Delirious Joy
926 Words
Amanda's POV
I floated back to the Knight Industries tower in a state of delirious, beautiful shock.
The cold, logical part of my brain, the Beta part that handled logistics and avoided emotion was completely offline.
I was running on pure, unadulterated euphoria. Someone might think I'm having my sugar rush but they won't understand the feeling of having the fruit you sow be ready for eating.
It didn't matter that the marriage was an arrangement, a “strategic alliance.” All that mattered was the name, Scott Knight.
My years of silent devotion, the unwavering belief, the sacrifice of my own identity had all been worth it. My fate had finally aligned with my heart's deepest, most desperate wish.
I walked into my quiet little office and sank into my chair, feeling the professional leather suddenly transform into a velvet throne. I was going to be Mrs. Knight.
That alone makes my heart feel lighter.
I reached for my phone, instinctively wanting to share the news, but then stopped.
My parents had told me the negotiations were finalized this morning.
Scott hadn't said a word. Perhaps he wanted to tell me himself, in a grand, romantic gesture! I decided to wait.
I could already imagine him dropping his aloof face for once, taking me on a date and proposing to me but now I would play the role of the efficient secretary until he was ready to play the role of the passionate fiancé.
The hours blurred. I wasn't processing invoices; I was planning a lifetime. I imagined the wedding night not the sterile, humiliating acts of the future, but a scene of tender recognition.
He would finally look at me and acknowledge the depth of my commitment.
He would apologize for the distance and confess that he, too, had been waiting for the right moment to claim me.
I pictured the new dynamic no longer separated by the oak door, but sharing the same suite, the same bed, and finally, the same heart, love and happiness.
I even entertained the thought that my parents had orchestrated this precisely because they knew of my true feelings.
Perhaps they had seen my quiet loyalty to Scott and, for the first time ever, acted in my best interest.
The thought brought a lump to my throat, a sudden swell of filial love I hadn't felt since childhood.
Maybe they did care. Maybe they had simply been waiting for the right moment to reward their Beta daughter.
I even started thinking that maybe they probably treated me like that, so that I can stay strong on my own and learn how the world and business looks.
My phone rang, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. It was Scott. And just like that, my heart settled.
“Amanda,” he said, his voice slightly soft. That tone took me aback for a moment.
My spine straightened as I waited for him to say the magic word. I couldn't help but shake in my heels as he took more than a minute to answer. It made me think that he was nervous and preparing himself only for cold water to be poured on me when he questioned.
“Is the Milan file on my desk?”
My euphoria faltered slightly, but I quickly recovered. “Yes, Sir. And I covered your video conference with the Singapore team. Everything is fully briefed in your summary folder.”
“Good,” he said. There was a pause, and my heart hammered against my ribs. This is it. He's going to tell me.
“And Amanda,” he continued, “I need you to stay late tonight. I have a dinner commitment, but I need you to finalize the shareholder list for Friday's meeting. Don't leave until it's done.”
He hung up without another word.
My smile felt strained, but I held onto it.
He hadn't mentioned marriage. Of course not. He was serious about the merger. He wouldn't mix business with personal joy. But the request for me to stay late? That was almost an instruction in commitment! He needed me, even now.
I immersed myself in the shareholder list, but every name blurred into the silhouette of a wedding guest.
I remembered my Omega twin, Aurora. Even the joy was tinged with a brief sadness that she wouldn't be here to share it. She was still abroad, deep in her advanced studies. I had to call her. She would be the first to truly understand the depth of this miracle, having witnessed my devotion for seven years.
I checked the time difference. Too late to call her now; she would be asleep.
Soon, Aurora. When you return, I’ll be Mrs. Knight. And then, we will be happy again together after you find your life partner.
I was very happy because I could imagine us going on a double date.
The thought was sweet and absolute. I gathered the files, signed the last page, and placed the folder on Scott's desk, a final, perfect act of secretarial service before becoming his wife.
I walked out of the empty, cavernous office building, feeling the icy
November air less as a chill and more as a brilliant, bracing wind. The world, which had always seemed to diminish my worth, was finally acknowledging my victory.
I was chosen.
I was loved.
My life was about to begin.
The Beta’s reward was finally at hand.
- Writer
