Episode4:ThePressureCooker
555 Words
The board meeting was a disaster waiting to happen. I spent the entire morning in a blur of printer paper and panic. My hands were stained with blue ink, and my brain felt like it had been put through a blender.
Breathe, El. Seriously, you look like you’re about to pass out, Sarah whispered, leaning against my cubicle wall. She was the only person at sterling & Associates who didn't view the world as a ladder to be climbed. She was a breath of fresh air in an office that felt like it was constantly running out of oxygen.
I looked up at her, my hair messy, my blazer feeling two sizes too tight. I can't breathe, Sarah. Julian is breathing down my neck every five seconds, and if I don't nail this presentation, I’m done. My mom’s treatment… I need this bonus. I need the Partner track.
Sarah sighed, her expression softening. He’s a nightmare, I know. But he’s not the only one here. Marcus is already whispering in the hallway that you’re 'struggling with the basics.' Keep your head down, ignore Julian’s arrogance, and just get through the hour.
I nodded, clutching my coffee like a lifeline. I hate him. I honestly don't know how I’m supposed to work in the same zip code as him, let alone the same project.
Just remember, Sarah said with a wink, he’s just a man in an expensive suit. He bleeds, he gets tired, and he definitely has a terrible personality. Don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you sweat.
As Sarah walked away, I looked across the floor. Julian was standing near the conference room, talking to one of the senior partners. He was gesturing with his hands, his face focused and sharp. Even from here, I could see the way he commanded attention. He was the golden boy, the one who made everything look easy.
He doesn't care about the people he steps on, I thought bitterly. He just likes the view from the top.
I didn't see him glance my way. He didn't linger, and he didn't smirk. He just turned, caught my eye for a split second, and looked away with a chilling, professional blankness. It infuriated me. He was so good at acting like I didn't exist when he wasn't trying to make my life miserable.
Ten minutes later, the conference room doors swung open.
Elena. Julian. Inside. Now, the CEO barked.
I stood up, smoothing down my skirt. My stomach was in knots. I walked past Julian, intentionally not looking at him, but I could feel the heat radiating off him. He didn't say a word, but as we walked through the door, he moved just enough to block Marcus from bumping into me.
It was a small, almost invisible gesture. A shield.
I didn't notice it. I was too busy planning my opening statement, too busy rehearsing the numbers in my head. I just hated how much space he took up, even when he was being silent. I hated that I had to stand next to him for the next sixty minutes and pretend that we were a team, when in reality, I wanted to be a million miles away from him.
He was my rival. My enemy. And today, the war was going to get a lot louder.
- Writer
