Chapter 2: clashed pride
942 Words
Alice didn’t dare to take a step forward.
Blinking uncontrollably, the weight of his words pressed against her chest, cold, dismissive, final.
Three minutes is all we have.
No greeting.
No glance.
No respect.
Drenched in the sweat of her hand, slightly tightening around the file, but instead of shrinking, something in her steadied.
Fine.
If three minutes were all he was willing to give, she would make it count. She took a few steps forward
“My proposal is mainly focusing on restructuring your company’s outreach strategy.”
Your proposal isn’t different from others. Edwin shuns Alice, with his face looking down.
“Everyone brings in the same thing always”.
Alice paused.
Just for a second, she steadied her gaze.
Then.
“Maybe that’s because you haven’t seen mine.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Accompanied by a huge silence
A different kind this time.
Edwin couldn’t help but look up at the person talking.
For the first stare
It wasn’t just a glance.
It lingered.
Measured.
Curious.
Unexpected.
Alice felt the subtle yet undeniable shift in the atmosphere.
But she didn’t look away. She couldn’t afford to.
Not now.
Not when she finally had his attention.
Edwin's eyes widened in surprise, and he shifted in his chair, leaning in a bit closer.
He studied her as if she were a puzzle he wanted to solve.
“You're fearless, aren't you?" he said, his tone hard to read.
A small smile appeared. Alice raised her chin, meeting his gaze. "Fair chances are hard to come by."
He almost smiled
“Tread carefully," he whispered. "You're on thin ice."
Alice's voice stayed steady. "You're judging something you haven't heard."
“So I guess we’re even.”
That did it.
Something sparked in his eyes—sharp, intrigued awake.
For the first time that day, Edwin Gulter closed the file in front of him. With a hard slam.
“Alright,”
He said, in a very menacing, subtle voice.
“You’ve successfully gotten my attention.”
Alice scoffed, gaze steady.
Then she began.
And this time she didn’t hold back.
She spoke with clarity, her voice gaining strength with every word.
Every idea she had worked on, every detail she had perfected, flowed effortlessly during her sleepless nights.
Alice is now steady, hidden beneath the surface; she is no longer frightened.
Because now?
She was in her element.
Captivated by her, he is listening.
Edwin watched her.
Not just her words.
She’s way too confident in the way she presented herself.
Not defending others.
The way her eyes lit up when she explained something she believed in was the quiet confidence beneath her composure.
She wasn’t like the others.
Not rehearsed.
Not desperate to please.
Real.
For a second,
He didn't care to know what caught his attention.” More reasons why your recent approach is limited,”
Alice concluded her sentence with a calm yet certain voice,
“More likely you're operating in a system that is way behind us”.
Silence.
Edwin didn’t respond immediately.
He just looked at her.
Then.
“Seems like someone has been stalking my company for a year.”
“I have,”
She said.
“And you think you can fix it?”
“I know I can improve it.”
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Just truth.
Edwin stood.
The movement was slow,
deliberate.
Alice felt it again that shift.
The way the air seemed to tighten as
He took five steps close to his desk,
Closing the gap between them.
Not too close.
But close enough.
“You’re either very brave…”
He said,
His voice is lower now,
almost thoughtful.
“Or very naive.”
Alice held her gaze, her heartbeat quickening, but her expression didn’t break.
“Or maybe,” she said quietly, “I just know what I’m doing.”
A pause.
A long one.
Then.
Edwin let out a soft breath, something almost like amusement flickering across his face.
“Interesting.”
Silence broke in, not the uncomfortable one but the one that lingered. Neither of them spoke as something unseen and unspoken had passed.
Not the one that they could predict or understand.
Eventually, Edwin turned around and walked back to his desk.
Very precise, he said, “drop your file.”
Alice barely understood, “just that”? Alice completed.
“You just don’t expect an immediate reply?” Going through the file he was with before she came in.
No, Alice said
“An acknowledgment will not silence.”
Another pause.
Then,” You’ll hear from my office”, he shouted.
Dismissal.
Clear and simple.
Alice stood there in shock longer than she could realize
Then, quietly, she placed the file on his desk.
Alright,
“Thank you for your time,” she said in a soft tone. I'm glad I was able to convince you.
But as she turned to leave, her chest dropped.
Not disappointment.
Not exactly.
Something else.
Something not so familiar.
Approaching the exit.
“Miss Clerk.”
Her hand is still.
Slowly, she turned back.
Edwin was looking at her again.
Not dismissively this time.
Differently.
If I get you well, stalking my company means you studied my company?
He said.
“Then you should know…”
He paused.
Just slightly.
“I don’t invest in things that don’t hold my interest.”
Alice met his gaze.
Something flickered between them again.
sharp, quiet, undeniable.
“Then I guess,” she said softly, “that makes two of us.”
And with that.
She walked out.
Leaving behind more than just a proposal.
- Writer
