CHAPTER THREE
1453 Words
CHERRY'S POV
Cherry, hurry up! You’ll be late for work,” my mom, Emily, called from the kitchen.
Well… not my birth mother—my savior.
Exactly one year ago today, I stood on a bridge, ready to end my life. I was broken, unwanted, and convinced the world would be better without me.
Then a voice stopped me.
“Do you really want to kill yourself?”
An elderly woman had pulled over, panting as she ran toward me.
I screamed through my tears, “Why shouldn’t I? The man I love doesn’t love me. My own mother says I’m bad luck. I have no one!”
She looked at me with calm, steady eyes.
“So you’ll prove them right? Are you bad luck? You’ll die to please them? No, my dear. Prove them wrong. Live, even if it hurts.”
That day, I stepped away from the edge and into her arms. She didn’t just save me; she gave me a home and a reason to live.
Now, she’s my mother in every way that matters.
“Cherry! You’re still not dressed?”
“I’m coming, Mom!”
I faced the mirror and repeated my daily mantra:
“I’m strong. I’m bold. I’m beautiful. I’m worthy. I’m enough.”
Those words had saved me more than once.
I grabbed my bag and dashed out. “No time for breakfast, Mom!”
“At least eat something!” Emily insisted.
“I’ll grab coffee instead!” I shouted as I ran away.
Her exasperated sigh followed me out the door.
The road was busy, but my mind was calm. I had rebuilt my life piece by piece. With Mom’s help, I’d gotten my first job as a secretary. Now, I am a personal assistant. Today, our company was meeting a potential partner—WILK Corporation, one of the biggest in the world.
This deal could change everything.
Still, I couldn’t resist my one morning addiction: coffee.
At my favorite café, the air buzzed with excitement. Expensive cars lined the street.
“Wow,” I murmured. “One day, Mom and I will own one.”
Inside, people whispered and craned their necks.
“What’s going on?” I asked the waitress.
“Kris Kels is here!” she whispered, eyes shining. “You don’t know him? The youngest billionaire in the country. Every woman’s dream.”
I smiled faintly. “I just need coffee, not a billionaire.”
She laughed awkwardly and hurried off.
Coffee in hand, I tried to make my way through the crowd, but my heel caught on someone’s shoe. Before I could apologize, a man turned sharply.
“Watch where you’re going,” he snapped, giving me a light shove.
Hot coffee splashed across my white shirt.
“Excuse me?” I said, glaring. “That wasn’t necessary.”
He smirked. “If you want, I can help you clean it up.”
Before I could step back, his hand brushed over my chest—too slowly to be an accident.
A sting of anger shot through me. My palm moved faster than my thoughts.
Slap!
His head snapped to the side.
“You jerk,” I hissed, storming out of the café, my heart hammering and cheeks burning.
By afternoon, I’d tried to forget it. Our office was buzzing—today was the big partnership meeting.
“You ready?” my boss asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
“Rumor says the owner of WILK is an old man,” he said as we drove.
“Whoever it is,” I answered, “this deal is all that matters.”
The WILK building towered above the city, all glass and steel glinting in the sun. We stepped inside, guided by a polite receptionist to the top floor.
The office was huge, minimalist, and silent. Someone sat in the executive chair, facing the window.
“Sir, the representatives are here,” the receptionist announced.
The chair turned slowly.
My breath froze. The world tilted.
It was him.
The arrogant man I had slapped that morning.
Oh my God. I looked at him, praying he wouldn’t recognize me, trying to hide my face. My stomach twisted.
We sat down on a vacant seat—one he hadn’t even offered.
My boss stretched out his hand, smiling nervously. “It’s nice to meet you, CEO of WILK. I never imagined the CEO was such a young man.”
“Go ahead,” the man said coolly, ignoring my boss’s handshake.
My boss cleared his throat and motioned for me to begin. I was fuming inside. Who did this man think he was? Still, I forced myself to stay calm. We needed this deal.
Did he not remember me? I wondered.
“Go ahead, Cherry,” my boss urged again.
I opened my laptop, my hands trembling slightly. Please, God, don’t let him remember me.
“Thank you for partnering with us,” I began softly, keeping my eyes down to avoid his piercing stare. He didn’t respond.
My boss gave me a small signal to continue. I took a deep breath and steadied my voice.
“This is my proposal.”
“Use the projector,” he cut in coldly.
I walked toward the projector, my legs unsteady. I closed my eyes for a moment, then continued.
“As you know, our company produces handmade perfumes loved by customers. Last year, we won an award for best marketing performance. Our perfumes—”
“Get straight to the point,” he interrupted again, his tone sharp.
I looked up at him, swallowing hard. Still, the new me refused to be intimidated.
“Fine,” I said evenly. “Our company will handle product creation, while WILK oversees production and global distribution.”
“And what’s in it for my company?” he asked flatly.
“Profit will be shared—WILK gets sixty percent, and our company forty.”
“Your report projects a forty percent profit increase,” he said. “How do you plan to achieve that without cutting labor costs?”
“By improving efficiency and reducing delays,” I replied confidently. “We’ve already implemented a new system for that.”
He leaned back, studying me. “And why exactly does your company deserve this partnership?”
The room grew tense. Every word felt like a test.
“Our company may be small,” I said firmly, “but we’re creative and dedicated. We deliver results.”
He smirked. “You’re arrogant. Overconfidence kills.”
What the hell? I thought bitterly. You asked a question, I answered.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, forcing calm. I couldn’t afford to lose this deal.
He turned to my boss. “Why did your company send lagging, unintelligent employees to represent you? Don’t you have smarter people?”
My boss froze. “Sorry, sir,” he muttered.
My chest tightened. Lagging? Unintelligent? And my boss agrees with him? That stung.
“Well,” the CEO continued, “she also lacks manners.”
“Sorry, sir,” my boss said again, glancing at me in warning.
I clenched my fists, struggling to stay calm. Then came the dagger.
“Do you think dressing seductively with your unattractive body will win partnerships?”
That was it. My patience snapped.
“With all due respect, sir,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze, my voice trembling but cold, “you have no right to body-shame anyone.”
“Cherry!” my boss hissed, panicking, but I ignored him.
“You lack the same manners that made you harass me this morning,” I added, my heart pounding.
His expression flickered, just for a second, but he quickly recovered.
“I’m not used to being spoken to like that,” he said, turning to my boss. “Since your employee is rude and undisciplined, I can’t work with her.”
I scoffed quietly. Uncultured? Look who’s talking.
“Still,” he added with a cruel smirk, “I’ll approve the deal on one condition—fire your P.A.”
My boss’s face went pale.
“You’re free to choose,” the CEO said. “The partnership or your employee.”
I froze. My boss wouldn’t… would he?
He didn’t even look at me when he spoke. “You’re fired.”
“What?” My voice cracked. “After everything I’ve done for this company?”
He stayed silent.
My gaze
snapped to the CEO. Anger and humiliation burned in my chest.
“You’re a devil,” I spat, fighting tears.
His soft laugh followed me as I walked away, knowing I had just lost everything.
- Writer
