Once Bitten, Twice Broken, Forever Loved

Violet

The morning sun beat down on the bustling street, casting a warm glow on the crowded sidewalk. People are hurrying to and fro, their footsteps and conversations, sounds of vehicles waiting in the gridlock, weaving together in a constant hum of activities.

Everyone, including myself, as I dodge and weave through the horde, is trying to beat Manhattan’s morning rush hour.

I pick my pace, hastening to the bus stop to catch a bus, barely hearing my mom’s rants over the phone as the street seems boisterous.

“The landlord threatens to throw us out on the street. Your siblings can’t go to school because we can’t afford their tuition, and Jeremy needs to continue his sustenance medication, seeing as we can’t afford a heart transplant.”

“God,” I mutter, momentarily closing my eyes as I rub my temple.

Mom runs a bakery she started before Dad passed. Her entire earnings are not enough to pay taxes and utilities, let alone sustain the family. I’ve been the second breadwinner for my family since I turned fourteen when my dad passed. The curse of being a responsible firstborn.

“Where am I supposed to get all that money from? I haven’t received my first paycheck yet.”

“Borrow.”

“I’d do that if I could, Mom. I owe half of Manhattan.”

“Your family needs financial aid and yet you let that asshole withdraw all your savings and steal your advances.”

“My fiance is not an asshole, Mom. He’s not a thief, either. He’s working so hard and he needs the money. And er… I lied, Mom. I gave him the money myself, thinking his business would make a profit before the end of last month.”

Mom erupts in a fit of rage, chiding me like crazy.

 “I’ll call you back later.” I hung up upon arriving at the bus station. Shoving my phone into my purse, I sprint for the bus and get on it. As soon as I perch on a seat, anxiousness settles in the pit of my stomach. 

It’s my first day as an HR assistant at Aion Soft. What if it goes bad? That question haunts me. I puff a heavy sigh to ease up the tension.

As I walk towards Horizon, I take in the magnificent cluster of towering skyscrapers, feeling exceedingly small. Their peaks disappear into the clouds, and their glass facade transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors, reflecting the vibrant energy of the city. Each building’s façade displays the company's name and logo.

Workers in formal attire rush to and fro. 

Horizon Corporation is a conglomerate comprising hundreds of subsidiaries; Aion Soft, being a software company, is one of them.

A thrill of pride clings to me as I walk towards Aion Soft’s entrance, knowing I’ve become a part of this prestigious company.

A friendly receptionist greets me as I enter the lobby, pointing me in the direction of the HR department.

The HR meeting is a breeze, with me efficiently filling out forms and answering questions. Afterward, the assistant escorts me to the supervisor’s office and introduces me to my supervisor, Greg. I swear I’ve never seen a man so strict, busy, and friendly at the same time.

Greg shows me my new workspace, which is plush, and a cubicle separates each workstation. He also introduces me to the rest of the team. A bunch of friendly people. 

I settle into my chair, a sense of belonging and purpose washing over me. I smile with excitement.

“That will be all for now, rookie. Make sure you review the handbook. We’ll touch base later at two to discuss your first project.”

He strides off.

“The CEO looked at me today in the lobby and gosh, it felt like my heart stopped,” a black-haired lady in the next cubicle says.

“Too bad he’s not gonna look at you for real. The CEO only dates blonde women with straight legs like our newbie here. Right, Violet?”

“Er…” I force a smile. “Not that I’m aware of.”

I don’t know about Ethan’s dating preferences. All I know is that Ethan and I dated for two years back in Michigan. I was in eighth grade and he was in eleventh grade. That was until a misunderstanding tore us apart, when the richest boy in school, who was Ethan’s bully, kissed me.

Every kid thought Ethan was a poor kid, but it turned out he was living the poor, independent life his parents sent him to Michigan to live, and he was the son of a billionaire. He thought I looked down on him like the others; thus, cheating on him. But I genuinely loved him.

After the shocking discovery about Ethan’s true identity, everyone hated me, especially Lucia Campbell, his best friend, who’s now his fiancee as I heard.

The whole charade made it hard for me to assist my family in Michigan, so I moved to Manhattan as soon as I got accepted into the O’Malley School of Business.

I spend the rest of the time perusing the handbook and acquainting myself with the company policies. When exhaustion takes over, I decide to take a tour around Aion Soft, the stiffness of my legs easing as I walk. I hit the corridor, heading back to the workspace after my tour. 

“I’ll deliver the reports and your coffee to your table before the meeting. You can seek the manager’s explanation later if there is any need for clarification.”

A stack of files suddenly comes flying my way and I instinctively lift my left hand to catch them. Before I look up to see who the deliverer is, a cup of coffee comes my way and I grab it.

Finally getting the chance, I stare up at the unfamiliar, tall, and good-looking man who’s just gotten off the phone. He seems to be quite in a rush as his entire movement hums with urgency.

“I need you to take those to the CEO’s office.”

His words sweep fear into me. My heart gallops as I freeze with agape eyes. Isn’t that Ethan’s office?

“You’re paling, are you all right?” he pauses and inquires.

I hastily snap out of the trance, schooling my expression. “Er… yes. I’m… fine.” Why does it have to be on my first day? God, I’m a storm inside, looking like a placid lake outside.

“Now get a move on.” He starts striding to the elevator with cursory strides.

“Sure.” I flash him a sickly smile, turning toward the CEO’s office. Sure? I can never be so sure.

I’m standing at the door to the CEO’s office, holding the stack of files to my racing heart. Fear and negativity encircle me. Hopefully, my heavy makeup will hide my identity. I even had to turn my ID back to front.

I breathe in, then out, and flick the open button on the biometric lock.

The door opens, and cool air breezes past me, wafting a cloyingly sweet scent through my nostrils. Lifting my head, I advance, regretting it immediately. I collide with a solid frame, and the hot coffee spills on not just the two of us but the documents.

He hisses in pain but doesn’t budge.

Fear fills me with adrenaline, throwing me into total disarray, and my movements zip out of control. God, I spilled coffee on the CEO. I’m such a klutz.

“I’m so sorry.”

Ignoring the burning on my chest where the coffee spilled, I fish a handkerchief from my black blazer, my hands shivering as I spot the coffee from his shirt. Dazed, I scurry to the executive table and drop the files on it before running to the sink to soak the handkerchief in water and then skittering back to him. He hasn’t even moved an inch.

“I’m really sorry, sir.”

Intending to continue scrubbing his stained shirt, he grabs my wrist, making me look up, my eyes meeting his chartreuse eyes. That’s when the chaos spins down and it dawns on me… I’m staring at Ethan Coleman. 

Ethan changed through and through.

He used to be fat and, not meaning to be rude, filthy. But all that was the behavior of a kid who’s never tasted the life of independence and indigence his parents thrust him into.

Now, he’s athletic, chiseled, with sharp facial features, and clean-shaven, looking like he just got out of the photo shoot. He’s become more handsome than I gave him credit for. Breathtakingly handsome.

The aura he gives off changed, even. Cold, grim, and unwelcoming, as frightening as he seemed the day he swore to make me wish I didn’t hurt him. Though his eyes aren’t glacial but flinty now, my breath still hitches.

“Do I scare you, Miss…” He lowers his gaze to my ID.