Chapter 1: Chapter 1
I set my bag on the table ignoring the stares of the people around me. As I sit down, a dark skinned woman from the desk next to mine by my right pulls out from her desk.
"Joanne." She introduces herself with a smile.
"Ophelia." I reply with a smile too.
"Pretty name." I turn to my left to see who spoke. It's a man this time around.
"Oh beginning your flirting John? I'll tell your girlfriend!" Joanne accuses from my right.
"Must you always be a cockblocker jo?" He rolls his eyes.
"You're just lucky Ophelia's now here to stop any direct access between me and you, else I'd have smacked that head of yours."
I feel myself smiling as I stare at them both.
"I'm John but big mouth already gave that away and I do have a girlfriend which I wasn't about to cheat on." He scowls at Joanne. "She'd kill me." He shudders and I almost laugh trying to imagine his girlfriend.
Joanne, afer rolling her eyes at John speaks again. "So-"
"All sales department workers please report to the conference hall." A voice drawls over the speakers.
"What's happening?" I ask neither of them in particular.
"Don't know." John stands up.
"Let's go find out." Joanne says as she too stands up. I take a quick look at my empty desk before standing up too.
I follow quietly behind them as all the members of the department trail out. I counted about thirty heads as we walked. The conference room is down the hallway. There are already some people seated at one end of the room as we enter.
"Welcome everybody to this impromptu meeting." A man starts speaking. I strain my head a bit to see his face.
"That's Mr Knowles." Joanne whispers from beside me.
I move around a bit so I get a look at the man who runs this great company. As most other billionaires and CEOs mostly are, he's old. He looks about mid-sixties.
"I'm sure some of you might have heard of the transactions going on in the office." He pauses as people murmur their answers. "Well now our transactions are complete. As you all belong to the sales department I only thought it would be right for me to tell you of these transactions first."
His expression grows grim as he speaks.
"I wonder what he's on about." Joanne whispers from my side again.
He clears his throat deeply before speaking again. "As you all may know,
this company's history began with a loan. A loan which over the years I failed to realise was accumulating and with the decrease in supply, demand and consumers this past year, we will not be able to recover from the loss of paying back the loan which the bank demands."
The air in the room is tense and rigid with whispers. Am I losing the job before I even start?
"Calm down everyone. You are luckily not losing your jobs."
"Transactions..." John ponders out loud.
"The company has been sold." He says at last igniting gasps from everyone.
"The company has been sold?" Joanne asks in shock.
"To who?" Someone from the front asks
"To me."
I raise my head a bit again to get a look at the man who just spoke. From what I'm able to see he's young.
"Yes, the company has been sold to Illston Corp." Mr Knowles finishes.
I allow what he said to sink in. There is only one Illston Corp that may exist or not, I know off. I try to remain calm by telling myself it's not possible, it can't be.
"I've heard of Illston Corp; young CEO who worked his butt off to get his company close enough to be important. Now of the best investment officers." Joanne whispers the truth I fear.
I give her a small smile which probably looks more like a grimace.
"You okay? You look a little pale." She questions worriedly.
"It's nothing, probably just the stuffiness of this little crowd. I think it's best I go out to receive a bit of air. You can tell me about the rest of the meeting later right?"
"Oh well sorry and totally."
I smile at her, this time working on it so it doesn't appear to be so much of a grimace. I slip out of the conference room unnoticed and keep walking with no certain destination, after a few more turns I end up in front of the restroom. I enter a stall and lock the door quickly. My back hits the tiled wall when the panic finally sets in. It can't be right? It could be his brother, uncle, dad, anyone but him.
Why is life so cruel to me?
I keep asking myself over and over as bittersweet memories from five years ago play in my head like a broken record. The hurt and pain I felt on the day--that changed everything--hits me harder than I expect. I scold myself for not being strong enough. What if it isn't even him? It could be an entirely different Illston. With that same ambition and zeal? My inner thoughts mock me.
Why does it feel like I'm back to square one?
I curse myself again for been weak and stupid but deep down I just know It's him out there. Yet I can't go to a corner and quiver in tears every time I see him, hell I didn't even see his face! I sink futher into the wall as I realise there's a scary chance he could now be my boss. I can't quit or even think about quitting. This is a good job and I spent months trying to find one. I know I can't walk away. It may not be him.
Once again, why is life so cruel to me?
Note: This work is from dami241. If you like to read, please go to buy a physical one to support the author.
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