Chapter 2
My stomach twisted.
Was he in a good mood because some idiot calls him bro every day?
No way. Absolutely not.
I took a deep breath, sat up straight, and buried myself in my work.
The morning passed without incident.
Just as I was about to head out for lunch, my phone buzzed.
It was that familiar account: Alex's account.
He sent a message. [Not asking for money today?]
I almost threw her phone into the trash.
Oh, no. He knew it. He definitely knew who I was. With the company directory full of photos and names, it'd be a breeze for him to look up any employee's account.
I had no idea how to respond.
Should I pretend I didn't see it? Or should I apologize?
After hesitating for three minutes, I finally typed out a message. [Mr. Grant, I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone else before. I thought you were my brother.]
I was trembling all over after I hit send.
About five seconds later, the message showed as read.
Then, he replied. [Oh. And?]
What did that mean?
I had no idea how to respond.
I replied: [I swear I'll pay you back. Is it okay if I do it in installments?]
He didn't reply.
I waited ten minutes. Twenty minutes. An hour.
He didn't send another message all afternoon.
I was falling apart. I was doomed. There was no way I was not getting fired.
*****
As I was about to leave work, Sophia Blake, the department head, stopped me.
Sophia was dressed in a sharp suit, her high heels clicking against the floor. Her hair was a sleek, chestnut brown, and she looked like the kind of woman who always knew how to get things done.
"Emily," Sophia called out.
"Sophia," I replied.
Sophia glanced at me and said in a neutral tone, "Redo last week's event proposal by tomorrow morning. The format is off."
"Okay, Sophia," I nodded, accepting her fate.
Sophia took a couple of steps, then paused and turned back to add, "Oh, and your probation period is almost up. Make sure you perform well."
It sounded like a reminder, but the way she smiled made it clear it was a warning.
I knew Sophia all too well. In our department, her word was law, and she was notorious for making things tough for new hires.
Plus, everyone in the company knew she had a thing for Alex. Whenever he showed up, she'd suddenly become so soft and sweet that it was almost sickening.
*****
When I got home, I collapsed onto the couch.
The phone buzzed again.
This time, it was Michael.
"Who gave you the money? Spill it," Michael asked.
I sighed and muttered, "My boss."
Michael was stunned. "You call your boss bro? And you asked him for money? Emily, are you out of your mind?"
"I thought it was you."
"My profile picture is blue."
"Didn't you change it to black last month?"
"I only changed it for one day and changed it back."
I went quiet.
All this mess started because Michael changed his profile picture for one day.
I wished I could travel back in time to smash his phone to pieces.
Michael spammed me with dozens of voice messages, all of them him chewing me out. I didn't bother to listen chucked my phone aside in frustration.
After the shower, I couldn't help but open up Alex's chat window.
The last message was still quietly sitting there, unanswered.
After thinking it over, I typed another message. [Mr. Grant, I'm sorry. Can I pay you back by having a bit taken out of my paycheck each month? It'll take about four months, I think.]
Once I sent it, I set the phone down on the table, too anxious to check for a reply.
After a while, her phone buzzed.
I held my breath as I flipped it over.
Alex replied: [No need to pay me back.
[So, are you planning to hit me up for money again?]
I stared at those words for a full two minutes.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was he testing me? Or was he messing with me?
I decided to play it safe and replied: [No, no, it was a misunderstanding. Sorry for taking up your time.]
He replied: [Okay.]
I let out a sigh of relief.
*****
The next morning, when I got to the office, there was a cup of coffee waiting on her desk.
Next to it was a sticky note with one word written on it: [Drink.]
The handwriting was bold and crisp, with a touch of impatience.
Cara's eyes went wide. "Who got you coffee?"
"No idea," I replied.
I picked up the cup and gave it a sniff. It was my favorite: latte.
My heart skipped a beat.
I suddenly realized I'd once told him on WhatsApp that I liked lattes.
No way.
Seriously?
My hands were trembling as I held the cup.
Cara glanced at the sticky note, then let out a gasp. "Emily."
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Hold on. I've seen this handwriting before, on some paperwork."
"Whose paperwork?"
Cara dropped her voice to a whisper. "The kind that has Mr. Grant's own signature on it."