In your Arms Again, Dear Ex

Chapter 4- My First Day At Work

I still couldn't bring myself to understand what had happened earlier. Though I had left his house, I could still feel the impact of his lips on mine… his unmistakable scent…and his charming beauty.

He was still as handsome as ever, and I could swear every woman around him would be dying to have him all to themselves.

I felt bad for what I did to him three years ago even though it was clearly not my fault—his mother had pushed me to do it, threatening to kill me if I failed to listen to her. What else could I have done? I had to save myself first.

It still felt like a dream. Wasn't he supposed to be mad at me? If he was no longer mad at me, then why had he spoken to me in that way?

Why does he want me to work with him at all costs? Obviously, he has something up his sleeves. But it's too late to back out now—I needed the job to take care of my aging mother and my little brother.

•••

I woke up feeling so weak from last night, the memories of the previous day flashing repeatedly in my head.

I sighed, rubbing my aching head. Then I slipped out of bed, lazily making my way to the bathroom.

This was an unusual feeling I didn't quite understand. Why was I feeling weak all of a sudden? Heaven knows if I miss going to work today–on my first day, Adrian will not hesitate to get me fired.

I pushed myself through the weakness, letting the shower on as it poured down drops of cold water on my hair.

In no time, I got out of the bathroom and headed towards my wardrobe. Thankfully I found a dress without even searching for too long.

I took it out from the hanger and put it on, its fabric hugging me tight.

Then I stormed out to the sitting room, to find my mother already seated. It was as though she had been waiting for me all along.

“Mom, you're awake.” I asked, acting surprised. I actually was surprised–shocked to see her up so early.

She offered me a gentle smile, gesturing to the couch beside her. “Come have a seat. We need to discuss.”

I stared at her, confused. Then I glanced at the wall clock, a loud gasp escaping my throat.

“Mom, I'm running out of time. Can the discussion wait till I get back?”

“Oh… of course not sweetheart.” She replied. “But you have nothing to worry about, because I won't waste your time.”

I stared at her, left with no other choice but to give her a benefit of the doubt.

I sat down reluctantly, stealing occasional glances at the wall clock.

Mother's face dulled all of a sudden, her expression moody. My heart raced when I realized how sad she had suddenly become.

“Is anything the matter?” I asked, suddenly forgetting the fact that I was running late. The job could wait.

She shook her head and gently dabbed the corner of her eyes. “I was just thinking… It's been a week since you got married, but you're yet to bring your husband home, so we could at least familiarize ourselves with him.”

Her words felt like a slap to my face. I became uneasy, running a hand through my hair as I thought of what to say.

There's no way I could expose the real identity of my husband to her. It might cause her a heart attack, which might lead to even more severe issues, and I honestly didn't want that for her.

I could remember vividly how Adrian's mother had barged into our house with some men, threatening to kill all of us if I refused to stay away from her son.

I could also remember how my mother had warned me strictly to leave Adrian or she would be forced to believe that I wanted her to die.

She was so frightened by the threats that she never entertained any discussion concerning Adrian anymore.

So, how am I supposed to tell her that I am married to the same person she had warned me to stay away from?

At this point, I was completely clueless of what to say to her. Just then, an idea finally struck.

“My husband… he traveled out of the country right after the wedding. He's based abroad for now and he only visits once in a while.” I explained, silently hoping she would buy this lie.

Her eyes flushed with disappointment. But then, she still wasn't having it. “Is there no way I could identify him—maybe through a picture or something?”

At this point, I knew if I continued with this discussion, I would be here longer than I expected.

I scurried to the door, waving her goodbye. “We'll talk about this when I get back from work. I don't want to be late on my first day.” I yelled and sped off.

Arriving at the company, I couldn't count the number of people who were staring at me.

I felt… strange and displaced by those long stares and neck turns from everyone, men and women.

But I cared not to pay attention to them. Since I already knew where Adrian's office was located, it was no need asking anyone for directions.

I strode towards his office, but stopped abruptly when I crashed into someone who was also stepping out of his office.

The documents in her hands scattered all over the floor, and as soon as I noticed, I bent down to pick them up.

I handed back the documents to her, trembling the moment I met her cold, icy gaze.

“I'm sorry, I—” My words were left hanging as a hot slap landed across my face, cutting me briefly.

“You should be more careful next time!” She blurted out, her tone mean.

I struggled to regain my balance, still reeling from the weight of the slap. “But I already apologized to you.”

“And who says I need your stupid apology?” Her eyes traveled down to the dress I was putting on, and she burst out laughing. “Oh, I see. You're the new assistant?”

My teeth clenched.

Why was she acting like she owned the whole place when she's just a coworker just like me?

I ignored her question, because it was obviously not her concern whether or not I was the new assistant. I rubbed my hurting cheek and continued on my way to Adrian's office when I felt a firm grip on my wrist.

She pulled me back aggressively, grabbing a handful of my hair. “Who the hell do you think you are? The boss's favorite, huh?” She scoffed. “Do you even realize you're late–on your first day? I can't wait to see him fire you for being late, you asshole!”

Her grip on my hair made me wince, and I couldn't help but groan aloud.

Her gaze was mean, unyielding. It made me wonder what I had done to warrant such treatment from her. I was just a new staff member resuming her work duties, and I'm already being bullied this way–on my first day?

“Listen carefully, bimbo. The boss is clearly not into women like you, and just so you know, he has fired a lot of women who tried to throw themselves at him in the past. You had better tread with caution.” Her grip on my hair tightened, her clenched fist raised high above my face. “And if you ever dare to cross me again, then consider yourself dead!”

She attempted to hit me once again, but a voice rang out right on time, stopping her abruptly.

We both turned.

The moment she saw Adrian approaching, she released her grip on me and crashed to the floor, screaming at the top of her voice.