


Fey Sommer's Diary

by prettydynamic



Category: Ugly Betty
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-18
Updated: 2011-11-19
Packaged: 2014-03-10 14:38:20
Rating: K+
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,559
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6152804/1/
Author URL: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1554468/prettydynamic
Summary: Betty found another one of Fey Sommer's journal. Will it contain more controversial records or revelations that Fey wanted so hard to conceal?





	1. Chapter 1

_May 20, 1980_

_I couldn't believe the weekend in Vermont was a failure. Once again I tried to convince Bradford to leave Claire after our explosive love making at the snow-covvered terrace of our suite. Books say you are more likely to get your man to do what you want when you ask him right after an earth-shattering climax, but the moment I brought up Claire's name, Bradford became as cold as ice and drew away from me._

_I know the woman had done nothing offensive nor offending to me despite her suspicion about Bradford's affair with me, in fact, she kept mum about the affair, keeping the pain and anger to herself instead of confronting or scandalizing me like most legal wives would, but I can't help hating her more and more each day. What kind of hold does she have over Bradford? Why can't Bradford leave her?_

_No matter what I do I still couldn't bring Bradford to leave her for me. I do not intend to be the other woman forever. If I can't make Bradford leave her. I will make her leave Bradford..._

Betty closed the diary she found in one of the secret compartments of the bed inside the hidden room of Meade Publications. The room was rumored to be former editor-in-chief Fey Sommer's romatic rendezvous with the company's owner Bradford Meade, rumors that have never been proven by speculators nor confirmed by either Bradford or Fey since the room was found after their passing.

Betty thought that the diary found by Amanda and Mark which helped acquit Mrs. Meade of murder was all the personal records that Fey Sommers kept. Apparently, it isn't.

Betty debated whether to give it to Amanda, being Fey Sommer's daughter, or to just dispose of the diary. There are some things that are better left unknown to children to keep the respect and love they have for their parents.

"Betty, what are you doing?" asked Christina as she went inside the room behind the wide array of display clothing.

"Oh hi Christina! I thought you were in here when I couldn't find you then the bed looked so soft and beckoning I decided to lie down for a while. It had been a long day," explained Betty.

Christina noticed the elegant looking notebook made of wood right under Betty's jacket. "What's that?" ashe asked.

"Just as I was rolling on the bed, my hand touched what felt like a compartment right behind the headboard and when I groped for it, it opened to a small crevice containing this-it's Fey Sommer's Diary."

"Just how many diaries did that woman keep?" exclaimed Christina.

"I don't know. The ones Amanda and Mark found were only a couple of pages. It covered a year of Fey Sommer's life perhaps but when someone is a prolific journal writer, she must have a whole lot of journals," said Betty.

"Come on, I'm curious. Let's read a few entries," insited Christina.

_May 28, 1980_

_Every chance I got I flaunted my affair with Bradford right under Claire's nose. I saw her run to the ladies' room and cry tonight at the company party right after I insinuated the big boss couldn't keep his hands off me. It will be a matter of time before Claire files for divorce and Bradford will be all mine._

_July 10, 1980_

_I hope my mother forgives me. I shattered her priceless antique vase in anger. It was one of my precious inheritance. It's that Claire's fault. I hate you Claire. Bradford gave Claire the 3 karat rare pink diamond ring that costs a fortune. Agnes told me Bradford won it at a private auction. His friends teased him about what's he's going to do with such a fine jewellry. Bradford bragged he would give it to the most beautiful woman in the world. I waited for weeks but there never came a pink diamond. Then today Claire and her two sons dropped by the office to show Bradford Alex and Daniel's outstanding report cards and their it was glistening under the light, staring at me, was the pink diamond I longed for-snuggly fit on Claire Meade's right ring finger._

_She didn't flaunt it to me. She never flaunts. She emanates an aura of confidence and security that I wanted so badly to shatter. Claire never felt the need to shove her assets and accomplishments into people's faces just to feel superior or secure about herself. She was looking at Bradfor with love and adoration, the same way she was beaming with pride and affection for her children who brought home exceptional marks from school. I've never felt inferior in such a long time. I am beautiful, smart, and accomplished like Claire but she has warmth and tenderness which I have lost a long time ago on my way to success._

_Perhaps if I could bear a child to Bradford...I will be of equal footing with Claire._

"Hey. Senorinas. I'm going to close the lights now it's 8:00pm," said Fernando, the maintenance personnel on their floor.

