The reunion
I’ll finally be seeing him again.
The thought had been sitting in my chest since dawn, heavy and restless, like it had been waiting years for today to arrive.
After so long.
After everything, I was excited and anxious and scared all at once.
Oliver was a thousand feelings in one single feeling to me.
I lay on my back, staring at the faint crack on my bedroom ceiling, my mind already far away. Back to dusty streets and unfinished dreams. Back to a boy who used to walk beside me like the future was something we owned together.
Finish school. Get jobs. Work at Ripraida.
Then we’ll figure everything else out.
We said it so easily back then.
“Hazel!”
The door flew open.
My brother stood there, already dressed, tie crooked, irritation written all over his face. “Are you trying to lose your internship on the first day?”
I jolted upright. “I’m up.”
“You’ve been ‘up’ for ten minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch. “This is Ripraida, not one of those places where they forgive lateness.”
I grabbed my bag, my heart thudding. As I passed him, he softened slightly. “You worked too hard for this. Don’t let your head ruin it.”
If only it were that easy.
I smiled “Since when do you give me advice. Get yourself to school and fix that crooked tie of yours”
Ripraida Group
Ripraida wasn’t just a company. It was a legacy. A family empire that ruled industries, politics, and lives. People in our town didn’t just want to work there — they worshipped the idea of it.
I took a deep breath and walked in.
The Ripraida Group building didn’t look real.
It rose into the sky like it didn’t belong to the same world I came from — all glass and steel and confidence. Even the air around it felt expensive. I stood at the gate for a second too long, adjusting my clothes, suddenly very aware of how simple they were.
This is where people like me disappear, a small voice whispered.
Inside, everything was bigger. The lobby ceiling seemed miles high. The floor reflected my nervous face back at me. People moved with purpose, their shoes sharp against the marble, their conversations low and important.
I found myself staring at the elevators — silent, golden, intimidating. I hesitated before stepping in, afraid I might press the wrong button and embarrass myself before even starting.
When the doors slid shut, my reflection stared back at me. Wide-eyed. Hopeful. Terrified.
You’re here, I reminded myself. You belong.
Orientation was quick but overwhelming. Rules. Departments. Expectations. Then we were handed over to our floor manager — a tall woman with sharp eyes and sharper heels.
“This is not a playground,” she said, scanning us like we were already disappointing her. “Interns here earn their place.”
She stopped in front of me. “Name?”
“Hazel,” I replied.
“Hazel,” she repeated, unimpressed. “Try not to slow anyone down.”
I nodded, cheeks burning.
She showed me my desk — small, tucked near the end of the floor. Still, it was mine. I touched the edge of it like it might disappear.
A girl in the next cubicle leaned over. “First day?” she whispered.
I looked at her before answering,she was very beautiful and dressed classy. She was wearing a million dollar looking Blazer on top of a designer top that was in trend then,her hair was dyed brown and curled beautifully on her head, not to talk about how amazing she smelled even from where I sat, her fingers were manicured and her nails painted bright red, her earrings dangled beautifully and shook as she spoke.I could not help but look down at what I was wearing. I didn't put any effort in my hair just washed it at home and dried it absentmindedly and tied it into a bun,at least my brother was kind enough to iron the skirt and button up shirt I had on.The beautiful lady was still looking at me and I realized she was waiting for a response. “Yes”. I said hoping she hadn't said anything else because I was too distracted to even notice.
“Don’t worry,” she said quietly. “Everyone looks like they want to throw up on their first day.”
I smiled.
“Hi I'm Debbie” she said flashing me a beautiful smile that exposed her dimples sweetly.
“Nice to meet you, I'm Hazel”. I said hoping my smile didn't look forced. Thank goodness she went back to work almost immediately after.
I was arranging my things when the atmosphere changed.
Voices lowered. Movements slowed.
Someone important had arrived.
It was subtle — voices lowering, movements stiffening. The kind of shift you feel before you understand it.
I looked up just in time to see him walking through the office doors with a few guards dressed in black and some directors I recognized from the orientation.
My world tilted.
Oliver Williams or ‘Oliver Hale’ as he's known as now.
For a second my body forgot how to function.
He looked nothing like the boy I remembered — and everything like him at the same time. Taller. Colder. Dressed in a way that said power had finally claimed him.
My chest tightened.
Before I could stop myself, I stood.
I called out to him.
He turned.
Relief rushed through me so fast it hurt.
“You’re back,” I said, my voice softer than I meant it to be.
His eyes moved over me slowly, indifferently.
“Excuse me,” he said.
I blinked. “It’s me. Hazel.”
Something hardened in his expression.
“Do you work here?” he asked, loud enough for people nearby to hear.
“Yes,” I said, confused. “I just started—”
He laughed. A short, sharp sound. “Of course you did.”
The whispers began.
A few people laughed.
“This isn’t a place where people like you walk up to me,” he said calmly. “You should be more careful.”
My throat closed. “I just wanted to say hello.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough to make it cruel. “That life you remember? It’s dead.”
My eyes burned. “You said—”
“I said nothing,” he cut in. “And whatever you thought we were… you imagined it.”
The words landed like blows.
“I waited for you,” I whispered.
His lips curved — not kindly.
“I didn’t come back for you, Hazel. And if you know you don't want to return to that local town you came from you had better behave yourself in here and quit acting desperate.”
Something broke.
People were watching openly now. My vision blurred, tears spilling before I could stop them. I hated myself for it, hated how small I suddenly felt in a place this big.
He turned and walked away.
Just like that.
My chest convulsed as a sob escaped, loud and humiliating. I covered my mouth too late. I didn’t even remember leaving my desk — only the sound of my own crying as I fled down the hallway.
I’ll finally be seeing him again, I had thought.
I never imagined it would feel like this.
