Eric, a tall, handsome and well-built man with smooth brown skin that glowed under the soft office lighting. His curly hair and honey brown eyes complimented his skin color.His chiseled jawline, perfectly trimmed beard and that perfect dentition was easily noticed by the female staff in the room. They giggled softly, their voices low, but their eyes never left the handsome newbie.He is an attractive one for sure.Eric had approached Beauty's desk with a soft smile, clutching a few files in his hand. He was still getting used to the company's workflow, and Beauty to him appeared to be the kindest and easy going although today, she seemed unusually moody and not the approachable person he had expected. Despite this, Eric gathered his courage and stepped forward. The pretty privilege can come to his aid this time.Beauty was reading an email to her inbox about the School Reunion."Beyoncé Robin? She is the main sponsor?"She cursed as remembered the particular incident where the sc
Eric smiled back."Thanks, Beauty. I sincerely appreciate your help," Eric said, his smile widening as he caught her gaze. "I've been struggling to get the hang of things around here, and you've made it so much easier... You're as beautiful as your heart. Thank you".Beauty chuckled softly, waving off the compliment, her cheeks flushed."No problem, Eric. I'm happy to help."As she spoke, she unconsciously brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and Eric's eyes flickered to the movement, admiring the small, graceful gesture. Bruno saw it too, and something in him snapped. The way Eric was looking at her...like she was more than just a helpful co-worker...made Bruno feel like he was going to explode. She hadn't even looked at Bruno today, but here she was, smiling and laughing with Eric like nothing was wrong.He had to turn the monitor off totally, and rushed to get a chill glass of water from the water dispenser."Maybe I should respect her choices, she doesn't belong to me, why can
Beauty stared at the floor, her eyes welling up with tears she had tried so hard to hold back. She bit her lip nervously, trying to suppress her emotions.Unfortunately, her emotions are now like a tangled mess, and she felt like she was about to break."Talk to me," Jessie said, her tone softer now. "What's going on? What did I do?"Beauty took a shaky breath, and finally, unable to contain it any longer, the dam broke. "I... I am sorry Jessie, it's just ... . I am shamelessly jealous of you. That he liked you back, I am sorry. I shouldn't feel that way. He is never mine...not like it could ever be possible. You are beautiful and all that, and I am not a competition" she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.Jessie was speechless, her expression softened instantly. She had been expecting drama, of course but didn't expect her to be this hurt.Beauty wiped her eyes, sniffling as she continued. "When you called last night and excitedly told me that Bruno called you and you guy
Beauty let out a long breath, feeling like a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders in playful anger. "You're such a brat, Jessie! I was going crazy thinking I lost my chance!".Jessie grinned sheepishly. "I know, I know. I didn't mean to push you that far. Forgive me?"Beauty laughed, wiping her face again. "I'll think about it," she teased, though her smile showed that all was forgiven."Good because I'd hate for us to fight over some guy,you know. Not like we are certain about his sexuality. I have a lot of trust issues these days" Jessie said, putting her arm around Beauty's shoulders."He is not gay...stop it, Jessie".Beauty frowned. "Alright, alright. I hope so, too. If he is into women, it's obvious Bruno's more into you. I mean, come on, girl, have you seen the way he looks at you? He interacts with you more. He saved you the other day from getting bullied," Jessie pointed out.Beauty sighed. "You think? It maybe a pity attraction, nothing else".Jessie rolled her eye
Her palms were sweaty, and her heart raced as Bruno's eyes stayed locked on her, as if waiting for her to approach.She swallowed hard, feeling the eyes of every coworker on her. Jessie nudged her forward, whispering, "Go on. He's waiting for you.""What if he fires me?" Beauty whispered back, her voice trembling.Jessie shrugged but gave a reassuring smile."I doubt that. He's sitting at your desk, remember? I think he's here for something else. If it's to fire you. He would have invited you to his office".Jessie whispered back.Beauty's feet felt heavy as she tried to lift them off the ground. Jessie's Apple Watch beeped."Oops, time for my schedule".She told Beauty. "Meet you at lunch break, good luck, tell me all about it".Beauty nodded slowly, but her heart still raced at the intensity of Bruno's gaze."Hey! Mr. Bruno, nice haircut. You look damn hot with that expression on your face! Who got you mad with our reserved young boss?"Jessie announced, swinging her hip like she
Without saying a word, he reached up and, with his large, muscular hands, loosened his tie, pulling it off in one smooth, deliberate motion.He went to the water dispenser and took a glass of chilled water before returning to her.Unexpectedly, he snatched her neck, not too hard, and kissed her hard like he would cut the life out of her."Sir Bruno".Beauty gasped.Without saying anything, he went on and pulled her by the waist then lifted her onto his desk, pinning her down with his body. She could feel the heat radiating from him, their faces inches apart, her heart thundering in her chest.He leaned in, his lips brushing hers, soft at first, teasing her, before capturing her in a deep, passionate kiss that made her head spin. His hands gripped her waist, pulling her closer, as if he couldn't bear the distance between them.When he finally broke the kiss, they were both breathless, her hands tangled in his shirt, his lips ghosting over her skin.Then, in the haze of passion, he whi
