Chapter 6 She Should Apologize

The man in the photo was Benson. The caption read, "Having someone I love to celebrate my birthday with, is such a blessing." The diamond ring on Sophie's hand was the very one Sierra had spent years dreaming of, the one she had imagined on her finger. And now, the man she had loved with all her heart was standing beside another woman. She wasn't going to keep humiliating herself anymore. If Benson and Sophie truly loved each other, then fine. She would let them have each other. Sierra turned off her phone and wiped the tears slipping down her cheeks. "This time, I'll break up with him completely. No loose ends, no more connections. I'm done," she whispered firmly to herself. … At Oceanea Starline Media, Benson hadn't slept a wink the night before. He kept picking up his phone and scrolling through it repeatedly, but no matter how many times he checked, Sierra did not reply. When he arrived at the office early in the morning, his mood was already sour. Learning that Sierra had taken the morning off only fueled his irritation. It wasn't until the afternoon when he heard that Sierra had returned to work that his frustration finally began to ease. "See? She's still going to come back and apologize to me," he thought smugly. But since she'd dared to throw a tantrum, she'd better be ready to face the consequences. After going home to change clothes and having lunch with Madison, Sierra finally arrived at the office. But instead of seeking out Benson, she headed straight to the director's office to finish up the work she'd been handling. A knock sounded on the door, but Sierra didn't look up. "Come in," she said evenly. The door opened, and Benson stormed in, his face dark and thunderous. Sophie trailed behind him, meek and silent, like a shadow. When Sierra didn't rise from her seat to greet him as she usually did, the irritation Benson had been barely managing to keep in check flared back to life. He strode up to her desk, rapping on it twice. "Do you need something?" Sierra asked calmly. Her indifference made Benson's temper flare. He grabbed the pen from her hand and hurled it to the floor with a loud clatter. "You've been at the office for hours. Why didn't you come to find me and apologize?" he demanded. "What exactly did I do wrong that I need to apologize for?" "You hit Sophie yesterday! Don't you think you owe her an apology?" Benson sputtered, his fury spilling over as he glared at her. He had waited in his office, expecting Sierra to come to her senses, to admit her mistake. But she hadn't even bothered to show up, and now she dared to challenge him? Sierra was amused by the absurdity of it all. She turned her gaze to Sophie who stood behind Benson and asked, "Do you think I owe you an apology?" Sophie's voice was barely above a whisper. "No, no. It's my fault. Sierra, as long as you're not upset, I don't mind even if you hit me again." Sierra let out a cold laugh, and her gaze shifted back to Benson. There was nothing but ice in her expression now. "Did you hear that? Even she knows it's wrong to interfere in someone else's relationship. She deserved that slap. Honestly, I went easy on her." Sophie's expression shifted ever so slightly. Since when had Sierra become so bold? In the past, whenever she was wronged, she'd stay silent, especially in front of Benson. "Sierra, what are you even mad about now?" Benson asked, his tone edged with impatience. "Did reviewing documents somehow offend Mr. Gray?" Sierra shot back. Her cold, detached demeanor made Benson clench his fists. He forced himself to suppress the anger simmering beneath the surface. "I'll say it one last time. Last night, I was just celebrating Sophie's birthday. That's all." That's all? He had ruined the proposal she had been waiting for three years. He had taken the engagement ring she had picked out and placed it on another woman's finger, right in front of her. Last night, when she had been hurt, he hadn't even bothered to ask how she was. Did she even have a place in his life as his girlfriend? But now, none of it mattered to her. Not anymore. "You don't need to explain anything to me. I don't care anymore," Sierra replied, her voice calm. "Don't care? She's just being stubborn," Benson sneered inwardly. He adjusted his cuffs deliberately. "Fine. If you don't care, then give this office to Sophie. Yours is closer to mine. It'll make it easier for her to bring me documents."