption on it that says: "how and what she wore when leaving the next morning". But that's not the only thing, there's a person on the fourth floor window of the hotel, looking and smiling at my retreating figure. I zoomed in on the person and it was, Mr Zulu of Sanchez? What is he doing there? I wondered as I kept looking at the picture and then I noticed something. The picture is actually hanging, originally there's no one at the window before Mr Zulu's picture was edited into it. I smirked at this realization as it is already obvious that someone is trying to smear me. I looked up at my colleagues and nearly all of them were looking at me. I searched for Dora and found her in another person's cubicle, obviously gossiping. She looks back at me with triumph written all over her face. I smiled at her and she froze. I bet others did as well because smiling in this situation is really unexpected. I dropped my phone and got back to work. What I do with my life is nobody's business but if they want to chew on it then that's their business.
Around evening I began to receive another barrage of notifications which was coming from our group chat room. I checked my phone to see what's going on. The first thing I saw in the chat room were comments like,
@They look good together
@They're a match made in heaven
@They're living my dream
@Our president is a lucky man
@The king and the queen
@Oh my God! is this what a real angel looks like?
I scrolled up to see what they were all commenting on and soon I found a photo and clicked on it. The people in the photo were Vincent and a lady on a dinner table. I don't know who the lady is, all I know is that she's so beautiful and she and Vincent really look good together. The caption under it reads: Mr Holland and his fiance on a dinner date last night.
I was surprised, not at what I was seeing but at the term "fiance". I never knew that Vincent was engaged. I navigated to my browser and began to search for Vincent Holland's relationship status. Our president is a celebrity and many people's idol, so I was hoping to see something about his engagement on the internet but there was no relevant information about it. Just random rumours and guesses. So does that mean that his engagement is a secret? I wondered. Actually, I don't think much about him and I. I have expected him to have other girlfriends but never thought he could have been engaged to be getting married at any moment. Thinking of the fact that I could become a home wrecker without even knowing irritated me. I don't care about what nonsense responsibility he was talking about because I won't do this with him. I dropped my phone and was about to get back to what I was doing when someone tapped my desk out of nowhere. I looked up to see Dora's haughty face, this girl again? I looked away from her, getting back to my work.
Heartbroken, aren't you? She asked and I didn't respond.
I understand your pain but it's good for you to know the truth now so that you can retract your steps before it's too late, she said.
I looked up at her, don't you think you're being too idle? Do you get paid for gossiping? I asked her. And you should learn to mind your business and stop distracting my work, I added.
Who do you think you're? She questioned me. Listen Mr Holland is already taken and there's nothing you can do about it, if you like keep on fooling around and deceiving yourself but remember that you're no match for his fiance, she said and stormed off to her cubicle.
I sat looking at her. I think I need to teach this girl a lesson so that she can learn to stay in her lane.
**********
I got home after work and as soon as I walked into my apartment I felt nostalgic for home. I do miss my parents a lot, assuming I'm home now my meal would have already been waiting for me. My mom doesn't joke with my meal as she knows I don't joke with my stomach. She had called me numerous times asking me to come home if I find things difficult but lol, she doesn't know her daughter's capability. My dad is a successful business man and my mom is an award winning professor, they are making their own history and just like my brothers, I have also decided to make my own living.
I dropped my bag and entered the kitchen, after washing my hands, I began to make a meal. I was busy when I heard my doorbell ring, I went to answer it but decided to check who it was first. I peeked through the peephole and saw Vincent Holland. I was surprised. What's he doing at my door? I wondered. I became silent hoping he would think that I'm not at home. After sometime I peek through the peephole again and what I saw nearly made me fall back.