She looked down and bit her lip, her chest tightening. Bruno saw her nervous fingers fiddling the hem of her blouse.*This is not right! I have no right whatsoever to demand her attention. What am I doing? Asking such questions. Dragging her like that In Front of everyone? I didn't consider how she feels too.*"I apologize". His voice came softly.Beauty looked up at him confused."You may go back to work".He said settling down on his chair.Beauty had questions, but she is better off without the answers.*********During lunch break, Beauty made her way to the expensive café where she and Jessie usually met.Her mind was still buzzing from her earlier thoughts about Bruno. What was that question he asked? If he did something wrong?*I can't believe I made him feel bad, why should someone like Bruno care about what I think of him anyway?*She stepped inside, scanning the room until she spotted Jessie sitting at their usual table by the window, already halfway through her dri
That made Jessie curious, she looked up."A reunion? Are you going?"She asked, looking a bit bothered because of Beauty's past trauma back in school.Beauty sighed and replied."I shouldn't, right? But if I reject the invitation, they will all know I rejected it because I was afraid they would judge me".Jessie rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed. "Well, who cares what they think, let me tell you Beauty, you will attend the reunion and shock all of them".Beauty shrugged."What's there to shock them with? And I can't believe they're making it a two-day event," Beauty replied sadly, twirling a piece of lettuce with her fork."A Dinner, a sleepover, and a masked party? All that just so she can shame me for showing up without a boyfriend or a husband. Beyoncé, the school proprietor's daughter is a bully and she's the sponsor... I know she's targeting me again.""What a pest...she should get a life...and grow up...what is her business if you are single?"Jessie replied, more triggered than
Beauty mumbled, grabbing her handbag in a flustered rush."Gracias."Bruno replied smoothly as he took the seat beside her.The silence between them was heavy with unspoken words, each of them fighting every urge to break the total strangers vibe.Beauty crossed her arms, angling herself as far from him as possible.There's enough room for that... distance anyway. Bruno tried not to glance over too often, but the slight scent of her perfume kept tugging at his attention.This was certainly not as fun as he'd imagined."She's right here next to me, and yet I can't even look at her. Who made that rule? This woman is going to drive me insane."Hours later, with most of the coworkers dozing off as night fell, Bruno busied himself with his phone. Suddenly, he felt a hand fall on him.Beauty had drifted off to sleep and leaned against him by mistake."Sorry," she murmured, cheeks flushed."Don't touch me, distance please; you have enough room," he replied coldly, though he was only teasin
On Monday morning, Beauty woke up early, dressed for work, and checked her notifications as she grabbed her phone."This week is our trip! To Puerto Rico!" flashed across the company's group chat.Panic set in as she scrolled further, realizing she'd missed yesterday's online meeting.Ferd is going to kill me.Quickly grabbing her bag, she hurried outside to catch a cab. A speeding one finally slowed down, and the driver rolled down his window.Leaning forward, she requested, "Hathaway F&F Company, please.""You know the price," he replied with a smirk, opening the door."Sure, thanks," she said, hopping in as he sped off.At the company entrance, she arrived just in time to see Bruno stepping out of his car. She immediately pretended not to notice him, casting her gaze anywhere but in his direction. She watched as his assistant took his suitcase, and his bodyguard followed him toward the entrance, a perfect picture of confidence.Ugh, why does he have to look so good?Beauty sighed,
"Oh, really? Can you see? She's threatening to do more," Kathy snapped."Ms. Kathy! Listen," Ferdinand yelled in annoyance."This is not the time for your tantrums and IT girl special treatment. This meeting is for the upcoming tour. I will ask you to keep quiet and focus on the meeting.""You're embarrassing me in front of everyone! This is not how you handle things! This isn't fair! Y'all hate me because I am pretty. You think that I can't be the victim?" Kathy snapped back.Jessie scoffed and rolled her eyes.The meeting continued, with Ferdinand moving on to the next agenda item, and everyone's attention focused on their preparations, ignoring Kathy.She sat there, grumpy and muttering words to herself."I am sure she is crying inside right now, poor thing ... knowing that these two dated in the past made it so much more satisfying," Jessie whispered to Beauty and laughed quietly.Beauty looked toward Kathy's direction; seeing her cry silently made her feel a little guilty.She is
