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2024-10-29 19:42:56A gleam of victory appeared in Ruby’s eyes. She felt nothing short of a heroine, Nate needed her, not only was he going to lose a huge amount of money, his company was going to make it to the bad press. It was every reporter's dream to get dirt on Nate Jacobin.
Nate was now having a word with the representative. Ruby took a minute to admire his office.
The grey drapes complemented the upholstery which she could tell cost a fortune. His office was immaculate, not a single speck of dust in sight. The ornate figurines looked like they were polished with oil.
She drew in a breath as she walked round the office, there were no pictures of his family or even him.
“Same old cold hearted Nate”she mumbled to herself as she took her seat
“Miss Ruby, are you still down for the job?” Nate asked as he walked in
She couldn’t miss the hint of desperation mixed with irritation in his voice. It was the first time she’d seen him under pressure, Nate was always cool and collected.
Something about his frustration wanted to make her smooth out the stray strands of hair on his perfect face.
She shrugged off her thoughts, now wasn’t the time for that.
“Of course, I would take the job, you look very pitiful” she smirked and was satisfied with the look of rage on his face.
“Also, I want a down payment by the end of today” she quickly added.
Her landlord threatened to throw her out by the end of the week as she owed two months of rent.
*************
Ruby was conscious of the six pairs of eyes that stared at her. Nate had hurriedly assigned her to an office and she began to work. After about two hours, she was presenting the hurriedly drafted business plan to a board of CEOs. These people were well respected and prominent in the business world. They also had the power to help advance her career and status.
She held her breath, she was done presenting the business plan and was waiting for a reaction from the board.
“Honestly, I’m impressed” she heard one of them say, nodding his head.
She finally let out her breath, all along, she was scared she was going to mess up the business plan and Nate would happily fire her just a few hours into her new job.
“With this business plan, the reconstruction site would be a huge success” a lady said
Ruby gave her a warm smile, she had seen the woman a couple of times on TV but had forgotten her name.
It was a dream come true, everyone seemed impressed.
Nate cleared his throat and the room went silent. Ruby felt herself hold her breath again. When she was writing the business plan, she desperately hoped that he was going to approve of it. She hated herself for it but couldn’t help it. Years ago, when she wrote her debate points, she would pay extra attention to the details in hopes that he would be impressed and finally notice her.
“The presentation is not bad”he said dryly
He was content with the frowned etched on her face. It was one of the best business plans he had heard in his entire career and he agreed that she was important to his company.
Ruby thought of a thousand things she could do to him right there and then. Not bad? How rude can this man be? She scowled as her fist curled into a ball.
She had just won his company a huge contract and he wasn’t thankful.
She scoffed as she took her seat, she couldn’t understand why she was affected by one silly comment. Her brows furrowed as she hoped he would choke on his water.
An hour later, the meeting was dismissed after Nate signed the contract.
“I think of you as a jerk and I’m not sorry for dumping hot chocolate on you” she pouted as she cornered him when they were out of earshot.
“You realize I’m now your boss don’t you?” He glowered
He was in a better mood after he signed the contract, the last thing he wanted to see now was the annoying brunette with funny glasses.
“I saved your company, the least you could do was to say thank you and probably give me a raise”
Nate scowled, he had never met anyone with Ruby’s audacity, she was quick to speak her mind and criticize him.
“I can see clearly that you seek my approval but you have to work harder to get it” he smiled smugly
He was glad he was finally getting back at her.
He wasn’t generous with his compliments and believed his workers had to work extra hard to get them.
“Why the heck would I seek your approval? You mean nothing to me!”
Ruby could feel her voice shake and her emotions got the best of her. Yes, she sought his approval but she couldn’t help it.
All through her stay in high school, she wanted him to say at least a word to her but he never did. Now, they were working together, he was being mean to her.
“Miss Ruby Barlow, I suggest you mind the tone you use when speaking to me” Nate warned, his voice low and stony.
“Oh really? You’re so incompetent you couldn’t draft a business plan yourself” she fired
Once the words left her lips, she regretted it.
Ruby wasn’t one to ever lose her temper or get annoyed easily even in the worst situations but with Nate, everything was different. She loved and hated him at the same time.
