She

Author:

The tapping of heels echoed throughout the dusky lit room. Its ambiance was nerve-wracking and full of fear, so quiet and nothing of that sort of standard bright conference room with comfortable feels. No one uttered a single word in concern they'd break the ice and stimulate the beast more.

Diane clicked her tongue, fingers impatiently tapping on the chair armrest as she swiveled the chair, eyeing down the tensed executives. She chuckled at their anxious expressions, genuinely amused.

Cowards.

Shivers run down the board member's spine in hearing the woman's laugh, who's looking so eerily calm. It sounded so menacing for them they stopped breathing altogether. 

"Say," Diane started, "it's been a big nuisance to me how the stockholders kept calling the past month. From that act only, I can assume that they're unsatisfied by the turn of events, no?"

The board members flinched, a giveaway the woman hit their sore spot. They kept their quivering lips sealed, having no idea what or how to answer.

Diane continued with a glare settled on her face, "No one has anything to say? Come on," she encourages, "I'll try to understand your excuses."

A middle-aged man sitting on Diane's far left corner raised his head slowly. He gulped and spoke in a low tone, "B-but Diviana, even without the subsidiary franchising, our net profit margin compared from the last three months inflated."

The other executives eagerly nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that's good. But that wasn't our primary objective, to begin with, is it Director Pota?" The woman raised her eyebrows in a challenging manner, urging the guy to speak louder.

"Y-yes." He nodded.

"There you have it. As everyone perceived from the last conference, our intention for signing a franchise agreement with one of Lykos Royal Empire's subsidiaries is to generate a better presence worldwide, starting small. But..." she sighed dramatically, "our former CEO David Pota decided to mess everything up. As a result, we didn't get to promote and try new things for our products, did we?"

Director Pota frantically shook his head and stood up abruptly, startling those close to him. "Diviana! M-my son's innocent, please," he somewhat yelled and begged with the utmost pleading voice he could muster, his desperate eyes looking straight at Diane.

All he cares about is his fraud-of-a son and not the company his boy betrayed, I see.

The woman ignored him and instead scrutinized her milky white nails. Without looking up, she called for Jiezel. "Ms. Connor, tell Director Pota again who the Chief Executive was that ran off with the five hundred thousand dollars last month. He seems to believe that the trash he calls son is innocent."

Diane looked up and stared at the director with her dull, expressionless golden brown eyes. "You don't think so, right, Director Pota?" She mocks.

The said director at that moment resembled a fish, his mouth opening and closing right back as he helplessly sat back down in shame. He couldn't utter a single word, not even for his lad.

Everyone grew quiet after that, attentive to Diane's every action. Suddenly, the deafening stillness coating the spacious room is shattered by a ringtone. The board felt their lifespan shortening upon remembering how the woman hated loud noises interrupting a meeting. 

They looked around to find the source of such sound, only releasing a sigh of relief when they spotted a smartphone in the hands of the executive assistant, Jiezel: the only person present allowed to answer a call during conferences.

"Diviana, it's Ms. Sarah Clayford," Jiezel informed softly.

"Who?"

Some board members can't believe what they're witnessing. For a chairwoman to forget or not know such a well-known investor is unheard of for, well, all the years they spent on the business field!

Their eyes widened in shock, and a few choked on their saliva.

"She's one of the stockholders, miss." 

Diane's attention trained on Jiezel and flicked a glance at the white screen of the phone her assistant was holding. Diane poked her tongue against her cheek in annoyance and gave her board members a look before responding, "Ahh, yes. Answer it."

Jiezel complied and pressed the green button before handing the phone to the annoyed woman.

"--bitch won't answ--Shush! It stopped ringing. Hello?" 

Diane scoffed in disbelief at the compliment. She rolled her eyes and coaxed sweetly, "Yes, Ms. Clayford. It's me."

"Ha! You finally answered my call, Ms. Raven. It must be tiring on your side, avoiding me for a month." Sarah stated sarcastically. It was clear she wasn't at all amused.

I don't see the need to, Diane wanted to answer. "Oh, my. I'm sorry about that, Ms. Clayford. But believe me, I wasn't at all avoiding you!"

'The nerve of this two-faced snake!' The woman on the other side forced a smile, holding back her rising temper. Sarah cleared her throat.

"I haven't seen any news about the latest product yet, Ms. Raven. I invested a large sum of money, and I heard the contract signing didn't end well?" She asks, her voice giving no room for argument as if telling Diane she knows the truth. Well, she does.

