Caleb tugged at his tie as he sat irritably at his desk. He rubbed his head; there was this dull ache that refused to go away even if he drank the medicine for hangover. Despite starting his morning with good news from his business partners, his patience wore thin.
He barely slept. When dawn came, he tossed and turned because of the fragmented memories of last night. What happened? There were only vague recollections of images he couldn't piece together.
His mind was foggy, and there was this guilt eating at him that he couldn't quite place. For the love of God, he didn't even know why he felt this way!
It would be understandable if it was because of Isabelle. But when she ditched him last night for a show, he didn't even feel this disturbed. He barely even thought of her today.
The buzzing of his phone brought him back to the present. Bailey sent him his schedule for the afternoon. It was all about reminders, meetings, and deadlines. Normally, he would dive into work with the focus of a bulldozer, but today, he couldn't even process a simple spreadsheet. The irritation simmering under his skin grew by the minute.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, jolting him from his thoughts.
"Come in," Caleb muttered, massaging his temples. He frowned when it wasn't Bailey.
James, one of the junior analysts, stepped inside. He looked like he wanted to bolt out of the door as he clutched the folder with shaky arms.
"What?" he asked, irritated. A scowl marred his features when James turned pale.
"Mr. Reid, I—I have the updated report you asked for," James stammered, his voice shaky.
Caleb glanced away, turning back to his computer. "Just leave it on the desk."
James hesitated, then carefully placed the folder down. In a voice as small as a mosquito, he mentioned, "I, uh, noticed a small discrepancy in the numbers from last quarter. I wasn't sure if—"
"What did you say?" Caleb's voice cut through the air like a knife.
James stiffened, his face white as a sheet. "There was a small error in—"
"An error?" Caleb's eyes snapped up to meet the young man's. "You mean you made a mistake?"
James shivered as he tried to explain, "I think there was just a small—"
"Are you stupid?" Caleb's voice rose; the frustration he had been holding back spilled over. "Do you understand how important this report is? A small mistake can cost this company millions! And you're standing here stuttering like an idiot?"
James took a step back, visibly shaken. "I'm sorry, Mr. Reid. I'll fix it right away."
Caleb stood, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Fix it? You should've gotten it right the first time! I don't have time to babysit you through basic tasks. If you can't handle this job, maybe you should find another one."
The words hung in the air, heavy and biting as if it were a death sentence.
James looked as though he might crumble any second. Anxiety and fear gripped at him. "Please, Mr. Reid, I—I'll fix it. Just give me a chance."
Caleb's cold gaze didn't waver. "Get out of my office. If this happens again, you're done here."
James nodded quickly and stumbled out of the room. He ran away as if his life depended on it.
Caleb watched him, shaking his head. How can someone be so stupid?
He sat back down and ran a hand through his hair. The confrontation with James only added to the storm raging inside him.
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he questioned, staring at the wall clock in front of him. "Did something happen last night?"
---
Bailey grimaced as she heard Caleb's outburst. She was standing beside the copier, waiting for the papers to finish printing when the scolding started. It was so loud that half the office probably heard it, too. She felt bad for James.
Her boss had been a pain in the ass since he arrived this morning. No one was safe from his wrath.
It was hard to face him this morning, especially pretending that nothing happened. After the previous night—the kiss and the way their bodies brushed against each other—Bailey spent the whole night awake, replaying the scene in her mind. Then... when he called her with the wrong name... it ripped her apart.
Bailey sighed, forcing herself to not think about it. She pushed it all aside. Her personal feelings had no business interfering with her job. Caleb needed her to be steady, so that was what she would do.
Finally, the copier beeped, and it finished printing. She was gathering the papers when James appeared beside her; his face was ashen and his eyes were red.
Bailey smiled at him.
"What is it?"She asked softly.
"Bailey," he said, his voice shaking, "please, I need your help."
Bailey's heart sank. She knew that look: desperation and fear. In fact, she experienced it firsthand.
"What happened?" Bailey asked gently, placing a hand on James's arm.
"I messed up the report," James voice cracked as he explained, "I made a small mistake, and Mr. Reid... he threatened to fire me. I—I don't know what to do. I can't lose this job."
