Chapter 42: Test his patient.
"What the hell was that about?" Charles demanded, his voice laced with a cold edge, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
His fists clenched at his sides as he angrily continued his phrase.
"You spilled coffee on me, and I didn’t react. You insulted me, and I let it slide. But why the hell did you have to pour water all over me?"
Charles voice wavered slightly—not with weakness, but with restrained anger.
His eyes locked onto Aubrey, searching for an explanation, for something that would make sense of the humiliation he had just endured.
Aubrey took a step back, gulping her saliva as she breathed in. "Next time, you lowlife should watch where you’re going when you’re working," Aubrey seethed, her tone dripping with disdain.
Charles scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief, but before he could respond, Freda let out a loud hiss.
"Who the fuck did you just call a lowlife?" she snapped, her fury igniting in an instant.
Without thinking, she lunged at Aubrey, her body tense with the urge to put the woman in her place.
Charles used his hand to stop Freda from making any rash decisions. "Freda, you shouldn’t fall for the stupid behaviour of a person who isn’t worth our time and energy," Charles stated, trying to calm the rage of Freda.
Ever since becoming friends with Freda, Charles had always known her to be someone who avoided trouble.
She wasn’t the type to pick fights or escalate situations unnecessarily. But now, watching the fire in her eyes and the way she lunged at Aubrey without hesitation, he knew this was different.
If Freda actually went through with attacking Aubrey, things wouldn’t just end with a heated argument—it would spiral into something far worse.
Freda took a deep breath as she nodded her head, yielding to the words of Charles. "It’s best we leave now," she stated with a firm voice.
Charles nods his head in agreement. "Yes, we should leave now so that we can both get away from this filthy lady," he seethed, eyeing Aubrey from head to toe and with a long hiss rolling out of his mouth, he swiftly turned around, and Freda did the same.
They both began to walk away from the presence of Aubrey, but not for long.
As soon as Charles and Freda were about to step out of the door of the department building, Aubrey bent over to the floor, taking off her black heels as she aggressively hurled them over to Charles.
The sharp impact of Aubrey’s heels caught Charles off guard, sending a jolt of pain through his body.
He winced, instinctively arching his back as a sharp cry escaped his lips.
"Arrgh!" he yelled, his voice laced with agony.
His breath hitched as he turned around, eyes wide with horror, locking onto Aubrey.
The extreme audacity of what she had just done left him momentarily speechless.
Aubrey scoffed, a devious smirk playing on her lips as she casually winked at Charles.
"Does it hurt? Or do you have anything else to say?" she taunted, her voice dripping with amusement.
There was a glint of satisfaction in her eyes, as if she was enjoying his reaction far more than she should.
Freda slowly turned around, biting her lower lip as she clenched her fists tightly. Guilt crept into her chest, settling like a heavy weight.
’I think I’m the reason Charles is being attacked by Aubrey,’ she admitted to herself, her thoughts clouded with regret.
’If only I had controlled my anger the way Charles did earlier when Aubrey was insulting him, none of this would be happening.’
Her heart pounded as she swallowed back the frustration, realizing that her impulsiveness had only made things worse.
The other workers stood frozen in disbelief, their eyes wide as they watched the scene unfold.
Some instinctively placed their hands over their lips, trying to muffle their gasps, afraid that even the slightest sound would draw Aubrey’s attention.
The tension in the room was thick, an unspoken understanding passing between them—no one wanted to be the next target of her wrath.
Others scratched their heads nervously, while some shifted their gazes to the floor or ceiling, desperately trying to compose themselves.
They all knew that reacting wouldn’t do them any good. Worse still, interfering could put them in Aubrey’s direct line of fire—something none of them were willing to risk.
If they dared to dispute the situation, they weren’t just inviting trouble; they were signing up for a fate far worse than what Charles was already enduring.
Meanwhile, as the entire workers became extremely surprised, Aubrey decided to do something more intriguing and with that, she raised her middle finger at Charles and Freda.
She closed the distance between them, her middle finger still raised upwards as she sneered in delight.
"You both should fucking get out of my sight!" Aubrey exclaimed, her voice sharp and commanding, laced with irritation.
Charles blinked, fluttering his eyelashes as he let out a quiet scoff. He shook his head sideways, his expression unreadable.
"And what if I don’t want to?" he challenged, his tone steady, daring her to push him further.
Aubrey let out a dry chuckle, her tongue briefly running over her lower lip as she glanced at Charles with a piercing gaze.
"Do you really think I can’t do far worse than this?" she taunted, arching a brow at him.
Her voice was low but sharp, carrying a venomous edge. "I can make you regret the day you were born," she seethed, her eyes dark with unspoken threats, daring him to test her limits.
Charles sniffed, his gaze shifting uneasily around the room.
The weight of countless eyes on him made his skin crawl, discomfort settling deep in his chest.
He hated being the center of attention—especially like this.
Aubrey, noticing the flicker of unease in his expression, seized the moment to deliver her final blow. "Leave my sight this instant, mister man!" she commanded, her tone sharp and absolute, leaving no room for defiance.
"No! You are the one who should get out of my sight..."
*Boom*
A loud sound suddenly cut Charles off from his statement because Aubrey had just landed an heavy slap on his cheek.