MEREDITH:
Things didn't end well for me as I got home. Already the day had been annoying and overwhelming, coupled with the fact that I had to deal with that homeless-robe-wearing guy. My goodness! I wish a bottle of wine would take away the discomfort.
Before I even found my keys, trying to reach the source of joy, which was the wine, an envelope caught my eye. The caption didn't fascinate me. It reminded me of the reason I had almost drowned myself in tears today. It read, 'Eviction Notice!!!' boldly written in red. There was no point reading the rest of the content because it wouldn't change a thing. So, I shredded it into pieces and dumped it. I took a deep breath and prepared my mind to get all the sleep I could for tonight because soon, I would be losing a roof over my head.
It felt like the alarm started blaring as soon as my aching body found comfort on the bed, but it turned out that I had slept for a long time. I turned the noise off and wrapped a robe around my body to go get my mail. That was very important. I still had hopes that someone would get back to me. I wasn't that bad. Right? One of the companies must have considered me.
Lost among the five emails that all had nothing to do with a source of credit but debit, one, in particular, caught my attention. A lawsuit. What? I knew that I was a great girl. Even a little thing like earning a parking ticket, I have never gotten, because keeping my record clean was crucial to me. Where did the lawsuit come from, and in less than twenty-four hours?
I ripped the seal open and read the contents. It was something about trespassing and damaging a property. I was given two options: to either pay a hundred thousand dollars fine or work for hours that would be equivalent to that amount. Failure to do so would attract three weeks in prison and six months of probation. The victim in question was someone called Miles Pierce.
I thought long and hard to recollect who Miles Pierce was. The only time I heard Pierce was Pierce Avenue, where I went. . hold on a minute! The broken flower vase? Was that the damaged property that brought about such a fine? I burst into laughter. Both the legal team that drafted this and that arrogant jerk that went ahead to inform his boss, and the boss himself that didn't confirm what happened before taking action, are unbelievable. If I had such an amount, half of my problems would be solved.
Well, I guess today wasn't going to go well. Pierce Avenue would be my first stop. I needed to resolve this.
I was quick to get ready and head out. Getting to the gate, I was refused entrance. “Well, how do you expect me to confront your boss for unjustly filing a lawsuit over a broken flower vase? Moreover, I wasn't trespassing. I was asked to attend an interview here. How in the universe is that trespassing?”
“I don't care. I have told you that you can't drive in, ma'am. Please leave. You're interfering with my job,” a new face that I hadn't seen yesterday scolded. This one didn't look different. All the guards looked like they'd been made in the same factory.
“I'm not leaving until I see that asshole in a robe. Or, better still, Mr. Miles Pierce,” I protested, slamming my hands on my steering wheel.
The guard scoffed in frustration and moved away from me, tending to ignore my request. Of course, I didn't have that. I began to honk tirelessly until he started stomping toward me again.
“If my request is not granted, I'll continue to constitute a nuisance until you all get frustrated. There's no way in hell I would speak up for myself if I don't see Mr. Jerk or Mr. Pierce."
“Then take the matter to court,” he bitterly spat. “I would be forced to remove you and your car with whatever resources at my disposal. You're making my job difficult.”
“Well, your boss is making my life miserable!” It wasn't the guard's fault that I was in this situation. I understood that. But, I needed access to go deal with the document in my purse.
After twenty minutes of argument and relentlessly insisting, “I guess your stubbornness paid off,” the guard said with a frown, ordering for the gates to be opened.
With fury, I drove without a smile or caring to be nice to the innocent guards, straight to the entrance. When I got there, Brandon, the cute guard who I wouldn't forget his face and name in a hurry, was waiting for me at the entrance. He led me inside, and the disaster that brought me here almost repeated itself; me tripping and damaging something due to the beauty of the house.
“You'll have to wait for him here. Try not to break anything,” Brandon warned.
“What’s going on here?” said a cold voice.
The hush was instant. I turned and met piercing dark-blue eyes. I'd never seen dark blue eyes before. I’d seen blue on the verge of sky blue, but never pitch, true dark blue, outside fictional characters possessed by demons. This man had them: deep blue eyes.
It took me a moment to wrench my gaze away and see the man those eyes belonged to. It was the robe guy, but he looked different. Almost unrecognizable. Tall. Immaculate gray suit hugging the broad shoulders. Dark hair, and finely shaped, heavy brows made his hawk-like gaze rather unsettling. There was something distinctly Mediterranean about his looks; Italian or Spanish, maybe Greek. The dimple on his cheeks was the only thing softening his appearance, but it only served to accentuate the hard, square line of his jaw.
From the way the man held himself, it was like he was someone important. He practically reeked of power and money, but I didn’t recognize that. To be honest, the image stuck in my head was him in a robe looking like a cleaner.
Entirely unprepared for the physical impact of the man, I ceased to breathe. Brandon, the expansive sitting room, and all my problems just seemed to melt into the background, and I was conscious only of him.
His tarnished attitude had caused my mind to conjure up physical images that were so far removed from reality that, for a moment, I couldn’t do anything except stare, as hundreds of women had undoubtedly stared before me.
“Why wouldn't you leave?” he spoke, his voice steady and cold.
The vibration of that voice, once more, drained whatever admiration I had for him. So proud. So arrogant. So nasty. "I'm here to meet Mr. Miles Pierce.”
“For? He doesn't talk to people like you.”
“What do you mean by people like me?” Reaching for the document in my purse, I flung it open and drew it to his eye level so that he could read. “Maybe he would like to explain to me what this means.”
