GOLD, GLASS AND US

CHAPTER 2 - THE EXPECTED BECOMES UNEXPECTED

(It’s a new day in Chloe’s room. Her alarm rings 6:00am indicating to her that it’s time to start her day. She slowly opens her eyes until she can see the whole room properly. She says her usual morning prayer, then gets up to get ready for work.

After taking her shower, she goes into her huge walk-in closet to pick out an outfit for the day, when her phone rings suddenly)

(Over the phone)

Chloe - Heyyy girl (She says excitedly)

Zara - Hey bestie, good morning. What’s up?

Chloe - Well, I could say fine or I could say I think I’m slowly going crazy.

Zara - Hold on babes, what’s this your talking about . What’s the problem? (Zara asks with much concern)

Is it those crazy cramps again?

Chloe - (Chuckles slightly) No Zar, it’s not that.

Thing is . . . (She goes quiet)

Zara - Hello? Chloe, c’mon spill it

Chloe - Umm, let’s meet up for lunch today, I’ll tell you then

Zara - C’mon! Why not just tell me now.

Chloe - I’m running late Zar, see you at lunch, byeeeee. (She hangs up immediately)

(Chloe flings her phone on the bean bag chair at the corner of her walk-in closet

(She lets out a sigh, then shakes her head trying to pull herself together.)

(Chloe walks towards the scent corner of her closet.

Each glass shining in such a way that it reflects the irregular but unique shapes of the bottles. She goes for her favorite four scents and sprays them one after the other, leaving behind a strong-flowery mist which filled up the whole room.)

(She grabbed her purse, which contained all her work and female essentials—headed out and stepped into the back seat of her black, shiny Roll Royce……….. With her driver in the front seat)

“Good day madam”, (her driver greeted)

Chloe - Good morning Mr. Benson. (She replied firmly) The office please.

Mr. Benson - Sure ma.

* * * * *

(Chloe stepped out of her sleek black car, the early morning sun glinting off the glass walls of her company’s headquarters. The building stood tall and imposing, a reflection of everything she had built from the ground up. Employees moved in and out through the revolving doors, their voices blending into a soft hum of activity.)

(As soon as she walked in, the atmosphere shifted—not tense, but respectful. People greeted her with warm smiles.)

“Good day, ma’am.”

“Morning, madam.”

(She nodded, offering small smiles in return. She knew most of them by name, and that mattered to her.)

Chloe - Good morning, Alexis. How’s your daughter? (she asked as she passed a young man at the reception.)

(His face lit up)

Alexis - She’s better now, thank you so much ma’am. (He smiled)

(Chloe gave a small nod and continued walking, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floor. Despite her wealth and position as CEO, she carried herself with calm confidence rather than arrogance)

(Inside her office, sunlight streamed through the wide windows, casting a warm glow over her desk. Files were neatly arranged, and her laptop was already open, waiting—Clearly, her office assistant had done his job that morning.)

Work began almost immediately.

A dispute between two departments.

A budget inconsistency.

An employee complaint.

Chloe listened carefully during each meeting, her expression focused but fair.

“I don’t care who’s senior here,” she said calmly during one discussion, folding her hands on the table. “If something is wrong, it’s wrong. We fix it. Together.”

Her tone wasn’t harsh, but it carried weight. No one argued.

That was Chloe—kind, but firm. Fair, but not easily swayed.

It’s Noon. The office buzzed around her, Chloe leaned back in her chair for just a moment. Her mind wasn’t on contracts or meetings.It was on him, Dylan.

Her best friend. Her safe place. The one person who had always been constant in her chaotic world.

And suddenly . . . someone she didn’t think of as just her ‘Best Friend’

Chloe’s phone buzzed.

Zara - You better not cancel lunch again or I will come drag you out myself.

(Chloe smiled softly)

* * * * *

They met at their usual spot—a quiet rooftop restaurant, far enough from the chaos but close enough to feel alive.

Zara was already there, sunglasses perched dramatically on her nose like always.

Zara - You’re late! (sipping her drink.)

Chloe - I’m two minutes late.

Zara - Which is late (unimpressed)

(Chloe sat down, but Zara was already studying her.)

Zara - You’re hiding something.

Chloe - (sighed) Can I at least order first?

Zara - No.

(That made Chloe laugh softly, but it didn’t last long.

She picked at the edge of her napkin, something she only did when she was nervous.)

Chloe - I think . . . (she hesitated, then forced it out) I think I’m starting to fall in love with Dylan.

(Zara froze. Not shocked, just . . . very, very attentive.)

Zara - . . . Oh.

(Chloe let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.)

Chloe - I don’t even know when it started. It’s just—everything feels different now. When he smiles, when he talks to me . . . it’s not the same anymore.

Zara - (Gently.) And that’s a bad thing?

Chloe - I don’t know (She admitted.) What if I ruin everything? What if he doesn’t feel the same?

(Zara leaned back, thinking.)

