Chapter 5
1125 Words
THE BEGINNING OF THE END
LUCY
I woke up gasping, my chest rising and falling like I had actually been kneeling in a white dress, watching Hunter Maddox choke on poisoned champagne. For a second, I was sure the chaos of the reception hall were still echoing in my ears. Then my eyes adjusted to the pale light coming in through the blinds, and the reality came back to me.
It was only a dream.
It was the kind of dream I’d had too many times over the last eight years. Sometimes I slit his throat. Other times I shot him. Most times, I just stood by and watched as he lost everything. But always, the ending was the same, him broken and me, victorious.
I stared at the ceiling for a long moment, feeling a sense of disappointment that once again, it was only a dream. But today, instead of sulking like I normally would, I felt energized. Today was unlike any other day.
I pushed the blanket off and sat up. The mirror across from the bed reflected the woman I had forced myself to become. Black hair fell straight past my shoulders, and not a trace of the blonde I once carried. My face was slimmer, but it still carried faint lines of recovery from the knife that had rebuilt it.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was Adrian.
“Good morning, Emily,” his voice slid through. “You’ll need to be at the office earlier than planned. There’s a staff orientation today. A perfect chance for you to meet him.”
“I was already awake,” I responded in a flat tone. “I’ll be ready.”
“Good. Remember, first impressions matter. Keep your head down and play the part well. You’re just another hire at the Maddox Foundation. Remember that.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” His voice sharpened. “Eight years of work can unravel in one slip. Don’t let your emotions show.”
I clenched my jaw but kept my voice calm. “I said I know, Adrian.”
A pause stretched between us. Then, a softer tone. "Alright then. Call me when it’s over.”
The line clicked dead.
***
New York hadn’t changed. That was the first thought that struck me as my car turned down fifth avenue. I drove passed tall sky scraper, traffic lights and then finally parked infront of a tall building.
I look at the MADDOX FOUNDATION written boldly for a while, gathering my thoughts. This was it. Any mistake in this stage and I wouldn't get the chance to make the bastard behind the sign pay.
I got out of the car and headed for the lobby which was a mixture of marble and glass. A receptionist in a navy dress smiled as I approached the desk. “Good morning. Name?”
“Emily Carter,” I replied with a smile, handing over my new employee ID.
“Welcome, Ms. Carter.” She handed me a visitor badge. “Orientation is in the fifth floor conference hall.”
The elevator ride was quite. I studied myself again ensuring that my true intent couldn't be spotted through the layers of makeup and clothes on my body.
The conference room was already half filled with other new hires when I walked in. I slipped into a seat near the back.
A young woman with curly brown hair turned to me. “Hi, I’m Grace,” she whispered. “Marketing assistant. First job out of college. You?”
I offered a polite smile. “Emily Cater. Administrative support.”
“Lucky us, right? Getting into the Maddox Foundation? My parents nearly fainted when I told them.” She laughed softly. “Mr. Maddox is practically a saint around here.”
I forced a polite laugh, too. Saint. If only she knew.
The orientation began, led by a woman in a crisp gray suit. She droned on about the foundation’s charitable initiatives, its outreach programs and the privilege of working under Hunter Maddox’s vision. Words like integrity, philanthropy and community impact where some of the words thrown around.
Then the double doors opened.
The shift was immediate and every head turned.
Hunter Maddox walked in with the kind of ease that only came from power, a tailored suit, confident stride and the faintest trace of a smile.
My pulse quickened despite every warning I’d drilled into myself. Seeing him in the flesh after all these years was nothing like the photographs I’d studied. He was taller in person, with broad shoulders and a sharp jawline.
I gripped my pen until my knuckles whitened, forcing myself to stay still. Oh what I wouldn't give to take this pen and stab it into his iris.
But I held myself. Adrian told me to keep my emotions in check and that's what I did.
Hunter spoke briefly at the front. He congratulated us for joining “a family, not just a workplace.”
"The Maddox foundation was set up in honor of my late wife, Sharon Maddox. Her
When the room applauded, I clapped along, holding myself from rolling my eyes. Anyone would instantly believe in his kindness. But I knew what he was capable of.
Grace whispers interrupted my thoughts “He’s even better looking in person, huh?”
I managed a smile. “I guess.”
When it finally ended and people shuffled out in small groups, I lingered, packing my things slowly. I would have rushed out with everyone else, but I wanted to use this opportunity to get in his space.
My plan worked because he started walking towards me.
I lowered my gaze and pretended to adjust my bag strap.
But then, his shadow stretched across my desk.
“First day nerves?”
The words fell casually, accompanied by a voice I’d memorized in my nightmares. My head jerked up before I could stop myself.
He was inches away from me now. I still had that pen. I could stab him in the neck with it.
Instead I laughed lightly. “A little, yes. I suppose everyone feels that way on their first day.”
His eyes lingered for a while, as if he were peeling back the layers I had spent years building. I shifted slightly in my seat, but didn’t look away.
Seconds stretched.
Did he know? Could he see Lucy Williams behind the careful makeup, the sculpted jawline and altered nose? Could he feel the hatred pressed down beneath the smile?
“Emily Carter, right?” he asked finally.
My stomach twisted. “Yes, sir.”
He nodded once, still staring. “Hmm.” A pause. Then, softer: “You look… familiar.”
- Writer
