Chapter 3

DAWN

"Well, what was that about?" Julie paces around the room and then steps next to me, setting the two cups on the table. "He looks like he knew you or something. He stood right there in the middle of the office and watched you for like a minute, I swear." She points at the space between the desks and the door. "Do you know him from somewhere, Dawn?"

Pulling the mug by the cup handle gingerly towards me, I shake my head.

"I don't think so." Then I present my opposition to the idea with more zeal. "Of course not! What business do I have to rub elbows with the firm's CEO? I got to be crazy or something in the head for even entertaining the idea."

"Geez. Calm down." Julie rolls her eyes. "I was just asking, Dawny. You don't have to take everything I say to heart."

"Oh, okay, fine," I add in a dismissive tone, and Julie takes the hint. "I got to concentrate on work. Fiona needs these graphics in like an hour or two."

In the back of my mind, I turn the idea of Kyle knowing me from somewhere over in my head.

He couldn't have known me before.

It's just not possible.

Maybe I'm thinking way too much.

It's just a bloody coincidence.

I need to wrap my head around this.

Shaking my head, I sigh as I blow over the mouth of the hot coffee mug.

"Hey, wait," Julie speaks softly. "Don't you have to see the guy in five minutes or whatever?" She stares at me. "The new CEO sure seems thoughtful. He might have given you those extra ten minutes because he saw me entering the office with the coffee mugs." Then she smiles dreamily again at her coffee. "Don't we love a thoughtful and handsome man?"

I roll my eyes hearing that, but I nod at her after taking another long gulp of the hot coffee.

"You're right." I clear my throat as I rise up from my seat and collect my files for submission of the annual appraisal. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Good luck with it." Julie doesn't seem to notice my change in mood or the intonation of my words. "He was really kind to me during our meeting and asked me inquisitive questions. Didn't I tell you that he was thoughtful?"

She smiles again at me, waiting for my acknowledgement.

"He sure seems like it." I huff as I pivot on my feet to leave the workroom. I say the last part more to myself than to Julie, not knowing how awkward getting the performance review from my husband would be in real life. "Let's hope he's thoughtful when he's evaluating me."

After saying that, I walk out of the office, pacing towards the elevators to see Kyle in his natural habitat.

***

After I make a series of knocks on his office door, I hear him clear his throat and weakly say some words that travel around the room.

"Come on in," he speaks a bit louder this time. "Ms Brooks, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." I slowly walk through the door, making my way to his sprawling work desk. "I'm here for my appraisals." I hand over my files to him. "You said I should be here in the next ten minutes, so here I am."

Kyle has a steely expression on his handsome face, and he seems out of my world sitting behind this large mulberry-wood accent desk. He doesn't spare me a glance as he goes through the details I have put on the file.

What the fuck is he doing right now ignoring me?

Is this how he's going to treat me as his wife?

Is that who he is in reality?

Have I married a cold-hearted man who cares about nothing but himself?

And he is not afraid to hurt me?

After a long minute, he talks.

"Things seem okay on your file." Then he finally takes a good look at me. "So, what are your long-term plans while you work for the company?"

"My plans, huh?" I clear my throat. "What about yours, Kyle?"

He presses his lips into a thin line, gazing keenly at me as he mulls over my words in the back of his brain.

"We need to remain professionals for this meeting, Ms Brooks, since we are at work if you haven't noticed." Then for the first time since I entered the room, his gaze softens while he peers at me. "You can direct your questions at me at a later time, and I will happily answer all of them." Then he clears his throat. "Now, for the purposes of this meeting, what do you think you want to do at this company? Any roles you want to fulfil in this organisation? I'm all ears."

Running a hand over my cheek, I straighten my back and stand up straighter.

"For the past three years, I have been investing in myself and taking up online courses and workshops in graphic and creative design and have also become proficient in the art of creating graphics from scratch for the company's different marketing strategies." Then I slowly exhale. "In the long term, I would like to be a senior creative manager or graphic editor for the parent firm."

As he hears my answer to his question, he runs a finger over his lower lip.

"That's quite interesting. Good for you." He picks up my file again and goes through some of the old campaign graphics I have designed for the parent company. I can see him flipping the pages after considering the materials for a long minute. Then he looks up from the file. "This has given me enough information for your annual appraisal. I'll see you again for your upcoming review in the next six months. We are successfully done, for now, Ms Brooks."

Nodding at his words, I find myself thanking him despite everything.

"Thank you, Mr Waugh."

How come I didn't see his surname on his government ID when we were at the community court?

Well, how didn't I notice anything?

Why didn't they call me Mrs Waugh at the marriage registrar's office?

Was it because I decided to keep my old surname?

How ignorant I was to everything because I was stressed to get to work on time?

Weighing all the questions in my head, I slowly meander out of his office. Something he says softly makes me stop right in my tracks. I'm not sure if I heard him correctly or if it's something that the voices in my subconscious have entirely made up. But the words make me question the meaning behind them.

"You are going to get what you deserve, anyhow."

Exhaling another harsh breath, I regain my composure as I step out of the room.