Failure.
A word that I know a lot of people are.
It's a word that I've used, obviously. But it's a word that I haven't used since my tragedy started.
I know it's quite ironic, but it is what it is.
Adding a new document, I exited the file that I'd just opened to jump on the next one. Zayn is extremely impressed with the stuff that I've been doing to lift him up, to the point that he said stuff to a few of his friends that he shouldn't have said.
He made me agree to pull out a PR with him, and he, being the idiot that he is, told people that there's a "professional" relationship between us.
And now here I am.
I went to bed at two a.m. last night and woke up at six just to get this shit done. It wasn't a hard thing to do since I was just getting rid of the malware that had been planted on his friend's company computers.
The only thing that I despise about that task is the fact that there were four hundred computers that had that malware.
Yes, four hundred.
I know a shortcut to work with multiple computers at a time, but still, there were four hundred of them.
I have never wanted to kill Zayn more than I've been urging to since last night.
After I was done fixing his buddy's problem, I jumped right to the comfy bed in my office, but I couldn't bring myself to sleep anymore. Pissed, I got up from the bed and decided to do something useful with my time.
"This can't be right," I said to myself as I went into stalker mode.
I'm currently looking at the new, very small data that I've managed to get my hands on this week, and as little as they seem, they've managed to give me a big shock.
Well, one of them managed to give me a big shock.
Unfortunately, before I could even drown myself with it, my office door bursted open, revealing a very disheveled Zayn.
I mean, he's still cute and hot, but he clearly doesn't look as good as he usually does.
"You need to help me," he said, walking into the room wearing only a white robe.
Panicking, I quickly got rid of the data that I was gathering without realizing that I actually did more than I should have.
There's no way that I would be able to retrieve them now.
Well, there goes my data.
"What is it?" I asked, turning off the computer monitor and kicking the floor to give my chair a spin.
"Please get her to go to school," he said, trudging in my direction. "I have to be in a meeting in like thirty minutes," he added, sitting in a nearby chair.
"She?" I asked with my eyebrow raised.
"Maya," he answered. "Please, she wouldn't listen to me," he added, almost as if he were begging.
Grinning to myself, I gave myself another spin to the point that I was facing my computer with my back turned to him.
"If you can't do it, then how the hell would I?" I spoke. "You're the parent, not me," I added, smirking at him through my reflection on the turned-off computer monitor.
He groaned at that.
Like—really groaned.
"I apologize, okay?" He said, leaning on the chair, frustrated. "You're not a threat. You're good with kids. I'm wrong, you were right, and I take full shame for my actions." he added.
Oh, someone's desperate.
"Fine," I said. "I'll help you," I added.
"Really?" he asked as if it was the greatest thing he had ever heard.
"Well, yes," I reassured him, turning my chair around so I could face him again. "In one condition, of course." I added wittily.
And just like that, the smile on his face that I abhor turned into a saccharine frown.
"What kind of condition?" he asked suspiciously.
"You tell that other friend of yours that I'm loaded at the moment," I said, talking about the endless tasks that his 'friends' have asked me to do. "That guy should hire an entire computer company to do the fucking job." I added.
He raised an eyebrow at that.
"Which one?" he asked.
"The redhead," I answered.
To be fair, it wasn't even a deal nor a condition.
I don't want to work with those men in the first place. I was only forced to run their errands because Zayn told them that I would. I couldn't say no because I didn't want to seem like a weakling.
Stupid pride and its stupid standards.
"That's disappointing, but fine," Zayn said. "I'll tell him later. We're going to the same meeting." he added, standing up from the chair.
"I'll tell your kid to get up," I said, standing up from my chair as well and walking out of my office.
When I made it up to Maya's room, she was still under the covers, watching Paw Patrol on her bedroom TV. The curtain windows are also wide open, and sunlight is peeking in, but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it.
"Maya," I called out, peeking my head at the small crack of her door. "Can I come in?" I asked.
When she heard my voice, she instantly jumped out of bed and ran towards me. The next thing that I knew is that I was already laying in a five-year's old bed watching Paw Patrol.
"Which channel is this again?" I asked with a mouthful of Cheetos in my mouth.
"I'm not sure; it's always been here. It's the only channel that I've watched since Daddy got me the TV," she responded without even glancing at me.
As we both lay there watching cartoon and eating food that we shouldn't be eating, a well-dressed Zayn entered the bedroom door, looking strict yet hot at the same time.
And that's when it hit me.
"Seriously?" he scoffed. "Even you, Sabrina?" he added, obviously disappointed.
"Cheetos?" I offered, holding up the giant bag.
He shook his head at that.
"I don't want Cheetos, Sabrina," he said. "I want you to convince my daughter to get up and go to school," he added sternly.
I groaned at that.
I was seriously enjoying watching Maya's show before he came into the bedroom.
"Can't she just skip school?" I asked, looking up at him as he was now standing next to my side of the bed.
"Absolutely not," he answered, shaking his head disaprovingly.
Rolling my eyes, I stood up from the bed and urged Maya on.
"Come on, bubs," I said, pulling her noodle arms up. "You're going to school. We'll watch your show later." I added.
Even though it was clear that Maya had no interest in doing that, she still got up from the bed and did what I told her to do.
"Only because you said so," she said, getting off her bed. "And I'll count on that." she added before heading towards her bathroom door, leaving Zayn and I alone.
"Well, are you happy now?" I asked, turning to him with a sarcastic smile.
"Well, yes," he answered, walking the short distance between us. "Here's the key to that jeep that you wanted to drive; kindly drive Maya to school. Thanks for the help, Sabs." He added, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead before walking away just as fast as he appeared in this bedroom five minutes ago.
I would have told him to fuck off and get a damn babysitter if only he had given me a little time to process what's going on.
But he didn't.
And now here I am. About to drive the kid of my enemy—who is also my boss—to school after staying up all night doing favors for his friends.
Letting out an exhausted huff, I plopped down on Maya's bed and thought about ways to possibly get him mad or at least irritated.