Sweet Hatred-Chapter 398: Constant

Aria had been working on a major project for weeks, a spreadsheet for potential investors, something that could secure a massive deal for the company. She’d been obsessing over it, staying late, triple-checking every number.

I had her login information. I’d watched her type her passwords hundreds of times, memorized the patterns.

One night, after she’d left for the day, I logged into her work computer. Found the spreadsheet. Made small changes, numbers just wrong enough to notice, formulas that didn’t calculate correctly.

Then I sent it to the investors from her email.

The next morning, she’d be called into the HR’s office. She’d be fired for incompetence, for costing the company a crucial deal.

And she’d come to me devastated, broken, needing someone to tell her she wasn’t worthless.

She’d need me again.

The way she used to.

I waited for her call. Waited for the text telling me what had happened. Waited for her to fall apart so I could be there to catch her.

Around mid-morning, Eric texted: Got off early. You coming over?

Good. I needed to end this anyway. Aria would be devastated soon, and having Eric still in the picture would just complicate things. Time to push him to break up with her for good.

I texted back: On my way.

Eric’s apartment was quiet when I arrived. He let me in with that same guilty smile, and we didn’t waste time. We had sex, quick, mechanical, something I’d done too many times to count.

Afterward, lying in his bed, I turned to him.

"You need to break up with her."

He blinked. "What?"

"Aria. You need to end it. Tonight."

"Sarah, I’m not—"

"You’ve been fucking her best friend for months, Eric. You think that’s going to end well? Break up with her before this gets messier."

He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I can’t just—she doesn’t deserve that. Not right now."

"She deserves honesty. Which you’re clearly not capable of giving her." I stood, started dressing.

"Break up with her. This week. Or I’ll tell her myself. And trust me, you don’t want me to be the one to do it."

His face paled. "You wouldn’t."

"Try me."

I left before he could respond, my phone already in my hand as I walked to my car.

Three missed calls from Aria.

My stomach flipped. It had happened. She’d been fired.

But she hadn’t left a voicemail. Hadn’t texted. Just calls.

I tried calling back. No answer.

I drove back to the office, my mind racing. Maybe she’d come to me here. Maybe she was waiting at my desk.

But when I got to the building, she wasn’t there.

Instead, Jennifer from accounting rushed up to me the second I stepped off the elevator.

"Sarah! Oh my god, did you hear?"

I arranged my face into confusion. "Hear what?"

"Aria! She got fired. This morning. Kael called her into his office and just—" Jennifer made a cutting motion with her hand.

"Gone. People saw her packing her desk. She looked devastated."

I let my eyes widen. "What? No. That can’t be right. Aria’s been here for years—"

"I know! Something about a spreadsheet she sent to investors. Apparently it was all wrong and cost the company a huge deal." Jennifer shook her head. "It’s so messed up. I feel terrible for her."

"I need to call her." I pulled out my phone, dialing Aria’s number in front of Jennifer so she could see how concerned I was.

No answer.

I tried again. And again.

Nothing.

"She’s probably devastated," Jennifer said sympathetically. "Give her some time."

I nodded, but inside I was frustrated. She should be calling me. She should need me right now.

I kept trying throughout the afternoon. Every hour, another call. Another voicemail left.

"Aria, it’s me. Please call me back. I heard what happened. I’m so sorry. Please let me know you’re okay."

Finally, around evening, she picked up.

"Sarah." Her voice was rough, exhausted.

"Oh thank god. Aria, I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Are you okay? What happened?"

"I got fired." Flat. Empty.

"I heard. I’m so sorry. Where are you? Do you want me to come over?"

"No. I’m—" A pause. "Let’s meet at the club. I need a drink."

"Of course. I’ll be there in twenty minutes."

"Yeah. See you."

She hung up before I could say anything else.

I grabbed my bag and left, anticipation humming under my skin. This was it. This was the moment she’d realize she needed me. That everyone else was temporary, but I was constant.

At the bar, it didn’t take long for her to start talking after the first glass.

"Kael fired me," she said, voice shaking with barely contained rage. "that bastard, humiliated me in front of everyone, and fired me. Seven years, Sarah. Seven fucking years, and he threw me away like garbage."

"That’s horrible. What happened?"

"A spreadsheet. Apparently I sent a fucked-up spreadsheet to investors and it cost the company some huge deal." She laughed bitterly. "Except I didn’t. I checked that thing a hundred times. Someone sabotaged me."

My chest tightened. "Who would do that?"

"I don’t know. But Kael didn’t care. Didn’t even investigate. Just decided I was incompetent and fired me on the spot." She downed her drink. "And you know what the best part is?"

"What?"

"I went to Eric’s place after. For comfort. Because I thought at least my boyfriend would be there for me." Her voice cracked.

"And I heard him. With someone. Fucking someone in his bedroom while I stood in his living room like an idiot."

My blood went cold.

She’d been there.

At Eric’s apartment.

While I was there.

"Oh my god, Aria—"

"I didn’t even go in," she continued, her voice hollow. "I just stood there and listened to him moan some other bitch’s name, and then I left. I fucked up his car on my way out, but I left."

She didn’t know. She’d heard us, but she didn’t know it was me.

Relief flooded through me so fast I almost felt dizzy.

"I’m so sorry," I said, pulling her into a hug.

"Eric’s a piece of shit. You deserve so much better."

"Everyone leaves," she whispered into my shoulder. "Everyone fucking leaves."

"Not me," I said firmly. "I’m still here. I’m always here."

She held me tighter, and I felt that familiar warmth bloom in my chest.

That’s right.

Everything was falling into place. Eric would be gone. Aria would be devastated and dependent. And I’d be the only one left standing.

But then Kael came and everything changed.