Chapter 10 -My rules
1088 Words
“You are late,” Emily said sharply, her voice laced with annoyance as Mika strolled into her office without a hint of urgency.
“I know, boss,” Mika responded mockingly, emphasizing the last word with a playful smirk. She carelessly tossed her bag onto the nearest chair. “I just had a few… little things to attend to before coming to work,” she added, dragging out the words as though daring Emily to react.
Emily didn’t flinch. “We don’t tolerate lateness here,” she said bluntly, her tone carrying the weight of authority. She straightened her posture, leaning slightly over her desk to assert her dominance. “If you’re working with me, Mika, you are going to be punctual. Is that clear?”
Mika folded her arms and tilted her head, feigning amusement. “I won’t stand here and let you dictate rules to me, Emily. You’re not the one who hired me.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed, her lips curving into a faint, humorless smile. “Oh, I see,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She stood, slowly and deliberately, her heels clicking ominously against the floor as she walked around the desk toward Mika. “Let me make one thing crystal clear,” Emily continued, her tone hardening. “As long as you’re working under my supervision, you will obey my rules. My rules, Mika.”
“And what rules are those?” Mika shot back, her voice steady, unyielding.
Emily stopped directly in front of Mika, their eyes locking in a battle of wills. “My rules,” she repeated, her voice dropping to a cold whisper.
Mika didn’t back down. “You’re not my boss, Emily. You’re my colleague. And, as far as I remember, you were merely asked to…”
“I was asked to babysit your silly ass, Mika,” Emily cut in sharply, the words hitting like a whip.
Mika stiffened. The audacity of Emily’s words stung, but what irked her more was the newfound confidence behind them. This wasn’t the meek Emily she once knew.
“Hmm…” Mika chuckled dryly, trying to mask her growing irritation. “Emily, I must say, I’m impressed. You’ve really grown over the years. I’m proud of you,” she added sarcastically.
Emily raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“All thanks to me, of course,” Mika continued with a smirk. “I pulled Jaden out of your life, remember? You needed a serious makeover, and Jaden… he was just dragging you down. I did you a favor.”
Emily’s face darkened, and her jaw tightened. “Mika, don’t you dare talk about the past,” she snapped.
“Or what?” Mika taunted, her voice dropping to a dangerous tone. She stepped closer, closing the gap between them, her eyes boring into Emily’s with an almost predatory intensity.
The tension in the room was palpable, a storm on the brink of eruption. They stood toe to toe, locked in a silent battle of wills, their past grievances bubbling to the surface like a volcano ready to explode.
“What’s happening here? Are we having a staring competition?” Rachel’s voice broke through the heavy silence as she walked into the office. She stopped mid-step, glancing between the two women with a raised eyebrow. “Easy, guys,” she added, trying to diffuse the tension.
Emily was the first to break eye contact, stepping back slightly but keeping her gaze fixed on Mika.
Rachel, oblivious to the underlying hostility, continued. “Emily, we have an urgent audition scheduled for tomorrow at noon. I’ll send you the script shortly.”
“Okay, thanks. Anything else?” Emily asked curtly, her voice calm but her eyes still hard as steel.
Rachel flipped through the tablet in her hand. “No, ma’am. Do you need anything else?”
“No, thank you,” Emily replied politely, her tone softening slightly.
Rachel nodded and left, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
As soon as the door closed, Mika cleared her throat, breaking the silence that had settled between them. “I’d love to have my own PA or manager,” she said nonchalantly, though her words carried a subtle edge.
Emily didn’t bother looking at her. “How is that my business? Discuss it with the CEO. After all, I’m not the one who hired you,” she said coolly, her focus now on the files on her desk.
Mika’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Are you sure you don’t care who it will be?” she asked, her voice dripping with mystery.
Emily glanced up, her expression unreadable. “I don’t care, Mika,” she replied bluntly.
Mika chuckled softly, a low, unsettling sound that lingered in the air. “Good,” she said, her tone enigmatic. She turned to leave, but not before casting one last glance at Emily. “You’ll care soon enough,” she murmured under her breath, just loud enough for Emily to hear.
Emily didn’t respond, but her hands tightened into fists under the desk.
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As Mika left the office, she couldn’t help but smirk. The satisfaction of rattling Emily gave her a twisted sense of triumph. But deep down, Mika knew the battle between them was far from over.
Emily, on the other hand, sat back in her chair, her mind racing. Mika’s words lingered, echoing in her thoughts like a haunting melody. She couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that Mika was planning something.
The past they shared was messy, complicated, and filled with scars, Emily was far from being fully healed from the past. And now, working together in the same space felt like reopening old wounds.
Emily took a deep breath, trying to focus on the tasks ahead. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept drifting back to Jaden. To the betrayal. To the pain Mika had caused.
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Meanwhile, Mika walked down the corridor, her heels clicking against the polished floor. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Hey, it’s me,” she said when the call connected. “We need to meet. There’s something I need you to do for me.”
The voice on the other end was muffled, but Mika’s smirk grew wider as the conversation continued.
“Perfect,” she said before hanging up.
Mika slid her phone back into her pocket, her eyes glinting with mischief. If Emily thought she could outsmart her, she was sorely mistaken.
- Writer
