What If?

Chapter 5 - Corporate Slave

A faint smirk played on Glenn’s lips. His eyes tracked the retreating back of the girl the new intern at his dad’s company who had just bolted toward the employee elevators with a face as red as a lobster.

"Welcome to hell, kid. Let's see if you can even last in this circus," Glenn muttered under his breath, completely throwing shade. To him, the Ellsworth Group skyscraper was nothing more than a gilded cage packed with fake-ass people.

"Damn, look who actually tried today. What's with the fit? You trying to flex on the cubicle crowd, or are you just trying to look pretty so the older ladies on the board will carry you?"

That painfully familiar, incredibly annoying voice made Glenn look over with a lazy roll of his eyes. Jerry had appeared out of nowhere, walking up in a sharp, tailored suit with a stack of thick documents cradled in his arm.

Glenn let out a scoff, giving his best friend a slow look from head to toe. "Look at you, though. You’re wrapped up so tight you look like you’re attending your own funeral. And please, why the hell would I waste my time trying to flex in a retirement home like this?"

Jerry chuckled, completely unfazed by the dig. "Hey, just thought you might need a sugar mommy to keep you from losing your mind over your inauguration today. So, what's the move? You ready to officially become your old man’s legal slave, or should I call an ambulance for you right now?"

"Or better yet, you want me to pre-order a funeral wreath?" Jerry teased, stepping up right next to Glenn as they both waited for the executive elevator doors to slide open.

Glenn let out a short snort, glancing lazily at the thick stack of documents in Jerry’s hands. "Do it. Just make sure it says, 'RIP to Glenn Ellsworth’s freedom.' Like, what the hell is my dad thinking, forcing me to be the Head of Internal Audit anyway? Talk about a waste of time."

Jerry let out a dry chuckle, leaning his shoulder against the wall near the elevator. "Bro, reality check. Would you rather have all your assets frozen and end up as some high-fashion homeless guy on the sidewalk? Plus, this position actually slaps. You basically get to play cop and legally mess with the board's projects whenever you want. Even your old man's."

"Oh, so you're saying I should be grateful for a job that’s basically asking for a headache every damn day?" Glenn shot back, staring up at the elevator floor indicator with a faint, sarcastic smirk.

Honestly, he was completely sick of being under his father’s thumb. Glenn knew damn well that until the end of time, he and that old man would never see eye to eye. This position was nothing but a trap to tie him down to the Ellsworth Group.

"Just hang tight, man, you're just waiting for the right time to clap back," Jerry said, clapping Glenn on the shoulder a bit hard. His tone shifted, getting a little more serious but keeping it chill. "Don't sweat it, I got your back. Whether you stay sane or completely lose your mind because of your dad, I'm riding with you."

"Great. Welcome to the underworld, Jer. At least if I’m going to hell, I’m not going alone," Glenn said flatly, though there was a deep, unspoken trust in his words for his best friend.

Ding!

The chrome-plated executive elevator finally came to a halt, and the doors slid wide open.

"After you, sir! Please, enjoy your gilded cage, Young Master," Jerry mocked with a theatrical, over-the-top formality, stepping in first with Glenn right on his heels.

But just as the doors began to slide shut, a sudden, swift movement caught the sensor. The elevator automatically detected an obstruction as a slender leg, rockin' a pair of bright, popping red high heels, abruptly wedged itself between the closing doors.

The doors instantly recoiled and swung wide open again.

A woman stepped inside with absolute confidence. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a sleek, tight updo, exposing her long neckline and a pair of high-end luxury earrings. Her piercing, greyish-green eyes immediately locked onto them, throwing a sharp, seductive gaze their way.

Her look was a total head-turner. She was wearing a skin-tight, chili-red dress that hugged her curves flawlessly, paired with a matching cropped blazer featuring a square neckline. It gave off a high-fashion yet incredibly bold vibe.

"Ugh, I seriously hate waiting for the elevator. It’s a total waste of my time, you know?" she whined dramatically the second she stepped inside.

Without a hint of awkwardness, she slid right into the middle, effectively splitting Glenn and Jerry apart.

"Hey, Jerry," she greeted, giving him a flirty little wave.

Glenn let out a heavy sigh, trying his absolute best not to roll his eyes. Gwen. The twenty-seven-year-old, who was three years his senior always managed to find a way to pop up wherever he went.

Before Glenn could even take a step back to create some distance, Gwen made her move. She swiftly hooked her arm through his, clinging to him tightly and leaning her weight against his side.

Glenn let out a frustrated grunt, trying to shake her off with a subtle jerk of his arm. No dice. Gwen only tightened her grip, locking her arm in place and refusing to let go, as if Glenn were her personal property. The elevator doors finally slid shut, trapping the three of them in a silence that was rapidly draining the last of Glenn’s patience.

"What are you even doing here? Don't you have anything better to do?" Glenn asked sarcastically, giving Gwen a side-eye full of pure annoyance.

"Aren't you supposed to be busy on your movie set? Last I checked, your schedule was packed or did you finally get canceled and kicked out of the entertainment industry?"

Gwen let out a light, airy laugh. It sounded incredibly graceful yet painfully annoying to Glenn's ears. She casually adjusted her red cropped blazer without even thinking about letting go of Glenn’s arm.

"Oh my god, Glenn, why are you being such a brat to your own girlfriend?" Gwen cooed with an over-the-top, whiny tone.

