"So this is what it came down to?" Anthony remarked and looked at Faith with disgust. As if she was a piece of trash.
I guess I deserve it, Faith thought. It was never meant to be like this. She was never meant to stoop so low as to offer her body to this well-respected and powerful man that was standing in front of her. She was supposed to come to the office, work hard, and leave. The only interaction she was supposed to have with him was at the office when she occasionally brought him coffee and paperwork for him to sign.
But that's not how things turned out to be. Here she was, standing in front of him, asking him to spare her life.
She felt beaten and humiliated by her boss, but she couldn't blame anyone but herself if she hadn't done what she did. If she hadn't stolen, things would've been much different.
Faith was the oldest of her two sisters and the breadwinner. Her middle sister Jody went out of state for an internship, and her younger sister was still in high school. In addition, their father was suffering from a chronic illness that rendered him paralyzed. She had no choice but to take responsibility and support her family.
She was grateful to find a job as an office clerk at the DeMarco corporation. The pay wasn't outstanding, but it was good enough to feed her family, so she didn't complain.
She didn't meet Anthony DeMarco, the CEO of the company, right away. She only saw glimpses of him which were enough for her to feel flustered.
He was six foot 3 with broad shoulders and a muscular physique. His eyes were an intense shade of blue. So blue, it reminded her of the ocean. He had an incredibly handsome face, but he never smiled. She wondered if he ever smiled for the woman he loved if he had someone like that. The women in the office whispered about his good looks and serious demeanor, but Faith never participated in their gossip.
What was the point anyway? She wouldn't get a guy like that in a million years. Her features were ordinary. Anthony DeMarco was way out of her league. He must like those glamorous model-type women—the ones you see in magazines.
His personal assistant Diana called for her one day. Diana was usually friendly with Faith, and they occasionally had lunch together.
"Hey, what's going on?" Faith wanted to know.
"So..this is awkward, but I need a huge favor from you," Diana said.
"From me? What can I do?" Faith asked.
"Well...the thing is, I have a family emergency, so I have to go to Florida for three months. I was supposed to find a temporary replacement for Mr. DeMarco, but things had been so hectic that I couldn't interview anyone properly," Diana said.
"And?" Faith urged her.
"I was thinking. Maybe you can do it?" Diana looked at her expectantly.
"Me?" Faith was shocked at her proposal. This would mean she had to be close to Anthony, and the thought itself was intimidating. Was she even qualified for the job?
"Yes. Please, Faith? I don't trust anyone else, and Sir is very particular about everything. I know how efficient and organized you are, so you'll catch up in no time," Diana said. "Besides, you'll be getting extra money on your check for three whole months! I already had Sir approve it. He doesn't know it's you yet, but he trusted my judgment on finding my own replacement!" she chirped.
I suppose extra money sounds nice, Faith thought to herself. She needed the money badly. Her family depended on her for bills and food, and they were hardly getting by with her paycheck.
"I will do it," Faith announced.
"Thank you, thank you! I will forever be grateful to you!" Diana hugged her.
~-~
On the day after Diana's departure, Faith stood in front of Anthony for the first time. She had never seen him up close as he mostly stayed on his floor and merely glanced in her direction when he passed by her cubicle. Standing in front of him like this made her nervous.
"You are Diana's replacement?" Anthony asked. He narrowed his eyes.
"Y..yes sir," Faith mumbled.
"Speak up. I can't hear you," Anthony said sternly.
"I am sorry, Sir. Yes, I am Diana's temporary replacement," Faith said quickly.
Anthony stared at the woman in front of him intently. She was completely opposite to Diana. Diana was a beautiful, assertive woman who was quick on her feet. This woman seemed timid, and her appearance was plain. What was Diana thinking, using this woman as the replacement?
"Get me a cup of coffee. Two sugar, no cream," he ordered.
This was her first task? Faith hoped he wasn't trying to make her into his personal maid or something.
