***Kyle***
I lay on the floor, still in shock as to what had just happened. Cindy had slapped me so hard that she threw me off guard and knocked me down. Bill rushed to my side, offering to lift my hand and help me to my feet. The middle-aged woman, who was Cindy's mom, apologized for her daughter's misdemeanor. "Are you okay?" She asked, feeling concerned. I nodded in affirmation as I looked at Cindy, who had no iota of remorse.
"You should count yourself lucky that you did not knock at least one of your teeth off," she said spitefully. It was then I concluded that I had been mistaken. This cannot be the Cindy I knew. They were different in character and conduct. The Cindy I knew would not act in such a violent manner. She was calm, soft, and sweet. But this 'Cindy' that I was looking at was far from being calm or sweet. She was the opposite.
"Next time, learn not to touch a woman against her will," she blurted out and walked away. It was time to leave, so I thanked Cindy's mom for intervening and apologized for my intrusion. Bill and I hurried out of the house and made for our car. While inside, I ordered my driver to drive out as fast as possible before something worse would happen.
Once we were out of their air, I examined where Cindy had slapped and saw that it had turned red. Damn! How can a woman be so strong? I had thought that was Cindy because the resemblance was so strong. I brought out my phone and looked at her picture, one that I had taken from one of her social media pages. It was then I spotted the differences. They looked alike but there were a lot that differentiated them. How could I have been so blind and dumb?
The differences stood out. Cindy had blue eyes and dark long hair that flowed down her back, but this person had short dark hair and brown eyes. I blamed the mistake on my desperate state. If I had not been so desperate, I would have been able to point out the differences. It was too late to cry over spilled milk, so I accepted my walk of shame wholeheartedly.
I was almost over the flush of embarrassment I had felt earlier. Thankfully, it did not happen in the public space because the media would have seen what to talk about. I quickly remembered the dream about Cindy I had had some days ago. Strangely, there was so much similarity between the one in my dream and the one I had met just now.
Perhaps it was this 'fake Cindy' I had seen in the dream, the same person that had pushed me, that led me to fall off my bed. I decided that it was time to let go and move on. We arrived at my residence, and I dashed for the lobby immediately, heading to the private elevator. I was exhausted, so I needed a little freshening.
I had not gotten into my penthouse before my phone started to ring. It was my best friend, Jace. "What's good, man?" Jace asked from the other end of the call. I replied, unburdening my frustrations on him. I narrated all that I had been through as a result of my search for Cindy. Jace was surprised at how invested I was and advised me to give up, just what I had planned to do. "Why don't you go on a vacation? Take a little time off to cool off," he suggested.
It wasn't a good time to run off to some fancy place, so I told Jace that I would pass on this one. The fashion week of my company was still coming up, and there was no time to waste. I thanked Jace for looking out for me and extended my greetings to his wife. Deep down, I knew I needed a break from everything I had been through, but the timing wasn't just right. I made up my mind to take the needed break as soon as I got the chance.
It had been a long day already, and I was tired to make my way to the bathroom. I fell on my bed in exhaustion and drifted to sleep. The jarring sound of my alarm clock jerked me off from my bed. It was morning already. I was grateful that I had not seen Cindy in my dream, judging from yesterday's encounter. I walked into the kitchen and brewed a fresh pot of coffee.
I sipped on it while I went through my emails. Bill had sent a reminder that I had a briefing with all my creative staff about the big project coming up. I wanted my mom to take my place but had a change of mind. I was in a better mood today, and it would be a perfect opportunity to meet with the new staff, who had been a thorn in my mother's flesh. I finished with my coffee and was about to close my laptop to get myself ready when my eyes sighted the notification bar.
I scrolled through it, searching for any important message, and saw that Cindy had replied to me. I contemplated if opening it was worth my time, but I knew that my curious side would not let me rest if I didn't check what the message said. I opened and read through it. Now I was convinced that Cindy was in New York, but I felt a bit disinterested. I would only hit another dead end if I attempted to look for her, so I closed my laptop.
I was about to hit the shower when a call entered my phone. I glanced to see who the caller was. "Not now, Mom," I said out loud. I wasn't in the mood to hear her complain about anyone, but I had to pick up to at least know why she was calling. "Hi, Mom," I greeted her. She seemed to be in a better mood than she was yesterday, and because of that, I was relieved.
My joy was short-lived after she began to complain that the new staff she had employed had not resumed the day's work. "It would be unfair to give her a query, Mom. Just a reminder of what the company's policies are will suffice," I advised my mom, who was bent on going overboard to reprimand this employee. There are better ways to correct someone who works for you and make them understand their mistakes.
My mom wasn't having it, but after much convincing, she gave in and promised not to be too hard on her. I proceeded to the bathroom after the call and soon came out. Bill was waiting for me in the car with my driver, so I hurried not to keep them waiting for too long. "The investors called, sir. They would like to schedule a progress meeting regarding the growth of the coming fashion week because of their investment," Bill said as soon as I entered the car.
"What would they like to know? Did they say?" I asked my assistant. Bill explained that they were interested in the sales projections, marketing strategies, and plans designed to extend the company's operations. "That's simple. My mother will handle it," I said while adjusting my cufflinks. But Bill explained that the investors wanted the presence of the CEO. I hated such meetings, but it was for the good of the company.
"Alright then, arrange a meeting and make sure it is scheduled at a time that works best for them," I concluded. We arrived at the company after a few minutes. I had not informed my mom that I would be coming. She knew that I had scheduled a meeting with the creative staff for the fashion week, but she knew me too well and knew that most times, I would ask her to take my place.
As I walked into KP Fashion, my employees greeted me with a mixture of shock and delight. The surprise on their faces was evident, and I could guess what was going on in their minds. I smiled in response to their greeting. I got to my office and saw that Bill had made sure that my 'almost abandoned office' was sparkling clean. I called my mother immediately after I settled in, but she didn't pick up.
I guessed she had her hands full, so I decided to give her a little more time before calling again. I checked my watch, and it was almost time for the meeting. The boardroom was ready, and I asked Bill to check if everyone was seated. Bill returned to tell me that there had been a little emergency. The staff my mother had employed recently had slumped and was being rushed to the hospital.
I hurried out of my office to see what was going on. The sound of sirens filled the air as paramedics burst into the company, rolling their stretcher in and wheeling it out with the staff that was unconscious, after a few minutes.
Before they would take the stretcher into the ambulance that waited outside, I moved closely to take a look at the employee's face.
Cindy?