Stained Recovery

Capiche? || Chapter 29

"Cleo, you've got to be kidding me!" Julia Convey, our head PR yelled as she entered my office.

She was in her usual corporate attire with her hair cascading down her chest. Gone was the sweet, seductive woman who always begs for my attention.

Rather, she was replaced by a very angry, fuming woman, ready to strangle me any moment.

My eyes never left the document I was reading. It was something about the merger we've been trying to close since the past month.

Why Julia was yelling, I have no idea. But I'd like to finish proof-reading this damn contract so I could go home and catch some sleep.

"What, Julia? I told you not to barge into my office without notice. Why are you yelling your lungs out?" I asked her stoically.

I heard her throw her hand bag over the chair in front of my desk with a huff. Okay — this is getting annoying. Who does she think she is throwing her attitude at me like this.

I glared at her directly. She had her hands over both of her hips, glaring back at me.

"You can't do shit like this, Ms. Phillips!" She's my friend but if she keeps this up, I'll have no choice but to throw her out of my office.

"What did I do now, Convey? I'm fucking reading documents all day here in my office." I gritted out.

My patience was running thin. What is it with people not getting into their point right away. I've got no time to waste!

"You mean you don't know what you did last week? NYC summit? Doesn't ring any bells?" She spat back at me sassily.

I reeled into my memories of last week — I attended a business summit, then... recognition of the events of that night immediately flooded my brain, almost giving me a headache.

Fuck. So the media did get a wind of it, huh.

"Shit." I whispered.

It has already been a week, why do they need to release this right now. We're in the middle of a fucking merger, I cannot deal with this!

"Yeah, exactly. Shit doesn't even cover it, dumbass. I swear, every single time, Cleo! Every single time! I told you, do not engage with the paparazzi! They will trigger you, taunt you so you'd break and do something that will fucking taint your image." Julia was livid.

For the past three years, we've been rebuilding and restabilizing Madrigal Corp. Having a scandal like this will make our investors think twice of doing business with us.

"Now everybody's talking about the CEO and chairman of the company having anger issues and suddenly lashing out to the media without viable reasons! Do you know how much of a nightmare this would be if your cousin gets a wind of this?"

She kept on talking and ranting about proper decorum while dealing with the media, but I was long gone. I just zoned out and blocked her voice.

My mind went back to how it felt when I was surrounded by these vultures that time. It fucking triggered me — the last time I had to endure something like that was when...

Yeah, let's not go there Cleo.

I shook my head and cupped my face in frustration. I need a breather.

"Jules, please just deal with it. I'm sorry — I'll be more careful next time. But right now, I need to breathe. Can you please tell my secretary to come in once you leave?" I asked her, trying to calm my breathing.

Julia stopped and looked at me in worry. Her eyes scanning if I was really okay.

The truth is... I've never been okay. It has been years, I already forgot how it felt to be okay.