"I'm sorry, we lost track of time. Alright, we're going home," said Christina.

Betty and Christina gathered their things and proceeded to the elevator.

"Please don't tell anyone I found this journal. We don't know if this contains skeletons in the closet that might hurt anyone. Mrs. Meade is a good person and so is Daniel and Alexis. I don't want any of them hurt by things long buried in the past," appealed Betty to her friend.

"It doesn't seem to be buried properly is it? With the way recent circumstances have turned up. But don't worry, you can count on me, Betty," smiled Christina.


	2. Chapter 2

As Betty entered the front door of the living room, a whiff of delicious smell of roasted chicken and garlic prepared by her sister Hilda welcomed her.

"Wow, something smells great!" exclaimed Betty.

"I'm preparing something I learned from the cooking channel on cable tv," explained her sister Hilda as she took the chicken from the oven.

"It has sage and rosemary and I stuffed the potatoes inside the chicken."

"Sounds yummy!" replied Betty as she hurriedly climbed up the stairs to throw her things on her bed before joining her family for dinner.

The family settled themselves for their hearty dinner and began updating one another with each one's activities of the day. Betty took one look at the delicious looking Rosemary Chicken and decided to start her diet the next day. I really ought to cut down, she scolded herself as she helped herself with a heap of rice.

"I'm applying for a scholarship for the Lee Strasberg School of Drama, Aunt Betty. I'm sending them a video of all the school shows I've starred in and hopefully I get chosen for the interview. They are only getting twenty scholars within the country. I'm keeping my fingers crossed," said Justin excitedly as he sampled his mashed potatoes.

"That's great, Justin! I'm sure the panel will be very impressed with you," encouraged Betty.

"Of course. My son is so talented he played second lead in all the school plays," put in Hilda.

"I know I still have a few years till college but the drama school is already accepting students from 14 years old and I don't see why I have to wait. Oh I'm so excited! I'll be the next Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire…People will line up just to watch me."

Justin was grinning from ear to ear with all the encouragement he's been getting till his grandfather spoke which caused a furrow in his youthful face. It was not a rejection of his grandfather's suggestion but a thought-provoking idea which caused a mild confusion in his otherwise solid mind-set.

"You have a creative mind, my boy, and a good eye for fashion. Don't you want to be a fashion designer like Versace or Oscar Dela Renta? Why not go to fashion school? I'm sure your Aunt Betty can help you there working in the corporate world of fashion," said his grandfather with a smile.

"Well… I do like fashion…and it would probably give me more success monetary-wise…"

"Think about it. You don't have to decide now but I do think it is better for you to be a fashion designer," said Ignacio Suarez.

To show support and enthusiasm with the idea Betty excitedly piped in, "Hey! I have a beginner's book in fashion design. I borrowed it from Christina. You can have a look at it before I return it to her. It's on my vanity table beside my bed."

Suddenly, a flash of a nasty looking broad-shouldered, long wavy haired Latin American man on the television screen caught the attention of the family.

"_After more than thirty years in prison. Manuel De Castro was granted parole for good behavior. Manuel, who was found guilty of attempted…"_

His enormous mug shot on the upper left side of the television screen and a video clip of his release from prison wasn't quite palatable to their palate that Ignacio switched the channel before any more information about the criminal's release could be heard from the news.

"That was some frightening criminal. He must be over 6 feet four inches. Are you sure New York is safe from him?" commented Hilda.

"Well… he was released for good beahviour…" said Betty.

Justin finished the last of his roasted chicken and raced up the stairs. He switched on the light on Betty's bedroom and scanned the room for the book.

"What color is it, Aunt Betty?" he yelled.

"It's hard bound. Check on the vanity table beside my face cream…"

Despite Betty's response at the top of her lungs, Justin didn't hear her as his attention was caught by a wooden notebook on the floor together with Bette's scarf and hair brush which fell haphazardly to the floor when she hastily threw her things on the bed.

Curiously, he flipped the pages of the elegant wooden journal and read.

