LISTOWEL’S POVWithout a flinch, she took the remote, turned to face the screen, and turned on the projector. Momentarily, the screen lit up, displaying the slides that bore her proposal. “Good morning and welcome everyone. I'm Melissa Muggins, the just appointed attorney for Gordon Inc”, she introduced herself to the rest of the board members who were keenly listening to her. Gesturing towards Yaw, who was standing a few metres away from her, she said, “I’m here today with my associate, Consul Yaw Agyei and together we are presenting, The Legal Landscape of Copyright Enhancement and Protection”. She gracefully went through each slide, her sweet voice melodiously filling my ears as she outlined her proposal. She seriously avoided contact with my eyes and always looked past me but that didn't stop me from looking at her. I watched her closely, nodding from time to time as if I wasn't here just so I would feel her presence. From the little I heard, I admitted in my head that she
LISTOWEL’S POVHer blood shot eyes snapped at me as soon as the last word flew out my my mouth. Her eyes were red and it mirrored something in them. Something vulnerable, more like she's been hurt. My chest churned in regret at as I stared at those pitiful eyes. I instantly regretted my actions. “Gosh, I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have embarrassed her like that I front of all those people,” I thought to myself.Oh how stupid I am, I'm supposed to warm her heart but here I am, causing her pain instead. My hands instinctively reached out to touch hers, to console her, to somehow explain that I really didn't mean to hurt her. But her expression instantly turned into disgust as soon my hands felt hers. Her soft pitiful face instantly vanished, replaced with a feist expression. Her brows furrowed in annoyance and before I could utter a word she yanked my hands away from hers. “Is it really fun? Do you despise me that much to the extent of ruining my first presentation here
My surroundings seemed to close in on me as I sat in my office, my gaze intently focused on the laptop before me. I was going over the so-called ‘not impressive enough’ proposal. I wasted almost seven hours of a sleepless night only to be told this? My heart felt heavy as I tried to calm the anger brewing inside me. As my fingers aggressively pressed on the letters on the keyboard before me, the cunning voice of Listowell still echoed in my ears. I didn't miss the deliberate criticisms and coldness he passed on while I was presenting. But I had ignored it all. I thought he was only trying to be silly, only for him to dismiss the whole proposal! And for what? A flimsy excuse that even a three-year-old wouldn't believe. “Miss Muggins?” Yaw spoke for the first time after a long while since we came back from the conference room. Yes?” I replied, not raising my gaze to look at him as it was still focused on the screen.“I don't think it's a good idea to go through the project right
MELISSA’S POVThe low screeching sound the door had made caught me off guard. “Who would enter an office without knocking” I thought to myself as my eyes darted to the doorway, checking who the culprit was. For a couple of minutes, I stood still, expecting the person to enter but there was no one. “It probably opened by itself” inwardly saying to myself, I turned and headed to the door side to close the door. Just when I held the doorknob, twisting it to the left side, someone’s head suddenly peeped in between the door and the wall. “Oh my God!” I screamed as soon as my eyes met that of the head’s. My face turned pale while my heart raced in shock, causing me to stagger backward. It was Yaw!“Miss Muggins! Forgive me, I didn't know you were back there,” rushing inside to hold me firm, Yaw apologized before I could fall. Standing upright, I scolded, “You just scared the hell out of me, Mr. Agyei”So sorry miss, I didn’t want to disturb your slumber so I thought to open it slowly
MELISSA’S POVI couldn't really tell why my heart skipped a beat when I heard his voice. Hoping against hope that the voice I had just heard wasn't that of the person I suspected it was, I turned my head towards the direction from which the voice emerged.And it was indeed him. The CEO, or should I say. My ex-husband? Anyways, it was Listowel Gordon. I felt my muscles tightening as my spine stiffened when our gazes met. "Planning anything cool?" he asked again, an indifferent expression on his face. We all stood still, dumbfounded by his sudden appearance and more so, his question.How is it his business if we are planning anything?As he approached us, I cut him a deadly glare, expecting that he would catch on and leave. But he pretended as if he didn't see. Averting his gaze from me to look at Maxwell, he asked, am I invited?“Mind if I join you guys?”I felt the muscles in my shoulders tightening, and my spine stiffening as I processed his words. He walked past me with an unrea
MELISSA’S POVI knew he was only trying to be silly so I acted like I didn't hear and walked away. ******The ride to the bar was quiet and the tension in it was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. My colleagues, Gloria, Yaw, Max and Collins were acting as if they weren’t the one that had excitedly hopped inside the car earlier. I guess they were intimidated by Listowel’s presence. Meanwhile, I had also experienced my share of the stress. Listowel had sat close to me and our bodies had been brushing against each other whenever the car swerved. In as much as I tried to suppress my discomfort, Listowel was comfortably seated, pressing on his phone, refusing to shift to the side a bit. Soon, the car pulled up in front of the infamous Murphy’s restaurant. From outside, I could hear the classic music and buzz of conversations from the insides as we stepped down from the car. Yaw, noticing my nervousness, was the first to talk. He gestured for me to come closer and said, “Come
