Raya
I stared dumbfounded at my new boss who was dressed in a white dress shirt and pants and had his hair slicked back at the end but ruffled at the front. It gave him this boyish look, though that was not the problem. My boss was none other than the a**hole who had poured coffee on me yesterday, and he had this sick smirk on his face. "What?" I managed to ask after regaining my sense of speech. "Your shirt..." he pointed to it, "...it gave quite the display yesterday." I scoffed, "which you caused. How could you have poured the coffee on me when mine had been a mistake?" "Whatever. It's in the past now." I tried to reign in my anger, which wasn't really working, due to his smug face. "Don't tell me that you're the one who sent that message yesterday." "Which message?" "The one telling me to come to a particular address by 7 am" "Oh, that. It was a mistake due to my drunkenness, but that doesn't excuse your tardiness either. Why are you late?" "I-I'm sorry about that". I couldn't bear apologizing to him, but he was my boss. "That was not the question. The question was..." "I slept in. I know it's not right, and I'm sorry" He sighed, "fine. Well, what are we to do next?" I brought out the schedule that the company/secretary had sent to me with my transfer last night, "a meeting with the board of directors. Then a meeting with the employees. Also, a list of projects and meetings with people, but for now, it's the meeting with the directors." He stood up, "great. Let's go" It was weird how eager he was. From what I knew, he was a party animal and hated to work, but from how he was behaving, it was like he was determined but also not serious about it. I couldn't really place his reaction. "Right but..." I wasn't sure where the meeting room was. He walked to the door, "are you not coming?" I hurried after him. "Do you know the place? The meeting room, I mean?" "You know, if you had just been serious enough with your job, you would have been around in time to receive the schedule and directions from the former secretary. I had to listen to her rant and advances while avoiding her hard-on cleavage" Wait what? "Yeah, don't be too surprised. It's how I speak. Anyway, all I'm saying is don't be late next time. Ask for directions from the receptionist and go get me a cup of coffee" "What?" I watched as he left me outside the elevator, taking out his phone. "The meeting room is on the fifth floor, by the way." The doors closed Coffee? I mean that was normal but also... I wasn't just sure about the whole thing. I hurried down to the receptionist's desk after the elevator came back up to take me to the lobby, and she hit me with that blank stare again. "How may I help you?" "Uhm... I was asked to get the directions for the building from you. Also, I want to inquire where and how you get your coffee around here..." "You can either make them in the lounge on the fourth floor, but if you want a variety, you can get them outside, opposite the building. As for the directions, here..." She handed me a paper which I collected. It was a kind of map, showing where and where each department and office was, "Oh my God, thank you." "There's no need to thank me, I was just doing my job" and she went back to tapping on her computer. I turned around with an 'oh'. Uhm, why was everyone looking at me and whispering though? I hadn't noticed it before, but I can see it now. Ignoring that, I went out to the café where I got a variety of coffee and drinks as I wasn't sure what he wanted, and I went back to the company where I took the elevator to the fifth floor. The door was closed tight, not that I was expecting it to be open and a sign in front of it said 'meeting-in-progress'. I probably shouldn't interrupt, with something as light as coffee, right, but I had to go in too, so I went in, after knocking. The whole board of directors stopped their conversation to stare at me and I felt my heart drop to my stomach when I saw Mr. Steve Sterling, the chairman seated. F*ck! "I-I'm sorry, I..." "Settle down", Mr. Sterling, the chairman said, and I stumbled to my seat. "So within one month, we're going to expect a change to convince the shareholders." I wasn't sure what was going on. "Alright then, I'll see what I can do." His dad stayed back in the room when they had all left and Mr. Maxwell Sterling faced the chairman, "You didn't tell me that I had to prove myself to some shareholders, and within one month." "Well, you can back out if you don't want to. The other option is still very open." Mr. Maxwell Sterling scoffed, "Fine, whatever. Ugh!" He stormed out of the room while I wondered who to follow. I followed after Mr. Maxwell Sterling, of course, bowing slightly to Mr. Sterling, the chairman, before I left. I placed the coffee box in front of him when he settled down in his office. He immediately picked up one of the to-go cups and took a sip out of it, which he let out almost immediately. "What the f*ck! What is that?" He placed the cup on the table. I opened it to see its contents and sighed, "It's black coffee, and that was an exaggerated reaction. It's not that bitter." I placed it back on the table and turned around to get some napkins for him when he gasped slightly, "Oh my God, is that blood on your leg?" I whipped around to confirm what he said and indeed there was blood on my leg. That immediately sent me to my knees with tears sliding down my cheeks and he stood up surprised. "W-what the f*ck..." I heard him say.Maxwell"What is wrong? Are you okay?" I asked my secretary who was crying on the floor where she knelt, and she had this trance-like look in her eyes as she stared at her leg which was stained with blood.I stood up to walk closer to her."Are you..." she turned to me with her teary eyes and shook her head vigorously, "I'm not lying... I..."What the f*ck?The veil suddenly seemed to remove from her eyes though, and she blinked her eyes in my direction twice before quickly getting up from her knees."Oh my God, I'm sorry. I..." She hurried out of the office before I could ask what that had been about, and I stared at the now-closed door dumbfounded."What the actual heck!"I jumped slightly when the door suddenly opened again and, in, walked my best friend, Ryan."Hey buddy" he greeted me, coming to hug me tight like he normally did, and I patted his back while pushing him back."What is it? Why are you here?""Just came to see my buddy in his new habitat. Wow, a CEO, I would never h