_July 12, 1980_

_I could just kill. It would probably be a lot easier. My plan went up in smoke even before it could brew. I tried to trick Bradford into getting me pregnant but that bastard was as smart as a whip. He was a step ahead of me and knew what I was up to. He was furious… I've never seen him this angry._

_He said he shall never bring up any bastards into this world._

_I begged him. I said I wanted his child but he slammed the bedroom door and left in fury._

_July 13, 1980_

_I wanted to show Bradford I was upset about last night that I gave him the silent treatment all day but it backfired and left me more irritated and more temperamental the entire day while Bradford didn't seem the least bit perturbed. You can't treat me this way Bradford…_

_July 18, 1980_

_I wasn't trembling, not one bit, as I headed back to my Porshe after confronting Claire at the mansion she shared with Bradford. Perhaps there wasn't an ounce of guilt on my illicit affair with Bradford or maybe I have grown twice as hard over the years._

_I caught Claire at the front patio enjoying her afternoon tea which I successfully ruined with my presence. Claire's pleasant repose was replaced by one of disconcertment as she caught sight of me making my way inside the mansion._

_I went straight to the point and told her of my affair with Bradford. I was cruel. I told her in every disgusting detail how Bradford and I spend our nights together. I watch in delight as her poise and cool self-confidence crumpled to the ground. Those glistening tears she tried not fall from her eyes as I forced her to swallow her husband's affair with me was enough revenge for how Bradford treated me._

_I knew she had been suspecting it for some time as I never cease to flaunt it subtly on her face but I just couldn't wait any longer for her to confirm it for herself and leave Bradford for that matter. I must have Bradford all to myself… And I must succeed one way…. or the other… _

_Come on Claire, leave Bradford… or I must take the other way…_

"Justin!" scolded Betty as she entered the room.

The diary flew out of Justin's hands as he yelped, startled at Betty's sudden admonishment.

"You almost gave me a heart attack, Aunt Betty!"

"What are you doing, rummaging through my things? The fashion design book is on the table," she reprimanded.

"I wasn't rummaging through your things. The diary is on the floor."

Justin picked up the diary from where it dropped when he got startled.

"Give me that. That's personal," said Betty.

"If it's personal, then why do you have it?" said Justin.

He drew the diary away from Betty's outstretched hands.

"Oh my god. This is really some juicy piece of news. How ironic it is that Claire Meade was accused of murdering Fey Sommers when it was actually Fey Sommers who seem to be contemplating on doing something bad to Claire Meade… I knew that bitch deserved what she got. I always knew she must be jealous of Claire Meade. I knew Claire Meade was innocent-I still got my 'Free Claire Meade' shirt in my closet…."

"Justin!," interrupted Betty.

"Hand that back to me. I was thinking of burning before anyone can read it."

"How about we read it first before you burn it," said Justin, keeping the diary away from Betty.

Betty gave Justin the eye and he knew his Aunt meant business. He reluctantly gave back the diary and disappointedly went out of the room, forgetting about the fashion design book Betty was lending him in the first place.

* * *

Christina was making faces behind the svelte dark woman who was insisting she was a size four but who apparently was now a size six as she kept trying to close the corsage of the black evening gown she was trying on for company event on Friday.

It was almost seven pm but she was still here in the office when she should be home with her sick husband. She silently cursed Wilhelmina Slater. She was not only a witch but a slave driver to the highest power. Why can't she just accept she is a size six whined Christina as she was making adjustments to the evening gown.

"Christinaaa! I'm ready… oh, I'm sorry… I didn't know…"

Betty blushed as she realized that Christina was still working with Wilhelmina. She thought her friend was all alone on the 20th floor where they kept all their fashion works in progress, all the shoes, accessories, clothes, and bags for photo shoots and fashion shows.

"Get the hell out of here, Betty. You're ruining Christina's concentration to my dress," scolded Wilhelmina.

Christina signaled for Betty to wait inside the next room where Christina works. They were supposed to go home together and have a quick dinner before parting ways. It was taking Wilhelmina and /Christina longer than expected. As Betty waited, she took out the journal and read.

_July 19, 1980_

_I was slumped beside the swimming pool crying, drowning my sorrows in cognac and whiskey when my assistant Wanda found me. I never knew I could still cry. I- whom everyone called the ice witch-void of any wild emotion, was now shattered like broken pieces of glass. I had never shed a tear since the day I have sold my soul in exchange for the triumphant career I so hungered for. I was so high up on a pedestal that I never thought I could fall… and shatter into pieces._

_I slumped all my weight on Wanda as she tried to pull me up my feet. My disgustingly ugly but reliable assistant Wanda…_

Betty was so engrossed she didn't hear Wilhelmina calling her name three times that when Wilhelmina yelled Betty's name at the top of her lungs right beside Betty she was so startled she cried out loud the word she was reading from the diary.

