OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND

Emily’s POV Beep. Beep. Beep.... The alarm clock shrieked like it hated me. I slapped it off the nightstand as I stumbled out of bed. “Crap! Crap!” My heart leaped when I saw the time—7:43 a.m. I should’ve been out the door fifteen minutes ago. I sprinted to the bathroom, showered faster than a raindrop falls, and yanked a random dress from the wardrobe. It was a wrinkled navy-blue one I hadn't worn in months. “Oh, Mary—please let this dress behave today.” I grabbed my comb, trying to smooth out my hair with one hand while shoving my feet into my heels with the other. That’s when my phone rang, buzzing loudly against the marble vanity. Victor. I glanced at the mirror, gave myself the fastest pep talk in history, then snatched the phone and dashed out the door. Hush… I ran down the street like a woman possessed. Crack. My heel snapped. I crashed onto the pavement, knees first, palms skidding across rough concrete. Pain shot up my leg. “f**k!” I hissed, biting down on my lips as tears stung my eyes. People stopped and stared. No one helped. They just… stared. I pulled my coat tighter around me, hiding the dirt-stained hem of my dress and my bruised ankle. Holding my broken heel in one hand, I limped onward, now barefoot, desperate. Of course, I missed the bus. Panting, I waved down a taxi. The driver barely slowed before I threw myself into the back seat. “Apex Corporation. Please hurry.” The traffic, however, had no plans to cooperate. After ten minutes of crawling forward one foot at a time, I paid him and jumped out. I didn’t care if I looked like a madwoman—barefoot, limping, half-dressed, running. Finally, finally, the tall glass building came into view. Apex Corporation. I was three minutes late. I forced a smile as I entered the office and said, “Good morning!” Nobody responded. They kept typing, talking, laughing—like I was invisible. I whispered to myself, “They’re just busy. That’s all.” I shuffled to my desk on the third floor. The elevator ride felt like a death sentence. When the doors opened, the silence hit me like a brick wall. And I knew exactly why. There’s only one man who can summon that kind of quiet. The CEO. I froze mid-step. “Emily,” came his voice—smooth, cold, and sharp as ice. I turned slowly. “Y-Yes, sir?” “Are you finished with the documents I asked for yesterday?” His tone could’ve frozen fire. My lips trembled. “I… I didn’t realize you needed them this morning, sir.” His eyes narrowed. “So you’re deaf now? I distinctly told you—submit them first thing today.” “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll do them right away.” He lingered for a second, eyes boring into mine, then turned and walked away. The tension broke. But what replaced it was worse—colleagues glaring at me, voices rising. “You better finish all the documents on your desk before noon,” one of them barked. My eyes fell on the mountain of files dumped across my desk. Most of them weren’t even mine. I’d run a few errands for them before, and now I was apparently their assistant. Still, I nodded quietly and began arranging them. Not a single person asked why I was barefoot. No one asked why I looked like I hadn’t slept. No one cared. I sat down, heart heavy, eyes burning. I was just the errand girl. The invisible one. My phone buzzed again. Victor’s school. “Hello, Miss Emily?” a woman’s voice rang out. “This is Mrs. Gomez, calling about your brother, Victor Patel. He hasn’t been to school all week.” “What?” I shot up from my chair. “No, that’s not possible." He leaves the house early every morning!” “I know every one of my students, Miss. And Victor hasn’t been here. When he was attending, he wasn’t paying attention in class.” “That… that’s not like him,” I whispered. “It’s common in adolescents. But they need proper guidance at home.” “I understand,” I said, my voice hollow. “Thank you.” I ended the call, hand shaking. Everything I did—working long hours, enduring humiliation—was for Victor. I wanted him to have the life I never had. Was it all falling apart? I shook the thought of and returned to the documents. “Hey!” I turned. Elwan. Tall, loud, and delightfully cruel. “I need coffee,” she said with a smirk. “Go to Brew House and get me my usual.” “But I’m—” “You what?” she snapped. “You talking back now? You want me to show you your place?” Everyone looked at me again. My humiliation was their entertainment. I swallowed my pride, stood up barefoot, and left. Outside, the sun was scorching and the line at BrewHouse was endless. I didn’t have time for this. So I rushed to a small café two blocks away. It belonged to my friend, Tabitha, but she wasn’t around. Her employee, a kind girl named Rina, noticed my limp and concern. “You okay?” “Just need a hot coffee. Please.” She handed me the cup and even gave me her extra pair of flats. “You’re a lifesaver,” I said, near tears. When I returned to the office and reached Sandra’s desk, I placed the cup gently before her. “You better pray it’s good,” she sneered. She took a sip and immediately spat it back into the cup. “What the hell is this?” “I… it’s coffee,” I stammered. “Hot coffee? "Are you stupid?” she yelled. “I’m allergic to hot coffee!” Everyone looked again. Like eyes were daggers. Before I could react, her hand struck my cheek—hard. “Are you that dumb?” she yelled. “Don’t you know anything?” “I didn’t know you were allergic—” “Get out of my face.” I stumbled back to my desk, hand on my burning cheek. The laughter behind me felt louder than ever. But I didn’t cry. I focused. I had to finish those documents. By 11:58 a.m., I was done. I carried them to the CEO’s office and knocked softly. No response. I knocked again, then entered. He didn’t even look up from his laptop. “I’ve finished the documents, sir.” I placed them on his desk. As I turned to leave, his voice cut through the silence. “Wait.” I froze. He looked up slowly, gaze intense. For a moment, he didn’t speak—just stared. What now? What mistake had I made this time? His jaw tightened. “You can leave.” That was all. Relieved, I nearly ran out. The rest of the day passed in a blur. I kept my head down, finished my tasks, and didn’t speak unless spoken to. After work, I stopped at the store. I got groceries—milk, bread, and Victor’s favorite: vanilla and chocolate ice cream. He had loved those since he was seven. Maybe I've been distant lately. Too caught up in work. But from now on, I'll be more present. I had to be. It was nearly 8 p.m. when I turned down our street, plastic bags in hand. That’s when I saw him. Victor. At the corner. Standing with a group of older boys. Loud music, cigarettes, the stench of alcohol. And something worse. I walked closer, heart pounding. No. No, no, no. He held something in his hand. Powder. Pills. Something. He wasn’t just standing there. He was taking something. “Victor!” I shouted. He turned. Eyes bloodshot. Lips parted. Shock on his face. And I stopped breathing. My little brother. My whole world. Broken.