Raleigh pov
“The blue shirt or the pink.” I held my two options out side by side for my cousin to inspect them. After all, she was the one who worked for a huge fashion brand. As a secretary though, but whatever. A fashion brand was a fashion brand.
“The blue shirt says you’re begging for this promotion and the pink says you wish you could get it.” Imogen looked up from her coffee to reply. “So neither?” “Neither. Wear that cute zebra print blouse and the wide legged black pants.”
She made a chef’s kiss motion. “You’d look like a boss bitch that knows that promotion is hers.” I gave her a look. “I don’t want to come off as too cocksure.” She rolled her eyes at me, swinging her legs down from the barstool.
“You’ve busted your ass for that promotion, it’s yours, you deserve it, and everybody knows that.” She raised one shoulder in a shrug. “There’s nothing cocksure about that.” I took a deep breath. “You’re right. I’m gonna go get dressed. "Oh my God."
I can’t believe I’m about to become the chief editor.” We squealed in unison.“Omg! Congratulations, Leigh. You really deserve this.” Mo said. “Thank you.” I beamed. “Okay, I’m gonna go get dressed and ready.” “I’m gonna bake you a cake. Chocolate or carrot?” She asked. Mo was terrific in the kitchen. Honestly, if it weren’t for her, I’d be living off pizza and instant noodles.
Growing up, mum had forced all the children to shadow her in the kitchen. To her eternal consternation though, only Mo had picked up all her love for cooking while her own children could barely even boil an egg. “Both.” I beamed at her. “You can go halfsies. One side chocolate, one side carrot. A hybrid cake. How cool would that be?” “Chocolate it is.” She said, “Now shoo, you’re going to be late and it’ll ruin your perfect attendance to get this promotion.”
I hurried to my room. Keith and Telle was one of the biggest magazines in the city. Getting a job there right out of college had literally been a dream come true for me and I had done everything in my power to make myself indispensable to the company.
Extra hours, risqué news stories, going the extra mile to discover the truth, showing up on time, I did it all. This promotion was the culmination of all my years of effort. Mo was right, I deserved this. I slipped into the bathroom. I brushed, shampooed and conditioned my hair and took a thorough shower in skin scalding water. I had cut my hair into a bob half a year ago and so far, I had no regrets. Blow drying and flat ironing my hair was the only work I had to put in for it to look picture perfect.
Everyday I thanked God I wasn’t Mo with her mass of untamable red curls. I did a quick facial skin care routine before applying make up. Then finally, I put on the clothes Mo had recommended.
The mirror revealed a powerful looking woman who was out to conquer the world. I loved it. Winking at my reflection, I grabbed my bag, phone and charger and headed to the kitchen.
Mo slid a plate of hash browns and bacons towards me as I approached the island. “Have I told you how much I love you?” I asked as I settled into the stool. “Not enough.” She grinned. “I’ve made a mental note to correct that horrible overture.” I said as I stuffed food into my mouth
. “No work today?” I eyed her unmatching pajamas. “Leora’s not coming in till about noon. Her boyfriend flew her to New York last night for a date and they’ll fly back this morning.” “Damn.” I said. “get it, Leora.” Mo grinned. “I bet my over fifty year old boss gets more horizontal fun in a week than the both of us combined get in a year.” “Your boss is a very stylish and famous millionaire. I’m not even surprised. We can’t compete with that. We are two overworked women who can barely afford rent. We aren’t exactly a hot commodity.” I pointed out. “We’re half her age.” Mo said. “We should really go out more.
You especially. You need to meet somebody, even if it won’t get all that serious. Some romance in your life is desperately needed and you can’t use work as an excuse right now.” “Fine.” I conceded. “Tonight? Let’s celebrate my promotion in grand style. It’s Friday after all.”
She whooped. “That’s what I’m talking about.”“I really have to go now. Bye, babe.”“Break some legs.” She called out as I left the apartment. I was too giddy with excitement to tell her that that wasn’t the correct expression.
