Dress

The next morning, Valerie looked at herself in the mirror for a long while. A very pretty girl with delicate features looked so beautiful that anyone would want to protect her. She ditched her oversized shirts and baggy pants for clothes that actually fit. She is wearing a red top and has paired it with red jeans. Her hair, which was always in a bun, is now loosely hanging behind her back, reaching her waist. She was born with naturally silky hair that doesn't get frizzy at all. That's one reason why she always used to hide it under a cap. Because with naturally soft hair, they were not suiting her tomboy personality. Her mother always bought her feminine clothes for her birthdays and holidays. But Valerie never wore them. They were sitting in the back of her closet, still looking brand new. For the first time Valerie visited a salon and requested the kind lady to make her look like a girl. The lady smiled gently and waxed every inch of her body, shaped her brows before applying some pack on her face, trimmed her hair and polished her skin. Once the lady was done, Valerie couldn't believe her eyes.

'You look beautiful, my dear,' the lady complimented.

Now, wearing feminine clothes, Valerie looked like a girl. A very beautiful girl, even without makeup. She didn't know much about how to apply makeup, so she skipped it and kept it simple with a lip balm.

"I will apologize to Mr. Oswald, request him to return my wallet. I will come back, pack my bag, and wear my usual clothes before boarding that plane to the Bahamas this evening," she decided. She would be lying if she said she was not scared. She is terrified. If she were not so scared, then she might have actually admired herself more. Or she might never have gone out of her way to actually dress like a girl. She thought of doing it a hundred times in the past. But always backed out at the last moment.

'No, the faster I finish this, the better'

With that in mind, she drove her scooty to the Oswald Corp. After parking her bike, she approached the receptionist. Unlike yesterday, Jason is not with her, so they probably won't let her wander around the building on her own.

"Yes, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked without lifting her eyes from the screen in front of her.

"Ahh, I want to meet Mr. Reid Oswald" she informed the beautiful lady who looked beautiful and professional.

"Boss is busy. Do you have an appointment?" she inquired, almost sounding bored.

"He asked me to meet him today," Valerie told the truth.

The receptionist huffed and finally looked at Valerie.

"Miss, without an appointment, we cannot allow you inside. You should leave," she said with a hint of impatience.

Valerie tugged at the hem of her top, unsure of how to meet Reid Oswald. There was nothing she could do. And she is not about to call Jason for help. If he heard about how she slapped his brother, he might be disappointed in her. Jason loves and respects his elder brother. He often mentions how amazingly smart his brother is. She doesn't want to upset Jason. Reluctantly, she turned to leave. She was not watching where she was going and accidentally bumped into a wall, or at least that's what she thought, until a pair of arms grabbed her by her shoulder to stop her from falling on her back.

"Ahh..." she hissed as her eyes started to water. She bumped her nose against this person's hard chest, which was built like a rock.

"Well, not bad" a voice which she might never forget, not even in her dreams spoke from above her head.

Immediately, she raised her chin and met the cold gaze of Reid Oswald. If she were not terrified of the man, she would have probably admired how insanely handsome he was. But the moment she saw him, her heart started to pound with fear.

"M..Mr. Oswald, I am sorry. I was not watching where I was going," she apologized immediately.

"What is your beef with me? You threatened me the first time we met, crashed into me the second time, slapped me the third time, and now bumped into me again?" he listed out everything she did with a blank face. He looked annoyed. He should be.

"I..." She opened her mouth to apologize, but he started walking away.

"Come," he threw over his shoulder.

She reluctantly followed him like a lost puppy. She is so caught up in her fear that she is oblivious to the attention she is receiving.

She entered the elevator after him. No one else boarded the elevator. They were alone. Standing beside him so close, his presence is impossible to miss. He felt like he was leading her to her execution.

"M..Mr. Oswald, I am sorry for everything. I didn't know you were Jason's brother. Please forgive me," she apologized softly.

He didn't reply. He simply walked out of the elevator once the doors opened on the top floor. For a moment, she hesitated before following after him. She was sure he heard her.

'Is he so angry that he will not forgive me?' she started to worry. She gathered her courage and followed after him reluctantly.

Once inside his cabin, she stood as far away from him as she could.

"Mr. Oswald?" she spoke softly and hesitantly.

"You want me to forgive you?" he finally responded.

"Yes," she whispered back. It's so quiet that he can still hear her.

"Then work for me," he demanded.