Chapter 3
I stood there, watching as everyone else grabbed their seats.
By the time I came to, all that was left was a small stool tucked away in the corner.
There wasn't even a table.
Just a little folding stool.
I walked over to the corner and took a seat, feeling a little out of place.
I had to balance my laptop on my knees since there was no table.
The meeting kicked off.
Carlos started presenting the product plans for the next quarter.
His voice was calm and measured, occasionally leaning over to quietly discuss something with Cecilia.
Cecilia nodded, looking every bit the decision-maker.
"I agree with this direction," she said.
Carlos smiled.
I know that smile by heart.
He smiled at Cecilia just like he did at the annual party, that same look that used to be reserved for me.
I lowered my head and started taking careful notes in my notebook.
The faint rustle of my pen filled the silence.
"On the user experience," Carlos suddenly said, "Brianna, add your thoughts."
I looked up.
All eyes shifted to the corner where I was sitting.
For a second, I felt like an elementary school kid getting singled out by the teacher.
I stood up awkwardly, my voice coming out a bit dry.
"Based on user feedback, we need to optimize, " I did my best to keep my voice steady.
But my notebook was wobbling on my knees.
I could feel my palms were starting to sweat.
"Get to the point," Carlos said, cutting in.
His tone was calm, but that hint of impatience made my words catch in my throat.
"The main point is..." I hesitated. "We need to add a feature that connects with users emotionally."
Cecilia suddenly cut in. "Brianna, you're speaking too quietly. I can't hear you."
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
A few people shot each other quick glances.
I stared at Cecilia.
She had that polite smile on her face, like she was just pointing out something obvious.
Carlos stayed silent.
He just stared at me, his face showing nothing, no emotion, no warmth.
It was like he was looking at an employee who just wasn't measuring up.
I cleared my throat and spoke louder.
"I said, we need to add an emotional entry point," I repeated.
Cecilia nodded.
"That approach works," Cecilia said.
She turned to Carlos.
"Mr. Nelson, is your team good at getting things done?" she asked.
"Brianna gets things done," Carlos replied.
Same old line. 'She gets things done.'
It sounded just like something he'd say about an assistant, just the sort of polite comment he'd toss at a stranger.
Brianna clenched her pen, knuckles tight.
"Oh, by the way," Cecilia said suddenly, "Brianna, could you pour me a glass of water?"
Her request came out so casually that it felt like this was just what I was expected to do.
I looked at her.
She met my gaze, not looking away.
There was a faint, subtle smile in her eyes.
Not malice, just the calm assurance of someone who knew she was in control.
Carlos sat beside her without a word.
He simply picked up his glass and took a sip.
Silence.
Those few seconds of silence dragged on, feeling like a whole century.
"Sure," I said.
My voice sounded almost unfamiliar.
As I stood up, my notebook nearly slid right off my knees.
I steadied it and made my way to the break room.
Behind me, I could hear Cecilia and Carlos chatting.
"Your company's coffee is pretty good," Cecilia said.
"If you like it, Ms. Gonzalez, I'll have my assistant get some for you," Carlos replied.
Assistant. Again.
I stood in the break room, holding a paper cup under the water dispenser.
The water flowed, filling the cup.
My hands were shaking.
Ripples spread across the surface of the water in the cup.
Watching the ripples in the water, I suddenly felt the whole thing was just absurd.
Five years.
I'd been here for five years.
Now, I was just an assistant pouring water for people, just someone anyone could order around.
I took a deep breath.
The cup was full now.
I stood there in the break room, holding the cup.
Outside, I could hear people talking.
"Did you hear Cecilia and Mr. Nelson were together back in college?" someone whispered.
"No way, is that true?" someone whispered.
"Yeah, my friend said they were the model couple back in college. They only split up when Cecilia went abroad," another replied.
I just stood there, frozen.
The water in my cup was still trembling.
So that was the story.
Turns out they had history together.
Turns out I was just the one who came after, just a stand-in, never even recognized as one.
I set the cup down on the counter.
My hands were still shaking.
But I didn't cry.
I just stood there, closed my eyes, and breathed in deep.
Anger blazed inside my chest.
It felt like a wildfire, stealing the air from my lungs.
But I couldn't let myself explode, not here, not now.
Not yet.
I opened my eyes and stared at my reflection in the mirror.
My face was pale, my eyes red from holding back tears.
But there was a sharp clarity in my gaze.
And in that clarity, there was an icy anger.