Chapter5
1445 Words
Surprise…!
Rhett's POV
** THREE YEARS LATER **
“No, Mr. Lawson, I assure you the partnership terms stay the same,” I said into the phone, trying not to rub my forehead even though the stress was right there knocking. “Yes… yes, absolutely." You’ll have the documents today.”
The client finally laughed, loud and pleased.
“That’s why I trust Harrington Dynamics, Rhett. Your father raised you well.”
There it was again... the father line.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “We’ll speak soon.”
I hung up and let out a long breath, sinking back into my chair. My office felt too big suddenly, like the walls were stretching and swallowing me slowly.
Three years.
It had been three years since Dad passed away. Three years since he handed me this multibillion-dollar company and three years of pretending I wasn’t drowning.
Sometimes I looked at this office and missed the days when my biggest responsibility was figuring out which club to hit and which girl’s heart I was accidentally breaking.
Back then, life was loud, fun, stupid and simple. Now everything felt heavy... like the suit jackets I wore were made of bricks.
I stared out the window for a bit, lost in my thoughts until a soft knock came on the door.
“Sir?” Jean said as she stepped inside. Jean had worked for my father for almost fifteen years, so technically she wasn’t just my secretary... she was also my second brain.
“Yes?” I asked.
“You asked me to remind you… the general staff address is now and everyone’s already waiting in Conference Room B.”
I sighed and stood up.
“Right. Okay. I’m going.”
She nodded and stepped aside while I grabbed my suit jacket and slid it on.
“All right,” I said to myself under my breath. “Time to go pretend I’m in charge.”
The room went quiet the moment I walked in. Chairs scraped and people stood politely.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Morning, Mr. Harrington.”
“Sir.”
I gave them a polite nod and a smile... the one Dad used to call my “CEO smile.” Fake but expensive-looking.
I stepped to the front… and then my eyes caught something. Or rather, someone and I froze.
No way. No actual way!
She was standing in the third row, holding a file against her chest, looking calm and focused, but I knew that face.. that hair and that mouth!
My brain stopped working for a full second.. maybe two.
It was her... the girl from that night three years ago. The one who walked into that Christmas party and turned my whole night into something I still remembered when I couldn’t sleep. The one who made me think, “Damn… maybe I should stop being a useless playboy.”
The one who stayed in my mind longer than she should have.
My voice actually cracked when I said, “Uh... good morning, everyone.”
Jean shot me a confused look.
I cleared my throat and forced myself to focus on the speech, but I kept glancing at her like a madman. Please tell me she didn’t see me staring..!
She didn’t look at me twice. Just listened politely like I was nobody and that actually stung a little.
After the meeting ended, I returned to my office with my mind spinning. I couldn’t shake the shock off. I didn’t know if I was nervous, curious, or… something else.
I called Jean in.
“Jean, I… need you to bring someone to my office.”
“Okay. Who?”
I described her as best as I could without sounding like a stalker.
“Oh,” Jean said with eyebrows high. “You mean the new girl? She works in the accounts department.”
“She works here?” I blurted. “Like… she actually works here?”
“Yes, sir. For two months now.”
Two months and I had never noticed her!
“Oh. Right. Okay,” I said quickly. “Just bring her to my office.”
Jean gave me a suspicious look but nodded.
***
A few minutes later, Jean opened the door and said, “Sir… Marie Collins.”
There it was..! Her name.. Marie!
Marie walked in looking calm, but there was a guarded look in her eyes... like she didn’t trust this situation at all. She wasn’t soft or sweet like I remembered. She was composed.. older and more… confident.
I stood up.
“Marie. Hi.”
She gave a small nod.
“Mr. Harrington.”
“You can call me Rhett,” I said before I could stop myself.
Jean raised an eyebrow on her way out and gently closed the door.
For a moment it was silent. I didn’t know what to say. I never knew what to say to the girls after one-night stands... mostly because I never talked to them again, but here she was, and suddenly I felt… nervous? Since when did I get nervous?
“So uh…” I started, clearing my throat again, “How long have you worked here?”
“This is my second month,” she said.
“That long?” I blurted.
She frowned.
“Is that… a problem?”
“No! Not at all. I’m just… surprised.”
She looked at me with the same calm expression... like she didn’t remember me. Or like she remembered and didn’t care.
“So,” I continued, leaning against my desk, “what do you do here?”
“I’m in accounts. I mostly work on data management, auditing and sorting the financial entries from the regional branches.”
“That sounds… difficult.”
She lifted a shoulder.
“It’s what I studied.”
“Oh.” Great job, Rhett. Amazing conversation skills.
Before I could say anything else, the office door slammed open. Both of us jumped and Ivy walked in. Of course she did.
My fiancée walked in like she owned the building... hair perfect, perfume loud and heels louder.
“Rhett, darling, I’ve been calling you al...” Her eyes landed on Marie. “Oh.”
Here we go.
“Who is she?” Ivy asked with her eyes narrowing.
“Ivy, this is Marie,” I said quickly. “She works here.”
Ivy let out a sharp laugh.
“Really? Because she looks… very eager for something else.”
Marie’s face went blank.
“Ivy, stop,” I said.
“Oh come on,” Ivy snapped, glaring at Marie. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing? Walking in here alone with him? Looking at him like...”
“Ivy,” I warned.
But she ignored me.
“You’re not the first girl to try this,” Ivy said to Marie. “But trust me... it won’t work. He’s already taken.”
Marie didn’t say a word. She simply held her file close and walked toward the door.
“Marie...” I said, stepping forward.
“I should get back to work,” she said quietly without looking at me and the door closed behind her.
I turned to Ivy slowly.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
She blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You embarrassed her and you insulted her. In my office.”
“I’m protecting what’s mine,” Ivy said. “You should be thanking me.”
“I’m not your property,” I snapped.
She actually gasped.
“Rhett!”
“I don’t have time for this,” I said, grabbing my jacket. “I’m going to apologize to her.”
“You’re WHAT?!”
But I didn’t stop. I stepped out and asked Jean, “Where’s Marie’s desk?”
Jean tried to hide a smile.
“Follow me, sir.”
We walked through the accounts department until she pointed at a desk near the window.
“That’s hers.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I walked over, rehearsing what to say. Something simple.. something normal, but when I opened my mouth, I froze because there, right on the corner of Marie’s desk was a small picture frame facing her side.
A picture with two babies.. two identical babies with chubby cheeks.. bright eyes and the same little smile, but that wasn’t what froze me.
One look and I felt something drop in my chest. They looked like me! My hair.. My eyes and that was definitely my smile.
Marie saw where I was looking and gasped softly. She grabbed the frame so fast her hand shook, but it was too late.
- Writer
