Beginning of the end

The rain poured down angrily, imitating the anger burning inside Emily. Her heart was beating like a drum against her ribs, a funny opposite to the click-clack of her shoes on the wet street.

Just a few minutes ago, she received a text on her phone. It was from a secret "friend" who seemed worried. All it had was one blurry picture. A picture of Mark, her Mark, with his arm around another girl. This girl had hair like sunshine and a smile that made Emily's heart ache. Underneath, a cruel message: "The Landmark, 8 pm. Don't be late."

The Landmark. Their special place. A hidden bar nobody knew about, hiding away in a forgotten corner of the city. A place they found on their very first date. Now, it felt like a mean joke.

She opened the heavy door, and a wave of warmth came over her. There were loud voices and smoke hanging in the air, thick as soup. It all smelled like cheap perfume and old beer, making her feel like she would vomit soon.

Her eyes looked around the room, taking in the sight of dimly lit tables and noisy people. Then, she saw them. In the back corner, hidden in the shadows, sat Mark. His face, usually so happy when he was with her, was filled with amusement as he rested on the blonde, his hand holding hers tight.

A scream wanted to come out of Emily's throat, a cry of shock and hurt. But she swallowed it back, forcing herself to be strong. This wouldn't be a fight, not yet. Not in front of everyone here.

Instead, she placed on a fake smile, the kind she used for boring parties. It wasn't a real smile, but it would have to do. She walked straight towards their table. The blonde looked up, surprised.

"Mark," Emily said, her voice calmer than she felt. "What a surprise to see you here."

Mark's head turned around, his face filled with surprise, guilt, and something else, maybe anger? "E-Emily," he stammered, trying to leave the blonde. "What... what are you doing here?"

Emily pretended not to hear him. She turned to the confused woman. "You must be..." she paused, acting like she didn't know, "Veronica? Mark's been talking about you a lot."

The lie tasted bad in her mouth, but it worked. Veronica brought out her chest, a little proud of herself, not scared anymore. "Yeah, he's told me a lot about you too, Emily."

Emily raised an eyebrow, still acting like the perfect lady. "Well, you two look like you're having a great time."

Veronica leaned in, a sly smile playing on her lips. "We are, actually. Mark's been telling me all about that big trip to Italy you guys are planning."

Mark finally found his voice again. "Veronica! No, that's not—"

Emily cut him off with a cold laugh. "Italy, huh? That's funny, Mark. Because last week, we were talking about going to Greece."

"What?" Veronica's face fell. "He never mentioned Greece to me."

Mark stammered, caught between the two women. "I, uh... I was just trying to—"

"Don't," Emily cut him off, her voice hard now. "Don't try to explain. The picture says it all."

She threw her purse on the table, making a loud noise that stopped everyone from talking. "Three years, Mark," she said, her voice shaking a little even though she was trying to be strong. "Three years of stolen moments, whispers about the future, and dreams we shared. And all this time..." her voice trailed off, a sob escaping her lips.

The whole room had gone quiet. Everyone was watching the drama that was going on. Veronica, seeing things weren't going her way anymore, rested back in her chair, not so brave anymore. Mark stared at Emily, ashamed and desperate.

But Emily wouldn't let him see her break down. With one last look at the man who had broken her heart, she straightened her back, pride replacing the hurt that threatened to swallow her whole.

"Enjoy your night, Mark," she said, her voice filled with sarcasm. "You two seem perfect for each other."

Without another word, Emily turned and walked out of The Landmark, leaving the mess of her broken relationship and the silent crowd behind. The rain had stopped outside, and a clear, bright sky shown above her. As Emily walked away, tears came down her face, each one a release of the pain and betrayal.

Emily looked at the steam coming out from her Hot chocolate tea,making her feel all restless and sad inside. She took a sip, but it tasted even worse than the bad feeling that she is getting in her stomach. Across the table before her, Maya, her colleague at work, squeezed her hand gently.

"So, he finally admitted it, right?" she asked Emily softly.

Emily’s cheeks got hot with embarrassment like she was the one involved in the act. "I caught him kissing a blonde girl," Emily murmured, the memory still stinging. "Three whole years, Such a waste of time.

Maya hissed. "Wasted for sure! Forget about him! You're way too awesome for him. But seriously tho , are you okay? You've been staring off into space all morning.

