The CEO of Garner Industries, Marwick Garner shifted his cold gaze to his phone when he saw the boy walking out with slumped shoulders.
He always gave fair chance to women while hiring but the secretary and PA had to be men.
He just could not deal with the constant drama and the sudden love/crush they used to develop for him out of the blue.
Ever since he started taking his business seriously and Grandpa handed him the Garner empire, he wanted nothing but just a bunch of serious people who could take their job seriously.
After firing three secretaries and five PAs, he had, at last, decided to appoint males for the positions. His secretary had been Mr. Theodore Panks for the last two years and now he was looking for a responsible guy as his PA.
However, he could not advertise it openly because of media influence. The boy’s name had so much resemblance with his wife’s name.
River Brown.
The boy’s name was River Brower.
All his detectives had told him that his missing wife’s name was River Brown. He was so angry at his father for arranging the marriage that after saying his vows he left the girl at the altar.
Later it made him so much guilty. His father was responsible for the mess. That girl was innocent. He was still looking for his wife. But his father was not telling him about her family or her father’s name.
The good news was, just this morning he received a call from his most competent private investigator. He informed him that his wife River Brown was seen in the city. He was THIS close to her.
Marwick Garner was thrilled. He wanted to meet his azure-eyed wife and offer her an apology. He wanted to wipe away every bad memory from her mind. Every pain he had inflicted upon her. The feeling that she was somewhere close by in the same city was out of the world.
Ring Ring.
He frowned when the intercom started ringing. The receptionist could have waited. They all had been taking interviews since morning and he wanted just ten minutes for munching and a hot cup of coffee before calling in the next candidate.
“Yes, Aniya?” he wanted to bark but then controlled. The receptionist also had a crush on her boss and could cry endlessly by his rude behavior.
“S-Sir. Mr. Marwick Garner. This guy. River Grower…”
“Yes. What about him? Has he also started crying? Please call security if he is causing trouble. He needs to be out of this building.”
The men sitting there had gone quiet until he roared, “He has done what? Are you drunk, Ms. Aniya?” he could not believe it.
Such an incompetent staff he had gotten there.
“What happened? What’s the issue?” a board director asked him, and he stood up wordlessly and started scurrying to the door.
His walk exuded the sleekness and poise of a Jaguar.
In a jiffy, all of them were on their feet and were following him.
However, like Marwick, they all were taken aback when they found the reception area empty and there was that light-mustached cute boy who just gave his interview. He was sitting there all alone busy on his phone and was pretending as if he wasn’t aware of their arrival.
When the receptionist who was wearing her name badge that said ‘Aniya Gillian’ made a call to her boss, River broke into a cold sweat. She did hear the door opening and heard their footsteps. She kept herself engrossed in her phone until a familiar male perfume hit her nostrils.
Just above her phone a suited body appeared, and River was a little afraid to look up at the man. She knew who he was.
Marwick Garner.
The cold-hearted CEO!
“Stand up, boy.” The man standing behind the CEO said in a no-nonsense tone. River looked around and acted nonchalant.
“Are you talking to me, mister?” she tried to smile and stood up. But now it was hard not to let her body touch his hard one.
“What did you do here?” The same man behind Marwick Garner asked her. Frustration was evident in his voice.
“I …” she swallowed hard and tried to bring a smile on her quivering lips, “I … just…”
“Do you know you can be handed over to the police?” the other man spat.
“I … I am sorry. B…But what are you talking about? What did I do?” she pushed her hands into her pants pockets so that no one would notice her shivering hands.
“Our receptionist saw you asking those girls to leave. You made them pretty upset. How petty you are! We can sue you.” Another minion mocked her.
All this time, standing too close, Marwick kept looking at her face carefully.
“If making upset is a crime then you will be the first to land in jail.” She hissed avoiding looking at the tall intimidating man not too far from her, “Police will check the cameras and the records. They will see how you all were making those innocent girls cry. I will present myself as a witness. I just tried to keep them out of their misery. If you think upsetting the candidates is a crime. Call the police and let me show them whose ass should hit the jail floor.”
