You see Beth was 28 and had been working for Winston, who was 32, since she graduated college at the age of 22. Over this time she had developed a rather strong, unreciprocated affection for him, sometimes she'd call it love, which has lasted for the last 3 years or so. Beth always had the urge to take the initiative and ask Mike out but her shyness always seized control of her at the last moment. This left her in an even more awkward condition in which she must quickly fabricate something else to tell him under that steady gaze.
It was not for a lack of attractiveness that Winston himself had not noticed her for she was very pretty. Mike had in fact noticed her. He often fantasized of her and often lost sleep at night from thinking of her. Unfortunately, Mike never noticed her affection and was also, in a sense, married. This marriage was not to a woman but to his work. With the hours he kept he could never sustain a solid relationship without arousing severe problems. He just couldn't risk having the heartache he had had in the past by dating Beth.
Beth was at the copying machine when she heard a voice coming from Winston's office. She simply dismissed it to him talking on the phone and continued her work. She started back to her desk in the anteroom before Mike's office. When she walked in, she noticed that Winston was not on the phone but was pacing back and forth talking to himself. This was a common habit of Mike's so Beth continued going about her business. After only 15 minutes, but what seemed like hours, Mike began to yell. Beth immediately got up to go into his office but second guessed herself and just peered in through the window.
After a few seconds the yelling and Winston began to sit back down at his desk. This slightly eased Beth's mind and she hesitantly walked back to her desk. "Stress," she kept telling herself. No sooner had she sat down than had the screaming began again, now even louder. Beth jumped up from her seat and back to the window. His left side faced her as he paced and yelled. When he reached the side of the room, he turned around to walk to the other. When he turned a metallic glint caught Beth's eye. She scanned down his body to his right hand which now held the .44 Magnum Winston kept for protection.
Beth began to get hysterical and reached for the doorknob. She frantically turned the handle but to no avail. It was locked with a deadbolt. She tried to get his attention by yelling at him through the tears that had now gathered at her eyes and began streaming down her face. It was no help attempting to break through his own yelling as well as the wall that stood between them.
She realized that this wasn't doing any good. She began to run through the office looking for someone, anyone who could help her, but no one was ever in the office at this hour. She ran back to the office crying full force now, her makeup now thoroughly smeared. She saw the phone and quickly dialed 911. She managed to calm herself enough to answer a few questions from the operator but hung up right after.
Beth suddenly grabbed a chair and with an unexpected surge of strength, caused by the adrenaline, threw it at the glass as hard as she could. It hit with a loud thud and fall to the floor causing no damage to its target which Beth now remembered was shatterproof.
She had made her way to the window pounding it, tired, and now crying hysterically. She felt completely helpless and rested her exhausted body and head on the window. That's when the silence came. A deadly silence that made her aware of the ringing in her ears. She was so shocked that she had stopped crying. She lifted her head up and realized that Mike was also crying. His left side again facing her he turned his head and smiled at her. He faced forward, raised the gun to his temple, and fired once.
The force of the bullet threw his body to the ground and sent pieces of his skull about the room which was now covered in blood.
Beth, helpless on the other side of the window, was flooded with thoughts. She'd never kiss him, never have his arms wrapped around her, never make love to him, never marry him, never live with him, never have his children. There would be no white picket fence in the country. No Christmas. No Birthdays. No anniversaries. No surprising her at lunch with flowers and an hour of passionate love making while the kids where away at school. No till death do us part. Beth thought of a lot of things in the split second before the bullet pierced the glass, traveled through her forehead, and out the back of her skull. This caused her body to slide down the wall leaving a trail of blood that led to the pool now gathering on the ground.
The paramedics arrived two minutes later, unable to save either. The police arrived shortly after and had the bodies removed and began reviewing the scene. One detective was at Winston's desk and noticed a neatly printed letter in the middle. It was addressed to Beth and signed,. Sincerely, Mike P.S. I Love you.
Underneath the letter was a sheet of paper with nothing on it except the phase, "I could never make her happy."