Chapter Eight
They day went on pretty dry and dull. After Mikel mandated his first rule, Sylvie shrunk back to her space with no choice than to oblige.
She expected him to indeed reach out whenever he needs her assistance. However, Mikel has kept to his solitude ever since he walked in.
It was finally lunch break, and he announced that by demanding Sylvie to excuse him.
Sylvie sighed, took just her cellphone and went out of the office, she exhaled a longer and deeper breath after she gently jammed his door closed.
"Newbie, you're indeed here to stay, I wasn't expecting that." A voice muttered close to Sylvie, she looked to the direction to see the male secretary coming out of his working booth.
He was obviously trying to initiate an interaction, compare to the negative aura Sylvie sensed around him early this morning, he seemed different this noon.
Sylvie smiled, "What's up with your boss? I think he hates me, without even knowing me." She walked in his direction, speaking about Mikel not minding how audible her voice was for the two bulky dudes stationed at Mikel's door.
Troye looked at her in a funny way, shaking his head, "Honestly, I don't know what it is about you. Do you not know who Mikel Addams is?" He asked, unable to help his amusement as they walked into the elevator.
Sylvie gave a little laugh at the question. If only he knew just how well she's acquainted with him. She literally worked years for him, he's the father of her kids. She knows him quite well and enough, but he's now so different she's not sure of her knowledge about him again.
He used to be strict, disciplined, but regardless nice, a very good man. She recalled to how many times he's given her bonuses for just being their hardworking maid.
Why did Dylan have to mess everything up? If only she hadn't sacrificed so much for him, if only.
"Earth to you woman, what took you away?" Troye's voice snapped Sylvie out of her thoughts.
She hissed in a tired tone, "I'm just wondering why he hates me you know. The Mikel Addams I know is a nice and very kind man, what could went wrong with him?"
They were now marching out of the elevator, and taking the route that led to the company's cafeteria.
"Well I don't particularly know much, but I agree with you. He indeed was once a kind man, that was until he divorced his wife. Nobody knows why he did it or what happened between them, but ever since then we got a new boss here at the firm. He came in and sacked every worker of his that's a female, issued the rule of never hiring a female again. Till today, everyone still wonders what went wrong with him and his marriage. If perhaps his separation with his wife was what bred his madness, because he then went on to build a reputation for himself as a misogynist. You see why I was kind of weird to see you at the lobby, I was wondering who let you in on the list of MA's potential PA replacement, and then you actually got hired. Point is, MA hates your gender, and the hatred began right after he left his wife." Troye finished with his narration.
"Woah," Sylvie mouthed in a gasp, "Maybe his wife betrayed him, that's the only logical assumption to this right?"
"I mean what else? He literally started acting out after his separation. Did you know no females were ever invited to any functions he's invited, and if they were invited, he wouldn't honor his own invite. Again I'm still wondering how you're keeping this job." He assessed her with a friendly suspicious look.
Sylvie laughed at his words. "I'm serious, you blackmailed him or what?" He further pressed on her, they were both closing in on the cafeteria's counter.
"I guess we can call me special," Sylvie feigned the act of being flustered, elegantly touching her chest area.
"Tell me your secret and I will buy you lunch. I will treat you to my special, Mr Gibbs is an awesome chef, and I think he cooks my special differently from his other dishes, I literally have never missed a day without taking it, he's that good at it." He tried to convince.
Sylvie couldn't possibly blow her lie and tell him about it, he might seem nice and friendly, but she learnt it hard about trust.
Sylvie laughed at him again, "Treat me to the special first, and I will think about letting you in on the secret," she said to him.
He groaned, "Find us a seat while I will go get our treats," he said, walking away afterwards.
Sylvie drew a long breath as she take in her surroundings, the lunchroom was one big room with a lot of space, she spot one empty table by the left side corner of the room.
She pushed to her feet, walking towards the space so her presence could marked it as theirs when a figure bumped into her.
The figure was taller and built with a rigid shoulder that did Sylvie's forehead a mild blow.
"Ow," Sylvie winced. Why does her forehead always suffer the impact of sudden collisions with strangers.
"Please, I was in a hurry. I'm so sorry," the male guy apologized, "Sylvie!" He further caller in a shocking tone as though he was just seeing her face more clearly.
Sylvie with a furrowed brows looked up at the guy, wondering how he knows her name and checking if she's ever familiar with him.
"It's me, Greg Mallory,"
Sylvie twitched at the heard of the his name, his last name in particular. Her brain opened up to their familiarity, she remembered back to who he was and how she knew him.
Her expression instantly turned sour, "Dylan's big brother right?" She quested in a cold tone.
"Yes. Wow, for the past seven years Sylvie you-"
"I don't have anything to say to you, stay away from me." Sylvie was quick to shut him up, attempting to walk away.
"Wait," he nearly shouted as he moved to block her path in a swift movement, "I am not your enemy here. I just want to make some things right, please can we talk? We need to talk. You have your reasons for wanting to stay away from me, but please we have to talk." He pleaded still for her attention.
"You can start making things right by staying away from me, cause I don't know what kind of game Dylan is putting you up to okay now, but the both of you better stay away from me or I'll make the both of you suffer in any way possible," Sylvie threatened, looking at him deep in the eyes to show just how serious she was about her words.
"Fine, but remember I reached out to you, because sooner or later you're gonna come looking for me. And by that time, better hope I'm still in a mood to be a good guy. You have no idea what is in store of you, you really should have stayed hidden, you shouldn't have come back here at all," he said, nodding his head in a pitiful manner as he walked away from her.
His words settled in on Sylvie's mind, what could he possibly mean by those statements? She should have stayed hidden and not come back at all, who has something in store for her? He must be clowning.