1 Chapter 1

"Yes ma'am" I nodded, taking the files from her hands and walked away, away from her judgmental stare, away from her hateful eyes, her careful stance. Away from my stuck up boss and her oddly perfect nose.

I reached the door and was about to let out a sigh of relief when her deep voice stopped me.

"Aduke, please don't wear that skirt anymore-" I spun around and raised my eyebrows

"-it distracts the male population. This is a place of work" And just like that I lost the 5% respect I had for her.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with my skirt, it was a simple pastel blue skirt with buttons on the side, it was below my knee and just right, not too tight.

"Yes ma'am" her eyes roamed my completely 'unequal' body shape- my bust, waist and hip estimate was 32-24-38- diminishing my self-esteem and confidence.

"I'll leave now"

"Please do" she shooed me and I rolled my eyes, walking away.

Now I felt completely awkward as I walked down the corridor. I felt like I wasn't even dressed at all, like I was dressed to standards and I hated the feeling, my anxiety wasn't helping either.

I finally got to my office, set the files on the table and sat down.

"Stupid ass bitch" I muttered to myself and started working on the files that I hoped would take me nothing less than three hours.

Rosaline Meyers, CEO- I wouldn't exactly call her the CEO, even if she had taken her father’s place for ten months now- of Meyers cosmetics -did I fail to mention that the business monthly income had reduced by 20-30% and its either she fails to understand or she enjoys spending money but she increases our wages every month- she's 34 but looks more like she belongs in my age group - I'm 22 - she's bitchy and extremely racist but I can't exactly complain.

She's the boss and I'm the assistant...just the black assistant.

It took me two hours and almost thirty minutes to finish with the files, thankfully.

I carried them and walked back to her office which was five offices away from mine.

It used to be right beside hers but she wanted to keep me away from her, for her 'safety'. It was laughable that a woman in her thirties always thought like a kid.

I knocked her office twice and walked in.

"I see you're done..." She drifted off and I nodded, placing the files on her table.

"Yes ma'am" she grabbed them and flipped through the pages while I stood there, highly doubting that she knew what she was doing at all.

"Nice...well then, you can leave for the day" her deep alto voice woke me up and I nodded.

Her voice was probably the only thing I liked about her, no matter how bitchy she tries to get, her voice doesn't agree with the part but once a bitch, always a bitch.

"Thank you, good night" she hummed rudely and I walked her out of her office, walking towards mine.

Cassandra 'Cashmere' Milton appeared in front of me, her blue eyes filled with malice

as she glared at me, dressed in a new peach cashmere jacket.

"What?" I noticed the files in her hand and rolled my eyes.

"Maybe next time, you can ask me to let you go first...don't be a jealous bitch" I walked past her and into my office.

I shut my laptop and put it into the laptop bag I made, along with the charger. I took my grey knee length coat and car keys as I walked out of the office.

The sound of the 'click-clack' of my heels fueled my esteem a little, it was like a little tune I created myself.

In all the two years that I'd worked here, not one person said a 'good night' , 'good morning' or even a 'hello' so I didn't bother saying anything either.

I opened the car and put my laptop into the back first before sitting in and driving off.

Normani and Khalid's Love lies came one and my long filed unpainted nails tapped the steering wheel to the beat.

The song had a way of causing me goose pimples, it was slow and sensual.

Whenever I heard it, sex came to my mind. I was no virgin.

"Sorry if its hard to catch my eye, I need a lover to trust tell me you're on my side, are you down for the ride" I sang, humming and nodding my head to the beat as I drove past MacDonald's.

"Tell me where your lover lies, Waste the day and spend the nights, underneath the sunrise-" I hummed and my phone rang from the passenger seat.

I looked at the road and when I noticed it was clear, I grabbed my phone and answered it, pressing it to my ear.

"Hello?" I sang unconsciously, it had become a habit.

"Ms. Williams?" A dismissive baritone voice bounced through the phone and I frowned.

"Who's asking?" I took a left turn, somehow his voice was husky at the same time although he sounded like he'd rather be doing anything but this.

"Eros Pierce, I'm calling about the apartment on lease" I cursed myself for forgetting that I actually put up an ad.

"Oh, its not an apartment. Actually, its a two bedroom flat and I'm renting out a room" I corrected and drove into my garage, sitting still as I heard the steady breathing on the other side of the phone.

"I apologize, Are you available tomorrow?"

'Saturday?' I thought and frowned, who wouldn't be free on a Saturday?

"Definitely, you still have the address? If you don't, I could send it to you?" I asked and opened the car but I didn't step out.

"Its fine, Ms. Williams... What time are you willing?" I hummed, thinking about my scheduled tomorrow.

'Grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, work, Netflix, Netflix and orange juice' I thought to myself

"Ms. Williams?" His baritone voice pulled me out of my reverie.

"1pm should be good" I said, still wondering if 1pm would be good.

"Alright then, I look forward to seeing you, Ms. Williams" I nodded and he hung up while I stepped out of the car the shut the doors after grabbing everything I left in it.

I unlocked my gate and I didn't care if anyone thought I was crazy.

I learned a lot in Nigeria before I landed a job in America. Things are different here but sometimes you have to be prepared.

I locked it shut with the key and walked towards the door, I shut it and stepped into the house, exhaling and I kicked my heels off.

"Finally" I screamed and landed face first on the couch, I dropped everything on the couch and pulled off the skirt-which I might never wear again- then walked to the kitchen in only a pale pink shirt and tights.

I opened the fridge and took out the large jug of orange juice since I was too lazy to cook.

I poured some into a glass and returned the jug back into the fridge.

Humming to no song in particular, I walked to the room. My room was opposite the empty room, only that my room was larger than the room I was renting out.

I pushed into my room and was welcomed by the fresh breeze and I groaned.

"I forgot to shut the fucking window" I wondered what would have happened if it had rained.

I sat on the spring bed and sipped on the orange juice in my hand.

My room was painted a pastel pink color with pastel blue random paintings.

A TV was fixed to the wall directly opposite my bed -I fixed it all for my own satisfaction- a large white vanity table sat on the far left right side of my bed, the door to the bathroom was also on the left side of the door.

I climbed into my bed and laid down on it after placing the glass on the floor and almost immediately, I slept off.