Heal My Wounds

Olivia ******************************************************************************************* Taking a satisfying look at the mirror, I stood up, gently smoothened the creases on my skirt, and reached for the brown leather bag on the dressing table. After submitting thousands of application letters to different firms spattered across the city, one of the firms considered me worthy of being called in for an interview. It was good news to me and I was more than confident that I would get the job. I had opted for a cameo pink silky long-sleeved shirt designed with brown poker dots and a tan-colored straight-cut skirt that revealed my slim waist and well-defined hips. My long blonde hair was rolled up in a firm doughnut and adorned with a golden hair band which also served to hold it in place. I wore a brown Italian pair of shoes and the beautiful pearls Eric had given me on my last birthday. They weren’t original but they managed to glisten after such a long time. It was 7:30 a.m. already and I was running late. I picked up my folder containing the documents required for the interview and set out. ‘Won’t you at least have some scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee? I made breakfast already.’ My mum in her caring nature cajoled. I knew better than to refute. Mum had driven from Brighton to see me in London and I knew definitely that she had come to discuss the same matter we couldn’t seem to agree on over the years. ‘But darling, why have you chosen to go through the whole stress when you could just take up your dad's offer and join us in the family business?’ ‘Mum!’. I knew she would find a way to bring in dad. I took the last sip of my hot chocolatey coffee and wiped my lips gently taking care not to smear my red lipstick. ‘Bye, Mum. Wish me well.’ I said kissing her gently on her right cheek. Her lips were pouted in disapproval. ‘Take care.’ She called out as I shut the door behind me. Mum's short visit saved me the stress of getting a cab as I had the option of driving her car. My dad owns a winery in Brighton. It is his pride, of course, after his family. It was only a small winery and didn’t produce much revenue as dad’s main customers were local supermarkets in the area. We weren’t the influential kind of rich but we were comfortable and could afford to spend on a few luxury materials. He wanted me to take over the affairs of the business so he could retire but I had bigger plans for myself than to sit in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I pulled over in the parking lot of the huge glass building and stepped out. I could feel some shivers run down my spine. ‘This is it.’ I said aloud to myself. Taking a deep breath, I adjusted my skirt and did a final check on my face and lipstick. With the confidence and aura of a boss, I walked into the company. It looked even more fabulous than I had imagined. I could picture myself sitting behind a screen in one of the fancy offices with a steamy cup of my favorite coffee by my office desk. Gosh! It felt dreamy. ‘Good morning, Ma'am. Welcome to Tyler's Business Firm. How may I be of help to you?’ Jolting back to reality, I looked up and my eyes graced a beautiful young lady with fragile-looking eyes. Her welcoming smiles and friendly aura which she gave off made all my anxieties disappear in an instant. ‘Good morning. I’m Olivia. Olivia Rodrigo. I’m here for the job interview.’ I said forcing a nervous smile. ‘Oh!’ She turned to look through the screen of the computer before her. ‘Miss Rodrigo, it seems to me that there must have been a mix-up. Did you say you got the confirmatory email?’ ‘Yes, of course, I did. Is there a problem?’ I inquired amidst the confusion. ‘I can’t seem to find that name in the list given to me.’ She looked muddled by the discovery. After checking through the list for what seemed like the umpteenth time, she turned up to face with me a disapproving look. ‘But since you claim to have gotten the email, it could probably be a mistake from Sylvia’s end. She’s the new secretary. I guess she’s still trying to get acquainted with her responsibilities. Up you go ma’am. Floor 14. First office by your right.’ For a moment, it felt as though my heart resumed its activities. I could swear that it had stopped breathing a while ago. ‘Thank you so much. You don’t know how relieved I am by this. I’m utterly grateful.’ I said with my most genuine smile. ‘Good luck, Olivia.’ ‘Thank you. I could really use a million of that.’ I replied immediately half running towards the elevator. ‘So far, so good.’ I said to myself as I stepped into the waiting elevator. I tried my best to keep my breath steady as I walked into the well-furnished room. The room was a large one, measuring about 400 Square ft. The mixture of two very distinct smells saturated the air; shoe polish and cologne. Although the window blinds were on, it felt as though the room was too illuminated but my eyes adjusted to the brightness after a while of squinting. The walls were painted a teal color from top to bottom save for the wall facing the city which was made of shatterproof glass. One could easily tell from the layout of the office that it the décor had been handled by a professional who was good at what he does. Next to the only door was an empty coat rack which looked as exquisite as the other contents of the office. Across the desk was a young man in a tuxedo staring at his computer as though nothing else in the world mattered. ‘Do have a seat, ma’am.’ He didn’t raise his head to see who walked in. Quietly pulling out the leather chair opposite the table, I sat upright and crossed my ankles with my hands interlocked on my lap. I didn’t want to distract this handsome young man who from the confusion on his face, was having a hard time unraveling what was behind the screen. From time to time, I would suppress the urge to hum the song I listened to on my drive here which was now registered in my subconscious. After what seemed like ages, he raised his head and our eyes met for the first time. His almond-shaped eyes looked so cold and lifeless. I could feel my spirit grow dim as those eyes made me feel uneasy. He leaned forward, ‘I'm sorry for taking too much of your time. It’s just this project that I can’t seem to get my head around. Never mind. I shouldn’t bore you. And you are?’ ‘Olivia Rodrigo, sir.’ I sounded as confident as I could sound. Mum says it’s a trick to hiding fear. I just hope I sounded convincing enough. ‘Did you say Rodrigo? Isn’t there a kind of mix-up?’ In an instant, my mind flashed back to my encounter with the receptionist. My heart skipped. ‘I’m oblivious of what’s going on, Sir. I got a confirmatory email for the interview two days ago. That’s why I’m here. Is there a problem with my file?’ My question remained unanswered as he was engrossed with the intercom; probably calling security on me. ‘Yes? ‘Come to my office immediately.’ He dropped the receiver and turned to his screen without paying me any attention. Barely two minutes later, I heard approaching footsteps grow louder and turned to see who had been called to salvage the situation. ‘Hey, Stan. I don’t remember us concluding that Miss Rodrigo should be interviewed for this position. I thought we agreed on the Brent guy. Would you mind explaining why she’s here for the interview?’ That name brought back memories I had buried in the deepest part of me. I constantly reminded myself that I left all that life in the past but I knew it was all a fallacy. It couldn’t be. There’s no way Stan would work here. I’ve not heard from him since I left our small hometown in Brighton but London is definitely the last place he’d ever be. He despised the thought of living here. The whole bustle and hustle didn’t sit well with him. The argument continued. I got pissed. Such pride. They couldn’t even ask me to excuse them before ironing out their issues. Lifting my head to see who was summoned in, I met the greatest shock. ‘I'll be just outside the door, excuse me.’ I murmured incoherently. Grasping my bag, I walked as fast as my legs could hold me fighting back the tears forming a pond in my eyes. I knew better than to portray weakness. Dad raised his dolls to be strong-spirited; ready to fight back and not some crybaby with princess behaviors. I walked as fast as my legs could carry me in search of a restroom for quiet, peace, and relief. Multiple thoughts wandered through my mind as I hastily made it down the hallway. Finally finding the ladies' restroom, I flung open the door and made for the mirror. I grasped the edge of the sink with both hands afraid that my legs might fail me. I could barely recognize the face I saw staring at me in the mirror. My bright eyes looked dim as they struggled to hold back my tears. My cheeks had lost their glow. Out of my control, my mind flipped back into the years. One. Two. Three. Four. Four years back. I was sprinting into my room, hot tears running down my cheeks. I dashed past Ella who was holding two glasses of champagne, almost emptying the contents on her lovely, blue, lacey dinner gown. Tracy was the only close friend I remember having. She was the one person who knew everything about me and yet she had used my greatest fears and passion against me. The feeling of betrayal which I felt changed gradually until all I could feel was anger and bitterness. Drifting back to the present, I stared blankly at the image in the mirror. ‘You've got this. You’ve got this.’ I reassured myself. I reached a wiper in my bag which I had dropped on the floor during my frenzy, and adjusted my makeup which had been smeared by my tears. ‘Just breathe, save your thoughts for later. You can’t do this here.’ I coached myself. Stepping out with a new energy, I walked down the hallway towards the office. I couldn’t help but wonder what Stan would be doing in this company. He was never the office type of guy, not to mention being in London. ‘Save your thoughts for later.’ I reminded myself again. I needed to be in my right state of mind to face the duo in the office. ‘What’s the point of going back in there?’ I had a second thought. Obviously I wasn’t the right pick for the interview. I’m not about to go back in there and face another bout of argument from the two proud-headed folks in there. I might be going back to Brighton after all. I shrugged. I guess I can’t run away from what I’m meant to be.