The Rival I Fell for

Episode2

CHAPTER 2

POV: EVELYN

THE PROBLEM

I woke up earlier than usual the next morning.

For a few seconds, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I didn't feel like getting up, but I knew I had a lot of work waiting for me at the office.

I picked up my phone and checked the time before getting out of bed.

After taking my bath and getting dressed, I went downstairs, had a quick breakfast and grabbed my bag.

Another day at work.

I sighed before leaving the house.

By the time I arrived at the office, some of my employees were already there. I greeted them and went straight to my office.

I dropped my bag on the table, sat down and switched on my laptop.

There were so many things I needed to do, but I decided to check the company's financial records first.

I opened the files Clara had sent me the previous evening and started going through them.

At first, everything looked normal. I checked the expenses, the sales records and the reports from the previous months.

But the more I checked, the more confused I became.

Something wasn't right.

I opened another file and compared the figures with the previous reports. My eyes moved from one number to another, hoping I had made a mistake somewhere.

But I hadn't.

The company's expenses were higher than I expected, and the profits were getting lower every month.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my forehead.

"What's going on?" I whispered to myself.

I checked the records again, but the figures remained the same.

This wasn't a small problem I could ignore and deal with later. If things continued like this, the company could lose even more money.

And I wasn't ready to let that happen.

I had worked too hard to build this company. I had sacrificed so much to get it to where it was, and the thought of losing everything made me uncomfortable.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened, and Clara walked in with some files in her hands.

She was my best friend, and she had been working closely with me for a while. She knew when something was wrong with me, even when I tried to hide it.

She placed the files on my desk and looked at me.

"You've seen the reports, haven't you?"

I looked up at her.

"What reports?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Evelyn, please don't tell me you haven't checked them yet."

"I have. That's why I'm asking you what is going on."

Clara pulled out the chair opposite me and sat down.

"I've been looking into the company's finances for the past few weeks, and things are getting worse."

I stared at her.

"Worse how?"

She opened one of the files and turned it towards me.

"Our expenses keep increasing, but our profits aren't enough to cover them. We've also lost some important clients, and a few of our suppliers have increased their prices."

I looked at the figures again.

"Why am I only hearing about this now?"

"I wanted to confirm everything before bringing it to you. I didn't want to give you incomplete information."

I sighed and closed the file.

"So what are you saying? That we're losing money and there's nothing we can do about it?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying, Clara?"

She paused for a moment before answering.

"I'm saying we need to do something before the situation gets worse."

I stood up and walked towards the window.

I didn't like the way this conversation was going. I knew running a company came with challenges, but I never expected things to get this bad.

"What about the clients we've been trying to reach?" I asked. "Have they responded?"

"Some of them haven't replied, and the others are still considering our offers."

I turned to face her.

"And the suppliers?"

"We can negotiate with some of them, but I don't think that will be enough."

I folded my arms.

"So what do you suggest we do?"

Clara hesitated.

I noticed it immediately.

"What?" I asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She looked away briefly before meeting my eyes again.

"There might be someone who can help us."

I frowned.

"Who?"

"Roman Bennett."

For a moment, I thought I had heard her wrongly.

"Who did you just say?"

"Roman Bennett."

I stared at her.

"Clara, are you being serious right now?"

"Yes, Evelyn. I'm serious."

I let out a short laugh, but there was nothing funny about the situation.

"Of all the people in this city, you're suggesting Roman Bennett?"

"I know you two don't get along, but—"

"Don't get along?" I interrupted. "Clara, that man gets on my nerves every time he opens his mouth."

She sighed.

"I know."

"No, I don't think you understand. Roman is arrogant, competitive and thinks he knows everything. The last thing I need right now is to work with someone like him."

Clara remained quiet for a moment.

Then she spoke again.

"Evelyn, this isn't about whether you like him or not. This is about the company."

I looked at her, but I didn't respond.

She continued.

"Roman has connections with several investors, and his company has been doing well. He understands the business world, and he might be able to help us find a solution."

I shook my head.

"There has to be another option."

"Maybe there is, but we need to consider every possibility."

I walked back to my desk and sat down.

I hated that she was making sense.

Roman Bennett was the last person I wanted to ask for help. We had never been able to agree on anything, and whenever we met, we somehow ended up arguing.

The thought of sitting across from him in a meeting made me want to change my mind immediately.

But this wasn't about my personal feelings.

It was about the company I had worked so hard to build.

I picked up one of the files and looked through it again.

"Have you spoken to him?" I asked quietly.

Clara shook her head.

"Not yet. I wanted to discuss it with you first."

"Good. Don't contact him."

She stared at me.

"Evelyn—"

"I said don't contact him, Clara."

