Antonio
The first thing I saw on my news feed was the picture of Michael Black and Sylvia Mulberry as they were exiting a restaurant at the late hours of the night. The headline read; "Famous CEO in love with an employee?"
It was one of the most random and wildest news I've ever woken up to, and it had a lot questions riling up inside of me. How did this happen? Are they former acquaintances? Was that a dopple ganger of Sylvia Mulberry? My last question had been answered after I took another glance at the pictures and recognized the dress Sylvia was putting on. It was one of the two dresses I'd gifted her, and that alone was enough to convince me that it wasn't a dopple ganger.
I climbed down from my bed, my thoughts running wild with speculations on what might have happened. I was gone for just one day, and something this big had already happened. My little secretary was now going on late night dates with Michael Black? I needed to know the full story, and I needed it fast!
It took an hour to go through my entire morning routine, and another thirty minutes to reach the office.
The familiar scent of office air, a blend of coffee and printer ink surrounded me as I pushed open the door to the office that used to be minem. Expecting a routine check-in, I was met with a sight that had me choking on my own breath. Across the polished desk, Michael Black sat engrossed in laughter with none other than Sylvia Mulberry.
My eyes met hers, and I couldn't conceal the shock and surprise that flickered across my face. She, however, remained indifferent, her attention fixed on whatever inside joke that had them both reeling in laughter. Suppressing the surge of discomfort, I cleared my throat to announce my presence.
"Good morning," I said while doing my best to maintain my composure. Now I was certain that it wasn't just any random rumour, something might actually be going on between these two. Michael Black was never free with people he just met, so why was Sylvia an exception?
Michael looked up, a slightly annoyed expression flickering across his face as he motioned for me to take a seat. "Glad to see you back. Miss Mulberry and I were just going through some projects. One that might require your expertise."
I nodded, my eyes avoiding hers as I took a seat. It didn't seem like they were going through projects, but I couldn't exactly say that out loud. Calling Michael Black a liar might just be the stupidest thing to do. "I've officially resumed, so I'm ready for any work at the moment." I stated, keeping my tone as formal as possible.
"Excellent," Michael replied. His attention momentarily diverted back to Sylvia, and I noticed a slight tug at the end of his lips. "You can leave for now, I'll have Ms Mulberry deliver the papers to your office later today."
I nodded once more and stood from the chair. As I rose to leave, I caught her gaze again, and this time, I couldn't resist shooting her a disdainful stare. She glanced back, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips.
Before I could get overwhelmed with curiosity, I exited the office and headed for mine which was now a floor below this one.
My new office wasn't as big as luxurious as the last one, but it was definitely up to standards. It was already cleaned and gotten in order the previous day, so all I needed to do was get a new secretary, and everything would be back to the way it used to be. I picked up the record file and began to glance through the list of female employees, one of these ladies would be my secretary, and I needed someone who was as dedicated to the job as Sylvia.
I'd rather avoid a secretary who would bring nothing but distraction to my office. It was exactly why Sylvia had been the best option. She was a basic lady whose body wasn't as appealing as the top models I always spent my day with. While she was prettier than most, her lack of taste and bland personality made her hard to be desired. Unlike the other ladies, getting distracted by Sylvia was rather difficult, and that was exactly why she had been the best secretary. She was hardworking, obedient and didn't hinder me from doing my job.
It was hard to admit, but I somehow missed her. I tossed the file aside, and a knock came to the door at the same moment.
"Enter." I authorized, and in came the figure of the lady I'd just been thinking about.
"I'm here to give you the documents about the new project." Sylvia announced as she walked forward. She had a large envelope in her hand, which I suspected had the said documents. Her eyes were locked on mine, and as I glared into hers, I found nothing, no emotions, just a empty lady devoid of any sort of feelings, not even hate.
It was odd, this was the first time I was seeing her this cold, and it took me by surprise.
I gestured for her to drop it on the table, and as she leaned in I asked: "You and Michael, are you two a thing now?"
Sylvie scoffed, a cynical smile slowly growing on her lips. "I merely came to drop off the documents, I don't have the leisure to stick around for a Q and A session." She replied with unhinged sarcasm.
I chuckled at her newly found personality, it was definitely entertaining, and a lot less boring that the gullible and submissive Sylvia Mulberry I used to know.
"You couldn't get me so you're trying your luck with the boss, is that right? You know I never thought of you as that kind of person. Turns out you're nothing but a slut." I cussed, but she defiantly walked away as I spoke. Since I wasn't in charge of the company anymore, I couldn't issue her a sanction letter. Even if I do, it would have to get approved by Michael Black first, and from the look of things he would probably do nothing about it.
I clenched my fists in rage as she slammed the door on her way out. Somehow I was pained that she was no longer by my side, but my pride turned that pain into hate. She was doing better without me and it made me infuriated. It might sound selfish, but I wanted her to obsessed about me like she always was.