By the time my Uber pulled up at the curb of my office building, I felt like I was on cloud nine. Not even the fact that the guy in the elevator didn’t hold it for me and I had to wait extra minutes for the next one could bring me down. I would have gladly climbed up the twenty flights of stairs to get to my floor in the state I was in.
“Good morning, Raleigh. Love that blouse, where did you get it?” Victoria smiled as I walked past her. “Thank you. I got it from an online shopping platform, I’ll send you the link. There’s a sale going on right now.” “You better.” “Hey, Leigh.” Someone else waved at me from their cubicle. “Hey, Jason.
"How’s Tim’s hand?” I asked about his son. “The girl he likes signed on his cast so he’s ecstatic right now.” Jason grinned. “Let’s just hope this doesn’t motivate him to climb yet another tree.” I laughed.
I made sure to exchange a smile or a kind word to everybody on my way to my own table. I didn’t mean to brag, but everyone at this office kinda adored me. I guess it was the difference between just being a coworker and being work friends.
Mo liked to say that I hadn’t met anybody that I couldn’t befriend and she was right. It was a natural charm I had gotten from both my parents. Mo liked to call us ‘the family next-door’.
“Mr. Dunner said he would like to see you in his office.” Kendra, his secretary said as I got to her table. I tried to control my excited grin but I was sure I failed. Kendra chuckled. “girl, you deserve this.” She said, “Go in there and get your promotion.” Jason shot me a thumbs up from his table. I guess my promotion wasn’t all that much of a secret anymore.
With a deep breath, I made my way to Mr. Dunner’s office. His door was open as he liked to remind us that he was always available to us. Hugo Dunner was the best boss anyone could ask for. Not only was he super nice, but he was also fair, which in my opinion was a trait that wasn’t given as much recognition as it deserved.
,,“Mr. Dunner? Kendra said you wanted to see me.” I said as I walked in. “Hello, Raleigh.” I whipped my head to the side to see Mikel, the human version of a bag of shit sitting on Mr. Dunner’s sofa. I looked at Mr. Dunner who sat behind his large desk looking bleak. Oh no. “Miss Maverick,
Mr. Summers over here has contested your promotion on the grounds that he has worked here for longer.” Mr. Dunner said. Which frankly meant nothing and didn’t have anything to do with a promotion. Years of service didn’t mean you had served well. In fact, the fact that he had been completely overlooked while he had been here far longer than me said a lot.
Mikel Summers was an asshole, a raging one. He walked around the office with his shoulders up high feeling like he was better than all of us and didn’t need to get down and dirty with us. He hadn’t written an acceptable story in years and the few he had turned in were more tales and gossip than actual stories. When I had newly gotten employed, he had made him fetch him coffee countless times till I had put my foot down and made it very clear to him that I was his goddamn colleague and not his assistant. He didn't like me, and I didn’t have pleasant feelings for him either. “That’s bullshit.” I spat.
I looked at Mikel. “That’s utter bullshit and you know it.” “Do I?” He smirked. “You shouldn’t curse in the office.” He could go cry into a river about it. “We both know this promotion is mine. I deserve to be chief editor.” I growled. “Then prove it.” Mikel said, raising a challenging brow.” I looked at Mr. Dunner in confusion. He let out an exhausted sigh. “An assignment for the both of you will determine who gets to be chief editor.”
“Let me guess, Mikel came up with this plan?” I scoffed. “So what if I did?” Mikel asked. “If you're that good, this should be easy peasy for you. Unless you’re scared of actually going against me.” I was more terrified of doing a footrace against my aging grandfather with arthritis and a bad hip.
“What’s the assignment?” I asked, eyes locked on Mikel’s. “Both of you have to shadow a prominent, new or fairly new, fast rising company and make a full story about the ins and outs, the workings, the motivation behind the company. You have two weeks, your time starts on the fifteenth and will end on the twenty eight. You’ll report back the Monday morning after and you’ll be judged by both me and your new bosses.” Mr. Dunner said.
