Messy

For the past few months, Grace kept feeling that something was not right. The charts she had been going through weren't adding up. She hadn't mentioned her suspicions to anyone yet, but she could swear it had something to do with her younger brother since his department was in charge of distribution. The little devil was probably doing some shady things. If only she could get her hands on any piece of implicating documentation against him. It was goodbye to his dream of becoming the CEO of ANC.

She was currently sitting in the middle of her bed with her laptop and some documents open. She also had a pen and a note where she was jotting down things. Some corners of the bed were covered with bedsheets, while other parts were left bare.

The empty box of pizza she had eaten yesterday lay on the floor beside her bed, and there were a few of her clothes scattered everywhere in the room. 

Her cosmetics were also everywhere inside the room, and the clothes she wore yesterday were laying atop her dressing table.

If the media got a whiff of her private life, it was going to be the talk of the century. 

She finished the remaining potato chips in the sachet and threw the wrap away absent-mindedly. Maybe it fell on the floor or bed; she had no idea.  

Just when she was about to have that moment of 'Eureka' and link up the last piece of the puzzle that was threatening to jump out of her head, a call popped up on her laptop's screen, making her groan as the idea disappeared and her brain was left blank.

The video call was from Michael.  

She answered the call without minding her appearance. He had seen her looking far worse than she was now, in a faded t-shirt and glasses, with her hair in a very messy ponytail.

"Jesus Gracias! You are still in bed?" Michael asked in surprise.  

Just the sight of him sent her heart rate into overdrive. 

He was dashing.

He was dressed in a trim blue suit with his hair gelled and styled to the back. She doubted there was any normal lady who wouldn't fall for him. There was none.  

"Uhm... what? I was working! You just made all the ideas fly out of my head!" She complained, quickly taking control of herself before she allowed her emotions to get the best of her.

"Gracias! Everyone is arriving already! I swear I am going to cancel if I do not see you." He threatened as he moved his phone to his other hand.

She checked her phone for the time and gasped.  

"Just how long have you been working?" He asked when he noticed her reaction.

"I don't know. I think I've been here since 11 in the morning after I finished chores."  

"Eleve– wait! You did chores?" He asked, looking surprised. "You? Grace Anderson? Did chores?" Amusement danced in his eyes as he looked at her.  

"Ha ha. Very funny." She rolled her eyes and said sarcastically. "You must think I am a pig." 

"You my darling... are a very dirty pig. But that's not the point." He laughed when she glared at him.  

"You are lazy when it doesn't involve business."

His face appeared closer, as if he was trying to peer inside her room.  

"Your bedroom looks surprisingly clean." He whistled.

"I told you I did chores." She rolled her eyes.

Yes, her bedroom was clean today. Got a problem with it?

"You really should hire some help. And try to rest. Look... we'll talk about it when you get here. Alex's family just arrived." He looked away from the camera briefly and waved at someone before looking at her.  

"I'll see you, right?" He asked, looking at her with hopeful eyes.  

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes again.

"Good! Love you." He said, before hanging up.  

'love you'

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Just like it always did whenever he said that.  

Her facade broke as soon as the call ended, and she raised her knee, wrapping her hands around it and resting her head on top of it.

The dinner was more like his engagement party. She had tried not to think about it since morning. That was why she had been working since dawn. But the world was still moving on and there was nothing she could do about it.

And it was hurting.

Badly hurting. 

Why hadn't she realized she liked him sooner?  

She had realized it only a few months ago. It came so suddenly. At first, it freaked her out. But later, she got over it and decided she was going to tell him. If he took it as a joke, fine. If he liked her, then perfect!

She planned everything in her head and asked him out to dinner. 

She had been hopeful when she noticed his excited mood and asked him why he looked happy. Maybe she shouldn't have asked that day. But it didn't matter.

He told her he had found someone and spent the rest of the evening talking about Alex.

She closed her eyes and tried to fight the pain away. 

A tear slid down her eyes, and that pissed her off.  "STOP CRYING, YOU BITCH!" She yelled at herself and stood up from the bed, throwing all the pillows everywhere.  "STOP BEING A SELFISH BITCH AND BE HAPPY FOR YOUR BEST FRIEND!" 

She continued to yell and began to throw anything she could find. Even if she was enraged and pissed, she was conscious enough not to throw anything that would break because she would have to clean it up by herself later.  

When she was satisfied, she closed her eyes and tried to stabilize her breathing.

"Now... you're going to get in there, take a nice shower, and go to that party looking like the badass boss that you are." She spoke to herself and finally calmed down.  

But when she opened her eyes and saw the mess she had made all over her room, she collapsed on her bed.  

"Shit!"