Chapter 1
WARNING
The following story contains explicit language, which may be offensive, as well as adult themes, violence, and abuse which may not be suitable for some readers and/or inappropriate for youths. Therefore, the content in this story is intended for mature readers only.
FLASHBACK
The rain poured as thunder and lightning flashed across the sky, "Honey, slow down, Please," she said to her husband. He gently grabbed her hand, assuring her that everything would be okay. She leaned closer, kissing his lips gently, making him smile. Suddenly he lost control of the car as it drifted on the slippery road. "SHIT... SHIT... SHIT" his eyes widen, gripping the steering wheel tightly as the car continues skidding down the road. As much as he tried, he couldn't gain control of the vehicle. A loud screeching scream is heard as blinding bright lights come straight toward their car. CRASH !!!!
"Baby, wake up!!!!" he yelled as he tried to wake his pregnant wife. "Please wake up!!!!! I need you!!!!" he screamed louder. She could hear him in the distance but, for some reason, couldn't open her eyes. Instead, she felt a warm liquid as sharp pains cramped her stomach. "Can you hear me, baby?... I'm Sorry...I'm Sorry, Sheila ... I can't lose you."
Present time
Sheila's POV
It was a hot summer day; the sky was clear, and the sun was as bright as ever. I was nervous as I had ever been, rushing towards a new beginning in my life. It was my first day at J&J's Corporation, a highly prestigious Technology company in NYC. I rapidly walked in my white fitted button-down shirt and grey pencil skirt towards the building where I would begin my journey in life. I had a Bachelor of Arts and majored in photography, but the market for photojournalism was quite competitive. So I had to settle for an Executive Secretary position. 'Sheila, you need to make a good impression; it's your first day, don't let it be your last,' I tell myself on the elevator ride to the 8th floor; I know what you must be thinking 'Why are you talking to yourself?' I seldom find myself in deep conversation with myself, and to most, I might be a little crazy, but I find it normal to trust myself.
As the elevator door opened, I walked into the lobby in my grey pumps toward the Receptionist's desk. I was greeted by a beautiful red-headed, "Welcome to J&J's Corp. How may I help you?" nervously, I tossed my long dark hair back as I searched for my ID in my coach bag. Looking through my bag was like going through a maze you could never find the way out of; imagine searching for one item in this mess. I wasn't quite organized, but I finished my task on time. I was so glad I could find it quickly; it would have been awkward to dump my belongings on her desk; I gazed up at the Receptionist, handing her my ID, "I'm here to see Mr. Jeffrey Johnson. I am Sheila Thompson, his new Executive Secretary," I responded to her timidly.
I glanced over and noticed him walking by me. I had never seen such a god amongst the living; merely looking at him made my body tremble. I was already sinning as I watched him mesmerized by the glorious Greek God before me. I couldn't comprehend why I felt turned on just by looking at him. I shouldn't even be feeling anything because I'm a married woman, yet I was tempted to wonder, 'Who is he?' 'Does he work here?'.
My thoughts were quickly interrupted by the strong accent of the Receptionist. "Ms. Thompson? Mr. Johnson is waiting for you; I will escort you to his office. My name is Claire Silverman; I'm the Receptionist here. The young man you were eyeing is Mr. Fredrick Peterson, the Information Technology Department Vice President,'' Claire said with a quirky smile.
I'm already humiliating myself on the first day at my new job. I couldn't help but blush when Claire caught me ogling the Greek God. I quietly followed her to Mr. Johnson's office, where I was shown my new desk. Claire began speaking with a polite smile on her red lips ''This is your new home; I will warn you Mr. Johnson is very strict and will have your chain to your desk at no time. My ext. is 121 if you need anything; Mr. Johnson's ext. is 1010. I will return in about an hour to introduce you. In the meantime, start settling in, and when you have a chance, please read through the policy & procedure manual. Your copy is located on the top drawer of your desk." I nodded and smiled at her, yet the anxiety gradually overtook me.
After she left the office, I began to put my stuff down and opened up the top drawer taking out a blue binder labeled J&J's Corp. Policy & Procedure Manual.