“Child’s play.” I said with a confidence I didn’t feel. I looked at Mikel. “I’m going to beat you fair and square, again, and then, I’m going to lord it over you for as long as you work here.”
“Let’s make it more interesting.” Mikel said slowly so only I could hear it. “whoever loses, has to leave the company.” I blinked, taking a cautious step backwards.
“W-what?” That was taking it to an extreme I wasn’t sure of. He smirked. “Come, now, would you really want to work under me? Because you can bet your ass I’ll make it a living hell for you. Now, you are under me on the other hand.”
He gave me a salacious look. I shuddered in revulsion. “Deal.” I turned around and marched out of the office wondering what the fuck I had just agreed to and cursing myself for being so foolish. I could just bet that that had been Mikel’s plan all along and I had fallen right into it. I marched to my table and sat down, fuming.
Kendra approached me warily. “I heard everything. That bastard.” She hissed. “What a snake.” “Right?” She squeezed my shoulders. “You’ll beat him again. Mikel wouldn’t know how to write a good story if it hit him in the face, and you’ve been delivering big story upon big story since day one. You’ve got this.”My shoulders eased a little at her reassurance.
She was right though. I had nothing to be afraid of. Mikel wasn’t going to do in two weeks what he hadn’t done in ten years of work for Keith and Telle. “Thanks, Ken.” I smiled at her. “Anytime.” She walked off.
Now I just had to figure out how I was going to get some company to agree to a journalist digging into them with their permission and disrupting their business. Not just any company though,
I needed to find one whose name and stats alone would secure me this win. How I was going to weasel my way into such a company before today ended was another hurdle. I sighed.
Fuck my life.
Raleigh pov“Congratulations!” Mo screamed, confetti rained in the air as I stepped into our apartment minutes past five pm on the day that should have been the best day of my life but turned out to be a complete shit show. All thanks to Mikel Summers. She must have registered the look on my face because her smile immediately died off. “Oh no, you didn’t get it. You know what, fuck that job, fuck Mr. Dunner, how could they not see how hard you’ve worked. You should totally sue them. That’d teach them to be unjust assholes.” She growled.I laughed at her fearsome expression. She really was my biggest champion. “Whoa, whoa, put your brakes on. Yes, I didn’t get the promotion, but it has nothing to do with justice.” “You had better not be about to defend whatever made them pass you by.” “I’m not.Can you just let me talk?” I asked in exasperation. “Well, we’re not letting my effort go to waste, that’s for sure.” She said, “Let’s gorge on chocolate cake while you tell me.” “Have I told yo
Raleigh pov It was my third official day working for Sprocks and I was elated. So far, everything had been perfect and if it continued like this, I was going to win this thing by a landmine. Mikel Summers who? Everyone was so nice, the environment was relaxed and productive.The himbo boss wasn't slacking off, he actually showed up to work on time and put on inappropriate outfits regardless. In fact, I seemed to be the odd one at the office. The outfits ranged from loosely formal to completely relaxed, I guessed everybody was taking a book off Mason’s page. It was sweltering and no amount of AC was chasing away the melting heat. In lieu of that, I had decided to fit in better and combat the heat by showing up to work in more casual clothes. Mo had told me it was a good idea and helped me pick out the peach floral playsuit which I paired with brown sandal heels.I looked beautiful and best of all, I now fit the laid back vibes of the office. I walked in with a box of Mo made chocolate
I stormed into the house.How coud that pathetic jerk disrespect me in such a manner?Who does he think he is? Well, he is the co-founder of Sprockers but he had absolutely no right whatsoever to demean me in that manner.I should have given him a slap on the face,or better still, spilled coffee on his shirt! That would have taught him a great lesson.“Calm down babe.”Mo said.“I should have said something terrible that would pierce his heart of stone.”At that moment, the clever things that I would have said that would probably hit him hard badged into my head.“Mason never told me this was what you'd encounter. I'm really sorry.”“No, it's totally not his fault.It's the asshole’s”.“It's his fault.Why didn't he give this Logan of a guy heads-up that you'd be there?”She meant it now.She was in no way feigning concern. I hoped she wouldn't lash out at him.“He wasn't present. Look, I'm done with talking about that fool.How do I go about the project now?I think I'd have to let g
