Quitting The Madness And Salvation Messages; Midweeks In The Midst Of A (Recovering) Heartbreak
Day 171 of The Andie Chronicles
My reunions with GG and Sophia were as equally joyous as the one with James. But still, in person, no one offered me an apology to my face.
And within an instant, I felt my guard rising with them. Were they still my friends? Or was this one of the moments, like in all relationships, where you sweep the big fight under the rug?
I noticed how exhausted everyone looked, standing together under the fluorescent light of the office kitchen. Did I use to look like that? Sunken eyes, unkempt hair? Did I look like shit when I decided I needed to retreat?
Sophia explained they had been working long hours, and GG said she hadn't seen Taylor in a week. Their paths kept missing each other, she said. She also said she feared the worst. Douglas was setting the launch date, and this rumour was going around.
It was very soon, almost too soon, with compromises to quality control, environmental impact, and proper marketing. You know, everything essential to starting a fashion business.
Things even we rookies knew.
Hence the working late. I didn't have the heart to tell my friends I wouldn't be joining their insane working schedule. I couldn't indulge Douglas Gallo's tyranny and lack of fashion and retail knowledge.
You wouldn't find me participating in the madness.
When I arrived home and showered off the day's stress, I locked myself away in my bedroom. Sitting at my flat pack desk, I flicked through everything I had created before leaving for Queensland.
And as I came to the last page, I furiously scribbled, drew, and put everything swirling in my brain onto paper.
After everything my friends had said, I was desperate. I am more desperate than ever to get my business back, rescue me away from Douglas, and finally pursue what we all wanted.
As I made my notes, I did realise I couldn't do this alone. Yet, I couldn't bring my friends into what was happening in the privacy of my bedroom. At some point, I would find the right time to tell them or invite them back in. But not now.
It would have to be soon, though. It would be too late if Douglas were about to pull the trigger.
A message from Cooper appeared on my phone.
‘I miss you, he said. And I hope you don't mind I posted a picture of you on my stories.’
I opened up Instagram and saw his story as the first on my list. I clicked on it, and there we were, taken a few days ago, a selfie from the gym.
He captioned it, "Missing this one."
Going to his profile, I saw two million followers and the verified tick against his name. I knew he was a big deal, having been a champion on worldwide television. Still, he never came across as arrogant or wanting to flaunt this about himself.
The total opposite of my ex, I was pleased to note.
You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.
By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.
Or the day after that.
Or the day after that, too.
Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
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A little lost on what’s happening at 1 Lovelock Drive?
Well, you see, Andie’s break-up started back in February and so much has happened since then. These stories will help you catch right up! xx
