Chapter 5
1248 Words
Brianna’s POV
The moment the cup hit the floor, everything exploded at once.
Gasps filled the conference room, chairs shifted sharply, and coffee spread across the carpet in a messy stain that only made my humiliation worse.
I stood frozen, my heart racing as I realized I had just ruined my first real impression at Cross Enterprises.
But what shocked me most wasn’t the mess.
It was Wesley.
He didn’t move, not even a step.
His expression remained unreadable as his gaze locked onto mine.
“Miss Hart,” he said coldly.
My stomach dropped.
“Y-you know it wasn’t my fault,” I stammered quickly, finding my voice. “Miss Reed sent me to get coffee for you. I was told..”
“I don’t care,” Wesley interrupted sharply.
The room went completely silent.
His tone wasn’t loud, but it carried authority that made everyone stop breathing.
“You’re late. You interrupted a meeting. And now you’ve spilled coffee on the floor.”
I opened my mouth, frustration rising.
“That’s not..”
“Excuses won’t help you here,” he said flatly.
Something in my chest tightened painfully.
This wasn’t the Wesley I knew.
Not the one who teased me.
Not the one who caught me when I fell.
This version of him was distant… cold… untouchable.
He pointed toward the spill.
“Clean it up.”
My eyes widened slightly.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Silence stretched between us.
I could feel every eye in the room on me. Watching. Judging. Waiting to see what I would do.
My pride screamed at me to argue.
But nothing came out.
Slowly, I bent down and knelt on the floor, grabbing tissues from the nearby table.
My hands trembled slightly as I started cleaning the mess.
Behind me, I heard chairs shifting again.
“Meeting dismissed,” Wesley said.
And just like that, people began to leave.
No one stayed.
No one helped.
They all walked past me as if I wasn’t even there.
I kept my head down, scrubbing the carpet while something heavy settled in my chest.
Humiliation.
And something worse.
Disappointment.
Not in the job but in him..
The rest of the day felt endless.
Every time I tried to focus, Vanessa found another task for me. Files, documents, errands.. anything that kept me away from actual design work.
And every time I passed by Wesley’s office, I saw him through the glass.
Sitting behind his desk, focused, professional and completely in control.
Sometimes I thought his eyes flicked toward me, but whenever I looked properly, he was already back to his work.
It made my chest feel tight in a way I didn’t understand.
By the time evening came, I was exhausted
.
My shoulders ached, my head hurt, and my desk was buried under stacks of paperwork.
“You look like you’re about to collapse,” Queen said when she appeared beside me.
“I feel like it,” I muttered.
She glanced at the files and sighed.
“Let me guess.. already got yourself an office nemesis?”
“You could say that again..”.
Queen clicked her tongue. “I can bet you a cent that this person is doing it on purpose.”
“I know.”
There was a pause before she leaned closer.
“You’re not staying here all night.”
“I have to finish this.”
“No,” she said firmly. “You need to breathe.”
Before I could argue, she grabbed my hand.
“There’s a welcome party tonight. Interns, production team, design team. You’re coming.”
“I’m not in the mood for a party.”
“That’s exactly why you’re going.”
I hesitated.
Queen raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make me drag you there.”
I sighed.
“Fine.”
The shopping trip was surprisingly quick.
Queen refused to let me overthink anything. She pulled dresses off racks, shoved me into fitting rooms, and rejected anything she deemed “too invisible.”
“This one,” she said finally.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
It wasn’t overdone. Just simple.
It fitted in the right places. Soft, elegant and effortless.
For a moment, I didn’t recognize myself.
“You’re staring,” Queen said.
“I look… different.”
“You look good,” she corrected.
I swallowed.
Something in my chest shifted.
For the first time that day, I didn’t feel invisible.
I felt seen. Maybe this was what I needed.
“Fine,” I said quietly. “Let’s go.”
The party was louder than I expected.
Music filled the space, lights glowed softly across the room, and people stood in groups laughing, drinking, talking.
I immediately felt overwhelmed.
This wasn’t my world.
I stood near the edge of the room, scanning for Queen, but she had already disappeared into the crowd.
Of course she had.
I reached for a drink just to have something to hold.
Bad idea.
Within minutes, someone approached me.
“Hey,” a voice said and I turned.
A man smiled at me warmly. “You look new here.”
“Yes,” I replied carefully.
We talked.
At first, it was normal and harmless conversation.
He introduced himself, asked about my work, laughed at my answers.
Then he brought me another drink.
Then another.
My head started feeling light.
Strangely light.
“Relax,” he said, moving closer. “You look tense.”
“I’m fine,” I said, stepping back slightly.
But he followed and suddenly the conversation shifted.
His hand lingered too long on my waist.
“I think I should go, I have to find my friend” I said quickly as my words were beginning to slur .
He laughed. “Why? We’re having fun.”
“I said I want to leave.”
His expression changed slightly.
“You were smiling earlier.”
“That doesn’t mean I want this.”
He grabbed my wrist, not painfully but firmly enough to make my stomach drop.
“Come on.. Don’t act like I misread you,” he said.
My heart began to race.
“I said let go.”
He leaned in closer.. too loser close.
“I think you just don’t know what you want.”
Fear replaced irritation instantly.
“No,” I said firmly. “I do. Let go of me.”
But he didn’t. Instead, he moved in again.
Trying to kiss me this time but I turned my head away quickly.
“Stop.”
And then..
A force pulled him back violently.
He stumbled.
Before I could process what was happening, a fist connected with his face.
The sound cut through the entire party.
Everything stopped… Music faded and voices disappeared.
I stumbled back against the wall, my vision spinning slightly.
Through the blur, I saw a familiar figure grab the man by the collar and shove him back again.
Another punch landed.. harder this time.
The man dropped to the floor.
And then…
Silence.
My breathing was uneven as I blinked slowly, trying to focus.
The figure turned slightly and a moment later my vision cleared just enough.
Wesley.
My voice came out weak.
“…Wesley?”
My legs gave out slightly and I slid down the wall.
The world tilted.. my eyelids felt heavy.
The last thing I heard before everything went dark was his voice, urgent and close.
“Bree… stay with me.”
- Writer
