"What the hell?" Adrian rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things. The blue panel had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Am I hallucinating?"
Then he remembered he'd skipped breakfast and was almost out of time for lunch. Maybe hunger was messing with his head.
He sprinted to the janitor's closet as fast as he could. But rushing was never his strong suit. When he rounded the corner between corridors, he accidentally collided hard with someone.
They both went tumbling. Adrian took the worst of it, slamming against the wall as he tried to steady the woman he'd just knocked over. His cleaning supplies and her handbag were scattered everywhere.
"Ouch!" the woman yelped, wincing.
Adrian just groaned, ignoring his own pain as he quickly reached for her bag.
"I'm so sorry for my clumsiness," he murmured, holding it out to her with his head bowed in apology.
Please don't let this be an executive...
But the woman didn't react as he expected; she just stared at him in shock.
"You... you work here?" She finally broke the silence.
Adrian froze. He knew that voice all too well. Lifting his head, he found himself staring at someone he never thought he'd see here.
"What the hell... Alice?" he murmured. Disbelief.
Standing before him, in a tight, short dress with heavy makeup, was Alice Storms, his girlfriend of five years. She looked as stunned as he felt; neither had expected this encounter.
"What are you doing here?" Adrian asked once more, his smile sincere despite the oddity of it all.
"Um... I... Just..." Alice stammered, looking pale and nervous as if hiding something.
With no suspicions on his mind, Adrian tried to help her find her words. "Did you come here for a job interview?"
Seeing his cluelessness, Alice quickly latched onto his assumption.
Huh, what an idiot...
"Yes, I'm here to apply. Do you know where Mr. Bastian's office is?" she said with a smile.
"Of course, hun. He's the CEO here," Adrian replied, but then he noticed a flaw in her reasoning. "Wait, aren't you supposed to go to HR for a job application? The CEO doesn't handle that kind of thing."
Adrian jokingly accused, "Or... don't tell me you have personal business with him?"
"Are you accusing me of cheating with Carl Bastian? Do you not trust me? Are you doubting my loyalty after everything I've done for you?" She hit him with a torrent of accusations, leaving Adrian no chance to respond. "I can't believe this, Adrian! I'm a woman, and you're a man; how could you throw false accusations like that at me?"
Adrian's expression remained unchanged. It wasn't his first time dealing with Alice's outbursts.
"I trust you," he replied at last, half-heartedly. "Well, then, I'll take you to the CEO's office. Come after me."
"No need!" Alice snapped, spinning on her heel. "Just forget the apology."
She stormed off, leaving Adrian in her wake. He shook his head, deciding to let it go. But then he realized he still held Alice's bag.
"Wait!" Adrian called out.
Ignoring the scattered cleaning supplies, he rushed after Alice toward the CEO's office.
How did she know the way to Mr. Bastian's office if this was her first visit?
Rounding a quiet corner, someone else suddenly crashed into him, sending him sprawling once again. Alice's bag slipped from his hand, spilling its contents across the floor.
Damn it! Who's running into me now? Seriously, twice?
This time, the culprit was a stunning woman in a doctor's uniform, seemingly unscathed by the collision. She bent down and extended her hand, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"
Adrian was momentarily taken aback by her beauty. All he could think was: She's absolutely stunning.
"I'm fine," he replied.
She was indeed striking, likely around 5'7" with shoulder-length hair, a clear, mature face, and a slender figure. She just looked like an angel in this modern age.
"Apologies for my carelessness," she said as she retrieved her phone from the floor. "I'm in a hurry. Something strange is happening in this place; I need to deal with it." She handed him a business card. "I'll compensate you later; please contact me afterward."
"It's unnecessary," Adrian tried to decline, but she disregarded him, pressing the card into his hand.
"One more thing," the doctor added before leaving. "I suggest you get out of this building within an hour."
"Why?" Adrian asked, puzzled.
She didn't answer, quickly walking away.
"Weird," Adrian muttered, crouching to gather Alice's belongings scattered across the floor. But then his eyes landed on something that shouldn't have been there.
A condom.
***
Adrian pounded on the CEO's door with all his might. His face was flushed red, and he no longer cared about anything.
"Come out, you bastard!"
Receiving no response, Adrian suddenly heard a familiar, breathy voice from inside.
The sight before him struck him like lightning in broad daylight.
There, confirming his worst suspicions, was Alice—his girlfriend—cheating on him with Carl, the CEO of the company. She was right on top of Carl, completely undressed. His body writhed beneath her, moving like a cat on a hot tin roof.
On the other side, Carl froze in shock. He's half-naked. Flustered, he hastily began to dress, his face a blend of panic and anger.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he shouted. "Don't you ever enter my office without permission! Do you want to lose your job?"
Adrian ignored Carl entirely, keeping his gaze fixed on Alice, who was scrambling to cover herself with a sheet. He desperately wanted to hear a word of remorse, even an apology, from the girl he once loved. He wanted to end things peacefully. But the words Alice spoke cut deeper than the betrayal itself.
"What are you looking at, you worthless piece of trash?" she sneered, her tone cold and cruel, destroying any remnants of Adrian's hope.
Adrian couldn't believe it. His girlfriend wasn't on his side; she was defending Carl instead. After five whole years? Damn it!
DING!
The blue panel appeared again.
[Main Aspect Installation Progress: 50%]