OPPOSITES

Chapter 1

"Out."

With that simple instruction, the man in a dark blue suit clumsily picked up the scattered papers on the carpeted floor and dashed throughout the black, gold striped double door, out of the unwanted glare of the person they despise yet respect the most. I stare at the closed door, eyes dilating to the feeling of darkness inside my system.

I let down my arms back to the side as my body suddenly feeling numb. I reached for the black sofa which was arranged with another couches for the lounge area and slumped myself on it. Kinda regretted it when the cushion was no longer very soft like when they were new. I pulled my legs onto my chest, hugging them like my life depended on them, hugging them, imagining them having their own arms to hug me back.

I hate this life.

I roamed my eyes around the what look like a whole apartment space room. Black wall, black ceiling, black desk, black chairs. It was funny why am I even choosing black for the wall. They screamed darkness, emptiness, loneliness behind the strong and brave aura they conveyed.

I chuckled.

Did I just explain me as a person?

Yet my vision was attracted to the ceiling-to-floor windows. The orange hue coming from the sun made it way to illuminate the room, uninvited but their existence at least, gave light. A light that anyone was grateful for. This world was too dark for humans to live on. Even the sun needed to revolve around the earth to let each and every living things in the earth to experience light. Even though they didn't last long.

I smiled. Finally a genuine one after hours and hours of faking it. It was so beautiful. I leaned my head on my knees, eyes still glued to the view. The room was completely silent. Too silent that the ticking sound from the wall clock felt like it was deafening me. Why couldn't I feel peace every second my eyes open? Sometimes I just hope to go through a day without having anything to think of. Just one day.

I averted my gaze to the door when I heard a faint knock on it. I stayed quiet, knowing who was behind the door by the 'code' of the knock. Two knocks in a faster pace, and another knock followed after three seconds.

"Can I come in?" asked the lady in her late 40s, dressed formally with her baby pink blouse paired with a white-creamy flowery skirt, long enough to pass her knees. She was smiling very widely at me, showing her deep dimple on her left cheek.

"You are already in my room Mrs. Lee," I laughed softly when her wide smile turned into a grin as she closed the door and made her way to me, heels clicking at every step she made.

"Don't want that person to call me rude to not ask before entering though." she teased, casually leaning on the space next to me. As I was now facing the ceiling, I caught Mrs. Lee was staring at me from the corner of my eyes. "She can be a scary person." she whispered, making me snort at her line.

"She is," I nodded as I played along with her. I scooted closer to her side, leaning my head on her shoulder. She grabbed my nearest hand as she played with my fingers, pressing a specific spot where she knew I needed it.

"Thank you," I breathed out. Mrs Lee stopped her massage maybe was a bit taken aback by the two words.

"Why are you suddenly thanking me?" she asked genuinely confused when her voice rise a level octave. She continued applying pressure now to my arm. I closed my eyes as the sudden relaxation hit me.

'Cause I love you'


"Just because." I stopped my answer there. Trying to gather everything she'd done for me, I didn't think anything can repay her. Not even my entire fortune. She's my fortune after all.

"Why did you shout at him?" My eyes shot opened at the question. To be honest this was not the first time I ever yelled someone because of an unacceptable reasonings. Some people in this office are not even qualified enough to work there and they dared to voice out their opinion. And of course, they will make the time to mock me, the youngest in the entire building even though I'm their CEO.

"He cut off my speech," I answered her with no emotion. "I'm thinking of firing him anyway. All he do is bragging, thinking he's the best. I hate him to his gut,"

Mrs. Lee chuckled while her fingers ran softly throughout my scalp which made me relaxed back instantly. I closed my eyes and let her magical fingers did their job. "They still look at you as a school grader is it?"

I nodded slightly at the question. That's true. I am still very young. I'm only 18. When everybody else went to college to catch their dream job, I'm stuck here, being the only heiress in the family. I sighed and got up from Mrs Lee's lap and sat slouching next to her. The sunlight had turn darker, no more eye soaring brightness, only a darker shade of orange and red, ready to be replaced by the dark night.

