RAYMOND I rested my back in my chair as Amy wrapped up the zoom meeting that was aimed at solving the plagiarism case involving Vivi Banlop and Beckham’s Fashion Hub. They all waited for me to have a final word before we called it a day. “Jasmine, ensure you are constantly in touch with the investigators. Only call me when you’ve found something tangible” I muttered. “Okay Sir” Jasmine responded in a low tone. Jasmine hasn’t been his bubbly and dramatic self ever since the incident happened. Somehow, he felt he was at fault since he was the one in charge of designs. “Enjoy the rest of your day” I said to them and the meeting concluded. I reached for my phone, which was just beside the system. I haven’t spoken to Natasha for days now and she hasn’t contacted me either. Her mother’s health must be stressing her out. I called her number and it started to ring immediately. It rang until it stopped. That is how it has been for days now. So Instead of bugging her with calls that wou
POLLEN’S POV “Hey” Raymond leaned in to whisper to me, his warm minty breath fanning my face. “Don’t push me away. I just want to make life easier for you. Don’t you think you’ve suffered enough?” He asked in a low soothing tone. “I know, I just don’t…” “Let me help you, Pollen, at least until you are good enough to stand on your own. Until you don’t need me or anyone else. What do you think?” He paused the question at me, so did his eyes. He was so close and staring at me so intently that my heart skipped a few beats. I parted my lips to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.Why was it suddenly so cold? “Raymond…” I was about to bring another excuse when he shut me up with his lips. Yes, he bridged the gap between us and our lips were locked in a kiss that seemed too impossible to be real. But it was happening. My hands were about to run all over him when he abruptly pulled away and left me hanging. “I’m sorry, Pollen. I shouldn’t be doing this. Natasha, she…” His wo
RAYMOND My Secretary, Amy, was already waiting for me alongside Jazz when I pulled into the company. “Good morning, Sir” Amy greeted first and Jazz followed. “Good morning, Mr. Raymond” Jazz mumbled. Mumbling and speaking in a low remorseful tone has been his new way of speaking ever since the incident happened. “Morning” I mumbled under my breath. Ken, who had carried my briefcase from the car, handed it to Amy before leaving the building. “What is it I hear about Vivi Banlop?” I asked. I paid no heed to all the workers who greeted me as we walked through the grand reception hall to the hallway that led to my elevator. Jazz pressed a button and we all went in. “She was gone by the time our investigators arrived at her place this morning” “How did they manage to lose her? Weren’t they paid handsomely?” “They were” “So why were they unable to do their job?” I fumed. The small space that contained the three of us went dead. “What about the guy who is meant to examine the
NATASHA I strode out of my room with my iPad in hand. I’ve been inside since the day dawned, scrutinizing my designs for the last time before forwarding them to PrimRose, a fashion company that I will be working with for a period of two months. I found my mother sprawled on the couch watching TV as usual. That has been her routine since we came to Paris, but I didn’t complain. Not like she had anywhere to go, besides it was better than seeing her with a glass of wine every damn minute. “I booked us flights for tomorrow” I told her as my eyes strained on the iPad screen. “Are we going somewhere?” “Yes. Back to the US” She sat up abruptly, “Why? Didn’t we agree to stay until the scandal dies down?” “Yes. That was my initial plan. But don’t you think it’s lame and stupid? Shouldn’t I be beside the man I claim to love when he needs me the most? I’m surprised you didn’t talk me out of running away” I rolled my eyes at her. “Now it’s my fault?” “Isn’t it obvious? You are my mother,
POLLEN “Don’t push me away. I just want to make life easier for you. Don’t you think you’ve suffered enough?” Raymond’s words re-echoed in my head for the millionth time that day. I curled and hugged myself when I reminisced on how tender and gentle his lips felt on mine after he said those words to me. “Pollen, you need help. You should feel remorse for what you did, but here you are replaying the scene over and over again in your head” I said to myself and rolled in the bed. “You are a bad person. You are helping a man to cheat on his fiancé. That’s not you, Pollen” I tried to refrain from thinking of Raymond. Everything I did to get the scene out of my head was all futile. So I resorted to staying away from him for the time. Even my anger towards him turned out to be frustration, I was frustrated that he had never taken me seriously which is partly my fault. The doorbell rang, cutting my moment of introspection short. “Did Raymond forget anything?” I checked the time and it w
NATASHA I arrived at the mansion at exactly 5pm, after a whole 10 hours flight, only to meet no one waiting for me. Did I not make myself clear or is Pamela having some sort of hearing disability? I clearly stated that EVERYONE, including the pauper, should be expectant of my arrival. What’s with the dead silence and emptiness? I quietly kept my bag on the floor as soon as I let myself in since I knew the entrance passcode. I could hear voices from the kitchen. The clattering sound of a kitchen utensil followed. I remained at the spot I was, close to the kitchen door to hear everything going on. It was Pamela and the Pauper, the pauper had sustained a cut in the process of helping Pamela. Not long after, The Pauper came out of the kitchen holding the injured finger. She was startled when she saw me. “Natasha, you are back” She called my name so casually like we were acquainted, and it only worsened the hatred I have for her. “Yes. Anything wrong with that?”I folded my hands ar
RAYMOND Amy pulled into my office after a knock. I was behind the desk going through the file of Vivi Banlop, the designer whose designs my company was accused of plagiarizing. “Anything new?” I asked Amy, my eyes fixed on the file. “No,Sir. The house called, Sir” “What is it?” “It’s about Miss, Pollen” I looked up immediately when Pollen’s name got mentioned. “What about her?” “She passed out. Dr. Glen is on his way to the house as we speak” “Tell Ken we are leaving. Now” I said and closed the file in my hands. “Yes,Sir” Amy answered and spun to leave. The door was opened before she got to it, it was Mark. Amy greeted him on her way out and shut the door behind her. “You seem to be in a hurry. Is everything okay?” Mark asked. When I didn’t utter a word, he sighed and continued, “Well, I came to say thank you for all the effort you are putting into ensuring the Company’s reputation isn’t tainted. That way I have nothing to worry about when I take over” When I was done cle
POLLEN “Wait a minute, he paid for therapy and also hired a critique to go through every single thing you’ve written?” Mia sat up from her beach chair. “Yea” I nodded with a coy smile. “And that was after he took you shopping?” “Yea” “This guy likes you” Mia fell back in her chair, “I’m very sure he does” “Come on. He is just being nice” “This is beyond being nice, Pollen. I’ve been with a lot of men, so trust me when I tell you he likes you” I suddenly went quiet as I tried to let her words sink in. At that point I was battling the urge to tell her we kissed. He has a girlfriend, saying I kissed a man who has a girlfriend makes me feel pathetic. Especially after the chaos I had caused their relationship when I popped up with a pregnancy. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Mia adjusted her sunglasses to peek at me. “Nothing at all” I responded abruptly. “You are hiding something from me, aren’t you?” “No” I stressed. “Okay” She reached for her glass of champagne