Chapter 224 - Karma

''Yes, yes, I have all the time in the world! '' she exclaimed happily.

Leo felt his throat tighten, but he quickly pushed away from the pain before it would overwhelm him.

Deep down he wished those words left the lips of some other person, but that was a forlorn hope.

He was really ready to move on. Hazel liked him very much and he was going to love her as much. Even though it hurt him to take Claire's wallpaper off his wall, he knew it was the best thing to do. If the woman he was with didn't want it, then he would take it off.

Hazel was beautiful; she was a mixed-race, half Vietnamese and half American. She had red hair and brown eyes, although she wasn't model-beauty, she was cute enough to make heads turn. She was sweet too and he knew he would grow to love her. He just needed time to heal.

…

Claire ticked what she had accomplished for the day on her schedule. A sigh left her lips when she saw she had almost accomplished all she had to do. She was about leaving the company when she remembered she had not seen Leo for a few days. They talked on the phone but she felt he might feel weird that she wasn't stopping by his office anymore.

It wasn't that she didn't want to stop by as usual; she didn't know how to look in his eyes, knowing that she actually has feelings for him. Claire contemplated for a while before she turned around and walked to his office.

Her hands wanted to push open the door as usual but they hung in the air and instead she knocked;

'' come in '' She heard him call before she stepped in with a smile.

''Oh Claire, I can't remember the last time you knocked on that door. '' Leo laughed as she walked to him;

''Haha, I'm trying to learn proper manners. '' Her smile faded instantly when her eyes flashed on the wall, her legs stopping at a spot.

''You changed… the wallpaper? ''

Her throat clogged but she managed to voice the words, her hands gripping her bag tightly.

''Oh, yeah '' Leo glanced at the new wallpaper on the wall. Hazel was lying down with a scarf over her body, it was a dark theme but Claire couldn't deny that it was beautiful.

''Hazel made a fuss about it; she said she wanted her pictures on my wall, so I just let her have her way. Hope you don't mind? ''

Claire swallowed painfully and forced a smile to her lips;

''No, I don't mind at all. I understand, haha, I'll feel the same way if I were in her shoes. It is beautiful, she's very pretty.''

She said; her grip on her bag tightening as she pulled her eyes away from the wallpaper and walked to a couch sitting down.

''Yeah, Hazel is a very jealous type, she suspects every little thing, she even thinks there's something going on between us. God that girl, she even made me change what I saved your name with, '' Leo laughed briefly, and even though Claire was practically dying from the pain, she managed to force a chuckle;

''Hope she isn't going to take away my best friend? ''

''haha, no way, I'll always be here for you.'' Leo smiled, ''yeah, that reminds me, the CEO's party is this weekend, are you going? ''

It was a birthday party, and it was most appropriate to go with a date. Leo was dating now, so he was going to go with Hazel, and she?

She could not tag along with them, or go with a random person and have to pretend everything was fine and it would be unfair to want him to go with her when he had someone. God, she was in a mess.

Claire couldn't hold the pain coursing through her heart.

''I don't know, let's see how it goes, I might just want to snuggle in bed and watch Netflix, haha. ''

Leo stared at her pointedly; ''you know the CEO is fond of you; you don't want to miss his birthday party. ''

''Alright, I'll think about it. I'll be on my way now, I want to stop by the white house, father says it's important. Extend my greetings to Hazel. '' Claire stood up quickly and turned to the door, she couldn't wait to leave that furnace.

''Claire, you forgot your chocolates today; '' Leo smiled, taking out a bar of chocolates from his drawer;

Claire turned; ''oh thank you, I would really need these.'' She was in so much pain that she forgot what she always asked for whenever she stopped by his office.

A miserable sigh left her lips as she walked out of the office and trotted towards the elevator.

Now she knew what it felt like to love someone that didn't love you back, she couldn't imagine being like this for years. It must have been hell for Leo. Was this karma coming back at her?

Claire thinned her lips as she stood in the elevator, her heart in so much pain, it felt like exploding. Would she be able to watch them together? Watch them get married? Have children? Would she stop loving him before then?

If she was just a friend, she would be able to escape, but she was his best friend! She needed to be by his side all the way. God, this was unbearable.

What would she do?

Just that moment, the elevator doors clinked open and Hazel stood on the other side. That was the last person she wanted to see right now.

Hazel's eyes widened when she saw her, panic flashed through her eyes as though she had done something wrong, but she quickly hid it with a smile.

''Claire, didn't think I would meet you here. '' She beamed as Claire walked out of the elevator.

''Yeah, was just leaving Leo's office, told him to greet you, but it seems I'll be doing the greeting myself.'' She laughed; Hazel's eyes wandered,

''Sorry, I had the wallpaper changed, I hope you don't mind? ''