The Grand Viper

3. Forgone?

I lay on the couch staring at nothing. The city lights reflected on my skin as my hands were dangling on my left. The room was quiet except for the bustling of the people in the streets. My body shivered when a gust of wind swept in.

How long has it been since I felt the warmth of someone?

Except for random nights when I would please my lonely self with someone's company, I didn't remember feeling the warmth. Since I've been devoid of warmth for so long, I don't think I will ever be able to feel it again. The rainbows and sunshine were clouded after her death. Life felt worthless. All the jobs and studying only distracted me. Despite everything, I'm surprised I'm still calm or maybe it's numbness disguised.

I don't know for how long this sanity will last.

If it wasn't for that day, I would be living a normal life like everyone else, right? I would have a normal upbringing. I wouldn't have to work every minute or starve myself. I wouldn't have to come back to the same worn out lonely place after a long day's work just to see the debts piling up. I wouldn't have to relive the same nightmares.

Why would anyone ruin someone's life? 

***

I pushed the glass door and stepped inside the glass building. The usual hustle and bustle of the company had quieted down. To match the professionalism, I paired a white shirt with a deep blue pencil skirt.

"Good morning Ms.Gunn." a woman greeted me with a smile. "Welcome to The Bloomfield Company."

"Good morning," I said, returning the smile.

"Congratulations." She said, "Mr. Bloomfield has ordered me to escort you to his office."

"Thank you." I smiled and started following her. The feeling of excitement was clouded by the feeling of curiosity. She entered the elevator while I followed her. After a few minutes of silence, the elevator finally came to a stop. As the door opened, I heard a weirdly familiar voice coming from the end of a room. 

"Yes, we will hold a meeting for that." A guy said. His voice was throaty. The same voice I had buried a long time ago came resurfacing in my memory.

When I entered his room, he was turned away from our direction, sitting on a chair. He was turned just enough for me to see the tip of his nose and his jawline. From seeing his shoulders, he had a big frame and his hands were substantial. A tattoo peeked from the back of his palm but it disappeared under his shirt. After he hung up the phone, he turned his chair around. As he did that, I realized why his voice seemed familiar. I clenched my stomach to prepare for the worse. I

He was my ex.

To make it worse, he was my first everything.

I've already been slapped with enough surprises for this to be a big deal. But inside, I couldn't help it. My heart was aching and my body was heating from the mixed emotion that I was feeling right now. I couldn't differentiate if it was anger, frustration, hurt, or even if it was possible to love. He was capable of that... capable of lifting me and breaking me down. 

Was...

All the times I cried because he left without any explanation. The days I spent praying to god to keep him safe when he probably didn't give a fuck. How many nights did I stay awake thinking about what went wrong? I couldn't count.

He left me at my lowest when I needed him the most, that's when he left me.

He was the one I trusted with everything, and all he did was leave... leave like my mother... leave like my father... leave like everyone who I thought I loved.

This time, I am not repeating history again. I have a goal to reach and he will not be in my way.

Despite all this time, he had the same brown eyes, now somehow had darkened almost to black. His lightly but neatly trimmed beard made him look nothing like the high school jock he used to be. His hair was cut to a quiff. The black shirt perfectly hugged his body. 

I could see his muscle tense as he turned around to look at me. He clasped his hand on the table and placed his chin on his hand while looking at me. I could barely read his expression but I could tell his gaze was cold. 

"You can take your leave, Ms. Miller." The woman escorting me nodded and took her to leave.

Despite all this emotion, I was feeling, I forced my lips to smile. "Good morning, Mr. Bloomfield."

He shook his head and said, "I always find you in the most unexpected times."

Something pierced my heart. The memory of our first meeting. When he pulled me before I could involve myself with a group of stoners at a party and safely rescued me afterward when he realized my drink was spiked. He didn't dare touch me in that vulnerable state. He was a gentleman despite his intimidating presence. But now...? My perspective had completely changed.

"I'm not sure how to answer that," I replied. "Now if you'll let me continue with the introduction."

"No need to bother with the formalities, Ms. Gunn." He said, opening a file in front of him. "But if you like to get straight to business, I shouldn't be the one to oppose."

"Please take a seat." I pulled the chair and made myself comfortable on it.

"I've got 10 meetings to attend. The details are written here." He placed the file in front of me. "I want you to manage the time for me."

"Okay, sir," I replied.

"Also stack those files in alphabetical order." He pointed towards a rack of files inside a small room that was attached to his main office. He continued, " and I want all of these printed. I want these tasks to be done by dawn." He passed me a pen drive.

"Yes sir," I said and paused as I looked at the room with tons of files. If I could manage three jobs along with studying, this shouldn't be a big deal.

He leaned back on his chair. His cold gaze was still on me. "I expect you to be effective with this job."

"I will not disappoint you, sir-" I said. His eyes traveled along my body as if he was scanning me whole. I could see a muscle twitch on his jaw as he did so. As if he was holding himself back from biting.

"Your outfit, Ms. Gunn-" He said, "-needs some improvement."

What? 

If he's trying to get on my nerves, I pity him. I've grown way past this.

"I expect you to dress up more sophisticatedly." He continued, "I need people to know that you are my secretary."

Yep. He still knows how to get on my nerves.

I clenched my jaws and said forced a smile on my face, "I shall do so, Mr. Bloomfield."

Why of all people, did it have to be him?

***