“Excuse me” he mumbled and walked out
Ruby sighed as she slumped into a chair and watched his retreating figure.
“Why did he have to push me to the wall?”she cried “Did I go too far by calling him incompetent?”
She groaned and she rubbed her chin worriedly.
She had disrespected him yet again and he could fire her if he wanted to.
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Ruby was very much comfortable in her new work space, the office overlooked the busy streets of Oregon, giving her a view of the city life. She had pretty much settled in and hung up some pictures and other decorations.She groaned as she turned to her side, the only downside to her spacious office was that it was adjacent to Nate’s own so she could see whatever was going on in his office. He had pretty much avoided her for a week straight after their fight.It was almost as if they were in high school again, back then, she was quite sure he didn’t know she existed but now she was sure he knew she existed and he was just ignoring her. “Hey” a voice called, stirring her from her reverie of thoughts “Hi”she smiled back “I’m Ethan and this is Cassie”he said, gesturing to the blonde beside him Ruby nodded and gave them warming smiles. She had been busy throughout the week and had barely had time to socialize with her coworkers. “Oh hi!”Cassie squealed as she placed a tray of c
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Something about the tweeting of the birds and the rise of the sun above the horizon set Ruby in high spirits. She had spent the weekend tanning on the beach with Esme. During her little getaway, she skillfully avoided all Esme’s questions concerning how her date went and who her new boss was. It felt wrong hiding it from her but she wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet, Nate was a pain in the butt for her; at the same time, she wanted to be around him.Having to see him all week was annoying enough. She smiled as the elevator door opened, she was humming a song about the day going to be a good day. “Why are you late?” A harried looking Maggie asked as she walked into the office.Ruby frowned, work started by nine and she arrived half past eight so technically, she was very much early and had a good thirty minutes to herself. “Nice morning to you too” Ruby replied sardonically “Mr Jacobin has been in a bad mood all morning, he specifically asked that you make him a cup of coffee”
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The angry growl of lightning pierced the air, what had promised to be a sunny day had now become a gloomy rainy day. Nate shifted his eyes from his screen to Ruby’s office. Her mass of mousey brown hair was now put in a ponytail as she typed away on her computer.Serves her right, he thought.With her around, he was always edgy. He had expected her to throw a fit and stomp into his office when he asked her to make him coffee or when he handed her the pile of files. She was suspiciously calm, too calm which irritated him. He frowned, he needed his daily dose of coffee but couldn’t get it because Ruby had ruined it for him. “Who the hell added so much sugar and whipped cream to their coffee ?” He asked himself Of course the answer was sitting right there in his company, the annoying brunette whose office was opposite his.He quickly cleared out his table and got rid of the paper he wasn’t using. His table was a mess as he had buried himself in work all week. “Why the hell have you
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Ruby’s eyes lit up in recognition of the platinum blonde hair. She had seen a woman walk into Nate’s office, she couldn’t see the woman’s face but she was quite sure she was one of the prettiest women alive. She looked like she just walked out of the cover of a vogue magazine, the hair bore a striking resemblance with that of Taylor’s. Taylor had bullied her constantly that Ruby couldn’t forget the distinct color of her hair. She could feel the throbbing of her heart. Could it be that Taylor was still Nate’s girlfriend? She had heard Taylor moved to Beverly Hills and was pursuing a successful career as a model. She felt a sickening taste form at the back of her throat. It had been thirteen years since she was last bullied but the memories were still very fresh. She could remember how violently Taylor always yanked her hair even when she yelped in pain. One particular incident between them had scarred her for life. She couldn’t think of it without almost crying. Taylor was m
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It was her first board meeting in attendance with other workers. Seeing Taylor after all these years had disoriented her so much that it felt like she had to withdraw to her shell again. She was well acquainted with some of the workers, most especially Ethan with Cassie by the side running her mouth as usual. The workers were seated in the boardroom as they waited for Nate. Ruby would have rather sat far from Cassie but she needed information on why Taylor was in the office so she took the seat between Ethan and Cassie The steaming mug of coffee in front of her warmed her up, lately, she had been feeling some type of way especially with the whole Taylor thing. “You look so pale”Cassie commented Cassie had now earned the name ‘hawk eye’ because she never failed to miss anything.Ruby ignored her comment as she sipped her coffee, just like Ethan, she had learnt to ignore and accommodate Cassie. “Did you hear about Mr. Jacobin's girlfriend?” Cassie said to Stacy who worked in th
