Jessica
When Troy died in jail, I thought all of my troubles would be gone but turns out I was in for a more dreadful one.
It has been months since the company was struggling, I have been working all day and night but the impact seemed very little. Every month I kept on firing people and did more budget cuts just to keep the company afloat.
"Jessica, you should consider their offer. We can't keep on firing our employees," my assistant Kayleigh has been pushing me again with the new contract from the Richardson worldwide enterprise.
But I just look at her and keep on scrolling on the Excel sheets trying to find ways to minimize our cost. Though I understand cutting costs is just a temporary solution, in my mind, I was already considering signing their contract.
"Look, Aaron is here I think he's trying to get back to you..."
I sighed knowing I don't have time for him, he had been there for me. We were close, he tried to get closer but I just can't.
Not after Troy.
Not after my brother abused and molested me.
"Tell him I'm in a meeting. I can't Kayleigh, he's better off without me."
I'm such a baggage.
"Jess, you worked too much. Maybe he can lighten up your mood?"
"Kay, please?"
She sighed and shook her head but walked out of my office to let Aaron know that I was not available for a meet.
I was just about to sit when my phone buzzed with an incoming call from our finance department.
I took a deep breath before taking his call.
"Good evening Jessica, it's regarding the outstanding payments. We need to discuss how to handle..." his voice sounded distant while my mind was busy elsewhere and my eyes were looking at my laptop screen.
"Tell them to give us another month."
"But..."
"We'll get it done, I just need to make the call. Look, Lewis go home. It's late... I'll take care of it." I cut his words and hang up on him after he was satisfied with my answer.
An hour later I was trying to calm my nerves since their CEO decided to meet after I said there were some clauses that needed further discussion upon signing their contract.
I still couldn't believe that after months of struggling I finally gave up and decided to sell my parent's only legacy.
My eyes were already teary when I poured the strongest malt and drink it slowly. I was savoring the burn, trying to numb the pain while thinking about more than a dozen problems that needed to be solved weeks ago.
"Dad, how do we even get to this point?" I asked, talking to myself while looking at mom and dad's picture mounted on the wall. I have never felt so useless before, the tears were tracing down my cheeks when I heard his annoying voice.
"You should stop with the drinking, and start with the working."
I quickly wiped my tears before turning to face him, I could see a glint of surprise in his gaze and I hated that he saw the fragile side of me.
"Please take a seat, I'll be with you in a moment." I excused myself to go to the restroom and gather my mind before talking to him about signing over my family's company to his.
"Jess! is that him? he's so hot!" Kayleigh stormed into the bathroom where I decided to wash my face from my tears.
Yes, with the budget cost, we have sold our spacious office space and rent out a smaller working area where I don't even have the privacy of a private toilet.
"You know it's him, his pompous face is all over the business magazines, you can find him easily on the internet." I rolled my eyes at her.
I love Kayleigh but some days you just needed a break from her, though lucky me she's very hard-working and latched onto me every single day. She even calls to check up on me when I worked on the weekends.
"Okay, forget about Aaron maybe you should be with him." She giggled and stared at the ceiling dreamily.
"Kay, please..."
"I'm sorry," she finally looked at my face and decided to back down on her words.
"...look...I'm going back, is there anything else that I can do for you?"
"Yeah, could you order me a sandwich? I have a few things I need to sort out before tomorrow's meeting with our lawyers."
"Oh wait, is that why he's here? are we finally doing this?"
I didn't say anything back and she gave me her warmest hug.
"You can do this Jess, things will be better."
I nodded and she hugged me one last time before she leaves me be. It took me another five minutes to get back to my small office.
"Mr. Richardson, thank you for waiting," I greeted him as I joined him back in my office.
"Please that's my dad's, call me Tyler."
"Jessica," I greeted him with a handshake then continue walking back to my chair.
"You have a lot of books." The man looks at me while he watches his surroundings, probably judging my workspace.
"I need to catch up on my business skill, operational-wise." I shrugged and started opening the documents that his lawyers had sent me earlier.
"I was told that you have some concerns with the documents?"
"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to come here."
"I want to settle things quickly, in business, it's all about timing." He looked at me as if I was incompetent in doing my work.