"We didn't push through with the franchising. There has been a situation the past month, Ms. Clayford, that's why. I'm sorry for notifying you this late." Diane replied casually, sending a quick, clear look to Director Pota, who was acting all oblivious. 

She softly patted her fingers on the marble table, her cold eyes not leaving the sight of her shaking executives. They looked like they'd piss their pants at the stare Diane's giving them, her expression unreadable. 

Tiny beads of sweat formed on their forehead as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"You've been irresponsible with your duties, Diane. If this goes on, there will be no more partnership between us. I gather you know of my influence on your business." Sarah threatens. 

She felt insulted, getting ignored continuously. Although Sarah was bluffing at cutting ties with Diane, she was more than satisfied with the previous success of her investments with the woman after all.

"Yes, of course, Sarah! But I believe you take notice of the outcome more than anything, so I'll be sure to deliver some good news to you early tomorrow morning. You know how unwavering I am, don't you?" Diane pleasantly laughed when the woman on the other side agreed and not a while later exchanged goodbyes with each other.

Diane blew out a breath and handed back the phone to her assistant. She licked her lower lip and realized once again, Pleasing someone is so not my forte.

But in all honesty, the woman does find it bothersome. Diane believes...No, she knows she doesn't need to please anyone other than herself, but for the sake of her people, she keeps doing it.

It's exhausting.

"I'm giving you all one last chance," Diane voices out, and this caught the executive's attention, causing them to raise their heads automatically. Their mouths opened in bewilderment.

One last chance?