Raleigh povWe had to do the dishes, at least to find a way to pay off the unmerited debt. Before I knew it, a lady walked in with a stack of plates.“You have to clean this too.” She said and gave a stern face and left.“ See where your so-called kindness has led us. Some people aren't just worth it.” I said in anger.“ How long should I keep apologizing?” Mo pleaded.“As long as I wish.” I lashed I felt a splash of water.Where did that come from? I asked myself and realized it was from Mo. She did it again!“ Can you quit being childish now?”“ Not until you've forgiven me.” She retorted and splashed more on me.I picked up the damp sponge and aimed at her dress. She feigned being upset and that's how it began. The kitchen flooded with water and detergent.Abruptly, the door flung open and we didn't hesitate to become statues.“ What the hell happened here?” a lady asked in rage. She was average sized, fairly beautiful with the specs she had on but one could tell she was the clever
Raleigh pocIt was dawn already. I stressed my arms and cracked my knuckles. No, no, no, I'll never try this shit, ever (passing the night in the sitting room;on the ground!). I quickly got up and headed to the kitchen only to see Mason in his boxer shorts. My mouth gaped open. I had seen the forbidden, but to be honest, this dude was damn cute. His muscles were well built, the six packs was…I'll prefer to say no more. Unlike some guys which only have undigested pancakes hanging in there. I had better control myself cause this was someone's man, why the crush?I was quickly snapped of the thought when he gazed at me, then looked back. He was frying pancakes on one side and brewing coffee on the other.“ Good morning,” He said. “ I trust you had a great night. I suppose that question must have been posed to Mo, why me? Anyways, I nodded slightly, forcing a smile on my face. “ What are you preparing?” I asked even when I knew, perhaps I asked to not just look weird.“ Pancakes and cof
Raleigh povFear gripped my soul as I made entry into my office. No one was present. I had to check my time only to discover it was past twelve. There was no Victoria, no Jason nor the piece of trash in human form. Hmph, you know him, of course Mikel.“ Hello?” I said, hoping to get a response from obviously no one.My heart raced now, where could they have gone? I proceeded into looking for Jason first. I ran into the secretary’s palatable office, he wasn't there. Normally, that was where he hung out cause he secretly disclosed to me he had a crush on her, which was enough reason for him to be there, but nope, he wasn't.Wait, I just remembered the receptionist wasn't at her post either, what could be going on, I asked myself. Or could it be a prank? Because I had watched stuff like that on Tik Tok and they turned out to be pranks. Oh my, this wasn't getting funny anymore. I rushed to other offices and found no one. Mr. Dunner’s door which was usually open was not. Something must re
Raleigh povHe is one of a kind.“That jerk will get a piece of my mind!” I mumbled, puffing.“Did you say something?”“No,no.” I said, snapping out of my thoughts.“Please forget everything that happened. Act like nothing ever occurred.” He said, with a face filled with disappointment. I nodded in response.“Hey Mr. Dunner,” I called.“Yes Leigh.”“You're every woman's dream, one in a million, please don't feel inferior for not accepting your love. As much as I don't feel anything for you, you'll meet “the one” soon. Sooner than you think.”“Yeah, I get it. That isn't a problem.” He said, forcing a smile onto his face. I knew then that I had failed him for not feeling the same way, but…I couldn't help.“Should I tell you something?”“Of course.” “ You're the best boss ever, and the woman who will later end up with you will be the luckiest woman. “I said. I knew everything I said wasn't helping in any way but I needed to spill it all out, because truly, he is the best boss ever.“Thank