Our conversation was interrupted by Kayleigh who was putting my dinner on the small end table then excusing herself to go home.
"Don't go home too late, and finish your dinner okay?"
"Go home safely." I smiled at my loyal assistant.
"She's not waiting for you?" the cocky CEO of the Richardson enterprise looks at me with a raised eyebrow.
"She's done her job, it's the weekend. She deserves a night off." I smiled looking at her walking to her desk then leave me alone in the office as always.
"And you?"
I shook my head, laughed at his question, and started flipping on the documents to show him my concerns.
"Here, this clause right here...Tyler?"
Sighing softly, I know he was not paying attention as he looked at his watch and see my surroundings once again.
"Come on, let's get you a proper meal."
"Why? I need you to look at your clauses again. I don't have time to go out."
I was actually trying to avoid eating out. It has been months since I told Lewis in finance to reduce my salary to help pay for our expenses. I don't even have maids and drivers anymore, they were also why I've been staying more in my office.
"It's almost eight and you're going to eat a sandwich? no wonder you're so skinny."
"Woah there, I'm agreeing to the buyout. But that doesn't mean you can tell me what to do with my time."
"You sleep here too, didn't you?"
I do since I haven't managed to sell my home and can't afford to rent a place to sleep.
My mind was going back to Troy, home had never been the same since my parents died. Then Troy was making things worse, and the nightmares never stop from there.
"As I said, I need to catch up on my skill. But I will not do it again if you prefer your employee to go home after office hours."
He was looking at me as if I was crazy.
"We will talk about clauses tomorrow with the lawyers, we're not settling anything with your condition."
"What do you mean by my condition? I'm perfectly fine!"
I couldn't believe he had the audacity to tell me that I have a condition.
"Okay then, we will have a proper business dinner. Bring the documents."
His words were short and straight to the point. I was taken back but trying to appear strong. It has been a while since someone speaks to me in such a manner.
"Jessica?"
"Yeah...sorry, okay. I'll bring the documents."
"Good, I'll wait outside." He gets up and I was amazed by his height and broad shoulder. And that's when I suddenly stepped back feeling claustrophobic by his presence. He must've known my change of attitude when he tries to reach out to me.
"I'm fine! just give me time." I snapped at him like a madwoman, while I shivered to the flashback of Troy who would tower over me and start beating me unconscious.
"Hey, I'm sorry." He said when he suddenly grabbed me as my feet were giving up on me.
"Come on I'm taking you home."
"No!"
Shit! keep yourself together woman. You do not want to ruin the deal. He's your last chance.
"I'm sorry, look...can we just order in? I really need to get things done tonight."
"You almost collapse, I'm not leaving you here alone."
I finally relent and told him that he can take me home.
TylerIt took us almost an hour to reach her family home after a quick stop at Barney's to pick up our takeout dinner. And I was shocked to find that she was living alone in the two stories mansion.I've read her file, her parents had passed away, her brother was jailed for spousal abuse and died there not long ago. Her family was known for her brother's scandal and the company was suffering because of the neglect and mismanagement.It was an easy fix and I was needing her company for an expansion project that me and my brother Larry was doing."Let's eat first, and we will talk about work later."I have never found a woman with such determination before, she's very thin and pale and strangely still looked beautiful. I was quick to open the door for her while carrying our dinner with my other hand.She was moving methodically turning all the lights in her
JessicaThat night I struggle to sleep in my bed and the nightmare came just like they always do.Since my first nightmare I've never bothered to sleep in my pajamas, and that was how that night I went to bed in my working attire thinking it was too dark to change.The same old excuse. I was quick to hide under my blanket just like my usual coward self and then woke up with a panic attack. My heart was beating so fast and the deafening silence was suffocating me to the point that I was breathing heavily.I tried to calm myself down, but I was teary and my hands were shaking. It was two in the morning, though I know it was too late to get back to the office. But I panicked looking at the dark corner of my room, and that's when I decide to grab my things and took a taxi back to the office."Mam, did you left something at the office?" the security g