Bailey took a deep breath. Caleb was intense and perfectionist, but this was too much. "Don't worry, James. I'll talk to him."
James stared at her with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Bailey. I'll fix the report, I promise. Just... Please make sure he doesn't fire me."
She nodded, her mind already racing with how to handle the situation. "I'll take care of it. Go fix the report and leave the rest to me."
James nodded gratefully and hurried back to his desk, leaving Bailey standing there with a heavy heart. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked to Caleb's office. They needed to talk.
---
Caleb was staring blankly at his tablet when Bailey knocked and stepped inside his office.
"Mr. Reid," she said softly, "can I have a moment?"
He glanced up at her, his expression unreadable. "What is it?"
Bailey closed the door and moved toward his desk. "James told me what happened. Actually, I heard the entire conversation, and probably half of the office heard, too."
Caleb's jaw tightened. "If you're here to defend him, you're wasting your time. He made a mistake, and this is business. We don't tolerate that kind of incompetence. Also, it's good they heard so they won't fuck up."
Bailey kept her voice calm and steady. "It was a small mistake, Mr. Reid. It happens. He's a good worker, and he's terrified of losing his job. Also, it's not good for your image."
Caleb scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "He should be. This is a billion-dollar company, Bailey. We don't have room for errors."
"I know," Bailey replied, her tone soft but firm. "But threatening to fire someone for one mistake? That will affect your reputation."
Caleb turned away, his fingers tapping restlessly on the desk. With Bailey here, his anger had cooled somewhat. Bailey's words sunk in, and he hated to admit that she was right.
"He's lucky I didn't fire him on the spot," Caleb muttered.
Bailey took a step closer, her eyes softening. "Give him a chance to prove himself. Please. I'll make sure the report is perfect before it reaches your desk."
Caleb's gaze flicked to her, something unreadable in his eyes. "You're always cleaning up after people, aren't you?"
Bailey hesitated but then nodded. "That's my job."
Caleb's lips twisted into a cold smile. "Fine. I won't fire him. But I expect you to clear every pending task today. Fix his mistakes, and make sure everything's flawless. It's on you!"
A knot formed in her stomach. Caleb was punishing her for James' mistake, but she didn't have a choice.
"Thank you." She gave him a professional smile and turned away, leaving his office.
As she walked out, she felt his eyes on her, but she didn't look back.
---
The hours dragged on, and by the time that everyone left, Bailey was still on her desk. Her fingers were furiously typing away, and her eyes burned from staring at the screen. She finished her work hours ago, but she had to go through James' report.
The office was quiet, and the only sound was the soft clicking of her keyboard. Exhaustion settled on her shoulders, but she kept working. She needed to finish this.
At some point, she felt a presence behind her. She turned around only to see Caleb standing in the doorway, watching her with a strange expression.
"Still here?" he asked, his tone softer than usual.
Bailey smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Just finishing up."
Caleb moved toward her, holding a takeout bag in his hand. He placed it on the edge of her desk.
"I accidentally ordered an extra," he explained. "Figured you might want it."
Bailey's eyes widened a fraction in surprise. "You didn't have to—"
"Don't make a big deal out of it," Caleb interrupted, his voice gruff. He walked away but stopped by the doorway. "You're too nice, you know that?"
Bailey frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
Caleb glanced over his shoulder, his eyes dark. "You let people walk all over you, doing favors. You're like a doormat."
Bailey couldn't react for a few seconds as the word stung her from head to toe. But she didn't let it show. She smiled her "professional" smile and replied, "It's necessary for the company."
Caleb stood there, his expression unreadable. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he walked out, leaving her alone in the office.
Bailey stared at the takeout bag, her heart somersaulting inside her. At the same time, it hurts too. He probably didn't mean to hurt her with his words, but he did.
Caleb always did, especially with his actions. No matter how she tried to pretend everything was okay, the pain continued to seep through the cracks of her mask.
Sometimes, she couldn't help but think if everything she did and would do was worth it. Surely, no amount of money could pay for a broken heart?
But sacrifices had to be made. Someone had to do it.
So she did.