Hearing that word, Glenn’s brows instantly knit together. He shot Gwen a look of absolute disgust.

Girlfriend? Since when the hell am I dating you?

Glenn cursed internally. He was completely repulsed by the idea, there was zero chance he’d ever date an older woman who was literally three years ahead of him.

"Stop tripping. Who the hell are you calling your boyfriend?" Glenn snapped coldly, violently jerking his arm back until Gwen's grip completely broke loose.

Jerry, who was standing in the corner of the elevator, immediately clamped his hand over his mouth, trying his absolute best not to burst out laughing at the epic scene unfolding right in front of him.

Realizing he needed to defuse the situation before Glenn actually lost his mind, Jerry finally let out a low cough to clear his throat.

"Hate to break it to you, Ma'am, mmm, I mean, Miss Gwen. There's no ribbon-cutting or champagne popping today. Glenn's inauguration is just a closed-door document signing with his old man upstairs," Jerry cut in, playing it as polite as possible, though his tone definitely carried a teasing edge.

Gwen snapped her head toward him, giving Jerry a major death stare. "Ugh, Jerry! Why the hell do you keep calling me Ma'am? Are you trying to say I look old, huh?" Gwen barked back, completely offended.

"Just showing some respect, Miss..." Jerry shrugged, fighting back a smirk.

"Cut the crap. We’re literally around the same age, there's barely a difference!" Gwen snapped, throwing her hands on her hips in frustration.

Sure, deep down, Gwen had to admit that Glenn and Jerry were exactly the kind of handsome younger guys she totally fell for, but there was no way in hell she’d tolerate a title that made her sound like someone's mom.

Brushing Jerry off, Gwen turned her focus back to Glenn, her eyes gleaming with that same deep, obsessive look. "And I don't give a damn what kind of meeting it is. I just wanted to make sure you know, Glenn, that I’ll always be the first one in your corner."

Ding!

The executive elevator doors finally slid open on the top floor the exclusive penthouse level that served as the throne room for Ellsworth Group’s highest board members. Glenn instantly took long, heavy strides out of the elevator, completely ghosting Gwen, utterly grateful to finally escape that cramped cage.

Jerry kept pace right beside him, while Gwen trailed close behind, forcing herself to maintain her graceful, high-fashion strut.

As they walked down the quiet yet intimidating corridor, Glenn’s pace slowed right in front of the massive double doors leading to his dad’s office. Standing guard outside were four buff guys in sleek, pitch-black suits, complete with earpieces, keeping watch with stiff, hyper-vigilant stares.

Glenn completely stopped in his tracks, letting out a scoff before laughing in disbelief. It was a mocking laugh, deliberately thrown right in the guards' faces.

"The extra-ness is insane," Glenn jeered, shaking his head lazily. "You’d think the world was going to war or something, and it’s literally just to sign some papers."

Jerry could only let out a resigned sigh, way too used to his best friend’s zero-filter mouth.

Without waiting for anyone to open the door for him, Glenn aggressively pushed the double doors wide open and barged right in. He desperately wanted to get this ridiculous business over with.

Inside the massive, ultra-luxurious office, the Big Boss himself Mr. Ellsworth was already seated authoritatively behind his desk. Standing right by his chair was Luther, his right-hand man and head of personal security, who stared coldly with his hands tightly clasped behind his back.

With zero hesitation, zero knocking, and absolutely no formal greeting, Glenn walked straight up to his father’s desk. He shoved both hands into his pockets, staring down his old man with a chill, defiant expression.

"What’s the agenda today, Big Boss?" Glenn shot from the hip, his tone dripping with pure cynicism.

Hearing that greeting, his dad’s jaw instantly clenched. He fired a cold, piercing death stare straight back at Glenn. The room was suddenly choked by a heavy, freezing atmosphere. Internally, his father was absolutely fuming, seeing his own flesh and blood show zero respect and absolutely no corporate etiquette in front of him.

"Watch your mouth, Glenn. You're here as the Head of Audit, not some street thug," his father replied, his deep voice heavy with restrained anger, trying to keep his temper in check since Jerry and Gwen were in the room.

Glenn just raised an eyebrow carelessly, completely unfazed. "Stop wasting time. Just get straight to the point what do I need to do so I can get the hell out of here?"

With a heavy, annoyed sigh, his father finally slid a thick document folder across the desk, stopping right in front of Glenn.

"Sign here. After that, you officially take command of Internal Audit," his dad commanded coldly. "I have an important meeting with the Board of Directors from this morning until this afternoon. So, your first task today is to get out on the floor."

The old man leaned back in his chair, giving Glenn a judging look. "As the Head of Internal Audit, you need to personally monitor the operations downstairs.

Check on how the new staff in the Officer division are performing. I don't care how you do it, just make sure everything is up to standard and nobody makes a fatal mistake on day one."

Glenn glanced flatly at the folder. With zero interest, he snatched the luxury pen off the desk and quickly scribbled his signature like total chicken scratch, without even reading a single word of the document.

The second he lifted the pen, he carelessly tossed the folder back into the middle of the desk.

"Done. Congrats, Big Boss, you officially have a licensed slave now. Fine, monitor the Officer division. I'll just treat it like a morning stroll," Glenn said dismissively.

Without even saying goodbye, Glenn pivoted on his heel in one swift motion and took long strides out of that godforsaken office, desperately trying to dodge Gwen, who was already gearing up to cling to him again.

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