After having dinner at Xavier's last night, walking into work this morning is not as bad as yesterday. I still receive the same stares and glares, but there is something I did not have yesterday that I have today - confidence.
Xavier wanted me to present my designs in this morning's meeting, and this boost of confidence definitely came in handy. I did not mess up any of my explanations, and the response from everyone in the conference room towards my designs was positive. The impressed expression on Xavier's face made me smile, and realise I was not completely screwing up at my job. Once the meeting had finished, Xavier pulls me behind to congratulate me on my first presentation.
"They can be a tough crowd to please, and you did extremely well." He smiles at me.
"Thank you. I was shitting myself up there!" I say, taking down my designs and rolling them back up.
"Well even if you were shitting yourself, you still did incredibly well. You should be proud of yourself Zi." He tells me, walking out of the conference room. He just called me Zi. Woah.
The walk back to my office is full of congratulations being sent my way, by those that were in the meeting. Knowing that other people besides Xavier, were impressed with my work, gave me clarification that I was doing alright here. I take a seat at my desk, opening up my laptop to work on some digital interior designs, when there is a knock at the door.
"Come in." I call out. The sound of heels tapping against the wood flooring told me it was not Xavier. I look up from my laptop to see a pretty blonde haired woman. She looked my age, maybe a year older. Her black, fitted dress made her butt and chest look big, her five inch heels look like they cost a fortune. Why have I never seen her before?
"Are you Ziayn?" She asks, looking around my office, a disgusted look on her face.
"Who is asking?" I reply, standing up. She closes my door behind her, as she walks further in.
"Scarlett Jones, Head of Finances." She deviously smiles at me. I have an urge to throw her out my window.
"What can I do for you Miss Jones?" I ask, compressing my aggressive behaviour, and smiling a sickly sweet smile at the girl in front of me.
"I just wanted to check out Xavier's new piece of arm candy. Word has it that you two are getting along." She says. What does she mean word has it?
"Well of course we are getting along - Mr Bright is my boss. What is your real reason for interpreting me Miss Jones?" I question her again, clearly showing her that she is losing my interest.
"I am here to tell you to back down now or face serious consequences. You are new here, so you won't know about mine and Xavier's relationship, so I am going to be nice and tell you to back down and not go to the Anderson Ball on Saturday." She evilly tells me. Is this girl twelve?
"Well Miss Jones I am going to tell you this. You will not dictate my relationship with Mr Bright. You are not my mother, nor my friend, so your demand is invalid to me. If I want to go to the Anderson Ball, I will go. I am here to do my job and get paid, not to play primary school games with a pathetic low life like you. Now please escort yourself out of my face, your perfume is stinking out my office." I sternly say, smiling sarcastically at her. She gives me a death glare before turning on her heels and sashaying out of my face.
Scarlett Jones does not know me, and does not know that although I am new here, and different to the people that work in this building, I can still stand up for myself and tell people where to stick their crap. Before moving into our apartment in the village, Daphne and I were on the streets, begging for money and food. When I hit eighteen, I made myself Daphne's legal guardian. Joan did not know we had been thrown out until she walked past us one evening and nearly jumped out of her skin in utter shock and let us stay with her until I could find us a home. Slim, blonde girls like Scarlett don't scare me.
I go straight back to work. Xavier really wants these new hotels to be better than the one he has created here in Avebury, and so my designs have to be the best of the best, and no Miss Scarlett Jones is going to stop me. The designs for both the lobby, restaurant, and single rooms were completed; the only things left to design were the double rooms, family rooms, and outdoor leisure. I make a start on the double rooms, sketching out the placement of the bed, the TV and so on. There is another knock at my door, and Violet's head pops around the door, a smile on her face as usual.
"Hey, have you got a sec?" She asks, entering my office, closing the door behind her. I nod my head, putting my work on pause and giving her my full attention.
"What can I help you with?" I wonder aloud. Violet takes a seat in front of me. She looks concerned.
"I saw Scarlett Jones walk out of your office a few moments ago. What the heck happened?" Violet asks, just as shocked as I was when the evil creature came in here with her stupid demands.
"She came in here to insult me, accuse me of being Xavier's arm candy, and told me to back down from Xavier or there will be consequences." I roll my eyes, mimicking the she-devil. Violet's mouth is wide open as I tell her the truth.
"No way! No one stands up to Scarlett. Xavier and her were a thing for ages. He ended things with her for reasons. She managed to land a job as Head of Finances, but other than that, Xavier does not even bat an eyelash at her!" Violet gossips.
"So she thinks it is acceptable to storm into my office and tell me to back off a man that is not even interested in her, as well as my boss? What a fool." I scoff.
"What did you say to her?" Violet asks, intrigued.
"I told her that she is not going to be in control of who I talk to, regardless of if they are Xavier or the mailman." I shrug. Violet claps her hands, laughing. I smile proudly at myself.
"You go girl! Ziayn, you are a legend! I have never liked Scarlett, so I am glad you are here to put her in her place once and for all." Violet tells me. I hate people like Scarlett. They try and use the little bit of power they have to make other people's life miserable, for the benefit of theirs. It is disgusting behaviour.
"I have been pushed around since I was a kid - no one will push me around now that I am a grown adult." I say to Violet. She agrees, getting up to leave. I don't tell her about the Anderson Ball, because as much as she is one person I genuinely like here at work, my past has taught me not to trust everyone - even those who claim to have your interests at heart.
YOU ARE READING
Don't Hurt Me
Romance"If this is just a game to you then leave!" "This is no game baby girl. This is the real deal." Ziayn Xu is a twenty two year old woman who has been looking after herself and her little sister ever since they were left outside an orphanage by their...
