Carissa clenched her teeth but nodded affirmatively. She knew her only option was to comply with his demands, no matter how unreasonable they seemed.
As the clock neared 6 pm, Carissa brought the coffee she made for David. He took a sip and wrinkled his nose.
Dissatisfied with the taste of the coffee, he made sure to voice his complaint, criticizing its lack of flavor.
"Ms Draven, this coffee lacks taste. You need to work on your brewing skills."
"I'll keep that in mind, Sir David."
She resisted the urge to comment and focused on the impending relief of the end of the working day. Though worn out, maintained a composed demeanor.
Glancing at the wall clock, she suppressed a sigh of relief. The hands pointed at 6 pm, signaling the official end of working hours.
However, her relief was short-lived. David stopped her, inquiring about her departure.
"Where do you think you're going?"
With a tinge of exhaustion in her voice, she replied, "Home." The weight of the day pressed heavily on her shoulders.
He quirked his eyebrows, forcing her to speak further.
"It's 6 pm which implies office hours are over."
He shook a finger in disagreement. "No, not for you. You're not just a mere staff; you're my personal assistant. You need to stay till 7 pm."
Carissa felt the weight of exhaustion but tried to maintain composure.
'Shit, I do understand, but does he know that he has made me have a long day, and I'm feeling worn out? Isn't he just inhumane?Heavens help me,' she could only think.
"You, being my personal assistant, come with responsibilities. You need to stay until I leave. So, you're leaving after it's 7 pm."
Carissa nodded, concealing her weariness. She forced a smile, attempting to hold up her shoulders.
"I will stay, sir David. Just let me know if there's anything else you need."
He grumpily said, "Nothing really you can give me or help me with but just stay back till 7 pm."
'Fuck, great. So insensitive. Ugh!' Carissa tucked her hair behind her ears and left the office, trying to pull herself together. She returned to her desk and sat there in the quiet open space office.
She unknowingly drifted to sleep due to her exhaustion. After a while, she shook lightly as she could sense something on her face and someone's presence too. She pushed the feeling aside but later flicked open her eyes.
Carissa, startled from her brief nap, found David standing nearby, his presence catching her off guard. She straightened up in her chair, feeling a surge of panic at being caught sleeping in the office.
David's sarcasm didn't go unnoticed as he commented on her slumber, "Sleeping in the office, superb," his lips forming a half smile. Carissa scrambled to compose herself, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration at being caught off guard.
"Sorry, sir," she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I was just...resting my eyes for a moment."
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze unwavering. "Resting your eyes, huh?" he repeated, his tone dripping with skepticism.
Carissa nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air between them. David's piercing gaze seemed to bore into her, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable.
But wasn't he being creepy watching me?
She blinked. His hazel eyes seemed darker beneath his eyelids. There was something about his gaze that made her feel strange.
She was expecting him to seem off upon her noticing his presence but he was static like a statue.
He pulled his sleeve slightly and checked his wristwatch. "You're free to go in the next fifteen minutes when it's going to be 7 pm." With a dismissive wave of his hand, he turned away, leaving Carissa to grapple with the lingering discomfort of their encounter. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his presence than met the eye, but she pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the remaining hour until the end of her shift.
As the clock approached 7 pm, Carissa's anticipation grew. She eagerly awaited the end of her shift, longing for the relief of leaving the office behind. Despite her exhaustion, she pushed through the final minutes, counting down the seconds until she could escape the suffocating atmosphere.
When the clock finally struck 7 pm, Carissa wasted no time in gathering her belongings and making her way out of the office. Her steps were heavy, her body weighed down by exhaustion and the lingering discomfort of her encounter with David. As she neared a bench near the security post, Carissa's vision began to blur, and dizziness washed over her. Just as she felt herself about to collapse, she caught sight of her brother, Duncan, and his wife, Sophie stepping out of a taxi that pulled up.
She wanted to speak when they caught her gaze but her legs wobbled, causing her to stagger back.
"Carissa!" She heard them holler her name with concern, feeling half unconscious.
Meanwhile, David who had stepped out of the building that same minute and saw her almost falling took a quick step to go after her, spurred by the anxiety he felt suddenly, but stopped as his gaze shifted
to Duncan and Sophie who rushed to her and grabbed her.
He let out a sigh as he watched them take her seat down on the nearby bench.
Carissa felt a bit better when Sophie splashed some water from her bottle on her face. Then her gaze drifted to David standing far away. She cringed at the sadistic smile that he showed off.
It was a stark contrast to what the David she had known before would do. With a heavy heart, Carissa felt that his true nature had been revealed once again, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over her as she struggled to regain her strength.
Duncan heard the rumble of a car engine and glanced behind to see David driving off. He turned to Carissa, puzzled.
"Was that David I just saw leaving?"
Carissa, with a slight hesitation, shook her head. "No, Duncan, it wasn't him. You must have mistaken someone else for him.'
Duncan, unsure but deciding to trust Carissa's words, nodded. "Maybe you're right. It just looked like him."
Carissa, relieved that her lie had been accepted, smiled reassuringly. "He probably can't be around," she added in a whisper.
"Well, I really believe I mistook someone for him because David can't be driving such a great car. You know he is a loser," Duncan remarked casually, unaware of the effect his words would have on Carissa.
His words triggered her, and she jerked up from the bench.
"Can you stop being such a hater? You think David is still going to be the poor, unsophisticated person you knew years back?"
Duncan, unfazed, responded with a taunting smile. "Yes, girl. He's a forever loser."
Carissa, unable to contain her frustration, turned the tables to get back at her brother. "And what about you?"
Duncan, his patience wearing thin, almost yelled in response. "Don't you dare compare that chump to me, get it?"
Sophie, sensing the tension, intervened, looking lost. "Hey, what's wrong with you both? Do you want to start fighting over this person? Who's even this 'David'?"
Duncan answered, his tone dismissive. "He's a nobody and he used to work for us as my father's driver."
Carissa couldn't bear to hear David being demeaned. "Don't talk little about him, Duncan."
Duncan, frustrated, threw his hands in the air. "What's wrong with you?! Why are you defending him like you used to back then?"
Carissa's anger flared.
"It's none of your business…!"
Duncan cut her off bluntly. "Nonsense. Don't tell me you've not gotten over him."
Carissa's retort was sharp. "Screw you. You messed up my life back then and now…"
Duncan interrupted, surprising Sophie with his bluntness.
"Now, I'm just hoping you've got him off your stupid head."
Sophie, caught off guard by the intensity of the exchange, watched in silence as the siblings' unresolved issues bubbled to the surface.
"Guys, please, why are you both acting this way over him…?" Sophie pleaded, trying to diffuse the tension.
Duncan couldn't hold back his anger any longer. "It's because she loved that lowlife, Sophie! And that's why she had his fucking baby."
Sophie was stunned. "What?!"
Carissa's eyes flashed with anger as she glared at her brother, panting with frustration.
Meanwhile, Sophie, shocked by the revelation, had no idea about Carissa's daughter's father and certainly hadn't expected to learn about it in such a manner.
Duncan, his breathing fast from the intensity of the moment, abruptly decided to leave.
"You know what? I'm out of here."
Sophie called after him, but he didn't stop.
Sophie, now faced with Carissa, looked concerned.
Carissa, realizing she needed to diffuse the situation, took a deep breath and offered to take Sophie home.
"I will take you home."
Sophie offered a grateful smile, still feeling disturbed by Carissa's sudden change in mood.