By now she was panting. She didn’t want them to call the police because if they would. She would be doomed.
Oh, please, God! Keanu never warned me about this. Please save me. She was praying hard silently while giving the death stare to the man just behind Marwick Garner.
Just then the CEO Marwick Garner decided to speak for the first time, “Do you have enough clothes for an office job, boy?”
“What?” River’s eyes snapped to him.
“Let me know if you don’t have it.” He then turned to Aniya, “Type his appointment letter. He can join us from tomorrow.”
River was standing in a daze. She didn’t know what to do. To jump with joy or to hide her face and cry?
“Now listen to me very carefully, Mr. River …” he lifted his index finger and pointed to her face.
She hurriedly nodded her head and gulped down her spit in fright.
“You have gotten a job. But this is the last time you are lying. Next time you lie to me, I will make sure that your ass directly lands in jail. You got that?”
His blue eyes were blazing.
“Yes, sir,” she said timidly, “Got it, sir! Thank you, sir!”
“Yoohoo!” She squealed with delight, “I have gotten the job, Keanu. I love you.” She kept laughing and kept jumping in delight.“That’s great. Now listen to me very carefully.” Keanu didn’t want her to get in trouble. They were childhood friends, “From now on just forget that you are a girl!”“What?”“Yes! Don’t think of yourself as River Brown. From now onwards you are River Brower. Start walking, talking, and thinking like a boy. Keep your body tied under that shirt with that gauze to hide your curves, Love.” She nodded and sat on a bench on the busy sidewalk.“I know Keanu,” she rubbed her hand over her body which was taut due to the gauze underneath the shirt. Thankfully it was cold in Sycamore City otherwise the hot summers would have given her rashes under the bandage cloth.“Will you still spend the night at the train station?” he asked her softly and she smiled sadly looking around at the passersby.Did she have a choice?“So you will keep living on Metro stations and bus stan
The next morning, she so wanted to apply a bold lip color but then controlled the urge. This was the first day of her job and she really wanted to look presentable.And wanted to dress like a girl.“Anyways. Someday… soon… very soon, I hope.”She quickly washed her hair in the men’s bathroom and took a shower in a cubicle.“I know I have made it wet. Please can you clean it?”She quickly slipped a ten-dollar bill into the male cleaner’s hand and left the bathroom. Once she reached the office, she excitedly got rid of her hooded coat and took the elevator to the seventieth floor of Garner Towers.The cute receptionist hadn’t arrived yet. What was her good name?Yes! Aniya!River looked around and nodded at the cleaner woman nearby. She nodded back and got busy with her job.She sat on Aniya’s seat and started observing her place. It was neat and organized and there was a picture frame where she was smiling with two other attractive girls.They didn’t seem to be her sisters. Maybe frien
Focus, River. Focus. You haven’t gotten a p*enis. But you certainly have a brain. Focus, love.She kept telling herself.Chad seemed shocked when he saw a smile forming on River’s lips.“What? What is it?” he got confused because he was here to scare off the boy and to feed his l*ust.“Oh, Chad. How do you know I love doing it in the bathroom?” River placed her delicate hands on his chest and flipped the positions with a little struggle. Now he was standing against the wall, and she was near the door.Chad was looking at her, open mouthed and River was enjoying his discomfort.“Turn to the wall and tell me all about your wild imaginations. Zip that down, my boy.” She fumbled with his zipper and turned the man towards the wall.Her one hand was stroking his behind while the other hand crawled behind her to unlock the door. To slide back the latch.“Why didn’t you tell me that you like it? Hmm? You have come to the right person, Chady. My love. What a man you are!” She kept sliding her