“We're here ma'am.” The chauffeur said, pulling up in front of my house.“Thank you Mr. Carter.” I said. I picked up my bags (gifts included)and files, then the Chauffeur got out of the car,and held the door for me to get off. And I did.There was me, being treated like a queen.(Presumably I was,durhh.)“Send my greetings to Mr. Dunner.” I said and he nodded.I stood at the doorstep and watched him drive off. Wow, I couldn't believe I was in that Limousine. Imagine I'm that wealthy, that's the luxury I'll have.“Boo!!” I heard from behind, which made my heart jump out of its abode.Oh no, it was Mo again, with her childish mode turned on, I thought and rolled my eyes.“You scared the fuck out of me.” I said, holding on to my chest.“Aww, don't be scared of cutie pie.” She teased.“You shouldn't have approached me in that manner.”“Really?”“Just know, the moment I'm diagnosed with High blood pressure, I'm coming for you.” I teased.“And I'll always be here. Forget all that, who was th
Logan’s POVIt had been a week of chaos and unanswered questions, and the city streets offered the only reprieve I could find. Driving through the bustling nightlife in my Benz, I tried to clear my mind. The soft hum of the engine was soothing, but no amount of speed could quiet the storm of thoughts raging inside me. Francesca’s name lingered like a ghost in my head, her voice from our last conversation echoing in my ears.The woman was a master of manipulation, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that she had her fingerprints all over the mess between Leigh and me. Every time I thought I’d left Francesca in the past, she found a way to creep back into my life. And now, with Leigh in the picture, it felt deliberate—like she was trying to dismantle everything I cared about.The streets were alive with energy: neon signs flickered, couples walked arm in arm, and laughter spilled ou
Leigh’s POVI sat on the couch, legs folded under me, staring at the wall like it held all the answers I needed. My head felt heavy, and my chest even more so. Everything was going wrong. The whispers at work, the photos online, the endless judgment. It all pressed down on me like a weight I couldn’t carry anymore.Mo walked into the room, a steaming cup of tea in her hand. She placed it gently on the table in front of me and sat down beside me.“You’ve been sitting there all day,” she said softly, like she was afraid her words might shatter me.I shrugged, still staring at the wall. “What else am I supposed to do, Mo? Pretend everything’s fine? Because it’s not. My life’s falling apart.”Mo reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. “Leigh, I know it feels like that right now, but this isn’t the end. You’ll get through this.”I turned to her, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. “How, Mo? How am I supposed to get through this? Everywhere I turn, people are talking about me. At work,
Logan’s POVThe knock on my office door was sharp and impatient. Before I could answer, the door opened, and Mr. Grayson stepped in. His face was red, and his jaw was tight. I knew immediately this wasn’t going to be a friendly visit.“Logan,” he said, slamming the door behind him. “We need to talk. Now.”“Good morning to you too, Mr. Grayson,” I said, forcing a calm tone. I gestured to the chair across from me. “Please, have a seat.”“I won’t be sitting,” he snapped, his voice cold. “Explain this nonsense!”He threw a newspaper onto my desk. I didn’t need to look at it to know what it was about. The headline blared something ridiculous about me being caught with a “secret lover.” The photo of Leigh and me was front and center.I sighed, l
Logan’s POVI stared at the headlines on my phone, my stomach twisting. The photo of Leigh and me was everywhere. The media was having a field day, spinning the narrative as if we were more than an interviewer and her subject. The words burned into my eyes: “Logan Hunt and Mysterious Woman: Secret Affair Exposed?”This wasn’t just unfair—it was cruel. Leigh didn’t ask for this, and now her career might be at risk. All because she had the misfortune of crossing paths with me.I tossed my phone onto the desk and rubbed my temples. My mind raced, trying to figure out who would stoop this low. Only one name stood out. Francesca.She always had a knack for stirring trouble. Ever since we broke up, she’d been bitter, finding ways to remind me she could still cause chaos in my life. I had no proof it was her, but my gut told me she was involved.
