The Broken Vow

9

Author's note:  Please don't forget to vote and comment. It would really mean a lot to me. Can we get this chapter to 80 votes?

Aahana Agnihotri 

The next morning at exactly 8:30 AM, I stepped inside my father's office building, a knot of resentment tightening in my stomach. The click of my stilettos against the polished marble floor echoed through the lobby. I'd chosen these particular shoes not just for their height, but for the way they made me feel powerful, invincible. I needed that armor today.

"Good morning, Ma'am," a woman with wide, eager eyes rushed to greet me. She looked my age. "I'm Vaani. Your assistant. I'll be helping you... transition into your... new role," she stammered.

"Whatever," I said, shrugging. I could see the excitement drain from her face, replaced by nervousness.

"Well, just this way, Ma'am," she said as she guided me further into the building.

As we walked, I could feel the weight of blatant stares from every direction. Heads swiveled, conversations halted mid-sentence, eyes widened. I guessed my dress had done its trick. It was a sparkly crimson dress. The neckline plunged dangerously low, while the slit was too high. It showed too much skin. The dress was definitely more appropriate for making heads turn at a nightclub, not exactly the outfit the daughter of the chairwoman would wear for the first day of work. Perfect. That's exactly the reaction I was striving for.

When the elevator doors closed, I caught my reflection in the mirrored walls. For a moment, I saw myself as others must see me – entitled, brainless bimbo who was so desperate for attention. I pushed those thoughts away, instead focusing on fluffing my hair. I reached into my purse, fishing out a tube of lipstick that matched my dress perfectly. As I leaned in closer to reapply it, I could see Vaani's widened gaze in the mirror's reflection.

I raised an eyebrow, offering the lipstick to her. "Want some?" She frantically shook her head and looked away. I could sense the discomfort rolling off her body.

"So," I drawled, dropping the lipstick back into my purse, "What has my father asked I do today?" I asked, unable to keep the bitterness away from my voice.

Vaani cleared her throat. "I have been asked to set up meetings with each of the department heads. You'll be spending the entire week in each department, starting with legal. Since Mr. Mehrotra, the head of department, is away, Mr. Khanna will be taking over his duties."

"Will I be quizzed at the end of each day or week?" I asked, plastering on a fake wide smile.

"Uh... no..." Vaani said, clearly misunderstanding my sarcasm. She glanced down at her folder, probably checking her notes. "There aren't any quizzes," she murmured.

I scoffed. The elevator dinged open onto a floor of cubicles, and I stepped out, chin held high. Conversations ceased as I sashayed past, leaving a trail of shocked expressions in my wake. I could feel their eyes on me – judging, wondering, speculating.

"That is Mr. Khanna's office," Vaani said, as she pointed at one of the corner offices. "He unfortunately had an emergency meeting but he'll be here soon."

I blew a strand of hair away from my face in annoyance. "So what am I supposed to do till then?"

Vaani looked at me, flustered. "You can wait in the lounge or I can give you a tour of the building or—" She paused when she caught me glaring at her. "I'll just call him and find his ETA..." she mumbled, pulling out her phone. "You can–"

I didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, instead began walking into Adarsh's office. I wasn't going to wait in the lounge. If he thought he had any right to make me wait, he had another one coming.