"Wanda…aaahhhhh!" cried Betty as she dropped the diary on the floor.

Wilhelmina looked at Betty peculiarly.

"Wha… what did you say?" stammered Wilhelmina.

"Nothing. I'm sorry. You startled me. What was it you wanted, Wilhelmina?" said Betty in a soft voice.

She was praying that Wilhelmina wouldn't look down and see the journal.

Wilhelmina gave Betty a nasty look but just as she was about to say something, Claire Meade's sophisticated charm in her matching Escada tweed suit and pumps entered the room.

"Oh Betty, I was looking all over for you. I knew you were still around. Your time card hasn't been punched out yet. Can you please print out the Marks and Spencer report for me tomorrow morning. I need it for my 10:00am meeting," she said with a smile.

"Hello, Claire. I see you've been working late. Well, I better go now as I still have a dinner date tonight" said Wilhelmina haughtily before heading out the door.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Meade. Will Daniel be joining this meeting?" asked Betty gaily.

"Yes, Daniel and a few… Oh what nice looking notebook," said Claire as she picked it up and handed it back to Betty.

Betty and /Christina were stunned, half afraid that Mrs. Meade would discover what it was.

" That's from _Fully Booked and Crafted_. I didn't know you like those elegantly designed notebooks. Remind me to get you one to use in the office," smiled Claire.

"No, don't bother Mrs. Meade. They're too expensive to use for drafts and minutes," protested Betty.

"Nonsense. It's going to inspire you more to take important notes. Do you girls need a ride home? My chauffer can drop you off as it is rather late."

"No need, Mrs. Meade. Betty and I have plans. Thanks for the offer," said Christina.

As soon as Mrs. Meade was out the door, Christina yelped, "What are you doing bringing the diary here in the office? Wilhelmina could have seen it. Mrs. Meade could have seen it."

"I'm sorry. Justin saw the diary and didn't want to let go of it so I took it with me. I figured it will be a lot safer," said Betty as she and Christina headed to the elevator.

The two friends were engrossed with their discussion that they didn't notice Mark lurking in one of the walk-in closets. He came back for Wilhelmina's purse which she uncharacteristically left behind by accident. He was puzzled by Wilhelmina's sudden silence and disconcertment, as though she had seen a ghost. He was on his way to the elevator when he overheard the exchange between Betty and Christina, A menacing glint grazed his dark eyes. He must find out what diary they were talking about.


	3. Chapter 3

Wilhelmina had been staring at the dashboard of her Porshe for some fifteen minutes without igniting the engine. Her thoughts were wandering somewhere far, somewhere at the deep recesses of her past. A past she had pushed so far back in her mind that you need an excavation to retrieve those memories. But a single word uttered by Betty unknowingly unlocked the trunk of her memories long forgotten and buried, a single word that represented the truth, the word that was the embodiment of the past she despised. Wanda… Wanda… Wasn't she dead, long gone and banished?

Wilhelmina was forced to face the question. The homely looking girl of twenty two, full of hopes and dreams of success, swallowing her insecurities and uncertainties brought about by her rather repulsive appearance, clad with nothing but her brilliant mind in marketing and sales that faced the dog-eat-dog world of New York so many years ago was now nothing but a figment of one's imagination. As far as Wilhelmina was concern Wanda never existed.

She hit the steering wheel in anger and frustration. Now she hated Betty even more. Wilhelmina refused to accept that the reason she hated Betty was that Betty reminded her so much of herself when she was starting in the Fashion Industry, before she was corrupted with greed and power.

She started out like Betty… naïve… amiable… but working with Fey Sommers had changed her. She taught her that shrewdness and wickedness brought you your heart's desire. She learned not only to take but to grab what she wanted heedless of whom she might hurt nor step on in the process. She had reached the summit of success by her own devious way of playing her cards but it was her former boss Fey Sommers who paved her way to the door.

* * *

"Good bye, Wanda. I'll surely miss our after-office-hang outs. I'll let you know when I'm in town I promise," said Bella as she waved good bye, carrying out the last box of her personal effects in the office.

Wanda sighed and tried to be cheerful and happy for her friend by flashing a big smile, and yelling, "Good luck!" but deep inside she felt a touch of envy and self-pity. Bella was the third of her friends who managed to move up the corporate ladder.

