My Boss Was My One Night Mistake

CHAPTER TWO

*CHLOE*

I didn’t look back, and I didn’t stop running.

If he came after me, I knew I would be no match for him, but I still had no intention of letting him catch up to me.

When I finally dared to glance over my shoulder, I realized he wasn't pursuing me at all.

I slowed my pace and began to walk briskly out of the hotel. Pressing a hand against my chest, I tried to soothe my wildly beating heart and calm myself down.

It's fine.

Everything is fine.

I just made a foolish mistake getting drunk and letting myself get pulled into a one-night stand.

It isn't the end of the world.

The most comforting part of it all was knowing that I would definitely never have to see him again.

When I got back home, I quickly prepared a light breakfast for myself and then headed straight to the company where I work.

As I reached the entrance of the building, my phone began to ring.

A faint smile touched my lips when I saw that my mother was calling.

I answered it slowly.

“Hello, Mom.”

“Oh, my dear. I hope you haven’t forgotten that tonight is your Uncle William's60th birthday. He’s hosting a huge banquet over at Cromwell’s Hotel. You’ll be attending, right?”

“No, Mom. I really don’t want to go.”

If I went to that banquet, I would inevitably run into my father and my stepmother, and I was in no mood to deal with them tonight.

“C’mon, Chloe. Your Uncle Williams and his wife have always been so good to us. The very least you can do is honor his invitation,” my mother coaxed gently.

I let out a long sigh.

When I was ten years old, my father cheated on my mother and practically walked out on her. If Uncle William hadn't stepped in to support us back then, my life would have been unbearable.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

“And please try not to pick a fight with your father,” she cautioned me.

“If he doesn’t cause any trouble for me... I won’t either.” With that, I ended the call.

Years ago, I remember watching my mother drop to her knees, begging my father not to move forward with a divorce. She told him she would forgive his affair and overlook his unfaithfulness, but he callously cast her aside anyway. He didn't just divorce my mother; he stripped her of everything she had. After that, life became incredibly difficult for the three of us.

I could never bring myself to forgive my father for putting us through that kind of pain.

Stepping into the office building just on time, I walked over and took my seat at my desk.

My colleague, Carolline Broseley, walked up to my desk almost immediately.

“You look a bit different today, Chlo?”

I knitted my brows. “Different? How so?”

“You’ve been sulking constantly ever since Julian broke up with you, but today... you don't look heartbroken at all.”Coralline and I are fairly close friends.

I let out a soft laugh and offered a small shrug. “Maybe it’s because I had a crazy night. You won't believe it, but I actually spent two hundred dollars on a male escort just to comfort my wounded heart.”

“You don’t say!” She snickered.

She obviously assumed I was just making a joke. We often joke around like that, so it wasn't a surprise that she didn't take me seriously. People at work sometimes think we have a vast amount of experience with men, when the truth is we are as conservative as it gets.

That was precisely why I was still so furious about what happened last night.

That whole situation was completely out of character for me.

“The new executive is resuming duty today,” Coralline announced, changing the subject.

I just shrugged.

“I heard he’s the main heir to the Hudson Group. His father holds a senior government post, and his mother serves as the president at the corporate headquarters. Right now, almost every lady in the building is dying for a chance to meet him... I’m sure he’s ridiculously handsome.”

I rolled my eyes.

My only hope was that he wouldn't turn out to be another arrogant, pompous heir. I really couldn't bear the thought of working under an asshole boss.

Just then, my supervisor, Arthur Vance, walked over toward our area.

“We have an emergency meeting in the main conference hall right now!” he announced loudly before turning on his heel and walking away.

I quickly grabbed my notebook and pen to follow suit.

Walking into the conference hall, I saw that almost everyone was already seated, so I quietly slid into a chair in a far corner.

My mind began to wander back to the early hours of the morning... He really was strikingly handsome. I pictured the utter outrage on his face when I tossed those two hundred dollars onto the bed beside him. I covered my mouth with my hand, suppressing a quiet laugh.

Maybe I had taken things a bit too far...

But then again, I simply couldn't stand the look of sheer disgust he gave me, nor the impression that he was about to dismiss me as if I were a hired girl. That would have been deeply humiliating.

A sudden burst of loud applause snapped me right out of my thoughts.

A tall man dressed in a sharp, navy-blue suit strode confidently into the conference hall.

My jaw instantly dropped the moment his face came into full view.

Why... why on earth was he here?

My eyes had to be playing tricks on me... something was definitely wrong with my sight.

I rubbed my eyes with my thumbs, closed them tightly, and opened them again—but the vision didn't change. It was still him.

The exact same man I had a one-night stand with!

The exact same man I handed two hundred dollars to!

Oh my God!

Where am I supposed to run to this time?