“Listen, ma’am. Please stop.” She heard his desperate voice behind her. Ha-ha. Is Marwick Garner saying please to a common girl? He was following her. She was feeling like Cinderella followed by a prince. “Get aside.” She heard him behind her getting irritated with random people blocking his way. River's heart raced as she continued sprinting towards the exit door. She needed to reach her room, but it was a risk to take the indoor elevators. She had seen another elevator near the pool. Determined to escape the impending encounter with Marwick Garner, she could hear his voice behind her, filled with urgency and desperation. "Hey, wait!" Marwick called out again, his voice echoing through the crowded hallway. But nobody seemed to find it odd. Except, women were giving him attention for his looks. Not because he was running after a girl. River's instincts screamed at her to keep jogging, to ignore his pleas and save herself from any further complications. By this minute she had no
The next morning, she was getting ready in a gloomy mood. There were five missed calls from Marwick last night, but she would come up with any excuse. She couldn’t admit that his number was already saved in her phone.Thanks to Keanu. He saved it for her.She carefully attached her artificial nose and started tapping it. Everything was easier except this task. After getting done with her grey lenses she pasted her brows.Later she wore her glasses and gave a once-over to her image in the mirror.Keanu had asked her to hide in a building if there was any danger of Marwick calling the police on her. Her friends could go to any length to keep her safe.Keanu could do anything to get her out of the city. But she wanted to stay near Marwick Garner until and unless her papers were processed.Once she will be on Turkish land, she would no more be a boy. She would get her identity back. She would never like to be called River.Though this name was very close to her heart.Stepping on the seve
Aniya glanced up from her desk as River approached the reception area, looking slightly overwhelmed by the bustling office environment on the lower floors. Today Marwick Garner’s secretary Theodore Panks took her for introducing to other employees. He told her about the different floors Garner offices occupied. "Hey there! How's your second day treating you?" Aniya asked her with a friendly smile. River sighed, running a hand through her shoulder-length hair, "It's been quite a ride. Trying to wrap my head around everything and to remember everyone's names." Aniya chuckled, understanding her confusion all too well, "Oh, I know that feeling. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough. You will find everyone around here quite friendly." Yeah. Everyone except, Chad. River thought and leaned against the reception desk, grateful for a momentary break, "These different software systems are like a maze. It's like learning a whole new language." Aniya nodded sympathetically, "Te
All she remembered was her boss who could know her reality. But the leech who was sitting confidently near her, was giving her dirty looks. “So how about we become friends and forget what happened yesterday.” He offered with a friendly smile, but that only made her nauseated. She felt disgusted by his presence. His closeness was giving her the creeps. Chad, with a smug look on his face, slid closer to River, invading her personal space. River's heart raced, and she instinctively shifted away from him. "So, River,” Chad leaned closer to her, “Do you like my suggestion? Let’s forget what happened yesterday. Hmm?" River's stomach churned at the deviousness in his voice, and she fought back the urge to gag. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to keep her guard up. She managed a weak smile, her voice strained, "I think it's best if we maintain a professional distance, Chad. I am not here to create problems for anyone. Let me work in peace." Chad's friendly smile faltered a littl
“You wanted to discuss something?” Chad asked his boss with a pleasant smile but inside he was fuming. Mr. Garner snatched the golden chance to get to know the timid boy. Marwick Garner had a shrewd look in his eyes when he gestured for Chad to take a seat, "Yes, Chad. I've been observing a few things in the office, and I wanted to discuss them with you." Chad's smile grew wider, masking his frustration. He tried to show himself as an attentive employee, eager to give the impression that he respected his boss and his perspective. "Of course, Mr. Garner. I'm all ears." Marwick Garner leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable, "As a director, I expect you not to go to the subordinates, looking for work. You arrange files, sitting on the floor with River. We get VIP visitors on our floor. What type of message are you conveying to them?” Marwick kept his gaze fixed on his face, “River is merely a boy and still in the learning phase. Aniya and Theodore are there to help him. W