chapter 5
1251 Words
Sophia’s POV
[The next day]
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. The hallway of the Trevor Group gleamed—glass walls, muted grays, and too much silence.
I stepped out, clutching my tote.
The new badge clipped to my blouse read: Sophia Moore – Secretary.
Today was day one, and there was no room to slip.
The receptionist barely looked up as she waved me toward a corridor.
“Mr. Trevor wants coffee at exactly 8:15. Strong. Black. You’ll find the break room to your left.”
I nodded quickly. “Thank you.”
The walk to the break room felt like a runway. Glass all around, people behind desks tapping away, not a smile in sight.
A woman in a navy pencil skirt passed me and gave a tight nod. I gave her a tight-lipped smile in return.
God, this place is suffocating.
Eventually, I found the break room, made the coffee exactly as instructed, and carried it carefully, hands steady even though my stomach was twisting.
At precisely 8:15, I stood outside his office. My fingers hovered for a second, then I knocked.
“Come in,” his voice came, clipped and unreadable.
I opened the door.
He didn’t look up from his screen. His sleeves were rolled, jacket draped behind his chair. One hand typed while the other held a pen.
“What time did you arrive, Ms. Moore?”
My throat suddenly felt dry. “7:58, sir,” I managed, hands trembling slightly.
“My time here says 8:15. Are you trying to play me for a fool, Ms. Moore?”
His voice was low, but the contempt lacing it sent a chill down my spine.
I swallowed hard and walked closer to his desk. “I went to HR to receive my badge, sir. You can call Ms. Smith at HR to confirm.”
“So you used an entire fifteen minutes to collect a badge in the HR department? Do I look stupid to you, Ms. Moore? Haven’t I told you I don’t condone any fu—”
“And your tea, sir!” I cut in, my voice quiet but firm. “I used the rest of the time to prepare your tea. I’m sorry, sir.”
He finally looked up from his computer. His stormy blue eyes locked into mine for a few seconds, making my heart flip treacherously as memories of that night came flooding back, before flicking down to the tea in my trembling hands.
His face softened slightly, and he went back to his computer.
“Desk to the right is yours,” he said. “No phone calls unless they’re work-related. No guests. No chit-chat.”
“Noted.”
He glanced up again, eyes barely brushing me before returning to his screen.
“Why are you still standing there like a statue? Do you need a personal invitation to move?”
“Your coffee, sir.”
“Drop it and go get busy,” he barked, voice dripping with irritation.
“Sorry, sir,” I said quietly, setting it down.
“The schedule for today is in the tablet on your desk. Go through it. It’s your duty to remind me of meetings, so make sure I don’t arrive late to any.”
I nodded, stepping back as I resisted the urge to say anything beyond what was required.
I glanced at him as I walked to my desk, still wondering if this was just an act.
But it didn’t seem so.
It was like he was a whole new man, completely unaware we’d spent the night together just a few weeks ago.
Maybe it was better that way.
My chair didn’t squeak as I sat. I picked up the tablet, swiped through it, and scanned the day’s agenda.
Ten minutes later, he stood. “Follow me,” he ordered, grabbing his jacket and walking out of the office.
I grabbed my tablet and kept pace with him down the hallway, ignoring the light throbbing behind my eyes.
The day dragged.
We attended back-to-back meetings. Conference rooms, boardrooms, quiet lounges. Long-winded reports, endless presentations, fast notes.
He moved fast, spoke faster, and expected lightning responses.
I couldn’t keep up, but I did.
Even though my back ached.
Even though I was starting to feel dizzy.
Even though my head throbbed and my stomach twisted every time I leaned over a table.
He didn’t notice. Or maybe he didn’t care.
At one point, I nearly bumped into the glass door because I lost balance for a second.
Mr. Trevor just looked at me with those cold eyes and said, “Are you clumsy, or are you just incapable of basic coordination?”
“No, sir,” I replied instantly, blinking back the exhaustion.
He rolled his eyes, scoffing as if I wasn’t even worth a response.
By noon, I had written down over thirty-six things to follow up on.
I hadn’t even had breakfast.
But I kept going.
I couldn’t afford to be weak—not when my boss is Alexander Trevor.
By the time it was 6 p.m., we were finally done with the last meeting held at another company.
We walked side by side through the parking lot, both heading toward the black company car that had been waiting all day.
He approached the car first. The driver stepped out and opened the back door for him.
I moved toward the front passenger seat, exhausted and barely able to stay upright.
Just as I reached for the door handle, his voice sliced through the air behind me.
“And where exactly do you think you’re going, Ms. Moore?”
I turned, startled. “Sir, I thought… I assumed you’d give me a lift back to the office.”
He let out a short, scornful hiss and slid into the car.
“The day’s over, Ms. Moore. Your shift ended at 6. What you do after that is none of my concern,” he said, voice clipped and cold before slamming the door shut behind him.
The vehicle roared to life and pulled away, leaving me standing there with my bag and the weight of everything I had been holding in.
I stood there for a long moment, lips parted in disbelief as I tried not to let the humiliation sink in too deep.
Of course he wouldn’t give me a ride.
It was beneath him. Just like I was.
I hissed as his annoyingly arrogant voice echoed through my mind again.
Screw him.
And with my body aching, my head spinning, and my stomach threatening to revolt again, I headed straight to the hospital.
My body was killing me, and the dizziness had gotten worse.
It had been happening for days, but I kept brushing it off as stress.
I kept telling myself I’d get it checked later.
But I couldn’t risk it anymore.
My boss was not someone who tolerated mistakes or sluggishness. If I got sick enough to slow down, I’d be fired before I could blink.
So it was now or never.
At the hospital, the nurse handed me a clipboard without looking at my face.
A couple sat nearby with a newborn wrapped in blue.
I looked away quickly.
I filled the form, waited, and was eventually called in.
The test took just five minutes, and a few minutes later, the nurse came back, holding a paper in her hand.
She smiled slightly. “Congratulations. You’re about three weeks along.”
- Writer