TylerIt was ten in the evening when I arrived back from work. Larry was smoking his cigar on the back porch when I remembered seeing Jessica's reddening hand and her awkward gesture of how she kept on hiding her hand."What happened to her hand?""Hello big brother, take a seat, have a cigar, tell me about your day?" Larry smirked but answered my question seconds later."...her assistant said that Jessica accidentally touched the hot coffee plate, she was surprised by her when she was refilling her tumbler." He puffed out the smoke and crossed his legs while he looked out at the beautiful starry night."She is a bit jumpy, don't you think?"Larry shrugged at my question, telling me that he hadn't known her long enough to give any opinion on her traits."She said that you took her home yesterday? insisted on having business di
JessicaIt was six o'clock when Kayleigh stopped by my office, she's giving me reports before she goes back home."You wouldn't believe the day I've had.""Yeah? I thought you'd like it here." She smirked, nudging her head to the office beside me."Oh my god, Kayleigh...I missed you so much. When are you mine?""Oh, shit Jess, you just made me feel so giddy on the inside." She giggled while digging through her extra-large purse and pulled out my sandwich dinner."So, is he okay with you staying the night here?""I think he's too busy with his PA to noticed.""Really? hmm...I didn't tag him as that kind of boss." She shrugged and showed me a few paperwork that needed my signature.I relaxed back to my seat and start eating my sandwich while listening to Kayleigh telling me about her day assisting Larry from
Tyler"Just take your time. I'll call Kayleigh if I need anything, the next couple of days will be about the transition. I will need your best game when we start with the re-launch.""Re-launch?""Yeah, branding, I will have people from marketing, we will meet them and discuss more."She sounded nervous when I call to check up on her. She was taking the day off and I was thankful that I didn't have to push her to take it. From our last meet, I learned that she's a far more complicated person than she appeared to be.I ended the call when Elsie entered my office, last night we had our usual encounter. We would meet once a week sometimes more, she has been conveniently available for me. Though lately she's been getting too clingy and I know Larry would mock me once I need to transfer her to another department, just to end things between us."Is that her agai
Jessica"Jessica, I missed you so much! how are you?"I was meeting Amanda for a Sunday lunch, we would meet up a couple of times a month. I know Amanda felt bad about what happened to me and she was making sure that I was getting better.She recommended me to my psychiatrist, Dr. Sheridan, she even accompanied me to my first visit. Amanda takes care of me to the point that I wanted the room to breathe.And as for our lunch dates, I was satisfied with the intervals and she can be very good company."I'm good, how are you? how's little Mable?""Mable is lovely as always, I'm great! and I'm pregnant.""Oh my god, Amanda! congratulations! I wasn't sure...you know, I thought...""Nooo... you think I'm fat? I should kick your ass, but I'm too hungry to do it." She laughed and told me to start choosing our lunch while telling me
Tyler"What happened to your hand?""I cut myself, I'm very clumsy.""You should rest your hand, tell Kayleigh to assist you today."Jessica looked pissed at me, but that bandage looked big for a wound caused by clumsiness. Looking at her, I seemed to want her to be placed inside a bubble just to make sure that she'd be safe.These protective feel made me uneasy with myself, I just saw her yesterday, we kissed. The kiss itself was too awkward as if it was her first, and the knowledge kept me up last night. But when morning comes, all I want to was to see her and I wanted nothing more but to kiss her again."Sir, your ten o'clock is here.""Thank you. Oh, Elsie, I will need you to contact Kayleigh, Ms. Robinson's PA to work here for the next couple of days, and set her working space."Jessica looked annoyed, and I smirked k
Jessica"So, he kissed you? wow, no wonder things have been awkward between you guys."Kayleigh finally digs the truth out of me because of the not-so-subtle business lunch that she bumped into hours before."...and his PA kept on looking at you as if you just snatched her campus jock.""Kay!" I reminded her as I closed my office door.It was almost the end of office hours where we usually chat about our days."It was an awkward kiss, I never..."She almost falls as she takes her seat, but then Kayleigh looked at me in amazement."I thought you and Aaron...""No, Aaron and I are not like that, we're friends. He's Amanda's brother he knows what happened,""Jess,""I can see it in his eyes, it's there. And I know Tyler would know about me eventually, and I can't."