Leigh’s POVI kept staring at the comments, my hands shaking. Who would take such a private moment and share it with the world? My stomach twisted as I scrolled through the comments. People were calling me names, questioning my character. Some said I was using Logan for money, others thought I was unfit for my job.I couldn’t stay in the office and wait for anything, I needed to talk to Logan.I got dressed quickly, my heart racing. I just grabbed my bag and headed out the door.The ride to Logan’s office felt like forever. My thoughts were loud, questions circling in my mind. How could he let this happen? Why didn’t he warn me?When I got to his office, I stormed past the receptionist. She tried to stop me, but I wasn’t in the mood. “I need to see Logan,” I said, my voice sharp.She stood up, looking worried. “Ma’am, he’s in a meeting.”“I don’t care,” I snapped, walking straight to his door and pushing it open.Logan was sitting at the head of a long table, his board members around
Logan’s POVThe morning had started out normal, calm. I was just getting ready to head into the office when my phone buzzed. I ignored it, thinking it was probably just a random email or reminder, but then it buzzed again, then again, and again. That was strange.When I finally picked it up, my screen was flooded with notifications—texts, emails, missed calls. I blinked, trying to process what was going on. My heart picked up a bit. Something felt off, but I couldn’t tell what it was yet.I decided to open one of the news alerts to see what was happening. And then I saw it. Right there, on the front page of a popular news site, was a picture of me… and Leigh. We were close, her face right up to mine, and my hand was wrapped around her waist. It was unmistakable; we were kissing. It was the kind of photo that left no room for guessing.For a second, I couldn’t even move. I just stared at the screen, trying to process what I was looking at. How? How could this picture be out there? I di
Leigh’s POVI sat down, trying to steady my breath, but then I saw him. Mikel. He was standing by the coffee machine, acting casual, as if the last few days hadn’t happened, as if the tension in the office wasn’t because of him. The same smug look I had come to know so well was still plastered on his face, and his eyes flicked to me, almost daring me to make a move.I wasn’t going to let him win. Not today.The buzz of the office seemed to drown out everything around me, the whispers becoming more audible. It felt like the whole room was waiting for something to happen, and I wasn’t about to give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.I stood up abruptly, not giving myself time to second-guess. I walked toward him, my steps firm, my mind set. My heart was pounding in my chest as I approached, but I pushed everything down. There was no time for fear. No time for weakness.When I was just behind him, I stopped. The weight of the tension in the air was palpable, almost suffocating,
Leigh's POVEverything felt wrong.I sat on my bed, staring at my phone, feeling like the world was too heavy. It was like a big dark cloud was hanging over me, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake it away. I didn’t want to think anymore, but the thoughts kept coming, swirling around in my head. I felt like there was no way out, like everything I had tried so hard for was just slipping through my fingers.Just then, my phone buzzed loudly, making me jump. I picked it up, my hands shaking as I looked at the name on the screen. It was Mikel. My heart sank deeper. I knew him well—he is someone who makes things hard for me. He’d say rude things, give me mean looks, and laugh when I made a mistake. But this felt different. I didn’t want to answer, but I knew I had to.I held my breath and pressed the answer button. “Hello?” My voice sounded small, like I was a tiny bug he could squish.Mikel’s
Logan’s POVI was sitting at my desk, thinking about work. Mason, came in with a big smile on his face. He looked excited, and I couldn’t help but smile back.“Hey, Logan!” Mason said. “You won’t believe what I just heard!”“What’s up?” I asked, curious.“We have a new investor, remember? I just got off the phone with him. He loves what we’re doing!” Mason said, his eyes shining with excitement.“Really?” I said, sitting up straighter. “That’s great news! What did he say?”Mason leaned closer, his voice low. “He thinks our idea is going to make a lot of money. He believes in us, man!”I felt a rush of happiness. It was nice to know that someone believed in our work. “This is awesome! What does this mean for us?”“It means we can grow our business faster. We can hire more people and maybe even make our product even better,” Mason explained, bouncing a little in his seat.I thought about it for a moment. “Wow, that sounds amazing! I really want to make this work. We’ve worked so hard.”“