No Boss of Mine

Charity & Desire

Ashley had quit the corporate world to run a charity that helped homeless kids get off the streets. She watched them, so content with so little. Would you look at these kids, she thought, they deserve more than these worn-out dolls, more than I can give them right now.

Suddenly, she felt a small tug on her sleeve. It was Matilda, one of the youngest at the shelter.
"Miss Ashley?" Matilda's voice quivered.
Ashley crouched down, concerned. "Matilda, what's wrong?"
"I'm scared," Matilda whispered, her eyes darting nervously to the dimming lights in the room.
"Don't worry. I'll go with you," Ashley assured her. Matilda hesitated, then asked in a small voice, "Can you hold my hand, Miss Ashley?"

As Ashley stood, holding Matilda's hand, Rachel, her colleague, approached.
"It must be the landlord pressuring us for the rent again," Rachel muttered, keeping her voice low. "Don't let the kids hear!"
Ashley nodded and gently sent Matilda back to the others, watching as the girl rejoined her friends. Now it was time to face their next hurdle. What excuse do I use this time? she thought, her mind racing. They had already used every excuse in the book to delay the rent.

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Let me tell you what to say..." The landlord barged in, his face twisted with anger. "Shut your damn mouth and pay the fucking rent!" he shouted, his voice booming through the room. The children screamed in fear and scrambled to hide behind Ashley and Rachel.

Ashley's heart clenched. These kids had been through enough—abandoned, runaway, or escaping abusive homes. This was the last thing they needed.
"Hey! Watch your language!" she snapped at the landlord.
"It's my property, and I can cuss you freeloaders as I damn well please!" he shot back, stepping closer. "I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT YOUR RENT!" he bellowed.

Ashley could feel the tension in the air, the children's eyes wide with fear. He won't leave empty-handed this time, she thought grimly. Clutching the folded bills in her pocket, she reluctantly pulled them out.
"This is all I have now. It'll cover half the rent," she said, handing over the money. "I'll manage to gather the rest by the end of the week."
The landlord sneered. "That wasn't so hard, was it? And don't forget what you said—pay or leave!" With that, he turned and stormed out of the building.

Rachel exhaled, shaking her head. "But that was supposed to be your rent, Ashley!"
"I'll figure it out with my landlord," Ashley replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "Let's just hope we get a donation this month." She sighed deeply as she started to walk toward her office.

Just then, her phone dinged. An email? she thought, her heart skipping a beat. Could it be a donation? She opened the message with a glimmer of hope, only to see the subject: "I have a proposition that will solve all your problems."

Ashley frowned. "Yeah, right. Couldn't they have picked a more believable sender name?" She muttered to herself, scrolling to the next line:
"Shall we discuss our mutual interests over lunch?"

It had been a long day, and she had been getting scam-like emails like this all week. Ashley rubbed her forehead, feeling her frustration rise. "I'll give them a piece of my mind," she murmured, ready to type a feisty response when Matilda's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Ashley! We found something!"
Ashley quickly tucked her phone back into her pocket and pretended everything was fine. "Oh boy," she whispered. "Let's hope it's not a rat!" she said, forcing a smile as she followed Matilda back to the others.

After tucking the children into bed later that evening, Ashley sat at her desk, rubbing her aching shoulder. Her eyes scanned the paperwork piled high in front of her.
So much backlog, so many overdue bills. She groaned and decided to give the social welfare office another call, hoping for some help. But after minutes of being bounced around, she was met with the same bureaucratic response. "It's the children's welfare we're talking about here!" she exclaimed, slamming the phone down in frustration.

Just then, the door to her office swung open.
"Bad time?" a deep voice asked.
Ashley spun her chair around, recognizing the voice.
"You can say that again," she replied, letting out a bitter laugh. "I swear, the red tape in this country gets more ridiculous every day."
She looked up, finally getting a good look at her visitor. He stood confidently in the doorway.
"And what if I said I have the solution to all your problems?" he asked, a smug grin spreading across his face.
Ashley's mind raced. Hubba—what?