She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Fine. I won't contact him without your permission. But you need to think about this carefully."

I didn't answer.

She stood up, gathered the empty folder beside her and walked towards the door.

Before leaving, she turned back to look at me.

"You don't have to like him, Evelyn. You just have to decide whether working with him could save your company."

The door closed behind her.

I sat quietly, staring at the files on my desk.

Her words kept repeating in my head.

I didn't want to admit it, but she was right.

I couldn't keep rejecting every possible solution just because I disliked the person offering it.

Still, the thought of working with Roman Bennett made me uncomfortable.

I picked up my phone and opened my messages, hoping to distract myself for a while.

My anonymous best friend had sent me a message earlier that morning.

HIM: Good morning, troublemaker.

I smiled slightly.

ME: Good morning to you too, bossy stranger.

HIM: You sound like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

ME: And you sound like someone who talks too much.

HIM: Yet you keep replying to me.

I rolled my eyes.

ME: Unfortunately.

HIM: So, how are you feeling today?

I stared at the message for a moment.

I wanted to tell him about the company's problems, but I wasn't sure how much I should share.

Eventually, I typed my reply.

ME: Not so good. I've got a lot on my mind.

His response came a few seconds later.

HIM: Do you want to talk about it?

I looked at the screen.

That was one thing I liked about him. He never forced me to explain myself, but he always gave me the chance to talk when I needed to.

ME: My company is having some problems, and I'm trying to figure out what to do.

HIM: What kind of problems?

I explained a little about the financial situation without revealing the company's name or giving away too many details.

He took a while to reply.

HIM: Have you considered asking someone experienced to help you look at the situation?

I sighed.

ME: That's the problem. The person who might be able to help me is someone I can't stand.

HIM: Why can't you stand him?

I almost laughed.

If only he knew.

ME: He's arrogant and annoying. He always acts like he knows everything.

HIM: Maybe that's just how he appears to you.

I frowned at my phone.

ME: Are you defending him already?

HIM: I'm not defending anyone. I'm just saying that sometimes, people aren't exactly how we think they are.

I stared at his message.

Why did everyone suddenly want me to give Roman Bennett a chance?

First Clara, now my anonymous best friend.

I typed a reply.

ME: You don't know him.

HIM: Neither do you, apparently.

My mouth fell open.

I couldn't believe what I was reading.

ME: Excuse me?

HIM: I'm just saying. Maybe you should hear him out before deciding he's completely useless.

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me.

ME: You're annoying.

HIM: And yet, here you are, talking to me.

I couldn't help smiling.

ME: I'm not discussing this with you again.

HIM: Fine. But promise me you'll think about it.

I stared at the screen for a few seconds before replying.

ME: I'll think about it.

HIM: Good. Now go and eat something. You can't solve all your problems while sitting in your office.

I laughed quietly.

ME: How do you even know I'm in my office?

HIM: Because you're always working.

I smiled at the message.

He wasn't wrong.

I put my phone down and looked around my office again.

For a moment, I forgot about the reports and the problems waiting for me.

Then my eyes landed on the files Clara had left behind.

My smile disappeared.

I couldn't keep avoiding the situation forever.

I needed a solution, and I needed one soon.

I picked up my phone and opened the search page. After staring at the screen for a few seconds, I typed Roman Bennett's name.

His business profile appeared almost immediately.

I looked through the information, checking his company's achievements and the projects he had worked on.

I hated to admit it, but Clara wasn't wrong about his experience.

He knew what he was doing.

That didn't mean I liked him.

I closed the page and dropped my phone on the table.

"Unbelievable," I muttered.

I couldn't believe I was actually considering working with Roman Bennett.

But if I wanted to save my company, I might have to put my pride aside.

I picked up the phone again and called Clara.

She answered after the second ring.

"Have you changed your mind?" she asked.

"Don't sound so excited."

She laughed softly.

"So, what have you decided?"

I took a deep breath.

"Find a way to arrange a meeting with Roman."

There was a brief silence.

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure. But I don't have many options left."

"Okay. I'll contact his office and see when he's available."

"Fine. But Clara?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure he understands that this is strictly business. I don't want him thinking we're suddenly friends."

She laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind."

I ended the call and placed my phone on the desk.

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment.

I had no idea how the meeting would go, but one thing was certain.

Working with Roman Bennett was going to be difficult.

And if he thought I was going to let him control my company, he had another thing coming.

I opened my eyes and looked at the files in front of me.

"Let's see what you can do, Roman Bennett," I whispered.

I had no idea that agreeing to work with him would change more than just my company.

It would bring me closer to the one person I had been trying so hard to avoid.

And the man I trusted most online was about to become the man who challenged me the most in real life.