Chapter 3

Five Years Later

Oris

"Here are the files you wanted." Reese, my secretary said.  

"Thank you, Reese," I nodded as I took them, quickly skimming through them. Once I was done I signed it before passing her another document.

“Have someone contact Michael, Fallon and everyone else here. Just something to remind him that production holdback is still temporary.” I ordered, passing the list to her. Just like I expected her face fell.

"Funding not going well, Miss Rivers?" she asked.

"TEMPORARILY stalled," I stated, trying to make it sound light. "I think the bank was too distracted looking at my boobs to notice my last pitch this time. Can't blame them, they ARE pretty.”

The joke felt too dull in the face of the reality I was facing, but if there was anything I'd learned to do over the last five years, it was acting unbothered and putting on a bright, unbothered ‘boss face’ as one would call it.

 Anything to keep the air light.

 Reese wasn't buying it though. She knew me too well for that.

"You work too hard, Jane," she said softly. "Just…be careful okay? You've not taken a day off in months."

Her soft concern filled me with equal parts warmth and pressure. 

"I WILL rest when any future investments are secured and the spring line is out," I assured, waving her concern away. She still looked unconvinced but straightened up

"No worries. You've got me boss," she nodded decisively. “Should I also deal with the organic cotton shipment?”

"Yes, please.” I agreed, “Tell him to push it if he can."

She nodded and left my office then, closing the glass door quietly behind her. Only when she left did I let myself slump on the table.

Looking at the work in front of me, I sighed, letting the exhaustion sleep into my bones.

All in a day's work of being a CEO.

Never would I have imagined that I would build myself up. But here I was as my own boss. The owner of EJ Corporation, a green fashion line. 

It was everything I'd ever wanted to build and nothing like the life I'd expected. My past self would have been shocked. Present me was mostly tired.

I might not have been smart at things like maths and schooling. I had always struggled with equations and complicated formulas. But I WAS good at business. And fashion.

Not that many people saw that in the past.

A frisson of memories rushed in of HIM, assuring me that I wasn't dumb. I cut it off immediately. 

Five years were enough to help me learn to avoid thoughts of that place. 

I could still remember how it felt taking the first bus out of Ashwood without looking back. Back then, I used all my money to leave, and ended up here, in a completely new state and city.

There I formally changed my name from ‘Oris Jane Henderson’ to ‘Jane Rivers’— my middle name and my mother's maiden surname—further erasing my previous identity. Only then did I feel like a completely new person.

After that I worked odd jobs. Even later when I was pregnant and sick but I kept going. I learned how to budget, how to take the bus, how to talk to people and truly socialise. I learned how to make friends and how to be confident, or at least fake it well enough.

Adjusting to daily struggles hadn't been smooth. I was an heiress that never had to learn those things and I was alone. But I didn't care. I wanted to break out of the spoiled identity that had remained stuck to me for years.

And so I did.

 I worked in several companies and got promoted quickly, raising enough money to invest, until eventually I was self-sufficient , buying myself a condo and later starting my own corporation. 

For the past year, it had grown exponentially.

It had been working well until now.

I swallowed hard, looking at the documents. The numbers in front of me made my heart tighten. Despite our success and sales, our numbers were in the red. Costs were growing higher and my own personal funding was no longer enough now. 

And so for the last few weeks, we'd had to close up operations and I'd been searching for an investor.

My father's face flashed back to my mind then and my throat tightened.

For the past five years I actively avoided news involving Panama Holdings and everything to do with my family. It was helped by the fact that I was in a city several states ahead.

I knew nothing of my father or Hayden since that night.

At times I thought about them. Maybe they were happy. Maybe they'd forgotten me.

A hollow ache hit my chest, but I pushed it away.

It didn't matter anymore, I thought, because I had no plans on coming back. 

Even if the business failed, I would accept the failure and work hard to rebuild again.

I'd long moved on with my life and  built something that was mine. I had children now, who were my whole world. 

They were what mattered.

As if on cue, my phone rang and the babysitter's number flashed. I picked up quickly.

“Hello Emily?”

"Miss Rivers, I am so sorry, but I have to leave soon," the younger woman's apologetic voice came through. "My parents just called. Said something about a trip and my little brother is sick. I know I said I had to be out by 5 but I'll need to leave. I'm so sorry."

The distress in her voice was obvious. My heart raced at that, checking the time, I saw that it was just 4:20 pm. Arguably still too early to leave work.

But here, most of the operations had shut down and there was nothing to do. Plus, I was the owner slash CEO. Who could stop me from leaving?

"It's okay Emily, thanks for letting me know," I stood up, quickly packing my things while putting the phone on speaker. "Please, can you stay for a few more minutes?."

“I can only stay for an extra ten minutes. Fifteen max.” she said.

“That's good enough.” I nodded. “Wait for me. Im on my way”

“I’m so sorry ma'am. I really didn't expect this to happen.”

“It's okay Em.” I gently assured her, “You can't anticipate family emergencies. Don't worry, you'll still get the rest of the month's pay when I get there.”

“Really?” Her voice brightened, “Thank you ma'am.”

“Not a problem.” I replied, “See you soon.”

 With that, I hung up and grabbed my bag, rushing out of my office. 

Reese looked up from her desk as I left the office.

"Kids are calling?" she asked and I laughed breathlessly. She really caught on quickly.

"Babysitter needs to go. Family emergency." I breathed out.

"Go, go." she said, waving me off. "I'll lock up."

“You're the best.” I smiled before rushing out.

Taking a taxi— amongst all the skills I was capable of, driving wasn't one of them— I stopped on the way to my apartment to buy some extra groceries.

In the past I would have never fathomed doing so. Past Oris had never set foot in a supermarket. Jane, however, knew the price of every single thing as I shopped.

Growth, one would call it.

When I stepped out, heaving the paper bags, I tried rushing towards the other end of the street and stepped off the curb too quickly.

Just as suddenly, a car came out of nowhere.

I froze in place as it came barrelling towards me. At the same second, a strong hand yanked me back onto the sidewalk before it could hit.

My pulse rang loudly in my ears for the first few seconds. Faintly, I heard the expletives of the driver as he passed by before reality hit.

Without hesitation, I moved away and quickly bowed slightly in thanks. 

"Thank you so much. I'm so sorry, I was in a rush," I apologised quickly, another thing I learned to do in contrast with my past self. I barely looked at the person before my gaze shifted to the traffic lights. It was still yellow. I should have noticed—

"Oris?"

My heart flew to my throat, freezing at that word. No, not a word, that name. The first time  since anyone had called me that name in the past five years. 

But it wasn't just that. It was THAT familiar low voice, sounding hoarse and deeper that felt like someone had thrown cold water over me.

No. It couldn't be.

It felt like slow motion as I looked up, my bags still clutched to my chest. But it wasn't an illusion as I found Hayden's familiar blue eyes staring back at me.