Back Into His World
1607 Words
Adeline’s POV
The phone landed on the ground and crashed beside my black flat shoes.
The crash brought the two of us out of the shock we were in and my eyes blinked gently.
Damien lifted his eyes from my legs up to my face.
“Excuse us, Theo” he finally said, and Theo exited the office.
His right hand went back into his pocket as he walked to me. I kept looking into his eyes, and immediately he stopped in front of me. I asked the question I’ve been meaning to ask for eight years.
“How’s my Oliver doing?”
I was holding back my tears as I said those words, but I’m not sure maybe it’s because of the emotion I’m feeling after seeing the man who called me cheap, or maybe the tears of joy that I’d be seeing my son soon.
Damien kept staring at me, so I sniffled and asked the question again.
“My Oliver…how is…”
“He grew up well, a lot” he replied and I smiled sadly, finally releasing my tears.
“He won’t even recognize me anymore. It has been eight whole years and he was still a kid when we separated” I muttered.
Damien took another step closer, but I shrank back immediately, wiping my tears.
My face was fearless when I looked up again, then I sniffed and started walking out of the office.
“I searched everywhere,” he suddenly said.
“I searched everywhere possible for you, but I wasn’t lucky enough to find you. Oliver wants to meet you badly and…”
“No” I quickly turned to him.
“I’m not ready yet, I’ll just meet him as your PA. I’m here to be your PA and I won’t reject the job because it’s you. I shamelessly need the money so I look forward to working with you.” I said and finally walked out, leaving Damien to continue staying in space.
I rushed into the nearest restroom immediately after I left the office, and I stood behind the door, resting my body on it.
Tears started threatening to come out of my eyes again when I remembered what happened that day after Oliver was taken away from me.
FLASHBACK, 8 YEARS AGO
The taxi carrying me stopped in front of the house just now but I wasn’t aware.
All that’s in my mind is how Oliver was taken from me by the heartless man, and how I probably won’t be seeing him again. I cried throughout the ride home.
“Miss” the driver’s voice woke me from my thoughts.
“Thanks” I paid him and stepped out, only to meet another shock.
The gang of thugs I borrowed money from was already in front of the house, waiting to snap my neck.
“Finally you are here” their leader said, and I quickly went on my knees.
“Please I…”
“No story, where is my money!” The leader barked again and the rest of the gang started walking toward me with different sharp objects.
“I promise to pay back before the end of this…”
I was grabbed before I could say the next word, and I was dragged into their car despite my pleading and cries.”
I was taken to their turf where I was made to kneel in front of a platter.
“I promise to work and pay back within a month, please!!! Please don’t hurt me!!!” I cried fearfully.
“You promised to return my money last month…and now you dare ask for another extra month? You won’t get that luxury here. Cut off her five left fingers” the leader ordered and my eyes widened.
“No! don’t! Don’t cut off my hand please!!! No!!!” I cried as I was grabbed and my left hand was forcefully placed on the platter.
One of them brought the axe to his lips, kissing it as he raised it to strike my hands.
“No!!!!!!!!!” I closed my eyes tightly, expecting the axe to chop off my fingers, but someone else entered the room.
“Why don’t you let her go? I’ll pay the loan” the voice said.
“Old friend!” The leader stood, and I opened my eyes slowly to see my lifesaver, Ethan.
Yeah, Ethan.
FLASHBACK ENDS
I wiped the little tears that came out of my eyes and nodded.
I got the job, and I’ll be seeing my son soon. Even if he wouldn’t recognize me as his mom, all I want is to keep seeing him.
“Mrs. Adeline! Are you in there?” Theo’s voice said from outside.
“I’m coming” I replied rushing out of the room.
“Are you good?” He asked and I smiled.
“Sure, thanks”
“I’m the PA who’d be handing over to you, and as I said, I have a lot to lecture you about. Please follow me” he said and I smiled as he led the way.
Theo was done lecturing me so he had to report to Damien. “You can go back to the assistance office Mrs. Adeline, I will let you know when the general orientation will take place.” He said and left.
“Now you understand what Alex was about to say earlier” Stefan said when I came back into the office.
I’m going to be using the same office as them, and there’s another desk waiting for me already.
“Damien is my baby daddy” I replied sadly as I sat on the chair.
“So…are you going to reject the job?” Stefan asked.
“No. I have more reasons to work here now. You both, and my son” I replied.
“Of course, I’m sure you’d see him soon though. He has a unique attitude” Alex said.
“I can’t wait” I smiled.
“You should try your best and stay happy from now on. All the broken pieces are coming back together even though it won’t be easy” Alex added.
“I’m ready to embrace any storm” I replied and they smiled.
After chatting with Alex and Stefan for a while, I finally sat down at my desk. I ran my fingers across the smooth wooden surface and smiled to myself.
A desk. My own desk.
It seemed like such a small thing, but after everything I’d been through, it felt like a miracle.
Eight years ago, I had been sleeping in cheap apartments, counting every dollar, wondering if I would survive another month.
Now I was sitting inside Hartley Corporation. Life was indeed strange.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Alex asked.
I looked up. “Like what?”
“Like someone who just won the lottery.”
“Maybe I did,” I said and Stefan shook his head.
“You definitely did. The salary here is enough to make anyone smile.”
“Congratulations,” Alex said dramatically. “Your stress begins today.”
For the first time since arriving, I felt comfortable.
Alex suddenly leaned forward. “You know what I still can’t believe?”
“What?”
“You actually got hired.”
“Excuse me?” I gasped dramatically.
“I’m serious.” Stefan nodded
“Our boss is impossible to impress.”
“That bad?”
“Worse,” Alex replied and I groaned.
“No, seriously.” Alex continued. “Three people got fired last month.”
“Three?”
“ Yes, they were fired for making mistakes.” He added and my eyes widened.
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“We wish.”
I dropped my face into my hands. “Oh, God.” And the two men laughed.
“Relax,” Stefan said. “You’ll be fine.”
“And about those three employees who got fired last month?” Alex suddenly said.
“What about them?” I blinked.
“It wasn’t boss.”
“It wasn’t?” I asked.
Stefan shook his head. “Nope.”
“Then who fired them?”
Alex and Stefan exchanged a look before answering together.
“Oliver.”
My mouth fell open. “What?”
“The little boss himself.”
I stared at them. “You’re joking.”
“We wish.”
I started laughing. “My one-year-old baby?”
“Nine years old,” Stefan corrected.
“Still my baby.” And Alex rolled his eyes.
“Trust me, that boy runs this company whenever he visits.”
“Trust me. The kid is a legend.” Stefan said.
“A legend?”
“You’ll see.”
“What does that mean?”
Alex leaned closer. “He fired a maid because she cut his sandwich into triangles.”
I blinked. “What?”
“He wanted squares.”
I stared at them for a second before laughing. “You’re joking.”
“My son is that strict?” I added.
“Strict?” Stefan snorted.
“He’s worse than our boss.”
“Everybody calls him the little boss,” Stefan said and a smile spread across my face.
For eight years, I had wondered what kind of boy Oliver had become.
Now, hearing them talk about him, I could almost picture him.
And somehow… I loved him even more.
“What are you guys still doing here? The general orientation is starting! Adeline you need to change!” Julia shouted at the door, and we all rushed out of the office.
- Writer
