Aurora
Why was she looking at me like that, with a smile that seemed to suggest she admired me? How could she expect me to remain composed under her gaze, treating me like some cherished object, as if I could do no wrong? Wait! Why wasn't I composed? This was all so strange. I muttered some gibberish to my boss, hoping he'd let me off the hook, but it wasn't him who responded.
"Hey, take a seat, sweetheart. You look like you're about to pass out," Miss Destroyer spoke directly to me.
I was too stunned by all the attention focused on me, unable to move a muscle. The distance between me and the chair felt like a hundred yards, even though it would only take three steps to be seated.
Still grappling with the decision to move one leg ahead of the other, she turned her attention to my boss. "Keze, can you go easy on her? I'm the reason she came in late. I was just so excited to see my big brother after such a long time that I rushed and crashed into her this morning. I'm just as guilty in this situation. So, can you please pass her punishment onto me?" She batted her eyelashes at her brother.
Feeling grateful that those piercing eyes were no longer on me, I managed to regulate my breathing and slow my racing heart while fumbling with my shirt out of sheer nervous energy.
"She can't be serious," I thought to myself. "She's not only a destroyer but also crazy. Does she think this is a joke? My job is on the line. I might as well clear out my desk." But before I could decide on my next course of action, my boss spoke directly to me.
"I'll let today's lateness slide. But next time, I won't be this lenient."
"It won't happen again, I promise," I responded immediately, and hurried out of the office.
With my back against the door as soon as I stepped into my office, I finally breathed easy. No longer haunted by her sweet scent, there was just something about her that intrigued me. She was soft-spoken, composed, and spoke to her brother with such admiration, yet she exuded a strong aura of "don't mess with me."
Shaking my head to clear the fog that was starting to form, I walked to my desk and immediately dived into work to catch up on my morning schedule. I had work emails to respond to and morning checklists to tick off. There was no time to think about anything else. It was only at 3 p.m. that I stepped out of my office for a quick lunch, but the universe had other plans, evidently.
She called out to me. "Shit, of course she's still around," I muttered, realizing I couldn't avoid her no matter how hard I tried.