I looked down at my watch, it wasn't even 9 am, and my head was buzzing with an overwhelming tenseness; the policy alone looked like a novel sitting on my desk. I was scanning through the pages of the manual when an older man with pearly white hair and a stylish suit walked in through a door behind me. The mere sound of his footsteps startled me, making me jump in my seat, "Ms. Thompson? Good Morning, I'm Mr. Johnson; can you please step into my office?" timidly, I stood up and padded towards his office. I waited to be asked to sit down in the seat in front of his desk. I sat with my legs crossed and a notepad with a pen in hand just in case I needed to drop down any notes. I couldn't help but notice his bright green eyes as he spoke to me. They were as green as emerald and completely kind looking. "Ms. Thompson, I would first welcome you to J&J's Corp.
As you know, I am this company's President, and after many interviews, you were chosen to be my new Secretary. I was impressed with your knowledge of the programs and software that we currently use here and your extensive experience. Hopefully, you will last longer than all the previous Secretaries." He chuckled as he continued speaking, "I expect you to be socially active in this company yet professional at all times. Here at J&J's Corp., we work as a team, but I must warn you that in this company, we expect our employees to be competitive to reach goals and further the company's success." He took a long pause while he observed my reaction to everything he had just mentioned. "Ms. Claire Silverman, as you already met, will introduce you to everyone shortly. On your desk, you will find several tasks I need you to focus on afterward; if you need any help with anything, you can ask Ms. Silverman; she will be glad to help you until you get familiar with everything here... Do you have any questions for me?" his strict and stern tone made me awkwardly uncomfortable, and with a quiet voice I answered "no, sir.", "Good; you may leave my office Ms. Thompson" he responded with a smile.
I calmly walked to my desk and began conversing with myself. "Is he always this way? Sheila, you're over your head in a company like this". I was about to sit when I saw Claire standing before my desk, tapping her nails and holding a weird expression. "Who are you talking to, Honey?" she asked as she observed we were alone. I gave Claire a shy smile which I assumed she understood. However, I was mortified since she didn't question further and quickly changed the subject. "Are you ready for your fabulous tour of J&J, Corp.?" I couldn't help but stare at her in astonishment; I had not even settled in and could see a stack of files and documents waiting for me on the corner of my desk.
I sustained a clueless look on my face wondering where it had appeared since my desk was evident when I sat there a few minutes ago. Claire must have noticed my perplexed expression as she began to say, "You will soon get used to this, Honey. I promise as soon as you start learning the ropes around here, it won't seem so overwhelming". I smiled at her and slowly walked with her as we headed out through the offices on the floor, hoping my day would turn around soon. "Here is the Accounting Department; we have 20 accountants that you will eventually be acquainted with, but at the moment, the ones you need to meet are Julissa Sanchez, the Secretary for the Director of the Accounting Department, and Ms. Ellen Voltaire, the Director of the Accounting Department." I smiled and greeted them both as Claire quickly quickened her pace through the other offices. "Here is the Human Resource office you already met Ms. Sarah Smith on your interview and here is the Department of Informative Technology office where I assume you are fascinated with" Claire giggled making me blush so much I felt my face turn bright red of humiliation. "I'm just teasing you Honey, every girl in this company has a little crush on Mr. Frederick Peterson. We are not blind to see he is very handsome, and the most talked about man amongst the females of this company but don't get your hopes up; he is a married man who idolizes his wife even though she publicly cheats on him every chance she gets, she doesn't deserve him" my eyes widen at all the personal information she was giving me of someone I never met. At that moment, I knew gossip would quickly spread, just like many other companies; I sighed as I looked over at Claire, who kept calling me Honey for some reason. "Please, call me Sheila," I replied, trying not to sound snotty as we walked into the office, and she quickly resumed to introduce me. "Tony, Henry, and Shawn here all work for Mr. Peterson... Guys, this is Ms. Sheila Thompson, Mr. Johnson's new Secretary." I was stunned to see how many good-looking men worked there. They all appear to come out of a male model magazine. "Excuse me? Umm... Freddy? I'm sorry to interrupt you, sir. I wanted to introduce you to Ms. Sheila Thompson, Mr. Johnson's new secretary." As I extended my hand to greet him, I felt a slight uneasiness shot throughout my body when he held my hand. His dark brown eyes pierced through me, and the mere touch of his hand felt like a bolt of electricity. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Sheila Thompson" The way he said my name sounded flirtatious and alluring. His hold of my hands lingered as we shook, and he observed me with a smirk; our eyes locked, and I seemed to get lost in the room, hypnotized by him. I felt my body quiver and couldn't grasp why he had such a strong effect on me; he looked at me as though he knew me. Claire cleared her throat, breaking the silence between us; I excused myself and walked out of the office with Claire. As I exited the office, I heard one of the men whisper to another, "Let's see how long this one lasts."
