The first day at the new job was supposed to be a fresh start for Rita, but it quickly spiraled into a waking nightmare.
"How am I gonna look Jefferson in the eye? I just found out he's been hatin' on me this whole time," Rita muttered to herself, her voice tinged with disbelief and hurt.
"And no way am I sayin' sorry to that man. He's the one who played me, sweet-talkin' me into marryin' him of all things!"
With her jaw set and her mind made up, Rita vowed to keep her cool at work.
But the moment she walked into the building, there he was, Jefferson, standing off in the distance.
"He might as well be invisible," she thought, steeling herself.
She kept her head high, acting like nothing was wrong, even as folks around her started chattin' up Jefferson.
She could feel his gaze on her, if only for a fleeting second, before he turned away without a word.
Finally settling into her chair at her desk, Rita whispered a firm promise to herself, "I'm steerin' clear of his office! If there's a meeting, I'll stick with Emma and sit as far from him as possible."
To the casual observer, Rita seemed calm, her attention fixed on her work all morning.
But what they didn't know was how her eyes kept darting toward Jefferson's office door, which remained stubbornly closed, the curtains drawn tight.
"This is just perfect," she hissed through clenched teeth.
Meanwhile, Jefferson was wrestling with his own storm of emotions.
"I was such a jerk last night! And now we gotta work together? Ugh, maybe I should ask Neo to help me switch companies. Just being in the same room feels all kinds of wrong. What the heck do I even feel for her?"
His mind was a tangled mess.
So, the day dragged on without a single word exchanged between Rita and Jefferson, leaving them both with a mix of relief and a nagging sense of frustration.
Off to the side, Neo watched the drama unfold, confusion written all over his face.
"Wasn't the boss supposed to have a date with Rita yesterday? They should be all cozy and close by now. What in the world went down between them? They're actin' like strangers."
Neo stayed quiet, though, biting his tongue to keep from bombarding them with questions...
---
As the clock ticked closer to the end of the workday, Rita sat at her desk, her brows knitted in a frown as she stared at her computer screen.
The question was gnawing at her: "Is he gonna show up at my place again tonight? I sure as heck hope not! What on earth would I even say to the guy?"
She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought. "Cut it out, Rita! Just go with the flow. You know what? I'm gonna stay late and work some overtime tonight!"
It was almost as if the universe had tuned in to her silent plea, because just then, her phone buzzed with a call from her manager.
The voice on the other end brought unexpected news: "Rita, there's this new client who's been askin' about our latest product, and get this—he specifically asked for you. Says he's heard all about your top-notch service. How 'bout that?"
A wave of relief washed over Rita, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of pride swell in her chest.
Her manager continued, "And there's more good news. If you close this deal, you're gonna see a nice little bonus in your paycheck."
Rita's spirits lifted.
She didn't even question why the client wanted to meet at a restaurant.
After all, she'd sealed plenty of deals over a meal before.
"No biggie," she thought, already planning her approach. "I've got this."
---
After clocking out from work, Rita made a beeline for the restaurant's balcony that the client had reserved.
It was a fancy place with a Michelin star to its name.
"This new client's gotta have deep pockets. Fingers crossed this goes well tonight!" she whispered to herself, a mix of hope and nerves in her voice.
Stepping onto the balcony, she found it empty.
The minutes ticked by, turning into a half-hour wait that had Rita on the edge of texting the client—maybe he got held up? But just as she was about to hit 'send,' the client showed up.
"Oh, hell no!" The words barely escaped her lips before she was on her feet, clutching her bag, ready to bolt.
But the man in front of her was quicker, snapping the balcony door shut and grabbing her wrist with a firm grip.
"C'mon, Rita. Where you think you're runnin' off to when I know where you work?"
The so-called client was none other than Robert, the notorious playboy.
"How'd you slither outta the mess you were in that night? I gotta say, I didn't think you had it in you to be this capable, Rita."
"Cut the crap. I ain't here to chat, so you might as well scram."
He laughed mockingly. "Oh, look at you. Found yourself some sugar daddy or big shot to hide behind? You got some nerve talkin' to me like that. I'm impressed!"
Rita fought the urge to lash out; she didn't want a repeat of last time's drama.
"For the last time, get lost while I'm still talking nice."
"Or what? You gonna kick me out? Think your sugar daddy's gonna bail you out every time? How many times you think he'll clean up your messes before he gets tired of his little troublemaker?"
"I've had it up to here!"
Rita's patience had snapped.
She didn't want to drag Jefferson into this mess, so she tried to leave.
She reached for the door, fumbling with the lock, but Robert's arms wrapped around her from behind, one hand daring to grope her.
"Get off me, you creep!" she screamed.
Robert just chuckled darkly and let go.
"They feel amazing. Alright, you can leave. But if you wanna know what's been happening with your parents lately, you might wanna stick around."