THE SECRETARY'S REVENGE

Chapter 2

✨✨ANNIE WEMBLEY✨✨

As the elevator drove down, I felt the sadness in my heart deepens. It felt like I was drowning in my problems and the feeling of the machine rolling down wasn't helping much. I was on my way to the 5th floor for a brief errand and I wasn't in the mood to talk to any of my colleagues, most especially my ex-team members who I worked with years before but luckily for me I  bagged the role of secretary to the CEO.

It was a wonderful and unexpected opportunity for me at the time because I wasn't as qualified for the position as my colleagues. Oliver and Sam were much more experienced than I was, they've been in the company way before me and always aspired for a spot on the tenth floor. Even though we were thoroughly screened for the role I still felt like it was pure luck on my side and I guess Oliver felt the same way or rather much worse.

My eyes found him while rounding the corner, heading towards the shredder, he began packing up his table like he suddenly remembered an important task but I knew him all too well.

I took my time shredding the papers, making sure there weren't any left. I knew how thorough my boss was and he wouldn't let any employee on the fifth floor learn what they shouldn't. And speaking of the boss, his entrance was one I anticipated with cold feet.

I've been so out of it since the day my mother slipped into a coma that I haven't been able to do things the right way. There was a slip in everything I did but I hoped he won't be in such a bad mood today.

"Annie!" Oliver whispered in his usual velvety tone, hoping it would sound alluring to me.

I put on a fake smile "Hi, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just curious as to what brought you down to our level," he asked, his words coated with sarcasm.

"The shredder has been broken for a while up there and this is important."

"Hm, I guessed that would be the case then."

"It's not like that Oliver, I've been pretty busy with work_"

"Oh yeah? the precious lucky you who suddenly got to the top by hard work right?"

"Don't start Oliver, you sound like a child," I cautioned.

"You think? Look, Annie, you may think I buy into your charade of a persona like the rest of them do." he said pointing towards the crowd. "But I don't! And that's because I know who the real you are."

"If you have something to say to me Oliver then say it!" I stood my ground waiting for him to unleash. Back when we were coworkers, Oliver and I used to be close friends and we worked together tirelessly for a promotion but I guess he was hurt when I got a better deal than him or because at that time I turned down his advances, I couldn't tell which reason had his knots in a twist.

He bent towards me seeing that I was shorter. "You can't pretend to_"

We were interrupted by someone who wanted to use the machine I was occupying. Lucky enough I was done with it so I cleared the top and strolled out of the office and upstairs to the tenth floor. I checked my time and it was five minutes to his arrival.

As usual, the first sign that he was in the building was his perfume. It was a rare scent, the type that left you feeling nostalgic.

The air was filled with it when he arrived, it carried a cold tension because everyone unconsciously froze.

The man Jeremy White walked through the door in all glory and might, silencing the whole tenth floor. It was his habit to nod at everyone's greeting while making his way to his office but not today. Today of all days someone had to spill goddamn coffee on him!