I felt the eyes of everyone in the office on me and couldn't quite understand why each one gawked at me, prompting me about the earlier comment on why no other secretaries had lasted with Mr. Johnson. Curious about the remark, I turned to Claire, "Claire? I'm a little intrigued. I've heard that none of the previous Secretaries have lasted working with Mr. Johnson. Is there a reason for" I felt I was out of my place to ask, but I was fascinated to know if I, too, would have an issue. "Mr. Johnson is a complicated perfectionist; he is very strict concerning his work. No one who works directly with him seems to understand his personality or how he functions. He is a lovely older man, generous and humble, but he also has a temper that infuriates anyone and is quite harsh when things don't go his way. So all his previous secretaries couldn't handle his temperament or criticism that they quit in less than a year, but don't worry; I feel things will be different with you. Just a little hint between us whenever you see that eyebrows of his raise up that your clue to run for the hills." She chuckled as she said, "By the way, our Lunch break is at noon; if you want to have a break with me in the cafeteria?." Claire asked with a smirk on her face. Since I didn't know anyone, I happily accepted the invite and continued the tour to the other offices.
Hunter's POV
Sheila was already in the kitchen making dinner. "Hey, Honey! How was your first day?" I asked as I set up the table. "Please don't...Don't call me Honey," she stated while chuckling. I looked up with a questionable look; I'd been calling her Honey for years. "My day was perfect; Claire, the Receptionist in the company, is very friendly; she helped me throughout the day but kept calling me Honey all day, even after I insisted on her to call me Sheila. Mr. Johnson is a lovely older man, a bit of a perfectionist, but you know me, I'm very patient. I will warm him up in no time" I smile back at her, listening to her ramble on. "Anyone I need to worry about," I asked teasingly. "Oh!" She began saying before my notification ping of a new text went off, interrupting her. Feeling guilty, I looked down at the message when I realized I had to leave her again. Sorry, babe! Something came up. I will be back in an hour or two... You know what... Don't wait up... bye," I said rapidly as I grabbed my keys and headed out, not giving her a chance to question me.
It's been like this for a while now, making excuses to leave her side; if I only knew what she was feeling and what my absence would cause, I wouldn't have left her alone.
Sheila's POV
"Sorry, babe! Something came up, and I will return in an hour or two... You know what... Don't wait up... bye," he quickly said as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. 'Why do I even bother' I think as I clear up the table and finish preparing a meal for one.
I would have thought that within time things would change. I look out the window as I drink my glass of wine, admiring the view; watching the moon and the stars in the sky is breathtaking and reminds me of the night Hunter proposed a few years back. As I stand there admiring the view, my gaze comes down to a shadow of a man standing by the bushes facing my direction.
I squinted my eyes to see if I recognized the person that looked like he was staring back at me; he seemed to sense I was staring back at him, and in an instant, he sped off, walking down the road. "What a creep," I say to myself as I unhook the curtains from the holdbacks and shut their curtains. I sat in my favorite chair at the kitchen table and finished my beef stew before calling it a night.
Third-party POV
I watched from a distance, watched how he left as usual, watched as she gazed out admiring the moon and the stars; lost in thought, I watched and observed her. I would usually follow him, but tonight, I was hypnotized by her that I stayed there by the bushes watching till I noticed that her eyes were looking directly back at me. I sped off, walking towards my car, hoping she hadn't seen me. The last thing I needed was to be caught before I executed my plans.
