Tangled destinies

CHAPTER FOUR

BRAVE DECISION

Tessie awoke to the unpleasant knowledge that she had missed her alarm on a critical Monday morning. She rubbed her sleep-deprived eyes and cursed herself for waking up late on a Monday morning. It was a busy day for the office, as a new manager was scheduled to take over from the retiring manager. Time was of the essence.

Tessie was exhausted, but she didn't want to waste any more time, She hurried to the bathroom and slipped into the shower. The cold water washed away the sleep and refreshed her senses. She scrubbed her body as quickly as she could, trying to make up for her delayed start.

Wrapping a towel around her body, Tessie reached for her smartphone and attempted to hail an Uber. She tapped impatiently at the screen of her phone in an effort to arrange a timely and efficient transportation to the office, her tangled hair clinging to her wet skin, showing how messy her morning has been so far.

When the Uber showed up at her place, Tessie jumped into the car with her shoes in her hands. She decided not to put on her shoes, wearing them in the car will save her some precious seconds she thought with a pounding heart as she jumped into the car, not even bothering to fasten her seatbelt.

As the car speed through the early morning traffic, Tessie's mind raced with a lot of thoughts considering the implications of meeting her new boss while looking far from her best made her embarrassed inwardly, but her main concern was avoiding being late. The arrival of a new manager marked a significant shift in the workplace culture. Rumors suggest that the new manager does not tolerate mediocrity and has no room for lateness. He is said to be a mingy person.

minutes passed quickly, each car and light passing by adding to Tessie's stress. She kept checking the time on her phone, telling it to slow down. As her Uber drew up to the office building, after what felt like enternity, Finally, the car stopped in front of the huge building that housed Tessia's office. She reached for her bag and stepped off the car while muttering what sounded like a thank you to the driver. One final glance at her reflection in a nearby storefront window confirmed her worst fears: her hair was all over the place, her face was bare and clothing that screamed of her hasty exit from home.

With a deep breath and a permanent mental reminder to set multiple alarms in the future,Tessie walked into the office and was met with a lot of stares and comments from her colleagues. It seemed like everyone was already expecting the new boss to show up soon. She hurriedly went to her desk and started arranging her files for the day, suddenly she heard Jessica voice approaching her " hey baby girl, seem someone woke up late today".

" Good morning Jess " Tessie greeted while raising her face to look at Jessica.

" Sweet Jesus! baby girl , you look like a nightmare" Jessica teased, looking at Tessie for a second she continued "Let's go see what we can do with this hair of yours, the new boss will arrive in thirty minutes, that's enough time for you to settle down".

" Thanks babes, you are an angel " Tessie said as she followed Jessica to the restroom.

" I know " Jessica replied with a smile then rushed to hair desk to get her hand bag containing few makeup items.

" You look exquisite today, are you sure you don't have other motives ?" Tessie playfully hinted as Jessica returned with her bag.

" I heard he is young and rude, he's not my type " Jessica proudly said.

With a surprising tune Tessie asked " What's your type of man, miss Jess ?"

" Men on their late forty's, honey " Jessica fired back with a cat_walk

" You are joking right ?"

" No love, a sugar daddy..hahaha"

" Nathan must hear this " Tessie said while laughing.

They got to the restroom where Jessica removed one band from her hair and used it to hold Tessie's hair is a ponytail form, she applied eyeshadow palette, powder and lipstick on Tessie's face making her look better than she looked earlier.

" There we go " Jessica said satisfied with the outcome.

" Thanks jess, let me go and arrange my desk now before our grumpy boss arrives " Tessie announced as she worked out of the restroom feeling more confident in herself.

After putting things in order, she looked at her phone's clock and saw she still had ten minutes before the arrival of her new boss so decided to utilize this little opportunity to eat something. She rushed to the staff cafeteria and ordered a plate of fried egg sandwich with fresh orange juice. She would never miss her breakfast for anything in the world. She was eating her sandwich when the company alarm went off, indicating the arrival of the new boss. As custom demands, all they workers will have to line up and welcome the new boss.

She continued munching on her food quickly, she would probably join others later if there was need for it, the company having over 300 employees won't notice her absence.

" Are you not coming to welcome the new boss ?" The canteen manager asked her

" I....I will, I am right behind you " she replied knowing fully well that she won't stand up from the table without finishing her meal.

Few seconds after the employees stood in a neat line, waiting for their new boss to arrive, the atmosphere was filled with fear and curiosity. The only person who was not part of the line was Tessie, who had been absorbed in her breakfast. A black Cadillac Escalade arrived at the entrance to the company headquarters, closely accompanied by a robust SUV which beared his security guards. The security personnels disembarked from the SUV immediately the ignition was turned off, they jumped forward and opened the door of the Escalade.

What happened next was something that left everyone speechless, as the car door opened a young, gorgeous man who oozed confidence and charm stepped out. It was a shock to everyone who had expected him to be an older version of himself. The employees' collective gasps showed how surprised they were at the stark contrast between what they had expected and what was actually happening. He was dressed all in black and had a smart suit that showed off his chiseled jawline. He had perfect hair and gorgeous eyes that captures everyone's attention making them want to stare at him. He had an aura of strength and magnetism that filled the air with electricity.

" Welcome sir, we are happy to have you here" said the acting manager who stretched out his hand for a handsake.

" Why are you not on uniform " the new boss asked the acting manager ignoring the handsake.

" Sir, I can explain" the acting manager said with embarrassment on his face.

" Pick up your things and go home, you are suspended" the new boss interrupted. " There is no explanation for being stupid ".

Whispers and murmurs rippled through the hall, as the new boss just surprised them even more. They liked what they saw because the acting manager always bullied the workers and they hated him. " He got what he deserves" they whispered among themselves.

" You can't be a good leader when you have no discipline in you, he can wear jeans to such a big company because he thinks he is in charge. A lot of things a bound to change from this day onward" the new boss addressed the crowd of employees. He made his way to the escalator when an employee asked with fear " what is your name sir ?"

He turned and looked at the employee who was already feeling damned " Mr woods, Mr Kai woods