A year ago Tyra was promoted to Assistant Editor to one of Meade Publications' other magazines after being in the company for only a year, while Shiela who completed the trio with Bella, was offered by a rival magazine six months ago, and now Bella was moving to another Meade office in Italy as Manager. All her friends managed to move up in their careers while she remained a secretary to Fey Sommers. For a moment she surmised that it was because she was black that she was having a hard time moving up but she was wrong, Tyra was black but she went ahead. She knew she was equally brilliant as her friends if not more, but they all have something she doesn't have, and in the fashion industry she knew she needed it more than they to have the confidence she needed to face and deal with the high end clients-beauty.

She sighed as she went up one floor to get her purse from her desk. As she approached her desk, she couldn't stop the tears. She remembered how she lost a promotion just a week ago, a promotion she knew she deserved but having things equal in brilliance and talent, you promote the beautiful girl rather than the ugly duckling. Just how long would she remain at the bottom of the pit? She buried her face on her arms as sobbed on her desk suddenly she felt she wasn't alone anymore. There was a strong energy, things were quiet but she felt the energy of agitation and desperation. She looked up and found Fey Sommers with her blood shot eyes and haggard face as though she hadn't slept for days, looking at her. For the second time, she saw Faye Sommers flustered. The first time was when she helped her in her drunken state in the pool after she had a fight with Bradford Meade, but this time she looked even more devastated, in fact, she looked insane, even more, she had murder in her eyes.

"Wanda… help me and I promise you the career of your dreams…"

Wilhelmina slowly came back to the present as a drop of perspiration trickled down the side of her face. She had been in the car in the basement parking for sometime as the memories of the past came haunting her. She took a deep breath to calm herself and shake those memories she wanted to bury even deeper. Faye Sommers was dead. No one knew their secret-both hers and Faye's.

In the dark corner of the basement parking lurked a shadow, a man hungry for justice, a man haunted by the past but unlike Wilhelmina who wanted to bury the past, this man wanted the truth.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm telling you, Amanda that Betty and Christina know something juicy. We have to get that juicy gossip," said Marc in between mouthfuls of Sashimi.

It was their lunch break a couple of days later. He and Amanda decided on a nearby Japanese restaurant.

"Whatever it is, I think it's the reason Wilhelmina is even crankier than usual these past days. She isn't just cranky, she's edgy as though she's stepping on a pile of pins. You should have seen her that night I overheard Betty and Christina talking about the diary, Wilhelmina forgot her purse, she was agitated and she looked like she had seen a ghost," continued Marc.

Amanda sipped her tea before asking. "What does the diary look like? Do you think it's Wilhelmina's?"

"I don't know. But I heard Christina scolding Betty for bringing it. She was afraid Mrs. Meade and Wilhelmina might see it. Whatever it was, I'm sure it's worth killing for," remarked Mark metaphorically, but in a nearby table sat a six feet four inches broad shouldered man in his sixties who muttered "Ditto". His Japanese meal was more than he could afford with his meager income wiping tables in the coffee shop across the building of Meade Publications. He had long wavy dark hair and dark blue eyes that once upon a time had been quite an asset in the modeling industry, but now only made him look more swarthy and menacing, every inch the ex-con he had become as a result of his greed.

He knew fate was on his side when he found that crappy job in the coffee shop across Meade Publications which allowed him to survey his prey like a panther. He came to collect and by god he was going to collect from Fey Sommers and her repulsive assistant Wanda.

He eyed the two employees from Meade Publications. He was about to buy a smoke for lunch when he ran into them and overheard them gossiping. He knew he had to follow and listen and now he just had lunch he couldn't afford but he knew how to handle it. The important thing now was he had more information, more information to help him with his plans. The girl was beautiful with her blond hair and blue eyes, she reminded him of the baby…but it didn't take long for him to realized she was all beauty with nothing between the ears so unlike Fey Sommers, so unlike Wanda, and so unlike Claire Meade… all whom had the brains. Claire Meade… What had happened to Claire Meade, he wondered. Bradford was a very lucky man.

"Check, please," called Mark to the waiter.

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized the girl and guy were about to leave, he had to make his move. "Well, see you guys, later," he called to them, waving good-bye before standing up to leave. Both were caught off-guard and waved absent-mindedly.

"I think I know a way to find whatever diary it was Betty was keeping…wait a minute, do you know that guy, Mark?" asked Amanda absent-mindedly.

