PART 5 — The Third Person
831 Words
The office felt different that day. Not quieter, not louder… just heavier. Like something was about to happen. She was sitting across from me, focused on her work, pretending everything was normal. Pretending yesterday didn’t happen. Pretending we were just boss and assistant. But I could see it. The way her fingers paused for a second too long. The way she avoided looking at me. She wasn’t okay. And neither was I.
Before I could say anything, the door suddenly opened.
Without knocking.
“Wow… so this is your office now?”
A familiar voice.
I didn’t need to look to know who it was.
But I did anyway.
She stood there confidently. Elegant. Beautiful. Dressed like she owned the place. And in a way… she used to.
“Long time no see,” she smiled.
My expression didn’t change. “You should’ve knocked.”
She laughed softly. “Still cold as ever.”
Then her eyes shifted.
To her.
Standing beside my desk.
Watching everything.
Silent.
Curious.
And suddenly… tense.
“And who is this?” she asked.
I leaned back slightly. Calm. Controlled.
“My assistant.”
Simple answer.
But something in the air changed instantly.
The girl beside me stiffened.
Just a little.
But I noticed.
Of course I did.
“Oh?” the woman smiled again. “You never liked keeping people this close before.”
Her tone sounded light.
But there was something behind it.
Something sharp.
“I make different decisions now,” I replied.
She walked closer. Slowly. Confidently.
Like she had every right to be here.
“Clearly,” she said, stopping just a few steps away from my desk.
Her presence filled the room.
And I could feel it.
The tension.
Between all three of us.
“Introduce me,” she said.
I glanced at her.
The girl who once meant everything.
Now standing quietly.
Trying to stay professional.
Even when the situation clearly wasn’t.
“This is…” I paused.
For some reason…
Saying her name felt different now.
“…my assistant.”
Again.
Cold.
Distant.
Professional.
Her eyes dropped for a second.
Then she composed herself.
“Nice to meet you,” she said politely.
The other woman smiled.
But not warmly.
“Likewise.”
But her eyes said something else.
Something more competitive.
More curious.
More… threatening.
“So,” she turned back to me, “you didn’t tell me you hired someone new.”
“I don’t report my decisions,” I replied.
She smirked.
“Still the same.”
No.
I’m not.
Not anymore.
“You came here for a reason,” I said.
“Get to the point.”
She tilted her head slightly.
Studying me.
Then smiled again.
“I missed you.”
Silence.
The room felt even tighter.
I didn’t respond.
Because I didn’t believe it.
Not even a little.
“You disappear for years,” I said calmly, “and suddenly you miss me?”
She shrugged lightly.
“People change.”
My eyes narrowed slightly.
I’ve heard that before.
From someone else.
Standing right beside me.
“Or maybe,” she continued, “I just realized what I lost.”
That sentence…
Wasn’t just for me.
I could feel it.
It was aimed at her too.
The girl beside me went completely still.
Her hand tightening slightly.
Trying to stay calm.
But failing.
Just a little.
Interesting.
“You’re wasting my time,” I said.
Cold.
Sharp.
Ending it.
But she didn’t seem bothered.
Instead…
She smiled wider.
“I have a business proposal,” she said.
Now that…
Got my attention.
“Talk.”
She placed a file on my desk.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
“Our companies could work together,” she said.
“It would be… very profitable.”
I opened the file.
Scanning quickly.
She wasn’t wrong.
It was a good deal.
A very good one.
But that’s not what I was focused on.
I glanced up.
At her.
Then at the girl beside me.
Watching silently.
Waiting.
And suddenly…
An idea formed.
Something dangerous.
Something I probably shouldn’t do.
But I did anyway.
“Fine,” I said.
Both of them looked at me.
Surprised.
“But,” I continued, “my assistant will handle this project.”
Silence.
Heavy silence.
The woman raised an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
I turned my head slightly.
Looking at her.
“You’ll work directly with her.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
Not expecting that.
Not ready for that.
Good.
“Any problem?” I asked calmly.
She hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then shook her head.
“No.”
Professional.
Again.
Always hiding.
The other woman smiled.
Slowly.
Like she just understood everything.
“This is going to be interesting,” she said.
Yeah.
It will be.
Very interesting.
Because now…
They’ll be working together.
Close.
Every day.
And something tells me…
This isn’t just about business anymore.
And for the first time… I’m not sure if I made the right decision.
- Writer
