The CEO's Crush

The Storm is here

Chapter 2: The Shattering news

The bustling city stretched before her eyes like a canvas splashed with various bright colors, the sun hung lazily in the sky, casting an early morning sunrise across the streets filled with the chatter of enthusiastic sellers and buyers moving through the lively markets. Each stall boasted of various fresh products, sweet scented fruits and veggies and as well as the fragrant herbs and the rich aroma of spices mingling together in symphony. Lizzy took a deep breath, the scenery before her invigorating her spirit as she navigated the culinary kingdom that she cherished, her determination to shine in the upcoming competition as bright as the morning sun.

Today was the day she has been preparing for, everything she worked tirelessly for in her culinary pursuits. The heat of the kitchen felt like a second skin to her, her senses alive as she whisked, chopped, stirred and plated her creations. Lizzy swayed her hips rhythmically to tune from her lips, moving her workstation and prep table. The crepes were perfectly made under her deft hands, each flip revealing colors of golden brown, mixing the batter with a hint of vanilla, evoking memories of her with Aunt Luna, her Mom and grandmother during the late night kitchen endeavors filled with laughter and soft discussions.

Just as she was about to add a luscious raspberry coulis tinged with mint, the sudden trill of her phone sliced through the harmony of pots clanging and words like a butcher knife. She paused, surprised, as at the interruption, as the sound rang out again, piercing the moment she peaceful vibes she was created. Reaching for the phone, simultaneously wiping the flour and crepe batter from her hands on her apron.

"Hello?" Lizzy greeted with a confused face, instantly sensing something was wrong due to the gravity of the voice on the other end. Her heart raced, curling into an anxious knot in her stomach, as she listened her world spinning precariously into a void filled with doubts and negative thoughts with each syllable that struck like a string on a guitar. "Lizzy...are you there?, it's about your Grandma". The voice quivered as it unfolded the truth, her heart seemed to stop and the wheels in the head stopped working.

The fierce energy she felt just few moments ago now seemed like a distant memory, "What happened to her? Lizzy questioned ". Memories of her Grandma with the rest of the family surged with her mind like a dam whose gates has been opened,tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she kept it at bay, still having hope that the news couldn't be that bad. "Lizzy, the voice on the phone rang out saying, "We are sorry but we did everything thing they could ". Lizzy knew that her Grandma has been battling with cancer for years but she hoped that she will be alive to see her win the competition.

"Okay I will be there", Lizzy responded with a shaken voice and hot tears filling out of her eyes clouding her vision, she slowly sat down on the floor and wept loudly. Memories of her Grandma played like a slideshow on loop in her mind, it felt like a shard of glass was buried deep in her chest and she couldn't get it out, with a loud scream she yelled "WHY ME, and sobering loudly. First her parents who died in a plane crash, then Aunt Luna who died from a collision with her car and another car, now her Grandma who introduced her to the culinary world.

Unlike her Late Mom and Aunt, her Grandma was a chef known world wide for her charisma and her skills and as well as her tasty cuisines. She inspired Lizzy to take part in competitions and attend catering classes to improve her skills, and expand her knowledge on dishes. Lizzy grew up from a middle class family, although not really struggling but she entered various competitions for the prize money to make life easier for her and her Grandma.

As the words continued to spill, she felt the heat and vibes from the kitchen slowly fading, replaced by an insistent chill creeping into her bones. Her fingers trembled ever so slightly, as she stared blankly, the kitchen spinning around her now. She thought to herself, What is point of cooking? What was the point of her dreams? Each question washed over her like a waves on the sea shore, each waves carrying despair crashing into another. The chopped onions she had prepared earlier burned her eyes, a faint bite of frustration catching her breath as she sat on the floor.

She slowly stood up without a single thought going through her mind, she reached for the pot's rim the heat of the pot burnt her fingers as the sleek surface, slipped through her fingers, the metallic sound clanging against the floor in her mind sound like an alert, snapping her back to reality. "Lizzy!" a voice rang through the corridors of her house. It was Chloe, she was swaying a pot full of pasta near the stove, spotting Lizzy, her eyes widened with concern. "Lizzy, are you alright?"

The kitchen buzzed with the energy, anticipation and excitement for the day's competition. The joyful chatter of several competitors and sizzling pots and kettles surrounded her like an Ant sighting a cube of sugar, but it felt like miles away. Lizzy struggled to answer, the weight of her emotions and grief choking her words, leaving her with an unreadable expression. Instead she managed a nod, a simple gesture which went unnoticed with the cacophony of culinary triumphs rising and falling around around them, like an echo.

Deep inside her, the void gradually echoed louder. Lizzy managed complete her preparations, each step heavy and clouded with series of doubt. The combination of ingredients which once gave thrills, was now a sad reminder of the call she answered earlier, casting a grayish hue across her face, the weight of the call slowly brought down her spirit. The veggies she was cutting with great precision, was a result aftermath of the news leaving uneven shards, ragged edges mirroring the unstable state of her heart and mind.

Time slipped through her fingers like spices, which were slowly sprinkle on top of the meal, each task felt like an insurmountable challenge filled with despair. With the competition drawling close to an end, the reality of her Grandma's death swelled in waves like the tide, pulling her deeper to the very depths of grief. As the clock ticked down to the last minute, she stepped back from her station, the anxiety of impending defeat weighing on her chest. Everything felt meaningless now, the vibrant flavors that once danced in her dreams had now curled and shriveled up, replaced with overwhelming sorrow and sadness that dulled her senses.

Lizzy felt like retreating as the final bell rang for the competition, signaling the end of the preparation. Her friends and fellow competitiors started organizing the plates and cutleries for the presentation, voices filled with light hearted banter that grated against the emptiness she felt inside. Lizzy felt like a ghost casting a grim shadow of the space where memories of joy and purposes had existed, as they all presented their dishes to the judges, the judges asked all competitiors to come few days later for the final results.

As she stepped outside, the sun still shining bright in the vast sky, Lizzy felt the cool breeze slightly comforting her, she felt like her life will never be the same. Standing alone on the sidewalk slowly gathering her thoughts, Chloe ran and caught up with her asking her "Why she seemed distance?". Slowly she turned to her and told her what happened