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The dinner table looked like it had been carefully put together by an artist. Grilled turkey sat right in the middle of the table. Mrs Wyatt had put together so much effort into the dinner. She ensured the expensive chinaware plates were placed carefully. The room was well decorated with candles lit in strategic corners of the room. A harper played at another corner, releasing soft melodious tunes. Nate overheard one of the servants say Mrs Wyatt flew the harper all the way from Ireland. That was how much extra she was.One Christmas when she was hosting a party, she invited ballerinas to grace the occasion and had real swans in the hall. One of the swans got flustered, causing a tray of food to topple over. Nate resisted the urge to laugh at Mrs Wyatt’s efforts. She was so extra when hosting dinners and made it look like she was hosting a royal event. Ever since he was in high school, it was always the same routine with Mrs Wyatt inviting his family over for fancy dinners. She
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After an eventful weekend with Taylor lashing out at him and him ruining dinner, Nate was back to work. He had sent flowers to Mrs Wyatt and Taylor, apologizing for ruining dinner. He was rather offended by their actions but brushed it aside. He didn’t believe in long term commitments or love and wished they could respect that. Taylor’s persistence over the years was the only thing that had kept their so-called relationship going.There was no actual bond between them. He pushed his thoughts of Taylor aside as he reread an email that caught his eye. He had received an invitation from an association of businessmen to attend a conference in Florida. He was asked to bring a plus one, preferably a coworker. He frowned, he couldn’t think of anyone. Taylor wasn’t an option because she was going to stir a lot of drama and he didn’t want unnecessary attention from reporters. As for the workers in his company, the only person he could think of was Ruby. There were other people who h
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It was time to go home.After a day well spent, Nate and Ruby decided to leave. It was already past one in the morning. The couple had already started packing their things. Ruby knew she had a long day ahead of her so she needed to get some sleep first.She walked hand in hand with Nate to the car park. It hurt her that they would have to go their separate ways. She was too shy to ask him if they would meet again very soon. Nate was exhausted but in a good way, he couldn't believe he would have to deal with the problems at the office by daybreak. Everything about it made him tired, just thinking about it made him tired. He held Ruby’s soft hand, not wanting to let it go. Even though they had not given a name to the situation between them,he loved everything about her. He was ready to take years off on vacation with her where there was nothing to disturb him. "I want to drive you home" he saidHe wasn't comfortable with her driving alone at night."No,I'll be fine," she
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Nate walked her to her car as usual. He noticed how sad she looked throughout the date. Her eyes held fear and her lips held back words from him.He was scared and so was she. The Italians caused so much damage to everyone, courtesy of Wyatt and his family. He understood how unsafe she was. "Thank you so much, Nate,"she smiled as she unlocked her car.She loved how kind he was, even though they had quarreled most of the time, he didn’t forsake her. He wished he could teleport into her mind and figure out what is wrong with her. Ruby had an ego and won't tell anyone if she had any problem. He shook his head sadly. "Ruby" he began softly, treading carefully. "Is there anything that is troubling you?" He watched her swallow the lump in her throat before she continued. "No, nothing," she said, plastering a fake smile on her face. "I've just been very tired recently, you know,work here and there" He knew she was lying but allowed her to have her way. Whatever was trou
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Marco paced angrily, a cigarette in hand. Taylor Wyatt wasn't making things easy for him. He had taken her to different islands and thrown the biggest parties for her friends. He sighed as he drew in his smoke,how annoying could the spoiled brat get? So far, her father's campaign was doing just fine and he had a good chance of winning the election. It was crazy that the office for the minister of finance election was more popular than that of the election for the office of president. This was because very influential people were running for the post of Minister of finance. Occupying the office gave them free access to the country's wealth and they could loot money as much as they wanted to. He spent the last week acting all lovey-dovey with Taylor. She made him buy her expensive designer bags. He was comforted by the fact that the new development site was doing just fine and he had a lot of shares in the company. "Hey baby" Taylor called in her singsong voice and wrapped
