DISGUISED

“Oh my goodness, f**k, it’s already 7 a.m” The blaring alarm clock pulled me from a restless sleep, and as I blinked the weakness away, reality hit me. I glanced at my phone, "Oh my gosh," I whispered to myself. I panicked, but my body felt heavy with exhaustion. Still, there was no time to waste. I had to get ready. My day was already slipping away. I scrambled out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. My toothbrush moved like lightning, and I jumped into the shower. I had a quick bath, the water was cold, but I barely noticed. I grabbed the tube of my cream from the bathroom shelf while I was rushing out of the bathroom. My hands were shaky as I squeezed too much onto my palm, but there was no time to fix it. I quickly rubbed it all, the clock ticked louder as I hastily wiped the excess off my sleeve. I reached for my makeup bag. A bit of foundation, mascara, and a touch of lipstick. Simple, but it would do. I pulled on my fitted gown, the one that hugged my curves just right. Not bad, I thought, giving myself a quick look in the mirror. My bag was already packed from last night, so I grabbed it and hurried out the door. I knew I had to be strategic with my time. I had planned to visit my dad’s company today for an important meeting. The moment I got into my car and turned on the ignition, I realized I was running low on fuel. "Seriously?" I said. I reached for my credit card, digging through my bag, but something was missing, my wallet. Panic hit me. I jumped out of the car and raced back inside. There it was, sitting on top of my table like it had no idea how much trouble it was causing.With my wallet safely in hand, I ran back to my car, threw myself into the driver’s seat, and drove to the nearest gas station, hoping it wouldn’t take long. The station was eerily quiet, the fluorescent lights flickering as I pulled in. As I reached the pump, I noticed a car. The driver sat inside, engrossed in his phone, completely oblivious to the line forming behind him. I honked, irritation bubbling up. “Come on! Move! move along ” I shouted on top of my voice, but it was as if I was invisible. Time ticked away, and my anxiety spiked. I glanced at my watch it was 7:30 a.m. My dad needed me, and I was stuck here. I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. Shifting into reverse, I maneuvered around the car, finding a pump on the other side. I filled my tank as quickly as I could, my heart racing. Finally back on the road, I could feel the clock working against me. The city blurred past, each red light stretching my patience thin. I couldn’t shake the nagging worry about my dad as I need to get to my office first, attend to some files before heading to my Dad. There had been some issues in his company that needed urgent attention, and I feared the worst, if I didn’t get to him soon, I’d regret it. Arriving at the office just before 8:05 a.m, I rushed inside, barely acknowledging my colleagues. I headed straight for my desk, the logs from last week piled high. I focused on getting through them, but my mind kept drifting to my dad. But with this backlog, I was already feeling the pressure. I glanced at the clock and it was 8:12 a.m. Time was ticking, and I had a feeling that today would not go as planned. “Hey, Elmma! You’re just the person I wanted to see!”. It's Sarah, my colleague, and not in a good way. Always eager to give unsolicited advice, she thrived on stepping into others’ toes. “Hi, Sarah,” I replied, forcing a smile while trying to keep my focus on the logs of documents in front of me. “I noticed you haven’t started on the quarterly reports yet. You know we need to submit them by Friday, right?” she said, leaning over my desk, her finger tapping on one of the files. “I’m aware, but I’m working on these first,” I said, my tone clipped. I tried to steer the conversation away from my workload, but she was relentless. “Maybe you should prioritize those. I can help you” she started, but I cut her off. “Thanks, I have my system and I really need to handle this on my own.” I felt a mix of frustration and urgency. Every minute spent dealing with her was another minute wasted. As I tried to refocus, the phone rang. It was my dad’s assistant, reminding me of the urgency of my visit. “Your dad really needs your input today, Elmma,” she said. “Is everything okay?” “Uh, yeah. I’m on it,” I replied, glancing back at the pile of files that seemed to multiply. My heart raced; I could feel my plans slipping away. The morning dragged on, and every time I made progress, Sarah was right there, insisting on her way of doing things. “Have you considered this approach?” she would ask, flipping through my work. It was maddening. I glanced at the clock again 11:30 a.m. I couldn’t afford to lose any more time. I had to finish this work and get to my dad’s company. “Sarah, I really need to focus on this,” I said more firmly, hoping to finally get through to her. “Oh, come on! We’re a team, right?” she replied, flashing a smile that felt more like a challenge. “You could use my insights.” I could feel my patience wearing off, but I forced a smile. “Thanks, but like I said before, I need to do this my way.” After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to clear enough off my desk. I glanced at the clock again. 1:15 p.m. I had wasted too much time. My dad’s company was two hours away, and I still needed to change before I left. I took a deep breath, feeling a flicker of hope. Maybe I could still make it to my dad’s office before the day ended. Just as I was about to grab my bag, my phone buzzed again. This time it was my dad. “Elmma, is everything okay? I really need you here today.” “Sarah, I have to go now,” I said, standing up abruptly. “I’ll finish these later.” She frowned. “But what about the reports? You’re just going to leave them?” “I’ll handle it!” I snapped, grabbing my bag and rushing out the door. I pulled into the driveway, my heart racing with anticipation. Once inside, I quickly changed into something that made me feel stunning: a sleek black dress that hugged my curves just right. I glanced in the mirror, made quick touches to my makeup, adjusted my hair, and felt a surge of confidence. I headed to my father’s company, and I wanted to make an impression. The meeting was scheduled to kick off by 3:00 p.m. and I arrived just a few minutes late. I stepped into the sleek glass building, my heart pounding. My father’s company was everything he had worked for As I entered the conference room, I was greeted by my father’s warm embrace. “You made it!” he said, his smile easing my tension. The room was filled with a mixture of colleagues and executives, all looking at me with curious eyes. I noticed the presence of someone I knew, Eddie Malcolm. Is that not Eddie?