Chapter 2

Jessica's POV.

I always thought I was a terrible runner until that very moment.

I didn't stop running. My legs ached, my heart pounded in my chest like it was about to explode, but that didn't stop me.

He looked like a man who respected women enough not to hit them, but I wasn't about to find out. No.

I reached the end of the hallway when I turned back to realize he wasn't even chasing me. I slowed down and started walking briskly out of the hotel, hands placed on my temple as I tried to soothe it.

Everything was fine, I told myself. 

I mean…

I had one too many drinks and had sex with a random guy for one night.

It wasn't the end of the world when you have a one night stand, right?

Girls did this all the time.

No big deal.

And the comforting part about the whole thing was that I was sure I would never meet him again.

When I got home, I tossed my clothes in the washer, ate something and showered for work.

Getting to the entrance of the building, my phone buzzed inside my bag. I smiled when my screen brightened with my mother's name on the screen.

“Hello mother.”

“Hello love. How are you? I've been trying to reach you since yesterday. Today is still your uncle Tony’s birthday, you remember? He's hosting a banquet at Hotel Presidential. You promised to be there, right? It's by 8pm. Just come around, family needs to see your face in our events.”

My mother had always wanted me to attend functions so she could matchmake me with someone, but when I understood her gimmicks, I quit.

Not to mention that if I went to that function, I would have to run into my father and his sleazy whore of a girlfriend he replaced my mother with.

 “C’mon Jess, your uncle and his wife took care of us when your father left us. The least you can do is attend his birthday. Don't be mean.” Mom persuaded me.

I exhaled. 

She was right.

When I was fifteen, my father had an affair at work and when my mother confronted him, he put his hands on her and threw our things out. If it hadn't been for Uncle Tony, my life would have been unbearable.

“Fine…” I exhaled again. “I'll go.”

“Good. And try not to fight with your father, okay?”

“Well, if he doesn't get in my way, him and his who—” I stopped myself before I could pronounce the full word, mother hated me cursing.

“Thank you baby.” She realized I stopped myself, I imagined her smiling at me.

“Fine, goodbye, I love you.” I said before I hung up.

Quickly, my thoughts flooded with memories of seeing my mother kneeling before my father begging him not to ruin our family. Not to file for a divorce.

That day, with tears running down her cheeks, she promised she would forgive his cheating and let him bring other women into the house if it made him happy, her only plea was no divorce.

My father swung a tight fist at her before he walked out on her. Not only did he file for a divorce, he took everything from her and left me with her because his new lover didn't want him bringing any baggage.

Life after that week was hell. My father caused us much pain because of how selfish he was and I will never forgive that.

The guard's greeting snapped me back to reality. I walked into the company front door and assumed my seat on my desk.

My colleague, Trixie walked by at the same time I settled in. She perched by my cubicle, eyes wide and observant, her lips curved at the corner of her mouth. 

“You look different.” She said to me,

I frowned. “How?”

“You always looked drained since Max ended things with you, but today… today you're different.”

Trixie and I were inseparable. 

I exhaled, “Maybe it's because I had a crazy night. You won't believe I spent a hundred and fifty bucks on a male hooker to comfort my breaking heart.*

She snorted. “Your breaking heart or your wild desires?”

She must have thought I was joking, I thought. I couldn't blame her for that. Trixie and I had the rest of the office thinking we were wild party girls who had random sex with men at every bar we went to on Fridays, but in reality, we were pretty conservative.

That was why I was still furious at myself last night.

It was nothing like me. 

“Anyway, get out of your head, no time for a joke. The new boss from headquarters is arriving today.” she announced.

I shrugged before I began arranging my desk again.

“I heard he is the heir to the Presidential group of companies. With his father as a senior official in government and his mother running as the head of the company up there in headquarters, he's the real catch here. All the other ladies are talking about meeting, I wonder what he's like, they say he's very handsome.”

I rolled my eyes at her. I only hoped he wasn't rude and pompous. I couldn't bear to work with another asshole in the name of a boss.

My superior, Mr Alex came over. 

“What are you both doing here?! Get off your lazy asses and get to the conference room right now, we have a meeting in five!” He announced with anger in his voice.

I quickly took my notebook and pen and followed immediately. By the time I entered, everyone was already seated quietly and so I found my way to the corner.

My mind trailed off to the early hours of the morning that day. The man I flung dollar notes on. Gosh, he was so handsome.

More handsome than all the men I worked with or had seen. It was a pity I threw those notes at him, the expression on his face showed he was mad with fury.

I placed my hand over my mouth and imagined what was going through his head.

Maybe I went a little too far with what I did.

But I couldn't just stand there and let him judge me with a look of disgust. No way was I letting him treat me like I was a prostitute, especially not after Max broke me already. That would have been even more demeaning.

A round of applause startled me back to life. I was still recovering from my thoughts when the cheers slowly began to fade and a man in a gray suit walked into the office.

My jaw dropped when I registered his face in my head.

Why was he here—-

Or was something wrong with my eyes? 

No. Something definitely had to be wrong with my vision. How could he… how did he—

I rubbed my eyes violently for a second and then a third time, sinking my thumbs deep into my eye sockets, then I closed them again before I opened them.

Still, it was still him.

The man I had a one night stand with.

The very man I threw a hundred and fifty bucks at.

My jaw quivered in shock. 

How was that even possible?

But more importantly, where could I run to now?