What If?

Chapter 7 - Weird Girl & Psycho Boy

Glenn’s footsteps clicked rapidly against the floor, creating a hurried rhythm. He kept walking straight ahead without a single glance back, completely ignoring the shrill voice that had been echoing behind him for blocks.

Damn it, he was being hunted.

"Glenn!! Hold up, stop rushing!" Gwen whined. She was practically jogging just to keep up with his long strides, her breath already getting short. "Oh my god, seriously?! Why is he like totally ignoring me?!" she muttered to herself in frustration.

Glenn couldn’t care less. He kept walking straight, even though he could feel the curious stares of employees starting to sneak glances at them. To Glenn, dozens of judging eyes were nothing compared to the nuisance of the creature currently trailing him.

As soon as he reached the row of VIP elevators, Glenn impatiently mashed the up button over and over. But just a second before the chrome doors could slide open, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped tightly around his from behind. Gwen clung to him fiercely, as if Glenn were a priceless asset about to vanish the moment she let go.

Glenn let out an irritated scoff, his entire body tensing up from sheer discomfort. "Ugh, what the hell, Gwen? Let go of me!"

Glenn tried to shake her off, but Gwen only tightened her grip, shamelessly clinging to his arm.

"No way, I'm not letting go! I missed you, okay?!" Gwen argued stubbornly.

Glenn clicked his tongue in annoyance. Realizing it was useless, he glanced over to his side, glaring dead at Jerry, who was standing just two steps away. Instead of helping, his personal assistant was busy covering his mouth, shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Go cling to Jerry instead," Glenn snapped, giving Gwen a death stare. "Your perfume smells weird as hell. Like some old grandma's liniment oil."

Gwen immediately pouted and playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up, that's so rude! Are you doing this on purpose just so I'll kiss you?" Gwen threatened, leaning her face in close. Glenn instantly winced in disgust, pulling his head back as far as he possibly could.

Ding!

The moment the elevator doors slid open, Glenn caught Gwen off guard, ripped his arm away with all his might, and bolted inside like a flash.

"Ughhhhh!!!! GLENN!!! You are literally so annoying!" Gwen groaned from outside, stomping her foot in pure frustration.

"Excuse meeee..." Jerry said casually, brushing past Gwen with an obviously mocking tone as he stepped into the elevator.

But getting rid of Gwen wasn't going to be that easy. Before the elevator doors could automatically close, she quickly blocked the sensor, lunged inside, and harshly shoved Jerry’s shoulder until he stumbled into the corner. Gwen immediately reclaimed center stage, locking her arms around Glenn’s all over again.

"Bottom line is, I am not leaving your side. I don't care how much you try to ghost me, I'm still gonna chase you," Gwen stated firmly, a stubborn glint in her eyes.

"You're out of your mind," Glenn muttered, completely done with her as he leaned against the cool elevator wall, staring up at the ceiling.

"Honestly, I love your vibe," Jerry chimed in from the corner, giving Gwen a thumbs-up. "Consider me the captain of your ship starting today."

Jerry’s little comment was instantly rewarded with a death stare from Glenn that clearly said, 'You are so fired after this.'

Ding!

The elevator doors finally chimed open as they reached the 12th floor. Glenn’s mind raced for a quick escape. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he pointed at Gwen’s shoulder with a look of pure, unadulterated shock.

"Whoa, whoa, there's a roach right by your neck!" Glenn yelled, sounding incredibly convincing.

Gwen’s face went instantly pale. "Huh?! Where?! Aaaaaaaa!!! Help me, Jerry! Look at the back of my neck!" she screamed, losing her absolute mind. She instantly let go of him and spun around in a total panic, forcing Jerry to check her back.

"Ewh! Ewhh! There! Right there! No, no, n-no way, look at it yourself. I'm freaked out too," Jerry chimed in, twisting his face into a look of fake disgust.

Seeing that his bait had worked, Glenn didn't waste a single second. With a victorious smirk, he bolted out of the elevator, half-running away from the area.

After a few seconds of frantically clawing at her neck and finding nothing, Gwen finally clued in. She snapped her head around, only to see Glenn’s back already pretty far down the hallway.

"UGHHHHHH!!! GLENN!!!" Gwen cursed, completely losing it. She repeatedly stomped her foot against the floor, absolutely furious that she had been played so hard.

Gwen then whipped around, shooting Jerry a sharp, death-glare that looked ready to kill. Realizing he was about to become her punching bag, Jerry quickly flashed a two-finger peace sign, wearing a totally innocent, dynamic smirk.

"Ugh! You two are literally the worst!" Gwen snapped, flipping her long hair dramatically before taking wide strides to chase after Glenn again.

*****

Glenn strode down the hallway, his breath a bit shallow. His brows were still knit tight, the leftover annoyance from Gwen’s elevator stunt lingering beneath the surface. Walking as if the devil himself were hot on his heels, his fingers aggressively tugged at the collar of his white knit undershirt, loosening it as his own body heat suddenly made it feel suffocating.

All along the corridor, dozens of employees' eyes locked instantly onto him. A few even whispered outright behind the safety of their cubicles. Glenn was acutely aware of the mass attention, but he chose to completely tune it out.

He knew exactly what was running through their minds. Their stares were a mix of pure awe at his visuals and absolute shock at his work attire. Perhaps a highly fashionable executive making a statement on his first day in charge?

His outfit today honestly made him look like a model who took a wrong turn and ended up in an office, or worse, someone getting ready to hit the Met Gala red carpet rather than head an audit division.

But, whatever. It is what it is. His mother owned the company, and his father was the CEO. As an only child, the phrase "corporate dress code" didn't even exist in Glenn's vocabulary. He wore whatever the hell he wanted.

As of today, he was officially the new Head of Internal Audit. Whether he would rule with an iron fist, crush his job as a total perfectionist, or turn out to be completely incompetent, just like those middle-aged senior staffers were whispering earlier only time would tell. But right now, he had only one top priority, staying as far off Gwen’s radar as humanly possible.

Glenn’s wide strides carried him past a glass-walled conference room at the corner of the hallway. When he glanced inside to make sure the coast was clear, the movement in the room caught his eye.

Behind the soundproof glass, Glenn spotted a group of fresh interns gathered around the conference table.

How did he know they were interns? Yep, it was painfully obvious from their faces completely fresh and not yet crushed by corporate existential dread. Just wait until they’ve been here for three days. Some of them will probably check themselves straight into a psych ward or end up on a psychiatrist's couch.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a girl sitting in the middle row. She had wavy brown hair held back by a black headband, and she was wearing a white tweed suit that stood out in stark contrast against the stiff, sterile room.

At that exact microsecond, she happened to be looking out, too.

Through the clear glass wall separating their worlds, Glenn’s cold, hawk-like eyes clashed directly with her warm, almond-shaped brown ones. The eye contact lasted for only two or three seconds. Brief, but somehow, completely locking them in place. Glenn narrowed his eyes just a fraction, flashing a sharp, intimidating, judgmental look before nonchalantly breaking eye contact and resuming his fast-paced walk toward his private office.

"Pfft, look at that. Another lost girl."

*****