LISTOWEL'S POVI tried hard to dodge the curious stares from the rest of the staff and those who were seated at the long table.Some were whispering and murmuring, while the rest had their mouths wide open. The expression they had on their face spoke none other than "What the heck is the cold CEO of all doing here at a team night out?” I could even see some random people at the restaurant secretly taking pictures and videos of me.Gosh... How I hate crowded places. I mean, can’t I go to places peacefully without having pictures and videos of myself circulating the internet? I was tempted to grab and smash the phone of a certain girl, whom I think is a blogger as she had her camera a few inches away from my face.If not for Mr. Bellingham, one of my administrative assistants, who had led her away, I would have probably been a hot topic in the news by now.MELLISA'S POVGloria, the vibrant thought this to be fun as she had a mischievous smile while shifting to and fra. I tried pinchin
MELISSA’S POVMy neck stiffened at his words. What does he mean by what he said? He expects me to take the food meant for him? In front of everyone? What even was going on in his mind when he placed the food before me? The deafening silence that engulfed our table caused a sense of dread through my bones. Everyone had their eyes on us, watching us with puzzled faces. Feigning a smile, I said, “No, thank you sir. I'm actually very full right now”. I declined and gently pushed the plate before him with the tip of my fingers. I turned back to face my colleagues with a smile that did not reach my eyes. I guess nervousness was too detectable for them not to notice as they also grinned awkwardly. “Or do you need me to feed you?” Listowel’s deep voice came through again. This time, I froze, his words sending a shiver down my spine. Is this why he insisted on coming with us? To make me feel uncomfortable?My fingers trailed from the table down to the chair. Moving slowly under the table,
MELISSA’S POV Listowel had called out after me several times, probably confused at my reaction. But I paid no heed to him. I threw and sunk myself onto the bed. Even as I pressed the pillow hard against my ears, I could still hear him calling my name and asking if he said anything wrong but I didn't bother explaining anything to him. I could only thank my stars he was still oblivious and had not suspected anything. ****FLASHBACK ENDS*** Something flickered in me as soon as my eyes fell on the pink sticky note on the dining table. It bore Listowel’s handwriting. Yes, I still remember his handwriting because since I worked with him. Back when I was working at Gordon Inc., all my work projects had to be approved by him before any other proceedings so I pretty much recognize it. A broad smile formed on my face as I read the message. It read; “Hey, you had a good sleep? I made your favorite breakfast. I know I’m not the best cook but make sure you finish everything.
MELISSA’S POV A soft yawn escaped my lips as I sat up on my bed. My eyes darted, searching around for only God knows what. I live alone so it was so unusual for me to wake up and dart around like this. It felt as if I was expecting to see someone. Slightly lifting my hands, I stretched myself before rising up and heading to the living room. As I opened the door that separated my bedroom from the rest of my apartment, I was greeted with an appetizing aroma. My brows knitted together as I tried to process what was happening. Halting in my tracks, I squinted my eyes as I tried to figure out if what I was seeing in the dining area was real. To make sure I wasn't daydreaming, I rubbed my eyes a couple of times but as the savoring aroma that had engulfed the room filled my nostrils, no one had to tell me that whatever I was seeing was real. Yes. For the first time in months, since I moved into this apartment, there’s an actual breakfast on my dining table. My eyes flicke
KEVIN’S POV The thick silence that engulfed the car was too loud to ignore. For a split second, I thought the boss was ignoring me and probably didn't want me to disrupt what he was doing on his tablet so I kept my lips shut and drove out of the garage to hit the road. Listowel usually listens to the early morning news on his way to work so I turned on the radio and lowered the volume to a level that helped balance his attention on both the tablet and the radio. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. It's been a few minutes since we hit the main road but Mr. Gordon had still not asked me to continue with what I was about to tell him earlier nor has he made any sound. I had not thought much of it earlier but turning on the radio kind of eased the tension in the car. Suddenly, “What was it that you needed to tell me?” his deep commanding voice echoed from the back seat. He removed the glasses he had on and
