Kathryn’s POV“Chairman?” I said, out of breath. “Who…?” The man cleared his throat. “I beg your pardon for the lack of introduction. I’m the secretary of Mr. Wilhelm Reinhard—the new chairman of The Grand Plaza.” I hadn’t noticed that I was already clenching my fist upon Wilhelm’s secretary’s words. How could that bastard be doing this to me? “The chairman personally sent you to tell us that?” one interviewer exclaimed. “He didn’t even listen to our interview with her! She clearly has all the skills that we’re looking for. In all honesty, I have no idea where this is all coming from.” “She outshone everyone. We can at least guarantee the chairman that,” another one explained. “Would it be possible for us to have a word with him about the matter? Ms. Kathryn Alvarez is an exceptional candidate, and I’m afraid letting go of her is equivalent to losing an important asset.” To his credit, the secretary looked the part guilty before he spoke. “I’m sorry, everyone. But the chairman’s
Wilhelm’s POVShe had rejected my offer of the money. That was what had shocked me the most. I knew back then that by marrying me, she was going to make use of my money to revive her family’s sold hotel. But why did it feel wrong at the moment? The Kathryn Alvarez before me looked the same, and different at the same time. She wasn’t the kind to curse, let alone talk back when we had a similar argument to this. She had actually voiced her needs, and her words were unfiltered that it had surprised me completely. Pointing out her purpose didn’t make her shrink back like she usually did before. Instead, Kathryn shot back with a cold smile and told me that if she knew I was the chairman of this place, she wouldn’t have attended the interview. I gritted my teeth. I don’t know why her words irritated the fuck out of me. But something clicked into mind. I’m changing my decision. She wanted the job, alright. Then I’m giving it to her. “You really want that position?” Kathryn threw me a
Kathryn’s POVAnger flashed before Rose’s eyes, but I didn’t shrink away from it. In fact, I hadn’t expected it would feel this satisfying to witness her get worked up about this misunderstanding she created in mind. “How dare you come back?!” She forcefully shoved me away that a shadow of surprise crossed Wilhelm’s eyes. “Just to refresh your mind, you’re the one who filed for divorce back then! And now you’re getting close to Wilhelm like it’s nothing?” I kept my face neutral even as Rose’s nostrils flared with anger. Using her body, she had built a wall between Wilhelm and I. I almost scoffed. Did she feel threatened I might take back the very same man she stole from me?Pointing an accusing finger at me, a glimmering flash of light momentarily diverted my attention. I realized that a diamond ring was adorning one of Rose’s fingers. My gaze hurriedly shifted back to the ring on Wilhelm’s hand before realization hit me like a cannonball. It’s their engagement rings. I felt a sl
Kathryn’s POVMy heart thundered in my chest as I let the information sink in. Who would have thought that Wilhelm and I would cross paths again after all these years? And worse, I had to deal with him at work. “It’s my unlucky day, I know,” I told Roland as the three of us went back to the apartment building, with Charlize already sleeping in his arms. “Fate is crazy for doing this to me.” “I couldn’t agree more,” Roland replied solemnly. “You really need to consider this, Kathryn. Even though you’re still on trial, you’ll be seeing Wilhelm every day for a whole month.” He glanced into the distance. “Is that something you’re okay with?”“You know my answer to that,” I said. “Then, what’s holding you back? Why are you putting yourself in such a dire situation?” “Just because he’s there doesn’t mean I have to adjust for him. I don’t want to keep running away, Roland,” I said, my fists clenched, determination surging through me. “I want to face things head-on from now on, and that i
“Her?” Vicky echoed nervously. “Oh, my god, Kath!” My eyes widened. “Y—You mean I’m to manage this banquet?” My hands trembled as I placed them firmly on my lap. “And within a one week time frame? That’s—it’s ridiculous!” “He specifically said it was to be you who’d handle this,” Clarence said with pity. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we need to get things started.”And work we did. I had to gather myself and hold it together. Gritting my teeth, I just knew Wilhelm had done this intentionally to try to push me out of the hotel. Well, if this is his way of trying to get rid of me, he’s got it all wrong!For a full two hours, I met with the team and brainstormed various table layouts that we could present by tomorrow morning. One group focused on potential shops where we could purchase bulk flowers, while the other half discussed the budget.“This would go hand in hand,” I pointed to the flower shop and our proposed budget. “What do you think?” “You’re good at this Kath,” Vicky c
Kathryn’s POVThree grueling days passed, and my team and I never heard from Wilhelm again. He allowed us to do our jobs in peace, which made things much easier moving forward.My team and I got started right away. First, we discussed how to arrange the tables as per the client’s wishes. They had booked the venue for an Awards Night celebration for their employees. We needed to match the setup with their chosen theme. Looking around now, I felt a wave of relief seeing how well the design for the table layout had turned out.“What do you think about the flower arrangements, Vicky?” Standing in front of the conference room we had tidied and arranged brought a sense of fulfillment to mind. Vicky nodded vigorously. “They look amazing! Oh, I never expected they’d turn out this great,” she beamed at me. “I’m sure Mr. Reinhardt’s guests will love them!”I nodded my head in approval. Just this morning, the florist and her team meticulously arranged a demo minimalist flower bouquet in a vase
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I watched my manager apologize to Vicky several times for keeping that single information from us, although I understand his reason for doing so. I clenched my fist. Why would Wilhelm be willing to help me? Anyway, the priority is to fix the mess. I decided not to dig deeper, but to use whatever I could.“It’s alright,” I assured her. “He’s chairman now, and I understand why he needed to do it in such a way.” Without hesitation, I swiftly took action. I pulled out my phone and contacted the supplier immediately. I asked her if she could provide replacements for the linens that had been bleached. She sounded hesitant at first, but when I told her I would refer her to more clients, she agreed. She promised to be back three days before the event. The moment I placed my phone down, someone walked right inside the room.I looked up to find Wilhelm next to me, his face hard and passive. “Mr. Reinhardt,” I bowed my head. “There’s been a situation…”
Kathryn’s POVThe day ended with our problems being slightly solved. Wilhelm had worked with us for half the day. He pulled some strings and had us buy a new set of linens that we could use in case the supplier bailed on us at the last minute. Even though we suspected the bleached linen might have been intentional, we all felt relieved as we prepared to head home. I had planned to speak to Wilhelm before leaving, but before I could do so, he had already left.I shrugged it off and headed straight to my car. I could always find him tomorrow to thank him. As I drove home, Wilhelm’s words lingered in my mind. “You always do this, Kathryn. You always think I’d blame you for everything horrible that has happened to us, but I don’t.”A slight ripple crossed my forehead. What did he mean by that, I wonder? Had I, at some point in our relationship, misunderstood him, just as he had misunderstood me? I parked the car in front of Charlize’s kindergarten school and sighed. Right now, there w