BOUND BY SECRETS

Caroline's POV. The alarm blares loudly, slicing through the quiet of my room. I groan and roll off the bed, hitting the floor with a dull thud. My waist protests, sending a sharp pain shooting through my spine. Great, just what I need. I blink up at the sunlight pouring through the window, blinding my already tired eyes. Squinting, I quickly shut them again, but the alarm keeps ringing. 9:50 AM. My heart races. I’m late. I’m really late. The President’s meeting started at 9:00, and I was supposed to be there on time. I’m going to lose my job for sure. I scream loud and make a mess of long brunette hair. I'm doomed. This is the end of your career as a personal assistant Caroline, time to kiss it goodbye. A tear falls from my eyes down to my cheeks. I go on my knees and burst into tears, my breaths coming out in shallow heaves, I can feel an impending headache. I glance at the clock again—9:53. How could you oversleep, Caroline? I feel my stomach churn, my breath hitching. The President is going to fire me. I can already picture his angry face, his cold, disappointed voice. I scramble to my feet, my mind already in panic. Papers are scattered across the floor—great, just what I needed. I must’ve left the printer on all night. “Stupid,” I mutter to myself, rushing over to shut it off. Then, I slap the alarm off too. The ringing tone of my phone suddenly rings out loud interrupting my moment of hysteria. I wipe my tears and dash towards my reading desk where my phone and one piece of Domino's pepperoni pizza are. I glare at my phone, the screen lights up showing a text message from Mum. "Hi baby, you're probably busy with work so I won't call again. I just want to remind you that our rent is due in two days and Lisa's school fees need to be paid by the end of this week. Thank you in advance, I love you." I swallow hard, the weight of responsibility settling heavily in my chest. How am I going to pay this if I lose my job today? I toss the phone into my bag and grab the cold slice of Domino’s pizza sitting on the desk. I shove it in my mouth, the taste more comforting than I care to admit, but it does nothing to calm the mess inside me. I can’t keep crying over spilled pizza and a ruined morning. Time to do something. After minutes of brooding on whether to quit my job or beg for forgiveness.I pick up a pen and scrawl a quick apology letter, my handwriting surprisingly neat given how badly my hands are shaking. Please don’t fire me, please don’t fire me When I finish, I check the clock—10:00 AM. I’m way past late now. I rush to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and hop into the shower. I don’t even bother with the usual routine. I grab a black dress and a white jacket, slipping them on without a second thought. A quick swipe of lip gloss, and I’m done. Not great, but good enough. I grab my Louis Vuitton bag, a gift from my best friend Lorraine —thankfully, it’s still in perfect condition—and dash out the door. Speaking of Lorraine, I haven't seen or heard from her since last weekend when we went to the spa together. She must be busy with work, so I'll drop by her at her place later in the day. I walk out of the house with my phone and my handbag. "Hey, Caroline. I'm surprised to see you leaving the house by this time." My cute neighbor says waving at me with a smile on his face. His smile alone sends butterflies down my stomach, Gavin’s smile is infuriatingly perfect, like one of those movie heartthrobs you try not to crush on—but fail. "Oh hi, Gavin. Good morning." I say flashing my perfect white teeth at him. "Did you sleep well?" He asks with his attention back on the flowers he was watering. Gavin cherishes his garden more than his wife and kids, yes he has a family of his own and I know that makes me a terrible person for crushing on him but I can't help it and it's better than dwelling on my feelings with Mr. President and my work. "I sure did. I'll see you later Gavin, I have to attend to a life and death situation." I say. He nods his head and bids me goodbye. Everyone in the neighborhood knows I love to exaggerate so they don't even bother to question me. I lock the front door and dump the keys into my handbag. I drop by a coffee shop to buy Mr President's favourite latte making my journey to the office take more time than usual. Mocha latte is his favourite, Mr President can not spend a day without taking a sip of it. It's hilarious, to be honest, but I think it is kind of cool too, having something you can not do without for a day. I think that makes him relatable in that account since I can not do without having a McDonald's burger during lunch break. Those burgers are the real definition of heavenly. Too bad I might lose my job and I won't have any money to buy burgers at McDonald's. Actually, burgers are the very least of my priorities at the moment. My mom’s there, and my siblings. Ever since Dad died, everything has been on me—the rent, the bills, Lisa’s school fees. Sometimes, it feels like I’m barely treading water, but what choice do I have? He used to say I’d go far, that I was his little star. But he didn’t leave us much more than memories and his old toolbox. And now, the weight of being everyone’s rock makes me feel like I might shatter at any moment. Shaking off my thoughts, I board a cab to the office. The cab pulls to a stop in front of the gigantic building. I pay the cab man and tip him a little, just so I can have a good day. Lorraine always tells me to be generous because it pays off, and I need plenty of that . The cabman mutters a prayer of gratitude, and it makes me smile. I got out of the cab and bid the man goodbye. I breathe in deeply and out.' You can do this, Cora. Even if Mr. President is sharpening his axe. '.