Raya"How could you have forgotten that you were going to start your period today?" Kendall asked mortified as I sat by the kitchen island in her apartment, sighing repeatedly as I thought about the horrifying moment that had happened earlier today at the office."I know right? I guess I must have been stressed by the transfer and everything.""Still, that doesn't deny the fact that you had a total breakdown, in front of your boss, and outside. You said you were getting better.""And I was.""That's why you should have continued with the therapy.""It was expensive.""Still..." She sighed and went to the fridge to get a can of beer."You want some?" She asked and I shook my head."I think that was part of what contributed to me forgetting my period this morning.""Right" she nodded, "We did drink the other night and I should stop drinking so much." She dropped the beer and got herself a glass of water."Well, what are you going to do now?" She asked, settling on a stool beside me."I
RayaI managed to pick myself up from the floor some minutes later, running into a bathroom where I took off my shirt and bra to wash, and I stood there pondering my life decisions while I waited."Hey, are you going to spend forever, in there..." I jumped when Mr. Sterling's voice suddenly came in through the door, a knock accompanying it.F*ck! I didn't answer though."Raya?"I sighed, I was going to have to answer anyway, or he would think I was dead or something and I didn't want him barging into the bathroom while I was half naked."Sir...""Are you okay?""Yes, I... I will soon be out.""Well, I got you a new hoodie that you can put on while you wait. It's new, in case you didn't catch that earlier.""Uhm... I'd rather wait sir" Why the f*ck will I put on his hoodie?"Fine, whatever you want. Just know we're going to be late because of you"I managed to dry my clothes to an extent with the washing machine dryer that I found in there before putting them on, and I yelped slightly
MaxwellI stared at the lady that came to my side looking all stunning in the silver-colored maxi dress that she wore, and she had this innocent look on her face which I had fallen for back in my college days."Diane..."She wrapped her arms around mine happily as she stared up at me, "What are you doing here?""I..." I wasn't sure how to feel about her doing this when she had literally broken my heart two years ago."Diane." I turned to see my brother walk towards us in the department store where we had come to see the sales, and he looked quite livid."Michael," I said in greeting, while Diane removed her arm from mine, and he drew her to his side."What are you doing here?" My beloved brother asked."I'm in charge of the fashion subsidiary in case you've forgotten"He scoffed, "So you're actually going to go through with it...""Of course, and I plan to beat you. Taking over a conglomerate can't be so hard."He scowled at me, fisting his hands as if to fight me, but Diane held him
MaxwellThe living room was how I remembered it, the walls painted white, because that was her favorite color, Diane's I mean, and I went straight to her room where I placed her on her bed, removing her shoes."Hmm..." She groaned as she tossed around on the bed and I somehow managed to get hooked around her dress as she turned and fell onto her form on the bed.Her eyes fluttered open, "hmm, Max...""Uhm..." I stuttered. "What are you doing here?" She was not so surprised as I would have expected her to be. Instead, her eyes were hooded, and she had this stare that made my trousers feel tighter."Uhm..." I stuttered again, unable to form coherent words.She raised her hands up to my face and trailed my cheeks, wrapping her arms around my neck to probably kiss me, but I wouldn't know as she suddenly fell back onto the bed and blacked out again, but not before I heard her say, "Micheal..."What the f*ck? She thought I was Micheal?But would she still have kissed me if she had known i
RayaIt was finally Saturday, the day I got to spend time with my son and Kendall's family, and we sat at the park where we had taken them to."Hey, are you going to keep working?" Kendall asked, when she came back from the ice cream kiosk where she had just gone to buy some ice-cream for us and I closed my laptop."I'm sorry, I was just gathering some reports that I'll need on Monday""Ugh!" She sighed and sat down on the mat while our sons played around. Her little daughter, Leah, was content with playing with a lead on the mat and I carried her up."Oh my God, isn't she the cutest?""Uh, only when she wants to" I chuckled at the ridiculous expression on her face."And their dad?" She shrugged, "he's having a fun time with his girlfriend."I sighed and patted her hands on the mat, "it'll be okay. It's better that you guys parted ways.""I know right. We're better off without him."We both laid on the mat after getting our ice cream and the sun shone on us happily.I loved this and
Raya"M-mr Sterling?" I stuttered, surprised at the fact that he had gotten into the hotel room. How had he...Oh right, he was probably the one that had orchestrated everything."Hmm, I guess a little glam-up can make anyone look pretty."I paused at that. What?Was that meant to be an insult or a compliment?"Why am I here?" I asked, gaining my composure and moving away from him. It wasn't so comforting that I was alone with him in a hotel room and in this partially exposed dress."I want you to accompany me as my date to my brother's engagement ceremony." All thoughts of discomfort flew from my head."What?""You heard me."No, there was no way."You want me to accompany you as your date to your brother's engagement ceremony?" "Yes.""And why is that?"There was actually no way he was serious."Because I want it to be the most scandalous news ever. Maxwell Sterling and his secretary at his brother's ceremony. It'll take the spotlight off them.""And why would you want to do that?
MaxwellI glanced at Diane and Micheal as they chatted with some of the guests that had come to the engagement party, and she looked exceptionally stunning in the white dress she wore.Even more so than my secretary, who had turned me down."So she had basically said she didn't want your money and walked out on you?" I turned to Ryan, who was having the time of his life laughing at me and scowled."It is her loss, anyway. She missed out on ten million dollars.""Wow, that's a lot, but I must say I admire her though. She is definitely not like the other girls.""Yeah but she ran away with my two million dollar dress. Not to talk about the makeup and accessories.""Right, how did you know the dress Diane would be wearing though?"I shrugged, "I spoke to the department store where her and Micheal ordered the dress.""Oh, that makes sense... But like, how does it feel to get turned down by a mere lady in this day and age" he asked, chuckling again, and I turned to him with a scowl."Will