Why Me ✓ (FINAL EDITS)

Chapter 1

EMERSON FINDLAY

I woke up with a jerk. My alarm clock was ringing and someone was calling out my name. As my brain was still dizzy, it couldn't quite make out who it was. I just shut my alarm off, wore my spectacles and went out of my room. Now that I was fully awake, I registered the voice to be of Claire.

"Emerson Findlay if you aren't coming down here right now, I swear I will drag you down!"

I quickly ran downstairs to see what had gotten her feathers all ruffled. When I reached downstairs, she looked dressed and ready to go to work. She was a brunette, a whole head taller than me and, begrudgingly prettier too. Her best feature wasn't her model-like figure, but her eyes. They were some shade between sapphire blue and emerald green and when they looked into your eyes, it would be like they could go straight across your soul. Something that often made shivers run down my spine. Like right at that moment.

Currently, she had a scowl on her face. She looked pretty pissed. Then, she spoke," Go quickly make some breakfast for me. Seems like no one bothered to cook something this morning." If I stayed back to make breakfast for her, then I too would get late, and that too for my first day of work. However, she still wanted me to make breakfast. As I had never argued, I continued the tradition as I nodded my head and went to the kitchen.

Just when I opened the refrigerator door to look for something to cook, the cook came into the kitchen, "Sorry Emma. I'm a little late. Please let me do the cooking."

I just smiled a little, "Good morning to you too. It's all okay. You aren't usually late." The prepare for my first day of work and for my first day of work and to escape Claire. Earlier, I used to work as a barista in a cafe down the street but, since that place shut down a month ago, I started looking for a real job. As I had a good portfolio and had passed with flying colours in architecture, I got a job at a very reputed Multi National Company. Today was my first day and I didn't want to get late. First impressions and whatnot.

After taking a bath and getting dressed in formal attire, I ran downstairs and directly went out without having any breakfast. Also, I didn't want to have another encounter with anyone from the household because they would surely have some work or comments if they saw me. Most probably, they wouldn't even remember that it was my first day at a new place of work. Not that it held any importance for them. When I went out, the cab I had booked was already standing out front, waiting for me. I got into the backseat, told the driver the address and we drove off.

*****

As I got out of the cab, I realized that the office building was even bigger than what it looked in the pictures I had looked up. At its peak was late with RUTH CORP clearly written on it. I paid the cab driver from the little savings that I currently possessed and moved towards the building. As soon as I got in, I was hit by the cool air of the air conditioners. Some people who were passing by curiously turned their heads toward me but, I just bent mine even lower, if that was possible.

I went straight to the front desk where a blonde woman who looked like she was in her thirties smiled at me, "How may I help you?"

I just gave back a small smile and asked, "Which floor do I have to go to if I was recruited by the international designing branch?" She instructed me to go to the sixtieth floor. I nodded my head and made a beeline toward took it, there weren't many people 

In the one which I took, there weren't many people which I was honestly glad for. I've had this specific communication problem since I was ten years old. I wasn't able to talk to people quite frankly and hence, tried to avoid verbal exchange wherever possible. I usually stuttered. However, at this company, there thankfully was not much bias towards any disabilities the potential employees might have and I was judged based on my merits more than anything else.

When I reached the sixtieth floor, I saw that there weren't as many people there as I would have anticipated being faced with. There was a reception where a man in his late twenties sat. To say that this company was fancy enough to have multiple reception desks would be very accurate at this point.

After taking in my surroundings for a moment, I made my way toward the man at the desk. He looked towards me and instantly knew that I was new. He asked me for a piece of my ID and the acceptance letter and examined them.

He concluded, "So, you are Ms. Findlay. You need to report to the H.O.D.'s office right now. Go straight down this way and you will see her designation plate."

I nodded, thanked him, and went to the H.O.D.'s office. I knocked at the door and was soon called in. When I entered, I saw a middle-aged woman sitting behind a large desk, busy with some paperwork and hardly acknowledging my presence. As I was oblivious, I didn't know what to do and just stood there. After a whole long minute, she looked up and gestured for me to take a seat.

As I sat down, she received a call and then decided to grace me with her attention, "So Ms. Emerson, you have to make new and fresh designs for our project in Milan. You can take the related files from the second rack of the shelf there, go tor the allotted cubicle and start off with your work. The instructions will be in the file. I have handled the project personally so far. Hence, you will be under my direct guidance for the duration of your probation period. I need you to study all the available material and I want daily reports of the work you do. Any questions?"

"No.", I murmured, quickly took all the important files and went to the cubicle that I was assigned to.

After an hour or two of completely dedicated hard work, my body had stiffened. So, I stretched a little. While I was doing so, the elevators that were behind me, dinged and everyone glanced back showing the arrival of someone important. I too turned around to see a man in a business suit, talking to the receptionist. I frowned and tilted my head a little. Why did it seem like I knew him?

And the very next moment, I was struck by the realization and my eyes grew wide. With a height of six feet two and unmistakably perfect physique, it was none other than....than..... HIM.