BELITTLING ME

CHAPTER 5

VIVIAN'S POV

I stood there, feeling a mix of guilt and anxiety, as I stammered, "I am sorry, sir. I didn't mean to do that," apologising to my boss after our awkward collision while I rushed to respond to his call.

His lips, soft and cold, met mine accidentally, and I certainly hadn't intended for that to happen. As I hastily turned to escape the uncomfortable situation, I noticed James standing at a distance, his eyes fixed on us as if he were watching a scene from a movie.

My boss remained silent, gracefully extricating himself from the situation, and proceeded back to his office without a word. I stood there for a few moments, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. James, my colleague and confidant, approached me, concern etched across his face, and we decided to follow our boss into his office to understand the reason for his urgency.

"James," my boss began slowly, his pen dancing across a pile of documents, "we have an urgent meeting out of town this weekend. Prepare yourself because we'll be leaving."

He then directed his gaze at me, his pen now pointing directly at my heart. "As for you," he continued, his tone firm, "you'll be in charge of managing this office in my absence. Ensure that everything runs smoothly, or there will be consequences you won't appreciate." A wry smile escaped James as he heard our boss's warning.

James couldn't help but speak up, anxiety clawing at my chest. "Sir, I'm not sure I can join the trip. I already mentioned my prior commitments. My mother needs me by her side this weekend, and it's the only time I can be with her," he explained, his voice quivering with apprehension.

Before my boss could respond, his phone rang, interrupting our conversation. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression shifting from irritation to concern.

He asked us to leave but called me back as I got to the door. He was still on call, I stood there, fear overwhelmed me and started sweating profusely. I was waiting for his words, I knew he was going to talk about the mistake kiss, but was that a kiss? I couldn't even tell.

"I never told you to call me back. When I gave you my card, it was for us to enjoy our time together, which we already did. Why are you calling me again?" My boss's voice crackled with irritation over the phone, and I couldn't help but assume it was a woman on the other end. As much as his tone bothered me, it wasn't my place to interfere; I had to show respect to my superior.

"Please, just forget about me. I never had any romantic interest in you, and I never will," he declared before abruptly ending the call.

As he hung up, my thoughts raced. "Maybe the reason he keeps buying me clothes is because he expects something more than just a well-dressed employee," I mused silently as he placed his phone down.

At that moment, irritation coursed through me, and I fantasised about squashing his long nose with my shoes. I patiently waited for him to offer an explanation for the call, but instead, he merely grabbed his bag and left the office without uttering a word. I glanced at the clock; it wasn't quite closing time yet.

"Did he really summon me back just to witness that absurd call? Ugh, he's utterly repulsive," I muttered to myself, only to have the office door swing open once more. It was my boss, who briefly glanced in my direction before exiting again.

I ran to James's office and he was already rounding up for the day.

"Is that how he is?" I asked him as I slowly sat on the chair.

"Who?"

"Our boss off course. Is that how he treats ladies?"

"Do I have any business with that? Am I a woman or was I the one that kissed him today?" James said and focused on the documents.

"Is that why you have been wearing a long face?" I asked him and tried to pull his head up but he removed my hand.

"A long face you said is better than kissing your boss in a working space and a working hour."

"James, please stop that." I said to him and stood up to leave.

"Let me drop you off if you want." He offered and I didn't respond. I left his office.

"You are here? I thought you were gone." James said as he met me outside. How could I reject such an offer when I am saving up for something important.

"Are you going to open your door or not?" I asked him, frowning in my face, he laughed and opened the car door.

As I walked into the office the next day, I noticed my boss's absence. The clients had already begun calling, eager to schedule meetings with him, but he remained conspicuously absent. I took it upon myself to handle the calls, even though it wasn't my job.

Frustration grew with each unanswered call I made to his number. If he were one of my employees, I thought, he would have received his termination letter the moment he set foot in the receptionist's office.

Then, in a surprising turn of events, Nina burst into the office. "I'm looking for the boss," she announced, drawing my gaze. She sported a half-buttoned shirt and a short skirt that left little to the imagination.

Since I lacked the authority to reprimand her, I chose to ignore her attire and simply informed her that our boss had not yet arrived.

Disappointment flickered across her face as she turned to leave. I couldn't help but smirk. "Perhaps you should consider a career as a stripper rather than a corporate worker," I muttered under my breath.

The arrival of our boss interrupted my thoughts. "Good morning, sir," I greeted him, but he seemed to pay me no mind. His face bore an unusual expression, a mix of worry and exhaustion.

Curiosity gnawed at me. What could possibly cause a man as unpleasant as him to appear so unhappy and weary? I attempted to broach the subject of the clients who had called earlier, but he swiftly signaled me to halt.

"I need to find someone to attend that meeting with me since James is unavailable," he finally spoke. It dawned on me that his predicament likely revolved around making more money. He could have easily prevented James from tending to his personal matters, but perhaps his cruelty had yet to reach that extent.

"I will go with you, sir." His eyes fixed on mine, he sighed and looked away.

"What do you know about this, huh? You think it's a local company, like you?" His words rang a loud bell in my head but I shouldn't be surprised because it's his normal way of living.

"What do you want to do when you get there?"