Emily sighed, feeling all the trouble from the last week weigh her down. "Not so good, financially He was supposed to help with rent, and…" her voice trailed off, she wanted to cry so badly but she can’t because of her surroundings.

Just then, the bell above the cafe door jingled, and someone new walked in. Emily looked up, hoping for a break from the issues going on in her life, and nearly choked on her tea. Walking towards them, looking straight for a table in the back, was this handsome guy with a strange aura surrounding him.

He was tall and wore fancy clothes, moving like someone who always gets what he craves for no matter what the cost is. A shiver ran down Emily’s spine, a mix of fear and… something else that she can’t explain.

Emily’s breath caught when he saw her and everything stopped for a second. For a moment, it looked like he… cared? Probably wondering why her face was puffy, But then his face went back to normal. He fixed his tie, like everything always had to be perfect, and then kept walking to his table.

Emily watched him go, her head tilted sideways cause she was curious. "Who's that?" She whispered to Maya.

"Alexander Steele," Maya whispered back, a strange mix of fear and excitement started bubbling inside of Emily. "The super rich one?"

Maya answered by nodding slowly. He strolled towards the counter, exuding out an aura of confidence.

“Double Espresso Black” He demanded , his voice having a slight edge to it that made Emily shiver.

"Coming right up," she managed to stutter, her usual cheerful greeting replaced by a funny whisper.

Her hands shaked slightly as she poured the espresso, amd Emily felt his piercing gaze burning into her. The machine sputtered as usual and she fumbled, hot liquid pouring on the counter and the man's hand.

Owww!" he hissed, taking back his hand with a grimace.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to…" fear and panic started surging through Emily.

He looked at his stained hand, then looked back up at Emily. His expression was unreadable, a mix of annoyance and something she couldn't quite grasp.

"It's fine," he finally said, his voice clipped. "Accidents happen."he said

Relief washed over Emily at this moment, momentarily erasing the memory of the day she caught her ex, Mark, with her friend, Sarah. But just as quickly, the man's next words shattered her minutes of peace.

"However, accidents have consequences," he started saying, his gaze sharpening at her. “And yours will involve a little… compensation."

Emily’s heart skyrocketed . Compensation? Did he think she did this on purpose? "Sir, I assure you—"

"Don't worry, it't won't be a burden on your… financial problems " he interrupted her , a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Financial problems ?" Emily’s voice rose a bit. This guy had no idea what "financial problems " meant. He probably paid for his coffee with an hundred-dollar bills.

His smirk grew wide. "Indeed. Let's just say, your clumsiness will be a rather… expensive attempt "

Before Emily could say anything, he wrote something on a napkin and carefully placed it on the counter. "This is my number. Call me when you've figured out how to 'pay back for my ruined suit and scalded hand."

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Emily staring at the napkin with a very painful tightening in her stomach. What did that note even say? Her curiosity argued with her fear.

Finally, she picked up the napkin, the neat handwriting sending a cold wave of fear all over her body,

"Alexander Steele. Steele Enterprises."

The name sent a jolt of recognition in Emily’s head. Alexander Steele, the billionaire CEO whose ruthless business tactics were legendary. And here she is, a small-town café worker, about to be entangled in the world of this powerful, intimidating man all because of a spilled Black espresso coffee!.

Her phone started ringing on the counter, startling her. It was Mark, probably calling with another apology that wouldn't clear up the betrayal she felt. Emily switched off her phone.

No. She would not allow this arrogant billionaire, or anybody else,to control her life. This was just another obstacle in her life , one she’d overcome eventually . But as Emily squeezed the napkin in her hand, a tiny line of fear remained. How exactly was she supposed to "pay back” for Alexander Steele's ruined suit and scalded hand, How!!?

Tears started forming up in her eyes, blurring the expensive logo that was engraved on the napkin. The weight of the situation finally dawned on her and then it settled on her shoulders, suffocating and heavy. Emily’s palms were already sweaty, she felt trapped, like a fly that was caught up in a web spun by a powerful and terrifying spider.

The bell above the café door jingled again, but she barely took notice of it. Her mind was racing, replaying the encounter she had with Alexander. Emily heard his words in her head again: "Financial Problems." He had no idea. Her apartment was a shoebox, her bank account almost on the edge of becoming empty, and the only luxury she had was the occasional latte, which, funnily enough , had just become the source of her current doom!