Seducing the Wrong Alpha

Chapter 7: Weird Feeling

I drove straight to the company, lost in thought about everything that happened earlier in the day. My mind was a whirlpool of emotions and confusion, and before I knew it, I had arrived at the office without fully realizing how I got there. I was still in a daze as I pulled into the parking lot, unable to shake the lingering feeling that something was off. My hands gripped the steering wheel, my thoughts still trapped in the events of the morning.

The air felt heavy, and even though it was just another day at work, it didn’t feel that way to me. As I walked into the building, I didn’t hear Sarah calling my name at first. Her voice seemed distant, like a far-off echo, as I remained lost in my thoughts. It wasn’t until she tapped me on the shoulder that I snapped out of my haze.

“Hey, good morning. I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while now.” Sarah said, her smile warm and friendly, as always. I blinked, realizing how deep in thought I had been.

“I’m sorry, Sarah, just a little bit carried away,” I said with a sheepish smile. “You look good today.” I added, trying to divert the conversation away from me.

“Thanks, Rhian.” she replied, her smile unwavering. But then her expression shifted slightly, her brow furrowing in concern.

“You seem disturbed. Is everything okay? Do you want to talk about it?” I forced another smile, not wanting to burden her with my problems.

“Thanks, Sarah, but I’m okay.” I lied. “How’s your day going so far?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Well, not bad so far. Would you like some coffee? I was just about to grab some.” she offered, still looking at me with concern.

“No, thanks. I don’t feel like having any right now.” I said, shaking my head.

“I really need to get started on today’s work. We’ll talk later, okay?” I added, giving her a reassuring smile as I started walking towards my office.

“Alright, Rhian. Talk to you later.” Sarah called after me, her voice fading as I continued down the hallway.

Once inside my office, I let out a deep breath. The sense of unease hadn’t left me, but I pushed it aside and focused on the task at hand. I switched on my laptop, preparing to dive into work. As the screen lit up, I was met with an unexpected sight emails and files flooded my inbox, far more than I had anticipated. I frowned, confused. I had spent hours the previous evening clearing out my workload, responding to messages, and filing reports. So how could there be so much more today? Before I could fully process the situation, the landline on my desk rang, startling me. I picked up the receiver.

“Hello, Rhian speaking. How may I help you?” I said, trying to sound composed.

“Rhian, I’ve just received a complaint from a client.” Mr. Belcher’s stern voice came through the line.

“They’re saying you haven’t been responding to their emails. I don’t want any more complaints like this, do you understand? Get back to work and make sure everything is handled promptly.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.” I replied calmly, though my mind was racing.

I hung up the phone, staring at the files and emails in front of me. Something wasn’t right. There was no way I could have missed that many messages. The more I thought about it, the more certain I became someone was deliberately sabotaging my work. And I had a good idea who it was, Bella.

Two hours later, just as I was beginning to make some headway, Bella stormed into my office without knocking. She held a stack of files in her hands, which she unceremoniously dumped on my desk.

“Here. Make sure these are all sorted before the meeting with Mr. Dan.” she said curtly, turning to leave as quickly as she had arrived.

“Courtesy, Bella.” I called after her, my voice sharp.

“You can’t just walk into my office without knocking. Please don’t let it happen again.”

She stopped and turned back to face me, her lips curling into a smirk. “Wow, look at you, Rhian. Getting a bit too comfortable, aren’t we? Don’t forget your place. Now, get to work.” she sneered. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“I don’t think I can get through all this before the meeting,” I said, looking at the massive stack of files.

“I already have a ton of work to do on my system, and there’s no way I can finish this in the next hour.” I said.

“You have no excuse, Rhian.” Bella replied, her voice laced with disdain.

“You’re not the first person to do this job, and you certainly won’t be the last. If you can’t handle it, maybe you should consider resigning,” she added with a mocking laugh. I looked up at her, meeting her gaze squarely.

“Bella, all I see in you is bitterness. That’s why you’re stuck. You’ve been in this company for years, and you’re still in the same position, while others who started with you have moved on to bigger things. Look at me, I’ve been here for less than a month, and I’m already on track to surpass you. Isn’t that something?” I said, unable to keep the smugness out of my voice.

Bella’s face twisted in anger.

“How dare you!” she screamed, raising her hand to strike me. Without flinching, I grabbed her wrist mid-air.

“Now, excuse me. I have work to do,” I said calmly, walking to the door and holding it open for her.

Bella yanked her hand free, her eyes blazing with fury.

“I’m not done with you.” she spat as she stormed out of my office.

“Whatever.” I muttered under my breath, shutting the door behind her. I sank into my chair, feeling a rush of relief mixed with exhaustion.

Bella had been a constant thorn in my side ever since I started working here. At first, she had been friendly enough, but it didn’t take long for her true colors to show. Now, every interaction with her felt like a battle.

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was Mrs. Vera. I picked up the call, already anticipating what she would say.

“Hello, Mrs. Vera,” I greeted her.

“Sorry to disturb you during work hours, but this is urgent. We need to meet before Tristan’s driver comes to pick you up.” she said quickly.

“Okay.” I replied, my mind already switching gears. I ended the call and sighed.

Balancing my obligations to Mrs. Vera and the company were never easy, but I didn’t have much of a choice.I had two bosses to answer to, and both demanded my full attention.

I got back to work, determined to finish everything before my meeting with Mrs. Vera. The hours seemed to blur together as I worked through the files, replying to emails and double-checking reports.

An hour later, there was another knock at my door.

“Yes, come in.” I called, not bothering to look up.

“Hi, I brought you something to eat. I figured you might be hungry.” Sarah said as she walked into the room, holding a tray of food.

I looked up, surprised. “Really? Thank you so much, Sarah. I’m starving, but I’ve been so swamped with work that I couldn’t get away to grab anything.”

“I thought so. I didn’t see you in the cafeteria, so I figured you were too busy.” Sarah said with a knowing smile.

I smiled back at her, grateful.

“You’re a lifesaver.” As I ate, I noticed Sarah watching me, a soft smile on her face.

“Sorry, my manners.” I said with a laugh, realizing I was devouring the food a little too quickly.

We both laughed, and for a moment, the tension from the day melted away.

Once I finished eating, I gathered the files and headed to the boardroom, preparing for the meeting. But when I got there, the door was locked. Panic set in. Did the meeting start without me? Mrs. Janet approached and found me sitting on the floor with the files.

“Rhian, what’s going on?” she asked, concerned.

“I was supposed to deliver these files before the meeting, but the door is locked.” I explained, my voice filled with anxiety.

“What meeting? Mr. Belcher isn’t coming today. There’s no meeting scheduled.” Mrs. Janet said, shaking her head.

“Don’t worry dear, Everything’s fine.” she said.

I let out a breath of relief. Bella had set me up, but this time, she wouldn’t get away with it.