chapter 4

~Abigail~

I sat at my assigned desk going through the stacks of old contracts that Uncle Lucas, or should I call him the grumpy old uncle, had handed me earlier. The room buzzed with activity, but I felt like an outsider, almost invisible. My focus kept drifting back to the uncomfortable meeting I had with Uncle Lucas this morning.

It was my fault. I wasn't concentrating, yet he shouldn't be that rude to me in front of all those seated in the meeting. I won't lie underneath the anger I felt; embarrassment was there.

Trying to focus back on my task, once I was done with the HR, Mr. Ethan asked me to take it to the grumpy old uncle's office. Immediately I got to this office, I met his assistant, Ray.

“Are you here to give Mr. Lucas this?” he asked, looking at the files in my hands, and I nodded my head.

“Alright, give it to me; he's busy now, but I'll drop it at his table,” he offered, and I smiled at him.

Finally, someone who is nice to me on the first day at work.

I smiled at him, “Thank you,” I appreciated it.

He waved his hand off and said, “It’s nothing.”

Oh, it's more than nothing. You literally saved me from meeting that grumpy old uncle again. I turned around and rushed to my office in case I was needed for anything else.

A few minutes later, I was summoned to Mr. Grumpy Old Uncle's office. I wondered if he's amazed by my work; he ought to because I did everything I could do to make it perfect.

I knocked on his office door lightly and strided in after two knocks. Before I could take a look at my surroundings, I heard his booming voice.

“Are you sure you read this properly?” He snapped at me; his glare was emitting dangerous vibes, and his aura wasn't helping at all.

My brows furrowed, “I did look at it carefully,” I muttered, trying to avoid his gaze, which was impossible.

“I bet you are blind, because if you weren't, then you would have seen the errors in all the files. The dates are inconsistent, the summaries are incomplete, and some sections are outright missing,” he snorted, his angry eyes flashing with annoyance.

I blinked, obviously taken aback. I was sure I had checked everything carefully, putting things in order.

“I-” I started to speak, but he cut me off.

“You think this is acceptable work? Or perhaps you have any excuse to give. This level of carelessness won't cut it in the real world; this isn't your father's house where you can do anything you want, okay? I need someone smart, not someone clumsy,” he shouted.

My temper flared, and I clenched my fist at my sides. I wanted to yell back at him, What's his problem with me being my father's daughter?

Why does he have to remind me who my father is?

It's not like he's my dad's rival or something. He's my dad's best friend, yet he's treating me like I stole his money or perhaps something important to him. I bit my tongue and held those terrible words I wanted to sprout in his face. I don't know what his purpose is, but I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me lose my temper.

“I’ll fix it,” I said tightly.

“I don't just want you to fix it, young lady. I want you to make it perfect,” He said, emphasizing the word 'perfect'. I nodded my head and left his office, I glared at the closed door.

“You are dimwit, moron,” I muttered underneath my breath and stormed away.

Just as I was about to get my ass on the chair when my phone rang, I checked who the caller was. The scowl on my face was replaced with a grin. It was Taylor on the other end; I rushed to the bathroom to pick up the call.

“Hey, there she is!” Taylor's cheerful voice echoed through the line.

“How is the new job going? Are you crushing it yet?” She asked; beside her was Mike. He had an amusing expression on while looking at me, both eager to hear my answer.

I let out a groan, “You mean crushing me.”

“Uh-Oh,” Mike chimed in.

“What happened?” Taylor questioned, her tone now serious.

“I got myself a grumpy, annoying boss,” I groaned and made an aggravating expression.

“Wait, you mean your dad's hot best friend is the grumpy annoying boss? Tell me more,” Taylor said, looking interested in what I have to say next.

“Please, that guy is the most condescending jerk I've ever met. He talks to me like I'm some spoiled brat who can't handle anything; he keeps mentioning my dad in every issue that comes up. Today, he embarrassed me in the meeting room, just the first day, and it feels like I've dug myself into a mess,” I prattled. I'm sure my facial expression would have told them how much I really want to stab him in the head.

There was a pause on the other end; if this wasn't a video call, I would have been bothered about them not listening, but the way both of them stared at me like they were trying to process my words. Just before I could ask them anything, they burst into laughter.

“Oh, Abby,” Taylor teased. “Looks like you've got yourself a sweet boss. Maybe he's just testing you, you know, making sure you can handle pressure.”

I rolled my eyes sarcastically, "Yeah, sure, he's doing a great job.”

“Don't take it personally, Abby,” Mike said, his tone softer.

“That’s true; these old guys have a way of pushing buttons to see what you're made of. Just keep your head down, do the work, and show him you are not the pampered girl he thinks you are,” Taylor chirped, agreeing with Mike's words.

“Easier said than done,” I muttered, but their words did ease the sting and anger boiling within me.

“Maybe he sees potential in you; that's why he's pushing you." Taylor stated.

"Well, I'd prefer a little less ‘pushing’ and a bit more appreciation.”

“Come on, if he's that rude. Maybe he's got a crush on you,” she teased in a playful tone, and I squeezed my face, looking disgusted.

“Eww, gross, Taylor. No thanks,” I replied, and then we all laughed, the tension easing.