"No! I thought you knew him. Anyway, I leave it to you to find a way. You can easily talk to Betty….Wait, waiter. There is some mistake. We didn't order Tonkatsu," said Mark.

The waiter replied, "Your friend ordered it, sir."

"No, I didn't. I ordered Maki," protested Amanda.

"Not you, ma'am, the wavy haired man in a cap," replied the waiter.

* * *

_July 19, 1980_

_I was slumped beside the swimming pool crying, drowning my sorrows in cognac and whiskey when my assistant Wanda found me. I never knew I could still cry. I- whom everyone called the ice witch-void of any wild emotion, was now shattered like broken pieces of glass. I had never shed a tear since the day I have sold my soul in exchange for the triumphant career I so hungered for. I was so high up on a pedestal that I never thought I could fall… and shatter into pieces._

_I slumped all my weight on Wanda as she tried to pull me up my feet. My disgustingly ugly but reliable assistant Wanda…_

_For a moment I couldn't utter a word, and all I could do was cry and cry as Wanda settled me on the coach, taking my glass of cognac. She didn't ask, that's what made her an ideal secretary, she saw no evil, she spoke no evil but I know she knew of my affair with Bradford, all she did was wrap me in a warm blanket and got me a glass of water._

_I gave Wanda a murderous look which I so wanted to give Claire Meade. I threw the glass of water she handed me on the wall as I yelled in frustration._

_Damn that bitch. Damn that bitch. I can't believe Bradford was still sleeping with her and he got her pregnant!_

_He got her pregnant while he didn't want my baby!_

"Betty, have you cancelled all my appointment for tomorrow morning? I wanted to accompany my mother for annual check-up," said Daniel as he approached Betty's desk, fixing his cuff links and carrying his suitcase.

Betty was startled. She was so engrossed with reading the diary she didn't here Daniel.

"Yes, I cancelled everything except the 4pm meeting at the Peninsula with Mr. Baxter and Mr. Collins. Oh by the way, here are the dozen white roses you ordered in a basket," said Betty, handing the flower arrangement to Daniel.

"Thank you, Betty. I'm sure mother will be done by tomorrow afternoon at 4pm," said Daniel but before he could reach the elevator, Betty touched his arm gently.

"Uhm, Daniel, I didn't mean to pry. I know I' shouldn't… but you know how close I am to your mother. She sounded so forlorn on the phone and when I saw her get inside the limo she was…ugh… it was heart-breaking," said Betty.

Daniel tried to shrug it off and reply casually, "Don't worry about her, she'll be fine tomorrow. It's the time of the year…oh well, got to go Betty. Don't want to keep mom waiting in the limo."

He was inside the elevator before Betty could clarify what he meant.

_August 30, 1980_

_His long wavy hair and dark blue eyes gave him that strong masculine appeal that made him look utterly menacing. It was his Latino blood that made him attractive to the opposite sex but he wasn't really my type, neither was he Claire's type, but he will do. Dressed him up in Christian Dior and he would look like he came from our world…_

"Amanda! What are you doing on my desk?" cried Betty as she found her hovering over her desk after she walked Daniel to the elevator.

Guilt was written all over Amanda's face but she tried to bluff her way out. "Uhm… I was just uhm… looking for a stapler. Mine got lost…"

"Amanda, there are several people closer to your area than my desk. You came all the way here to get a stapler?" asked Betty.

"Yes, I came all the way here because I wanted to borrow your hello-kitty stapler. Is that a crime?" she said haughtily before snatching the hello-kitty stapler.

Betty sighed before seating down and resuming reading the diary.

"Mark! Mark!" yelled Amanda excitedly as she rushed inside his cubicle.

Mark was equally jubilant, "What? What? What? You got the diary?" he asked.

"No, but I got to read some of it," said Amanda.

"What! You found the time to read it but you didn't find the chance to steal it?" Mark asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry. It was open on Betty's desk and I got curious so I read a few lines and the next thing I know she was back."

"Oh brother!" said Mark as he slumped down his chair.

"You know, Mark, the owner of the diary was describing a guy… a guy that seemed awfully familiar…"

Amanda's voice trailed off lost in thought.

Mark was still a bit annoyed that she didn't take the diary when she had the chance. He sighed, "Please, Amanda, I've got a lot of work to do. Go back to the reception area. Holler when you have the diary in your hands."


End file.