Anthony's lips twisted into a grin. It was as if he had read her mind. "Don't worry, I won't make you run errands for me all day and every day. But Diana brings me coffee around this time and I've gotten used to the routin. I hope it won't be a problem for you?" He peered through his dark eyelashes as he waited for her answer.
"No, Sir. Of course, not. I will bring it to you right now." Faith hurried off. She quickly grabbed a coffee mug, poured black coffee, and then stirred in two spoons full of sugar.
"So you're replacing Diana?"
Faith turned around as she heard Mary Jean's voice behind her. "Oh, no, it's not like that. I'm temporarily standing in until she gets back," she said quickly.
"I see. Gosh, you're so lucky," Mary Jean cooed.
"I am?"
"Are you seriously asking? I mean, have you seen that man? He is so handsome. Everyone is so intimidated by him, but I bet you will be able to get close to him." Mary Jean gushed.
Getting close to her boss was the last thing Faith wanted. She was too busy busting her butt to get through the day. "I am just here to work," she smiled timidly.
She hurried back to the office.
"Go ahead and set it on the table," Anthony ordered.
Faith did as she was told. Perhaps a little too hastily. Her hand shook as she tried to put the mug down, and the hot coffee spilled on her arm. She gasped. Not because the liquid burnt her skin, but because some of it splashed on a file on the table. She looked at Anthony right away to see how pissed he was.
God...she was so screwed.
"OH MY GOD, Mr. DeMarco! I'm so sorry!" Faith looked at him wide-eyed. She was horrified. She was already making a terrible impression on him. What if she had just ruined something important? Anthony stood up abruptly and walked to the other side of the desk while Faith frantically attempted to save the papers and wipe down the desk. "What is the matter with you?" Anthony barked. "I'm really sorry. It was an accident. I will clean this up immediately!" "I'm talking about your hand. Why aren't you taking care of it? Are you dumb?" he said gruffly, grabbed her arm, and pulled her toward the bathroom. His touch gave her goosebumps. Is he worried about me? Faith thought to herself. Anthony turned the faucet on and held her hand under cold water. He was still not looking at her. A tiny vein was visible on his forehead. Oh great, he is definitely annoyed at me. Faith sighed. "Have it treated as soon as you leave this room; otherwise, it'll scar," Anthony said. "Yes sir," Faith whisp
Faith got adjusted to her new position within two weeks. To her relief, she didn't have to interact with Anthony as much. Most of the time, their meeting lasted only ten minutes or less. They were small tasks. The coffee here, sign documents there, nothing she couldn't handle. And the pay was good. At least enough to cover bills and medicines for her impatient father. Things were going well until one day. One Sunday afternoon, she heard the dreadful news about her father. She was making coffee for Anthony as usual when the receptionist Lana entered the break room. "Um...Faith, you have a phone call," she said. "What's the matter?" Faith looked at Lana, whose face was pale as a ghost. "Um...you better take this call," Lana quickly said and left. Faith felt nauseous. She had a bad feeling about the phone call. "Hello?" she picked up the phone and waited for the other person to speak. "Faith, this is your uncle Rudy." Uncle Rudy? She hadn't spoken to that guy since two years ag
Anthony couldn't believe his ears. This timid, seemingly modest woman was offering her body to save herself from going to prison. He had never realized she could be this shameless. This wasn't the first time he had received an offer like this. But it was under a different circumstance by someone stark opposite of Faith. And they all seemed like women who had done something like that before to get what they wanted. Anthony never accepted their offer. He didn't have time for such a trifling matter. He didn't like to date or mess around like some spoiled billionaire playboy. Time was money, and he didn't like to waste it by chasing after women. He agreed to be engaged to his business partner's daughter, Malcolm Sevirno, simply because he wanted to strengthen their business relationship. There was no love between them, and he was okay with that. But Faith's sudden boldness piqued his interest. Anthony was seeing her in a different light. This mousy woman stood her ground and agreed to
