Channell's apartment...

Meryl collapsed onto the bed next to Michelle, completely spent from the emotional turmoil of the day. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close, whispering "I'll never leave you, my sweet girl."

Michelle stirred in her sleep, murmuring something unintelligible. "I want my papa," she said in a sleepy voice, before settling back into slumber.

Meryl felt a pang of sadness as she listened to her daughter's words. She knew that Michelle missed her father and longed for him to be part of her life.

"I'm sorry"

*****
THE NEXT DAY...AT COY

Meryl arrived at the office later than usual, having had to take Michelle to school first. She was surprised to find the office completely empty when she arrived.

She wandered around, wondering where everyone had gone, when she happened to spot Iris in the hallway.

"Meryl," he called out. "Hi," Meryl replied, trying to remain professional. There was an awkward silence between them, which Iris broke by saying, "You're a bit late."

"Oh, I had to drop my daughter off at school," Meryl said.

"What?" Iris looked surprised. "You have a daughter?" he asked. "That's news to me."

Meryl braced herself for the questions she knew were coming.

"You don't seem like the type of person who would have a child," he scoffed. "What are you talking about?" Meryl asked, taken aback by his comment. "You look far too young to be a mother," he said.

Meryl bit her lip, trying to keep her composure. "Just so you know, I'm not too young to be a mother," she said calmly. "And even if I were, that's no one's business but my own."

"And a husband?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity. Meryl took a deep breath. "I'm divorced," she said evenly. A smirk crossed his lips, as if he'd expected this answer.

She decided to change the subject. "Why is the office so empty?" she asked. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, there's a meeting going on in the boardroom," Iris said. Meryl's stomach dropped. cause no one told her about the meeting.

"Yeah the CEO declared it this morning" he said, "I should have known?" She said lowly to herself but loud enough for Iris to hear it.

"Did you say something? " he asked.

"What?" Meryl said innocently.

"No worries," she said with a casual smile, hoping he hadn't heard her muttering. Iris gave her a quizzical look, but she brushed it off.

"Alright, thanks" she said and left for the boardroom.

*

As Meryl entered the boardroom, she noticed Tyrson sitting at the far end of the table. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Meryl quickly looked away.

She could feel his gaze on her as she made her way to an empty seat, her head down. The attention of the room was on her, and she felt uncomfortable under Tyrson's intense stare. She mumbled an apology, but it was barely audible even to herself.

As Meryl took her seat, Tyrson spoke up. "I hope you're aware that latecomers aren't allowed," he said sternly.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't informed about the meeting," Meryl apologized.

She wasn't sure why he was reacting so harshly, but she had a sinking feeling that he might try to reprimand her.

"You're all dismissed," Tyrson said abruptly. Meryl sat in stunned silence, wondering if the meeting was over.

Despite the tension in the room, Meryl was relieved the meeting was over. She couldn't bear to be in the same room as Tyrson any longer.

As everyone started to leave, she stood up and prepared to follow suit. But then, Tyrson called out, "Not you, Mrs. Griffin."

She turned to face him, angry at his imperious tone. "It's Channell," she corrected him. Why was he being so insufferable?

"Aren't you surprised to see me in this position?" he finally said. She let out a dry chuckle.

"To be honest, I am. I never thought you'd be in a position like this," she said, though she wasn't sure if she was being honest or not.

He smiled, but there was a glint of arrogance in his eyes. "Well, I'm here, and you have to deal with it," he said, his voice full of authority.

Before she could respond, he stepped closer, backing her up against the wall. She tried to speak, but no words would come out.

"W-what are you doing?" she finally managed to ask, her voice trembling.

"You're not allowed to act like you own the place. Not while you work for me," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

She felt her heart pounding in her chest, and she wasn't sure what to do.

He was standing so close that his breath fanned her face, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She steeled herself, looking into his eyes with defiance.

"Is it so hard to play by the rules?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"Rules are made to be broken," she replied, staring him down. "And resignation letters exist for a reason."

His expression darkened. "Don't even think about it," he said, his voice low and threatening.

"What do you mean by that?" Meryl asked, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that if she quit her job and tried to run away, he would find her and in doing so, might discover the truth about Michelle.

She couldn't let that happen. She had to stay strong, no matter what. But what could she do?

Meryl felt trapped, and she could sense the danger in the air. What would happen next?

"You...murderer!" she blurted out, before shoving him with all her might. But he didn't budge an inch, and she could feel the anger radiating off of him.

In a flash, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against the wall. Meryl cried out in pain as he pressed his hands against her, holding her in place.

All he wanted was to intimidate her, but now, it seemed he was determined to make her suffer. She'd made a big mistake by calling him a murderer

The pain was becoming unbearable, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. "Please, let go!" she pleaded, her voice hoarse. But he didn't budge.

She gritted her teeth and pushed against his chest, managing to move him just an inch. But that only seemed to make him angrier.

"All the pain you've caused me over the last four years is nothing compared to what you're about to feel," he growled, his eyes dark with rage.

"Please stop, you're hurting me!" Meryl cried, tears streaming down her face.

"And I'm going to make you feel the pain you've caused me. You're trapped in my web, and you can't escape," he snarled.

With a final shove, he released his grip on her and she landed a slap on his face.

"I hate you!" She said in tears and he walked away when he realized what he just did to her.

Meryl sat there, frozen in fear and pain. This wasn't the Tyrson she knew. The man she had once loved was gone, replaced by this violent and volatile stranger.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought about how things had gone so wrong, with her trapped and powerless, while he was consumed by rage and hatred.

*******

Tyrson stood there, his knuckles bloodied and bruised from hitting the wall. He was breathing heavily, his anger still simmering beneath the surface.

Then, he heard someone call out his name. It was CEO Manson, who had entered the room and was now staring at him with concern in his eyes. He had seen the look on Tyrson's face and knew something was wrong.

"Is everything alright?" CEO Manson asked, his tone filled with concern. Tyrson didn't know how to respond.

"Is there a problem?" Manson asked, his worry evident.

"No, no problem," Tyrson lied, trying to sound convincing.

"You forgot about the monthly donations to the school, didn't you?" Manson reminded him.

Tyrson's heart sank. He had completely forgotten about the donation, and now he'd have to face the consequences.

"I have some free time at the office today. Let's go there," he suggested.

Manson hesitated, "Director Julia wants to come too," he said. Tyrson wasn't surprised.

"Did you tell her we're not going to a party?" Tyrson asked.

"I didn't," Manson admitted.

"I don't need her hanging around me like a pet," Tyrson added, annoyance creeping into his tone.

Speaking of the devil, she entered, "I'm seriously coming along" she declared.

Tbc

*********
Does Meryl truly deserve Tyrson's hatred?
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