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Roberta stretched tiredly . Mommy duties were stressing her. She had woken up early to bathe Lorenzo , feed him and take him to school. She drew out a carefully planned family tree for him. His school’s principal had called her back the next day. Rebecca stood her ground that getting the children involved with aspiring candidates was dangerous. Some of the candidates were dangerous themselves and would go the extra mile to harm innocent children in order to attain political positions. The principal brushed it off as nothing and assured her that he had everything under control.He said that Wyatt was only being generous and concerned about the children’s welfare. He had donated a huge sum of money and promised them a new basketball court. Of course, Wyatt was the least interested in the children’s welfare. He only wanted their support in the upcoming elections and he had invited reporters to take pictures of him as he donated money to the school. The interior decorator for th
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After a long day, Roberta returned home. The smell of her mother’s freshly baked cakes welcomed her. Her mouth watered immediately. “Mommy!” Lorenzo yelled happily as he played around his mother’s feet. She scooped her little delight into her arms and rained kisses on him. She did a good job masking the sadness she felt. When Carl was eating, she noticed some scars on his hands due to the moving of his shirt. She panicked, fresh tears falling off her eyes the third time. She scolded him for subjecting himself to such harsh punishment. He brushed it off, saying it was nothing important. Her heart shattered into a million pieces when she forced him to take off his shirt. The scars ran all the way from his nape to his lower back. It was obvious that he was attacked because of her and that was the reason he hadn’t contacted for a while.She prayed Lorenzo was nothing like that. She helped him apply ointment even though he assured her that he was doing just fine. When he w
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The sun rays forced its way into her room. Ruby yawned tiredly and stretched. She had a good night's sleep.The previous night, after dinner, Mark and her decided to pass time by discussing childhood and other topics they had not talked about before.A loud knock on the door,drove away the sleep from her eyes. "Come in"she said groggily,itching her eyes.She was tired,all she wanted to do was spend all day in the comfort of the bedsheets."Good morning sleeping beauty"Mark said sonorously with a tray of food balanced on his hands.She smiled. Mark had given her princess treatment since she came to his house,she was grateful for everything.She couldn't picture Nate doing the same. She pinched herself,it was too early to think about him."Good morning Mark,"she smiled."How are you doing?"he asked and set the tray on her bed. The smell of fresh cakes and coffee warmed her up."I feel very much better,thank you so much Mark"she said."I made you scones and my best confectioneries,hope y
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Roberta had the best sleep in the longest time. Her son was beside her throughout the night,she had no nightmares, everything was perfect. She slept in the comfort of her former bedroom. Posters she got as a teen were still on the wall,her mother refused to clean it out even when she moved out. She wished she could stay with them a little longer.She helped Lorenzo get ready for school and even made him breakfast. She wanted to drop him off at school but couldn't risk it. "You're such an amazing mom," her mother told her."Well,I got it from you"she smiled, placing a peck on her cheek. "So,you're leaving today, right?""Sadly, yes" "Roberta" her mother started, holding her hands"When will all these be over? We need you here I beg you, your son needs you,I've never seen him this happy in a long while" "Mother, I promise you, I'm doing everything possible to get done with my work and come to you guys. I love being here" she said sadly.Her emotions were in check, she had
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Victoria and Roger were let into Mrs Wyatt’s office by her secretary. Roger contained his excitement as he was fascinated by how huge her office was. "Welcome" she through gritted teeth.She had not forgotten the shame the couple brought her but she was willing to invest with them. "Thank you for having us. I apologize again for my behavior the other day" Victoria said, bobbing her head slightly. "Please take your seats" she ignored her apology."Without further ado, I'll suggest we carry on with this meeting immediately because I have other meetings to attend to" "Okay ma'am, here is the real estate we have,I bought this stock but I'm willing to sell it to you" Roger smiled. Mrs Wyatt took the file from the table and went through it carefully.The land was situated in the heart of Beverly hills. It was surrounded by many commercial businesses which meant more income for her. She knew the competition there was going to be strong but she was a business woman and always had
