Turbulent Love

Chapter 1

Sarah groggily reached for her buzzing phone, squinting at the screen to check the time. 9:00 a.m. – not exactly an early start for most, but for her, it marked the beginning of another day of relentless job hunting. She answered the call, expecting yet another rejection or dead-end opportunity.

"Hello?" she greeted, trying to sound more awake than she felt.

"Hey, Sarah, it's Lisa," came the cheerful voice at the other end. Sarah's heart skipped a beat – Lisa was an acquaintance of hers who she had recently reached out to for job recommendations, but she had received a rejection. So, the call caught her off guard.

What could she want? Sarah thought to herself.

"Hi, Lisa. What's up?" Sarah asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I've got some good news for you. Remember how you mentioned you were looking for a job? Well, I've recommended you for a position here at Parker Enterprises," Lisa explained.

Sarah's mind raced as she considered the offer. Working at Parker Enterprises could be a game-changer for her, but was it worth the risk?

"Wow, Lisa, thank you so much. I really appreciate it," Sarah replied, trying to contain her excitement.

"No problem at all, Sarah. If you're interested, why don't you come to the office later today? I'll show you around and give you a sense of what to expect. Oh, and fair warning – James doesn't tolerate sluggishness, so be sure to bring your A-game," Lisa advised.

“James…?” Sarah drawled out, trying to recall who that could be.

“Yes, James. He’s the CEO of Parkers Enterprises”, Lisa clarified.

“Oh, yeah.”

“So… What do you say? Will you be coming around?”

“Oh, certainly.” Sarah agreed to the meeting and hung up the phone, her mind buzzing with possibilities. She quickly got ready, determined to make a good impression on her potential new boss.

Exactly two hours later, Sarah arrived at Parker Enterprises, her nerves tingling with anticipation. As she made her way to the top floor, she couldn't shake the feeling of excitement mixed with apprehension.

As Sarah stepped into the elevator, she was greeted by the presence of a tall, impeccably dressed man. His confident stance and sharp attire exuded an aura of authority, immediately capturing Sarah's attention. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to play it cool, but inside, she couldn't deny the undeniable attraction.

To her surprise, the said man attempted to strike up a conversation, but Sarah remained aloof, refusing to give him the satisfaction of her attention. The unknown man seemed to be taken aback by her lack of response and couldn't resist calling her out on it.

"Excuse me, miss. It's not polite to ignore someone when they're speaking to you," the man remarked, his tone tinged with annoyance.

Sarah bristled at his tone, refusing to back down. "I'm sorry, but I don't owe you anything," she retorted, her voice dripping with defiance.

The tension between them was palpable as they reached the top floor.

The elevator opened, revealing Lisa standing right in front of it. As Sarah stepped out, she was engulfed in Liza's warm hug with a smile so bright she could not help but reciprocate.

Liza had been one to give warm hugs back then. Her hugs were a reflection of how pure her heart was, and she was glad that Liza had not allowed herself to be tainted by the corruption going on in the world.

“Oh, how I've missed your hugs. You give the best!” Sarah sighed with a look of contentment on her face, leaving Liza laughing hard. “Thank you so much for this.” Sarah said, grabbing Liza’s hands in excitement.

“Don’t mention it. I’m sure you would have done the same for me. You came in right on time. I will show you around now.”

“Cool,” Sarah said.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Lisa led Sarah through the bustling office, introducing her to various departments and coworkers along the way. Sarah couldn't help but notice the lingering stares and whispered conversations as they passed by.

After showing her around each department, Lisa stopped at the front of a big, rich mahogany door with a gleaming brass handle. From Sarah's guess, she could tell that it belonged to someone powerful-A CEO, possibly as she stood next to Lisa.

With a reassuring nod from Lisa, Sarah took a deep breath, steeling herself for what lay ahead. As Lisa knocked and swung open the door to James's office, Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she realized who he was – the man from the elevator, is her potential new boss! Sorry, her boss.

James's eyes widened in surprise as he took in Sarah's appearance, but any hint of recognition was quickly masked by his professional demeanor.

Sarah braced herself for what was to come, unsure of how James would react to their unexpected encounter.