Chapter Four: Thirty Days
985 Words
Sophia Carter's POV
Thirty days. That was all I had left. Thirty mornings walking through the revolving doors of Blackwood Holdings. Thirty evenings leaving long after everyone else had gone home. Thirty days before I became a stranger to the place that had consumed three years of my life.
I told myself it would be easy. All I had to do was finish my work, train my replacement, and leave. Simple.
At least, that was what I kept repeating every time my heart threatened to believe otherwise.
---
The executive floor was unusually busy. Human Resources had already begun interviewing candidates for my position. Every hour another hopeful applicant arrived, each dressed impeccably and carrying a polished résumé.
Each of them believed they were applying to become the CEO's secretary. None of them understood what the job actually demanded.
I watched one candidate leave Ethan's office after less than five minutes. She looked as though she'd survived a natural disaster.
The HR manager hurried toward me. "Miss Carter."
"Yes?"
"Would you mind sitting in on the next interview?"
I frowned. "I'm not part of Human Resources."
"I know." She smiled awkwardly.
"But Mr. Blackwood rejected the first six applicants in under an hour."
"Six?"
"He said one talked too much, another answered too slowly, one wasn't organized enough, and two couldn't keep up with his questions."
"What about the sixth?"
The woman sighed.
"She knocked before entering."
I blinked.
"...Isn't that normal?"
"Apparently she waited three seconds before coming in."
I stared at her. For a moment, I wasn't sure whether she was joking. She wasn't.
---
The seventh applicant entered confidently. Twenty-eight years old. Excellent qualifications. Fluent in four languages. She answered every question flawlessly.
When the interview ended, Ethan looked toward me. "What do you think?"
Both the candidate and the HR manager turned to me. I hadn't expected to be asked. I glanced at the young woman.
"She's capable."
Ethan remained expressionless. "But?"
I hesitated. "She'll do well as an executive assistant." "Not as your secretary."
The room fell silent. The candidate forced a smile.
"May I ask why?"
I offered her an apologetic look. "Because working for Mr. Blackwood isn't simply about organizing meetings." "It's about anticipating problems before they happen." "You have to know what he needs before he asks." "You have to remain calm when everyone else is panicking." "You have to understand his schedule well enough to recognize when he's overworking himself." "And sometimes..." I smiled faintly. "You have to remind him he's human."
The candidate nodded slowly. "I don't think anyone can do all that."
Neither do I. The thought remained inside my head.
Ethan dismissed everyone a moment later. As the office emptied, he spoke without looking away from the city skyline.
"You've made this job unnecessarily complicated."
A quiet laugh escaped me. "No." I looked around his office. "I simply learned what made yours easier."
He didn't respond.
---
That afternoon, Oliver stopped by my desk carrying two cups of coffee.
"Take a break."
"I have invoices to finish."
"They'll still be there in ten minutes."
I accepted the coffee with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
He leaned casually against my desk. "So..."
"So?"
"How are you really doing?"
I looked down at the steaming cup in my hands. "I'm fine."
"Liar."
I laughed softly. "You sound just like Chairman Blackwood."
"That's because both of us can see the obvious."
He studied me for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"
"You already are."
"Why now?"
There it was. The question everyone wanted answered. I stared through the glass walls of the executive floor. Employees hurried from office to office. Phones rang. Printers hummed. Business continued.
"I stayed longer than I should have." Oliver remained silent. "I kept believing things would change."
"And they didn't."
"No."
I smiled sadly. "They never even tried."
He didn't ask what I meant. Perhaps… He already knew.
---
Later that evening, Ethan's office phone rang while he was in a meeting.
I answered automatically.
"CEO's Office."
"Miss Carter?"
I recognized the warm voice immediately. "Chairman."
"I'd like Ethan to join me for dinner tonight."
"I'm afraid he has another meeting scheduled."
"I expected that."
Richard chuckled softly. "So let me guess." "He forgot to eat again."
I looked toward Ethan's closed office door. "...Yes." "And you've skipped lunch as well."
I smiled despite myself. "You always know."
"I've been watching the two of you for years." His voice became gentler. "Sophia."
"Yes, sir?"
"Don't lose yourself taking care of someone who doesn't yet understand what he's asking of you."
The words settled heavily in my chest. Before I could reply, the call ended. I remained frozen, the receiver still in my hand. Someone who doesn't yet understand...
Perhaps that was Ethan. Or perhaps… It was me.
---
It was nearly eight o'clock when Ethan finally stepped out of his office. He loosened his tie as he approached my desk.
"Have the applicants been informed?"
"Yes."
"Were any acceptable?"
"No."
A muscle in his jaw tightened. "I expected as much."
I handed him tomorrow's itinerary. "Your car is waiting downstairs."
He glanced at the schedule before looking back at me. "You stayed late again."
"I had work to finish."
"You could have left it."
The unexpected comment caught me off guard. For three years… He had never once suggested I go home early.
"I don't mind."
He studied me for a second. Then simply nodded. "Good night, Miss Carter."
"Good night, Mr. Blackwood."
I watched him disappear into the elevator. Only after the doors closed did I realize something. For the first time in three years… He had noticed that I stayed late.
It was a small thing. Far too small. But somehow… It hurt more than if he had noticed nothing at all. Because if he was only beginning to see me now… Then he had already lost me.
- Writer
