FAR TOO LATE

“Good morning, Ms. Cooper,” the receptionist greeted me with a bright smile. “Morning, Tessa.” I walked past the front desk and toward the elevator, coffee in hand and confidence wrapped around me like an expensive perfume. My reflection stared back at me from the mirrored walls once the elevator doors closed. Curvy hips. Thick thighs. Full breasts. Everything I once hated about myself. Everything I had learned to love. Well… mostly. The elevator dinged on the twentieth floor, and the familiar chaos of TMA immediately swallowed me whole. Phones ringing. Keyboards clacking. People rushing around with files in hand. My company. Mine. Sometimes i get shocked because it feels like its all a dream that i dont want to ever wake up from. At twenty-four years old, I had built one of the fastest-growing consulting firms in Chicago, and every single person who once doubted me could choke on their opinions. “the boss herself has finally arrived,” Sarah teased the second I entered my office. I rolled my eyes as I dropped my bag onto the couch. “It’s eight fifty-five. I’m early.” “You own the company. You can’t technically be late.” Sophie sat cross-legged on the sofa beside her, chewing gum while scrolling through her tablet. “That’s rich coming from the woman who arrived at eleven yesterday.” Sarah gasped dramatically. “my spirit was here with you my physical form just showed up late” We all laughed. These two had been with me through everything the tears, the heartbreak, the nights I cried over cheap wine and even cheaper men. Especially one man but we will get to that later. “Okay,” Sophie said, sitting up straighter. “Enough playing around. We have news.” “That sounds dangerous already.” Sarah grinned. “Huge project. International scale huge.” My brows lifted. “Go on.” Sophie slid the tablet across my desk toward me. "Tech is looking for a consulting partnership for their expansion campaign.” I nearly choked on my coffee. “Morrison Tech?” I repeated. That company was impossible to land. Multi-billion-dollar brand. Global reach. Ruthless standards. If we secured that contract, Cooper Consulting would officially enter a completely different league. “We’ve already been recommended,” Sophie added proudly. Excitement stirred in my chest instantly. “Who’s the competing firm?” Sarah and Sophie exchanged a strange look. My smile faded. “What?” Sarah cleared her throat awkwardly. “Not competing.” I frowned. Sophie sighed dramatically. “Partnering.” I leaned back slowly. “Partnering with who?” Neither of them answered immediately, which was my first warning sign. Then Sarah finally said the name. “Abe McCarthy Consulting.” Every where got blurred Just for a second. Now you remember the one man I talked about earlier that I called a cheap man well he is the one. Abe and I where college sweethearts every one thought we would get married and be this power couple but they thought wrong. That narcissist of man made me feel less of a woman because of my size. He flirted with other women and was abusive to me. Though at the time no one knew about it until the break up. We parted ways and he ended up owning the company he always wanted though the plan was for us both to own it. Let me say I love how things turned out being a boss lady and having my self esteem back. Abe. No. No, no, no. I stared at them blankly, waiting for one of them to laugh and say they were joking. Neither did. “You’re kidding,” I whispered. “We tried to decline,” Sophie said quickly, “but Morrison specifically requested both firms together because of your previous university competition project.” Of course they did. That project had practically become legendary back in college. Abe and I had dominated every business competition together. People used to call us the ‘power couple.’ God. I hated that phrase. “You don’t have to do this,” Sarah said gently. But I barely heard her. Because suddenly memories were crashing into me all at once. Abe’s laugh. Abe’s hands. Abe whispering promises against my skin at two in the morning. Then… “You’d actually be prettier if you lost weight.” The memory hit like a slap. I blinked hard. Gone was the warm nostalgia. In its place came the familiar ache I thought I buried years ago. “I’m fine,” I said automatically. Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Diane” “I said I’m fine.” Silence filled the office. I hated that look they gave me sometimes. That careful look. Like they still expected me to break apart over him. I wouldn’t. Not anymore. Abe McCarthy no longer had that kind of power over me. At least… that’s what I told myself. Sarah crossed her arms. “Do you want us to turn it down?” I opened the file on my desk again, pretending to focus on the numbers swimming before my eyes. This project could change everything for the company. And I refused to let a man interfere with my success ever again. Especially not him. “No,” I said firmly. Sophie looked uncertain. “You sure?” I nodded once. “Set the meeting.” — Evening came and i could feel my self esteem vanishing by the minute. I hated that. I hated him for still affecting me. I stood in front of the mirror wearing nothing but an oversized shirt and underwear. My gaze traveled slowly over my body. The same body Abe once touched like he worshipped it. The same body he slowly taught me to hate. I wrapped my arms around myself tightly. “You’re not that girl anymore,” I whispered. But somewhere deep inside me, the insecure college girl still existed. The girl who let cruel jokes slide because she was afraid of losing the man she loved. The girl who accepted less because she thought she deserved less. A knock interrupted my thoughts. I quickly stepped away from the mirror and opened the door. It was zephr my current boyfriend and boy he is something else 6ft 2inches of muscle, masculinity and brains though sometimes i get on his nerves just for fun. My man I love him so much because he makes me feel like im the main character. We met almost a year ago at a mall and I'll call it was love at first sight. He stood there holding takeout bags and wearing that soft smile that always made my chest warm. “There’s my favorite girl.” Relief flooded me instantly. Zephyr was safe. Steady. Nothing like Abe. He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently before stepping inside. Ohh his scent is so intoxicating. “You look tired,” he murmured. “Long day.”. He studied me carefully. “Something happened.” I tried to smile. “You always know.” “That’s my job.” God. Why did kindness sometimes feel so unfamiliar? He placed the food on the kitchen counter before walking back toward me. “You wanna talk about it?” I hesitated. For a moment, I almost told him. But the words wouldn’t come out. Because saying Abe’s name aloud felt dangerous somehow. Like opening a door I had fought hard to keep shut. So instead, I forced another smile and wrapped my arms around Zephyr’s waist. “Can we just eat first?” “Hmmm baby im looking at my meal right now” “You naughty boy ill let you hit it this one time just because you bought take out” “ cmon!!” he exclaimed in excitement “I had a feeling that would work” “ on one condition you eat my shaved p***y and oiled ass” I said rubbing my fat ass on his d**k. “Done baby all done your wish is my comand” He replied with this hunger in his eyes.