"Precisely by 3 a.m., give me something worthy to replace the subsidiary franchising strategy. This time, do your jobs properly. Without fail." Diane adjourned the meeting without further notice and strutted out the room, leaving her baffled board members to themselves.

~~~

Diane:

I scan my surroundings, highly aware of a muffled voice muttering behind the door I’m facing. 

I cross my legs in anticipation.

"--told you to lay low! It's very dangerou--"

Looking at the overly surprised look Tray Pota's giving me, I smirked. 

Catching him off guard, check!

"Diviana!" He jumped upon noticing my presence, clumsily trying to get ahold of the phone he accidentally let go of since, well, I must've shocked the life out of him.

Surprise, surprise!

"Who were you whispering to in such a suspicious manner, Director Pota?" I hummed and gestured to the device he was tightly holding, the screen now blocked from my sight.

"I, um, what are you doing here, Diviana? The meeting's over?"

I raised my eyebrow at his attempt to change the topic. I let out a deep breath as I slowly stood up, walking towards his office desk.

"I presume you know of my sudden visit, Tray. Now tell me," I faced him after picking up a particular mini picture frame, "who was it that you were talking to, acting all strange?"

"No one!" He answered rather quickly.

I showed him the photo of David in my hands, waving it suggestively. "Your son, perhaps?"

His eyes widened like saucers in seeing the item I was holding. Pota took long strides my way, his eyes holding this glare.

"My son's innocent, Diviana! I don't even know where he's at!" 

I let out a loud laugh at his tone.

Raising his voice in my presence, how disrespectful.

Grinning like a mad man, I met him halfway and stared straight at his daring eyes. I shoved his son's photo in his chest and mumbled slowly, "Find your son and give him to me. I'll give you 48 hours, Pota, no more. It's my kindness, don't take it for granted."

Pota towered over me, harshly taking back his son's photo and challenging my stare. He spat, "Which parent in their right mind would sell their child?! I'm not so low-life like you think I am, Diviana! Not like you!"

My mind went blank at his words. I clenched my fist tightly.

The world is full of mystery, but I know for a fact that some do abandon their children. Even if they promise they won't.

I gritted my teeth, tiptoeing to whisper as I threatened him, "Reasoning with me won't work, Pota. Find him, or I will. As you said, I'm a low-life, so I promise you it won't end well for your boy if I'm the one to discover him."

I patted his shoulder and walked past him. But before leaving his office, I smiled a sickening smirk and glanced back. "Oh! By the way, when I do find your son, he'll be the least of your worries by then."

Letting out a heavy sigh once I was inside my office, I took off my high heels and walked barefoot towards the window, where I noticed that the rain had long stopped.

A monster like me, huh.

But are monsters born naturally evil, or do they turn into one for some reason? 

It's been long overdue for me to answer that. 

A being like me, called a monster?

I laugh at myself.

I'm way more than that.

It's funny how people are two-faced and yet judge another. Surely minding your own business doesn't hurt, but I guess, like me, they're greedy.

Now, now. What are you greedy for, self?

"Peace," I whisper under my breath.

Looking afar, I see "myself" mocking me. I can't lie. I know that peace is one thing I won't get in this lifetime. And seeing how the world is now, I'd rather be greedy for a house that has an unlimited food supply, a bed with fluffy pillows, and an everyday rain.

Who am I kidding? I already have those. Well, except for the everyday rain, that is.

"Diviana. If you would please permit me to ask, are you done having a moment with yourself?"

"No," I deadpan.

I flipped my hair sassily and took a seat in my swivel chair, ignoring Jiezel.

Can't she see I was in my therapy session? Considering how she interrupted me, she couldn't.

I sigh.

Should I just quit work?

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Diviana, but you can't quit. You'll go broke."

Shit! Did I say that out loud?

"Yes, and you just did it again."

Huffing, I swiveled the chair and frowned at the brunette before me, who was enjoying being a tease.

"I'd like to bring to your attention, woman, that even if I quit work and buy the world, I won't go broke. Who do you think I am?"

She gave me yet another one of her fake eye smiles.

I felt the hair on my nape stand up.

I cry, "Stop looking at me like that! Your fake smile creeps the hell out of me!"

She ignored me.

"I think you're a forgetful woman. Which tells me, counting how you haven't changed yet," she stared at my chest area.

"Are you a pervert?"

"...You forgot about the charity event this evening, haven't you, Diviana?"

My mouth dropped open.

Did I?

I laugh awkwardly, avoiding her scrutinizing gaze.

I think I did.

"N-no?"

"Oh, really?"

"Y-yes?"

Crap, I'm dead.

"Diviana!" Jiezel shrieked.

"What?!" I looked at Jiezel in disbelief, feeling wronged. "Can you blame me?! The weather was so comfy earlier it made me sleepy! And then there's the conference and all!"

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!"

Bored, I let out a yawn while watching the woman before me pace along my office in a panic state.

"What's the rush?" I asked.

Suddenly, I felt the temperature go down to below zero degrees.

I shiver. "M-Mae?"

Jiezel slowly turned her head around and looked at me with the most exaggerated expression ever.

I could almost see tic marks on her forehead as she forced a smile. Then she burst like a water balloon.

"What's the rush, you say? Diviana! The ball is at 7 p.m., and you have less than four hours to prepare! You've been waiting for this the whole month! I can't believe you forgot!" She panted, catching some of her smelly breath.

"What ball?"

I rack my brain for any significant events I'm preparing for, but nothing comes to mind. Except for one, but it's next week and not today.

But, gosh. All this thinking is making me dizzy. Maybe my brain's on vacation?

Yeah, that must be it.

"The Heroux Charity Ball, Diviana!"

I felt my soul fly out of my body as I tried to collect myself. Unmistakably, there's a misunderstanding? From what I gather, it's next week, and nothing of relevance has changed.

"W-what?" I stutter, hoping to have heard wrong. I mean, I haven't had my ears clean these past few months, after all.

Getting to know about the Heroux Charity Event after the circumstances last month was like a miracle to me.

It must be a blessing for some of my good deeds, was what I thought.

Truthfully, I couldn't care less about how I run my company because ultimately, I'm only doing it to pass some time while waiting for something or someone to come along in my boring life. But because of the other selfless me, I was forced to care.

And it brought me here, where I'm torturing my pitiful self to do good for others who need, well, a job.

"Yes. You heard right, Diviana, the Heroux Charity Ball." Jiezel confirmed.

I jumped from my seat. "I thought it was next week!"

"To which I informed you two days ago and earlier this morning that it was advanced today because of some personal matter of the host."

Now I started to panic.

I can't believe I forgot such a thing!

But, wait..."You should've reminded me again!"

"Which is why I'm here now," Jiezel replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!" I ramble about reaching out to Jiezel for any solution.

"What should I do? I haven't yet taken my afternoon nap, Mae, and you know I won't be able to proceed with my evening without that! And my afternoon coffee!"

We all have this one or two things we love to do before going on our tedious days, right?

I mean, naps during the afternoon are simply the best! I can’t just possibly go on and conquer the world without it. And coffee!

"Mae! My nap and coffee," I whine, leaning my head on her shoulder as I dramatically cry, and she played along with me, patting my back with force.