KEVIN’S POV My head throbbed as I sat on my bed this morning. The hard liquor I had consumed yesterday was definitely the cause of the pain. Yes, I had threw up the one Wendy made me drink while we sitting at the counter so it was so odd for me to have felt this way. But the truth, I went back to drink more last night. My chest tightened with fury as I tried to recall the events of the previous night. A pang of guilt washed over me as I also recalled my indifferent attitude towards my boss these past few days. I felt mad at myself for doubting him and believing that Wendy deserved better. I couldn't help but replay the scene I had witnessed last night. Wendy, whom we all knew to be obsessed with Listowel was tightly entangled in another man’s arms, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating so I got off the car and hid closer to have a proper look. It was indeed her. Even though she had on a scarf which had covered most o
KEVIN’S POV“Ouch..” Wendy let out a loud shrill cry, as she clutched her stomach. “Why what is it?” Her cry caught me by surprise, making me spring up to my feet. I sprinted to her side and assisted to get up on her feet. “My…. my tummy. It aches. I need to go to the washroom now,” she answered, although her tone sounded a bit dramatic to me. I attempted to hold up and maybe escort her to the washroom door but she yanked my hands away. “Thanks but I can go by myself. It isn't really a big deal. I think I just had too much to drink.” she said, making me confused as to what she meant. “Alright… easy there,” I said, letting go of her hands. “I'll be waiting for you here then. No. No need to wait. You can take the lead.” she shouted as she made her to the ladies. “Woww…” I said, taking out money from my wallet and placing it on the bill. The harsh cold breeze greeted me as I stepped outside the bar. I shook vigorously my head in anticipation of getting the influence of the alcoho
WENDY’S POV I gently crossed my legs as I leaned back in the chair, patiently waiting for him to start talking. Because he was a bit drank, he wasn’t on the main point. He was only telling some dry jokes which did nothing but irritate me. But I had no other option than to laugh. Placing my arm lightly on his shoulders, “Oh my God, Kevin. You’re so funny. Enough of your silly jokes. Now let’s talk about your work.” I said in a flirtatious tone.“Why… why do you want to know about my work so bad?” He stammered, his head tilting sideways as he tried to maintained his composure. I let out an empty laugh before scoffing, “I hope I’m not asking too much questions. If you’re not comfortable telling me about it, I totally understand. I slowly bent my head as if embrassed and whispered, although loud enough for him to hear. “After all, I’m used to people looking down on me. They see me as not trustworthy.”He shook his head abruptly and replied, “No…, Wendy dear. You don’t have to think
WENDY’S POV The loud buzz of music playing at the club lightened my mood. My body twirled rhythmically to the beat of the music as I occasionally sipped the alcohol before me. Although my decision to come here was kind of impromptu, I was enjoying myself regardless. I still had the glass of whiskey I had poured for myself since we arrived here fifteen minutes ago in front of me, barely touched. Yes, in as much as I was enjoying the music, I knew better than to booze. I only lured Kevin here in order to get some information out of him. Afterward, I can go chill by myself with probably some high-profile personalities. Stealing a glance at Kevin who was sitting on my left hand, I figured he had finished the whiskey in a shot and placed his glass on the counter, waiting for another round. I didn't know what to expect when I asked him out but I must say he's really boring! For the past fifteen minutes since our arrival, he hasn’t said much. With how caring he had treate
WENDY’S POV A slight yawn escaped my lips as I stretched my arms lazily on the bed this morning. My mind swirled with plans of how I was going to get Listowel to myself once and for all. My lips curled up, a sly smirk forming on my face as I thought of a brilliant idea. “Interesting,” I muttered as I unwrapped myself from the tangled sheets and got up from the bed. Sprinting to the dresser, I grabbed my phone and dialed Kevin’s number. Yes, Kevin. I will slowly deceive him and turn him into a minion of mine. If I knew he was this gullible, I would have used him to my advantage long time. Clearing my throat, I rehearsed the soft tone with which I would call his name. I was certain it was going to melt him to give in to my request. The call went through and he picked up on the third ring. With a soft sweet tone, “Hii, Kevin,” I called out, trying as much as possible for him to not notice my pretense. His deep voice echoed from the other end of the call, “Hello, Miss Mancini
LISTOWEL’S POV She handed to me the blanket and pillow before saying, “It’s not a five-star hotel, but you’ll be able to pass the night here.” An unconscious smile tugged at my lips as I took them and sat on the couch. “Alright, thank you. Please turn off the lights for me.” Melissa didn’t say anything, she only hissed and turned to leave. But as she turned, the fluffy slipper she was wearing caught on to the ends of the blanket I was holding. Before she could balance her stance, one of her slippers flew in the air, while the other slid down, sending her tumbling to the floor. “Watch out….” I shouted as I charged forward, catching her in my arms before she could fully come in contact with the tiled floor. I held her firmly in my arms, waiting for her to process her thoughts. Her eyes were firmly shut as she was still expecting the impact of the fall. I guess she hadn’t realized she was seated on my lap with her arms tightly wrapped around my neck. I couldn’t hel