Zara - And where does Derek fit into all this?

(Chloe’s expression hardened instantly.)

Chloe - He doesn’t!

Zara - Your mum clearly thinks he does. (She shrugs slightly)

Chloe - (Rolls her eyes.) He’s arrogant, entitled, and I can’t stand him. But she’s convinced he’s ‘perfect.’

(Zara sighed.)

Zara - Look . . . I’m going to be honest with you.

(Chloe nodded.)

Zara - You should go to the dinner.

(Chloe blinked. “What?”)

Zara - Hear me out (she said quickly)

Your mum isn’t going to drop this overnight. If you refuse outright, it’ll just become a bigger issue. Go, keep it civil . . . but you have to tell her soon that you’re not interested.

(Chloe looked unconvinced.)

Chloe - And Dylan?

(Zara’s expression softened.)

Zara - That’s a different conversation. One you can’t avoid forever.

* * * * *

(By evening, Chloe had buried herself back in work. Dylan called in to check on her)

(Over the phone)

Dylan - Don’t tell me you’re overworking again.

Chloe - And you’re over caring again. (she shot back.)

(He chuckled softly).

Dylan - You love it.

(She did.)

(Their conversation was easy. Light, effortless, familiar. The kind that made everything else fade into the background.

But now, Chloe noticed things she hadn’t before.)

The way his voice calmed her

The way her heart reacted.

It made leaving harder than it should’ve been.

Dylan - Dinner? (He asked casually)

Chloe - With Derek (she said flatly.)

(Dylan’s smile faded slightly. )

Dylan - Oh.

(Silence lingered for a second too long.)

You’ll be fine. (he said eventually.)

(Chloe nodded, though something about his tone unsettled her.)

* * * * *

At home, her mother was practically glowing with excitement.

Mrs. Anderson - You look stunning (Adjusting Chloe’s dress) Derek is from a very good family. This could be important for us.

(Chloe forced a small smile). “It’s just dinner, Mum.”

Mrs. Anderson - Exactly! (she said, beaming.) Just dinner.

* * * * *

(The restaurant was elegant. Quiet. Controlled.

Derek was already seated. He stood when she approached, flashing a charming smile that didn’t reach his eyes.)

Derek - Chloe. Finally.

(She sat down, already uneasy.)

(The conversation started normally enough—surface-level, polite. But it didn’t stay that way. As the evening went on, Derek became . . . different.— More forceful. More entitled.)

(His comments grew uncomfortable. His tone sharper.)

(Chloe shifted in her seat.)

Chloe - I think I should go.

Derek - Already? (he said, smiling—but it wasn’t kind.)

(Something in her chest tightened.)

Chloe - I have work early tomorrow (she said, standing.)

(He stood too close.)

Derek - You’re not leaving yet.

(Her heart started to race.)

Chloe - Derek, move.

(He didn’t . . . What followed was a moment Chloe would wish she could erase.

His behavior crossed a line. And Chloe reacted. She pushed him away. Hard.)

Chloe - Don’t touch me! (she said, her voice shaking with fear, but firm.)

(She didn’t wait. She left.)

* * * * *

(By the time she got home, she was shaking.

Not from fear anymore—but from the aftermath.)

(Her mother called from the living room)

Mrs. Anderson - How was it?

(Chloe froze.)

Chloe - . . . Fine, she said, her voice barely holding.

(She went straight to her room and locked the door tightly. She leaned on the door for a while, zoning out of real time for a few minutes)

(And for the first time in a long time—Chloe didn’t feel powerful. She felt small.)

* * * * *

(The next day, she couldn’t focus. Everything felt distant—Wrong . . . It took hours before she finally did what she should’ve done immediately; She went to Zara.)

. . .

(Zara didn’t ask questions at first. She just looked at Chloe and knew something was wrong.

Zara - Hey, (she said softly) What happened?

(Chloe tried to speak. Nothing came out. Then suddenly—Everything did

Through broken sentences, tears, and silence in-between, Chloe told her.)

(Zara didn’t interrupt. She didn’t judge)

(Chloe took it slow)

(When Chloe finished, Zara moved closer and wrapped her in a tight hug)

Zara - I’m so sorry, (she whispered) you didn’t deserve that. Not even for a second.

(Chloe broke down completely then)

Chloe - I didn’t know what to do, (she said) I still don’t.

(Zara pulled back slightly, holding her shoulders)

Zara - Listen to me, (she said firmly but gently) What happened is not something you have to carry alone.

(Chloe looked at her, eyes red)

Zara - You need to tell your mum. She deserves to know the truth, and you deserve to be protected.

Chloe - (Hesitantly) I don’t want to make things worse.

(Zara shook her head)

Zara - Keeping quiet is what makes it worse.

(Silence settled between them—but it wasn’t empty. It was the kind that came before something important.)

(Zara squeezed her hand) “I’m here. No matter what.”

(And for the first time since the night before, Chloe believed she wasn’t alone.)