Guilt. Anger. The emotions Anthony wasn't familiar with before. Not until tonight, anyway. But now they overwhelmed him, all thanks to Faith Williams. He was furious. Furious at himself and angry at her. He never made an impulsive decision like this, but he went through it. In the morning, he woke up feeling even worse. Why couldn't she tell him she was a virgin? He would've sent her home right away. Stupid woman. Her first time was wasted on him. He shouldn't have been so rough with her and treated her like shit, either. This was all wrong. He should've stopped as soon as he realized it was her first time. But desire overwhelmed him, and he kept going. He didn't feel like himself. He was greedy with lust. He felt a rush of electricity running through his veins as her core tightly hugged his member. He wanted to feel her more. He felt his pants tighten as he imagined being inside her again. And her scent... It was sweet, subtle, and beautiful. "Fuck!" he cursed out loud. He w
Faith lay down on the bed, feeling mentally exhausted. Diana was supposed to come back to work in the next few weeks so she wouldn't have to work for Anthony anymore. At least not as his assistant. She could go back to her old position and avoid seeing him around in the office. What a relief that would be. The house felt calm and quiet after her father died. The old man kept it lively by constantly cursing and screaming at her. Maybe she will finally be able to sleep at night. And perhaps her nightmares will stop too? Time will tell. Faith decided to get up and check on Mary. She should be home from school and doing her homework right now. She paused in front of Mary's room as she heard her talking. Was she not alone? Faith knocked on the door. "Come in!" Mary chirped from the other side. Mary was half lying on her bed with her cell phone. "What is it?" "Who are you talking to?" Faith looked at her questioningly. "No one." Faith observed Mary's face closely. Her cheeks were flus
"Sir?" Anthony looked at Faith's terrified expression and suppressed his laughter. Guess she didn't anticipate him saying yes to her spontaneous invitation. "Again, stop calling me Sir. I said I would love to come over and taste your pumpkin pie. Unless you are withdrawing your invitation?" he raised his eyebrows. "No, no, I am not. It's just that I haven't had a visitor in a while, and my house isn't in good shape," Faith said quietly. "Then, good thing I'm not interested in your house. I am interested in your dessert," he smirked. "Oh, okay," she murmured. "What are you afraid of? Are you not good at making a pie?" Anthony looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "No...I'm pretty good at it," she said quietly. "Okay, then. Well? Aren't you going to give me your address?" Anthony leaned over and whispered. Faith looked startled, but then she gathered herself and rummaged in her purse for a pen and paper. She pulled out a pen and tissue paper and quickly jotted down the address be
She had to dig in her closet to find a nice dress to wear at the Christmas party. She didn't like to buy unnecessary clothes or dress up, so she only had a few clothing items. Luckily, she still had the party dress her mom used to wear that looked flattering to her own figure.It was a white, backless midi dress that hugged her body. She didn't like to wear something that showed this much skin, but this was all she had.On the night of the party, she put the dress on. She tied her hair in an elegant bun and put on her mom's pearl necklace. She looked at the mirror and sighed. What was she doing, dressing like that and going to a party like she was a social butterfly? She hated going out and dressing up. If her father was alive, he would've scoffed at her and tell her she looked like a common prostitute.But he wasn't here anymore, so she didn't have to be subjected to his scrutiny any longer. She wondered what Anthony would think of her dress.What the he
"May I cut in?" Anthony DeMarco was standing in front of them with his hand extended."Mr. DeMarco! Yes, of course. You don't mind, do you, Faith?" Mark said quickly."No," her voice was barely a whisper.Anthony placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. She put her hands on his broad shoulders, and they slowly moved with the music. He smelled of cologne. Faith wanted to bury her face in his chest. What a crazy thought!"Look at me, Faith," Anthony said in a husky voice.She looked up."I want to apologize for what happened between us," he said.What? Did she hear him co