"Going home already?" Mrs Lee asked, also getting up to stand next to me. She turned around the couch to fix my belongings back into my office bag before she grabbed my brown coat hanging on a wooden stand behind my desk. She approached my back, slowly slipping each side of the arm to hold my feline figure.

'I don't have a home, Mrs Lee'

"I'm staying at the penthouse this night Mrs Lee. Do you wanna stay over?" I offered her, silently wishing for her to agree cause I don't wanna be alone tonight. Mrs Lee smiled as she nodded her head making me copied her. I let her hook her hand around my arm as we made our way out of the lifeless room.


As soon as we reached the last step of the stairs, ready to barge through the already opened door, I heard someone was talking very loudly. More like trying to vanish this person from his sight. I stopped walking, attracting the attention from Mrs Lee who stopped dead on her track as well. I slowly unhooked our arms and approaches the source of sound.

"Arman?" the guy wearing an all black suit flinched as he watch me in horror and shock. Clearly he was not expecting first, to call him by his first name and second, to even bother to know what was happening. But I was too curious to let it go just like that.

"Y-yes ma'am," he bowed 90° before tilting his head to do some eye contact. I flickered my my eyes from him to the girl crouching on the tiled floors, back facing me. She was hugging her knees while trying to balance herself as well. She tripped a few times but managed to steady back with one of her feet going either to the front or back. She's sniffling.

"What is happening here?" I asked Arman since he had not yet explained anything.

"She will not get away from here and she's blocking the way ma'am.. " he responded. I looked around the way, she was literally taking only 1/100 of the space. Even a tanker could fit to cross over. I shook my head, he was always this extra. I just signaled him to let her before making my way back to the car.


Back in the penthouse after having a home cooked meal, I joined Mrs Lee who was sitting with her legs on the couch. I crawled next to her with my iPad and she noticed my intention as soon as possible when she freed her lap from the cushion and the TC remote for me to lay my head. I smiled inwardly, eager to get another head massage.

"What's with the iPad? Do you finally realized to install game in there?!" she let out which only made my smile even wider. She and her teasing.

"I'm re checking for tomorrow's meeting."

"You mean meeting with s?"

"Yeah," I chuckled.

"You need to at least enjoy your last two years of being a teenager honey.. enough of the meetings and big projects. You've been doing this since last two years. You're still very young and carefree, there's no need to rush things out." She nagged but my head snapped at the word carefree.

"Mrs Lee, I'm not carefree. I have a huge responsibility." I mumbled out making her sighed. Mrs Lee stopped talking and continued to caress my hair until I could feel the heaviness started to conquer my eyelids.

I stepped out of my silver convertible Mercedes Benz, taking my time to straighten up my blouse and coat. I greeted Arman with my usual low voice. He bowed, greeting me back with shakiness in his voice. I just nodded and made my way into the glass double doors.

"About the 5 hectares of land, I had talked to the head of architecture department and they have agreed to build a new 50 storeys 5 stars hotel with 5 level of shopping complex."

I leaned over my swivel chair, eyes burning a hole from his body to the screen behind him. I stared at him wanting more explanation but decided to speak up when he didn't get the hint.

"5 hectares of land?" I asked him as he nodded. He took a small remote from the meeting table and switch the screen back to the land he was talking about.

"And the land was originally belonged to?"

"Uh-" he stuttered. He glanced around the meeting table I hope of searching any supportive glances back. His eyes flickered back to me. I raised my eyebrow to him. He scratched his nape, a sign that he was actually very nervous.

"Engineer Jones?" I called him out.

"T-they u-used to belong to Mr Tony. The owner of the terraces and the semi detached houses built there. H-he agreed on selling his properties to us."

"And you're not even thinking about these people who possibly lose their only home?"

He stunted like a deer caught in headlights. "I-

" Have you ever thought about how matter their life is? Would you be happy if someone wreck your home just so they can build a 5 stars hotel? How cruel of you!"

"But miss-"

Before he could even started his sentence which probably was him trying to persuade me, I cut him off by calling Mrs Lee's name who was sitting on my left side. I gave her my look before she started organizing her notebooks and led me through the wooden double doors. Out of the shareholders and some of the department leaders sight.

I just really hope I could go through a day without any problem.