Chapter 4 Looking for the right man for the job

Standing transfixed, she watched him exit the room with his back turned to her. Her eyelids burned with the tears that threatened to swarm her cheeks, even as her knees buckled beneath her thighs. Five years of dedication was just thrown out of the window. Everything she had ever worked hard for, walked out of the room with Hardy.  Beads of sweat trickled down her face. This still wasn't making any sense. How could LexCorp throw away seven years of hard work and dedication? Did her countless sacrifices to this company mean nothing to them?  Did nothing she did for anybody matter to them? Her family! Jonah! And now LexCorp.  Seven years of giving LexCorp all she had. Seven years of being endlessly dedicated came to a tragic ending in the twinkle of an eye.  And Jonah? Roxanne found herself choking on her tears as his face flashed through her mind.  She had been with him for more than half of her life, growing from friends to lovers. Yet, even he did not think twice before snatching the greatest opportunity to break her heart into pieces.  She suddenly remembered her best friend's words this morning. "Your modesty insults me Roxy. You know that job is yours. Girl you've given that company all your late nights and early as fuck mornings, they'll be crazy not to give you that promotion."  Emily's words had assured her she would get the promotion.  Emily was the one person she should talk to right now. Her best friend and flatmate was the one person she needed to see, was the one person who could pacify her right now.  With that thought, Roxanne picked up her bag and whatever was left of her dignity and hurried out of conference room, running out of the building without looking back.  **************** The next thirty days went by in a blur. Between searching for jobs online and spending most of her time in her sister's bakery, Roxanne had lost track of time. Isabelle, her oldest sister and best friend had been wonderful to her. Besides Emily, she was the next person Roxanne knew she could run to if she ever needed anything, even if it was just a listening ear.  After all, Isabelle understood more than anyone what it meant to be blindsided by family.  After Isabelle came out as lesbian to the Harveys, the rest of the family had found ways to isolate themselves from her and her affairs.  Isabelle Harvey couldn't have been more glad anyway. It allowed her the freedom to get married to Carrie and be happy.  It was on one of the visits to Isabelle's confectionery shop that Roxanne had been talked into attending the wedding.  Isabelle had gone so hard on 'family first' that she could not believe it was the same Isabelle their mother had practically kicked out.  Roxanne found hope in Isabelle. If she could attend the wedding and look at their parents without breaking down, then Roxanne could attend the wedding as well.  But Isabelle wasn't the one who was about to watch her ex fiance get married to her twin sister.  But, Isabelle made Roxanne promise to attend. Who says no to their favorite sister?  Jonah tried to reach her. Calls went straight to voicemail and emails remained in the trash of her Gmail. The night he  dared to show himself at her house, Emily gathered all the morality she could muster not to beat him up.  The wedding was only few hours away. Emily and Isabelle had taken it upon themselves to be her personal stylist and make up artist.  Now, all she needed was a date.  "There is no way we're letting you step feet into that cathedral without a man." Emily's voice still thundered in her head as she swiped through her tinder app.  None of the seemingly decent men she had found had been interested in her profile. She could remember Emily saying it was as a result of the picture she used, but Roxanne didn't see anything wrong in the photo and so did not agree to change it.  When the last person refused a meet up, Roxanne sighed and turned off the laptop.  "Men are stupid." She said, causing Emily who was busy knitting a scarf on the couch in front of the television, to smile.  "Tomorrow is the wedding, sure you don't want to try harder?"  "Fuck it. I'm going to bed. I'll survive tomorrow on my own."  Roxanne threw back, taking slow strides up the stairs. Deep down, she wanted to believe it was true.  Maybe, just maybe if she said it to herself in the mirror time and time again, she would be able to believe herself.  She might just be able to make it through the wedding tomorrow without pulling the trigger on any of them; Rayla or Jonah.  Or, Both?