As Beauty walked back to her desk, the only thing ringing in her mind was Bruno's words."Good luck."Just good luck!Well, what was I expecting?He will kneel down and ask me not to leave him?Suddenly, she noticed the whispers and glances from her colleagues. It was clear the whole department had heard about the confrontation with Kathy. She drew a deep breath and managed to walk to her office desk with her head held high, pretending not to notice, but inside, she felt both a bit embarrassed and oddly proud.She took her pieces of design and started working on her rough stitches."Beauty!"Jessie's voice distracted her focus, and she almost poked her skin with a needle.Jessie came rushing over to her, grinning from ear to ear."Beauty! I heard what happened," she whispered excitedly, barely able to contain herself. "Finally stood up to her. I am so proud. You should see how the pest was crying in the department. She will respect you from now on."Beauty sighed, opened her mouth, b
"I can't do anything if you don't tell me the truth. What brought about this fight between you two?"Kathy rolled her eyes, avoiding his gaze. "Well, maybe she just couldn't handle the truth."Bruno looked up, now serious."The truth? What 'truth' did you tell her?"Kathy went silent, clearly realizing she'd said too much. She shifted uncomfortably, looking frustrated but unable to respond.Bruno felt a pang of concern, imagining Beauty being emotionally abused by Kathy."You abused her again, didn't you? And then you two fought?""It wasn't even a fight. She hit me before I could see clearly-I was on the floor. She may look innocent and like the victim, but she is a monster! She's just... jealous because we're together."Bruno's jaw dropped."Hold on-are you saying she hit you because she was jealous?""Yes!" Kathy snapped."Well, that's interesting. It made my day... much, much better..." He smirked."What are you talking about?" Kathy replied impatiently."I mean, knowing that Beau
A few of them coughed to cover their chuckles, while others glanced at each other, sharing silent gossip with raised eyebrows but tightly pressed lips to keep from laughing out loud.Kathy stormed toward Bruno's office to report, her broken heel causing her to limp slightly."It wasn't even a fair fight. She knew she was going to win with that stinking weight," she muttered to herself."She will pay for the damages. I'll make sure she pays for every damn scratch on my skin!"Without a second thought, she flung open Bruno's office door, limping inside and slamming it behind her.Bruno looked up, startled. He stared at her, from her disheveled hair to her missing shoe, with her toe pressing on the ground and the sole barely hanging on."Halloween costume?""Haha, funny!" she snapped back, tears glistening in her eyes."What... what happened to you? I am absolutely speechless," Bruno said, trying hard to keep from laughing."That monster you call an employee! That fat whale, Beauty, atta
Kathy turned to her, a bit surprised by the tone in her voice. She found Beauty smiling."Oh, I see, trying to seduce Mr. Bruno has given you some boldness.""You are just mad; I am better at it than you. You have been trying to seduce Mr. Bruno... well, you should stop forcing it. He just doesn't like you... he doesn't like skinny," Beauty replied boldly, giving her a look.Kathy scoffed, a bit triggered."I am not doubting it. You should walk the runway better too; I am sure people would love to see a hippopotamus on the runway."Beauty smirked."They can handle it; a walking skeleton is a lot scarier and weird."That triggered her even more."I am sure you are not referring to me as a skeleton, darling. You better not want to be my enemy.""I would never be your friend. I will take being your enemy as a compliment, and before you threaten me, you should eat more; I did crush you with my weight.""Oh, I see you've been taking therapy sessions. Someone must have told you that you are
She found Bruno and Kathy in an awkward, close position that looked somehow intimate.Kathy's hands rested on Bruno's shoulder, her lips near his ear while his hand lightly clasped her wrist. Beauty was unsure if he was putting them on her or about to put them away from her.For Bruno to let Kathy get that close to him, something must be going on between them. Kathy may be a desperate type, but still, Bruno had kept his distance until now.Is he trying to move on with Kathy? Why Kathy?Kathy's eyes met Beauty's wet ones, and she smirked."Well," Kathy drawled, "how may we help you?"Beauty swallowed, fighting to keep her composure. She turned to Bruno, ignoring Kathy completely."Sir Bruno, may I speak with you privately? Could she excuse us?"The fact that she referred to him as Sir Bruno triggered him. But he had to swallow it anyway; he was the one who said they were over with the relationship between them.However, it seemed like she was moving ahead very fast. Too fast for him to
The next day, Beauty woke up early, though it felt like she hadn't slept at all. She had tossed and turned through the night, her mind a swirl of thoughts and frustrations.Bruno had moved on so easily, and that thought alone left her feeling heartbroken.To make things worse, her mother kept bringing up Eric, talking about how handsome he was and how they would make a nice couple.Could Eric really be the one who has been sending those gifts and supportive notes? Beauty wondered.She had tried asking Bruno once, and he had said the gifts were from him. But now, thinking back on it, maybe he said it just to take credit for something sweet.Bruno isn't that type of person, she thought.Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. It was Jessie calling.She sighed and answered on the second ring."Hello...""How are you feeling?" Jessie asked softly."Better. Thanks for yesterday. I'll be on my way to the company soon," Beauty replied."All right. I'll see you soon. Take care," Jessie sai