Part 1: Three Months In
Derrick should have seen the signs earlier. The first three months with Amanda were pure gold – movie nights, long walks in the park, and conversations about their future. But somewhere around their third month together, things started to shift.
It began with small things. Amanda would text him repeatedly if he didn't respond within five minutes. "You busy?" "Hello?" "Why aren't you answering me?" At first, he found it endearing, thinking she just missed him that much. But then the texts turned into accusations: "You must be with her?" "Why you can’t answer me?" "Everyone told me about them quite dudes straight cheaters?"
One evening, while they were having dinner at his apartment, Amanda casually mentioned something about his lunch break at work. "I saw you went to Subway today," she said, stirring her ice tea. Derrick froze, fork midway to his mouth. He didn’t tell her what he was having for lunch today.
"How you know that?" he asked.
Amanda leaned back in her chair, avoiding his eyes. "Oh, it’s called…….. you know I don’t have to say it." It wasn't until later in the week when his phone started acting crazy. He noticed whenever his phone losing its signal in places where the signal always good. When he was checking his phone to see why it keeps losing signal. He discovered she'd installed a tracking app while he was sleeping.
Part 2: An Exciting Day At Work
Getting a job at the same company was never Derrick's idea. Amanda had seen the opening in the marketing department where he worked and insisted it was "meant to be." Despite him telling her this not going to be good, she wore him down. "Don't you want to spend more time together?" she'd asked, her eyes had formed fake tears. "Don't you love me?"
Three weeks into working together, everything was falling apart. Jessica, the account manager, had asked Derrick for help with the copy machine. Amanda, who had been watching her from the front desk, stormed over.
"Excuse me, what you talking to him for?”Amanda smacked her lips, getting in Jessica's face. "You think I don't notice, I seen how you was looking at him?"
"Amanda, take a chill pill. She just needed help with the copier," Derrick tried to calm the situation, but Amanda was already in full attack mode.
"Oh you defending her!" Amanda yelled, shoving a stack of papers off the copier. "Take that since you defending other women and not the woman you sleeping with!"
The office went silent except for Amanda's ranting and with copy machine paper all over the floor. Amanda looks at Derrick and says Derrick baby I’m sorry I just a bit insecure will you forgive me? Derrick looks at her and right before he about to say something Amanda hits him on top of his head with an old stapler gun she uses as a paper weight. Derrick yells out in pain and blood started to flow between his eyes. Amanda dials 911.
The ambulance, fire department and police had arrived. By the end of the day, both Derrick and Amanda had been terminated – Amanda for workplace violence, and Derrick for what HR called "contributing to a hostile work environment."
That night, Derrick turned off his phone and tried to sleep, knowing he needed to figure out how to end things. But at 3 AM, the familiar sound of Amanda's car screeching into his driveway made his heart sink. Then came the banging on his door.
"DERRICK! WHY YOUR PHONE GOING TO VOICEMAIL? I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!"
He pulled the pillow over his head, wondering how much worse things could get.
To be continued...