LET ME HATE YOU

Coffee

"Good morning, Amaan!" Talia smiled, forwarding his schedule. "What can I do for you today?"

"The girl in the blue dress," he muttered, glancing at his schedule.

"What about her?" she asked, folding her hands in front of her.

"Keep her busy. Do whatever you want with her, but make her useful," he instructed, handing the schedule back to a bewildered Talia.

"What?" she blinked.

Talia had been his secretary since he started his career and, besides Raina, was the only person who truly understood his moods. In her early thirties, she had a sharp eye for detail, which was precisely what Amaan valued in her. She was an efficient, fierce woman known for her no-nonsense attitude. Mistakes were unacceptable in her book, and inefficiency infuriated her.

Amaan deliberately assigned Asmaira to work under Talia, fully aware of Asmaira's meek nature.

"The girl will work under you. Any problem with that?"

"Absolutely not. Is there anything else for me?" Though she desperately wanted to ask if he was serious about hiring an introvert who was visibly uncomfortable.

"Yes, my morning coffee," Amaan said, opening his laptop.

Asmaira waited with bated breath. She glanced at Talia, who was perched on the edge of the desk with her arms crossed, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Talia never questioned Amaan's judgment, and if he had brought an introverted girl into the office, he must have a reason. However, at that moment, she couldn't fathom the bigger purpose behind his decision. In her twelve years as a personal assistant, she had never encountered a more unsuitable candidate than Asmaira.

"Your name?"

"Asmaira."

"Always look up when you speak and straighten your posture," Asmaira winced at the harsh tone, and her head automatically lifted.

"Makeup is essential to look professional, but avoid red lipstick. That's a firm no. Nude colors are preferable. Tie your hair in a neat knot and stop fidgeting," Talia instructed, rising from the desk.

Asmaira swallowed, her face revealing her complete lack of knowledge about Talia's directives. Talia sighed before motioning for her to follow to the restroom. Arranging Asmaira's long hair into a French knot, she used her own makeup to touch up Asmaira's face. Satisfied with the result, she assigned Asmaira her first task.

"Coffee?"

"Don't tell me you can't manage that," Talia's expression remained blank, but her sarcasm was enough to make Asmaira squirm in embarrassment.

"No... I mean... yes, I know how to make coffee," she stammered, but quickly straightened her back when Talia raised an eyebrow.

"Good. Because from today onwards, it will be your responsibility. Amaan only drinks one specific brand, which we keep in a special container in the pantry. Freshly ground beans, black coffee with no milk. Half a teaspoon of brown sugar. Don't mess it up," Talia rattled off the instructions and quickly returned to her desk.

His taste is just like him—bitter, Asmaira scoffed internally.

It took her precisely ten minutes to freshly grind the beans, endure the heated stares from other employees, add half a teaspoon of sugar, and carry the cup to Talia. Finding Asmaira hovering near her desk, Talia frowned and then looked at the coffee mug.

"What are you waiting for? Give it to Amaan," she said, shaking her head.

Reluctantly, Asmaira knocked on the door, only for Talia to snap, "Don't bother knocking. You'll only disturb him."

Irritated at being reprimanded for such a simple task, she entered the cabin and found the villain of her life engrossed in his work. She placed the mug on his desk and was rushing toward the exit when Amaan's voice stopped her. "Talia, why is there white sugar in my coffee?"

Amaan raised a questioning gaze only to find a timid girl staring back cluelessly. A thought sparked in his mind, and he leaned over his intercom, buzzing Talia.

The moment she entered, he asked, "Didn't you tell her how to make my coffee?"

Talia glared at Asmaira, then offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Let me explain it to her properly."

Brown sugar.

Asmaira never imagined she would get an earful just for forgetting to use brown sugar. Her heels were already starting to blister her feet, yet she hurried back to the pantry, and this time, meticulously made the second cup. As soon as she placed the cup on the desk, Amaan ordered, "Too much sugar."

Her lips parted in disbelief. Frightened by Talia's intimidating presence, Asmaira took the mug back and made it again.

"It's cold. Are you even paying attention?"

Indignation bubbling up, Asmaira attempted to protest, "But it's hot."

"Talia!" he barked, and soon enough, an irritated Talia re-entered.

"Visual training is sometimes more effective," she gritted her teeth.

Feeling wronged, Asmaira followed Talia like a lost puppy as she demonstrated the coffee-making procedure one more time and then presented it to Amaan.

"Perfect," Amaan said, watching Asmaira's flushed cheeks over the rim of the cup.

He deliberately made her run errands, fetch his coffee, and handle all sorts of trivial things. He intentionally assigned her tasks that could have easily been done via email or phone. A draft for a meeting with the legal team had to be personally delivered by her. She had to visit every executive cabin to confirm their attendance at the meeting scheduled for the next day.

If that wasn't enough, he made her pick up his lunch from a place far away from the office. Covering her blisters with a band-aid, she walked to the nearest taxi stand, boarded a cab, stood in line for his strange order, and rushed back in the afternoon's blistering heat—only for him to claim he wasn't hungry.

Amaan's mood improved steadily as the number of band-aids on her foot increased. With Talia's efficiency, he was well ahead of his work and wasn't nearly as busy as he pretended, but every time Asmaira hurried past, he felt an urge not to let her rest for a single minute.

However, his cheerful mood was interrupted when he didn't find her at her desk. Seeing Talia talking with the company secretary, he decided not to disturb her. He frowned and, on instinct, went to the lobby. He had a feeling she might have run away, exhausted by the work. His body buzzed with anticipation; if he caught her, he woul—

His thoughts broke off when he saw a familiar figure walking out the exit. He noticed the slight limp and the food order she had retrieved for him. Employees greeting him on the way looked confused as their boss walked past them, lost in thought.

Amaan's eyes narrowed when he saw her crossing the road, and instinctively, he followed. Curiosity gripped him. He wasn't purely concerned for her safety, but the thought of her leaving the office without informing him or Talia spiked his enthusiasm for finding another opportunity to humiliate her.

However, he stopped abruptly when he saw her handing the food to a homeless woman. Standing at a distance, he couldn't hear their conversation, but the woman raised her hand, and instead of flinching like the rest of the onlookers, Asmaira allowed her to pat her head.

Asmaira felt someone staring and looked around, but found no one. Worried that her absence would be noticed, she grabbed her heels and jogged back toward the office. As soon as the building came into view, she painfully put her heels back on.

Her first day in the office had been pure hell; the dress and heels were uncomfortable, and to top it off, she was utterly overwhelmed by the unwanted attention everywhere she went. Not for a moment did she have peace, with Talia constantly giving orders and that strange feeling of someone's intense gaze. By the time the day ended, she understood that Amaan hadn't hired her as a PA but rather as a personal servant to keep her away from Kabir.