“I'm pretty sure you don't have difficulty comprehending the grammar. As it is stated, you either pay that fine or work for what you damaged.”
I knew talking to this guy was a waste of energy. It was better to talk to Mr. Pierce himself. Maybe he would be a grumpy old man, but still, I would work my way around him and make him see reasons.
“Again, I want. . .”
“Mr. Pierce?” the same female that stood close to him the previous day appeared. Man, did this woman age backward because she was so pretty?
I turned in her direction, expecting to see Mr. Pierce. But, to my bewilderment, the guy before me answered, “yes, Grenada.”
There was no way in hell he was the person I was looking for.
“You were saying?” he questioned, quirking his brows and placing both hands in his well-tailored suit pants.
“Oh, I see you're back. The flower girl,” the Grenada woman teased. “It's nice to have you back,” she said, stretching forth her hand for a shake.
Immediately, I took it and flushed. 'Flower girl?' What an interesting nomenclature. “Nice to meet you. I'm Meredith Tate.”
“Just call me Grenada.”
“Are you done with your pleasantries, his voice boomed. “ You,” he pointed at me, “leave. Come back with a lawyer if you feel unjustly accused. Grenada, you called.” His face held no emotions, and he spoke as if he was a robot.
“I'll talk to you when you're done with her. It can wait. Again, nice to meet you, Meredith. See you around.”
“Thank you.” 'See me around?' That was questionable.
As Grenada left, Miles turned to follow, and I abruptly blurted out, “I'll take the job. I'll work until my debt is paid.” It was a reflex action, though. I have thought about the stress of filing for an appeal and the slim chance of winning it. And, if I lost, this egocentric being would look for ways to make me more miserable. It was best to give in to what he wanted. Be his slave until my debt is paid. To my advantage, too, I might get a roof over my head and free feeding. If only he would want me to be a live-in assistant.
He stopped in his tracks. “Good. You start now.”
“Does that mean--”
He walked out, not paying any more attention to me. Great! I had better brace myself because this was going to be life-sucking. There were no two ways about that.
MILES:"Mr. Pierce, you need to take it easy on yourself. Stressing out will only weaken your immune system. Take a rest and take your medication later. And consider hiring the assistant we recommended; it will be beneficial in the long run," Grenada advised as I settled down.The dizziness was fading, and I was regaining my composure. "Fire the HR and everyone who gave that girl access. Every single one of them!" I commanded."Yes, sir," Brandon replied promptly.I wasn't upset about being undermined, but rather by the audacity of the girl who dared to challenge me. She was not the type of person I would ever allow to be part of my team. I had specific preferences when it came to my employees, with Grenada being the exception. For women, I preferred tall, slim, model-like figures, blonde or brunettes, not someone with dark hair and curves, lacking in fear."Get me, Michael. Now!" I demanded. He was my lawyer, and with his help, I would make sure that girl regretted crossing me. He had
MEREDITH:My new boss was a constant source of irritation, a thorn in my side that I couldn't wait to be rid of once my debt was settled. Who would have thought that, instead of finding a job, I would end up paying off a debt? It was disheartening.He was impossible to deal with—laying down ridiculous rules, exuding pride, and always cutting me off mid-sentence, which was infuriating. But what could I do? I was stuck with him for the time being. Brandon reappeared to show me around the mansion.The mansion was undeniably beautiful, but it came with a multitude of restrictions. There were numerous areas I wasn't allowed to access. My routine became a familiar pattern: knock but don't enter Mr. Pierce's room, wait in the sitting room, and if, by some chance, I needed to spend the night, it had to be in a tiny room opposite his. And while there, I was to remain out of his sight. Did the man despise my presence that much?He treated me like I was a plague, but I held no ill feelings towar
MILES: The last business meeting ended in Waterloo, and I was forced to reschedule another. Although not pleasant for Grenada to hear, we didn't have much of a choice. Today, she had to come in and administer those tubes that ensured I didn't crash along the line. My strength level has been low recently, and I couldn't even manage a proper ten-minute walk without panting. Good health and a strong heart are underrated, my friend. We kept the knowledge of my condition as private as possible. Only important people knew about it; Brandon, the head of my security team, Isabel, the head maid, my nutritionist, and, of course, Grenada. My business partners and the press only knew that I was taking a break from work, nothing more. That was the key to success. Keep secrets and information at bay, or they will use that information against you later on. If they don't need to know, there's no need to tell. Meanwhile, having free time gave me the opportunity to learn more about how annoying and i
MEREDITH: My heart raced as Isabel prodded about the incident with Mr. Pierce. "You called him a cleaner?" Isabel asked incredulously, setting the scene for the juicy gossip. The girls, except for Britney, were interested in knowing what happened between me and Miles. They said that he came back ranting and so angry that he fired an entire team. While she made the food, I thought of keeping them entertained. The house was so boring and deserted for crying out loud. They were lovely and we rapidly became friends. At least now I have a place to hide and pass the time whenever I am in the house. “I didn't mean to, though. I mean, he came out wearing a robe and looking like a cleaner instead of like Miles Pierce.” Lowering my voice, “and, he was rude,” I whispered. Isabel burst into a belly laugh. “No wonder you've been on his bad side.” Cutting in, “he is always on his bad side. Grumpy and moody all the time,” Lucinda added, smiling. By the time the food was ready, I was salivating
MILES: Why the hell were business functions and meetings invented? It was just an avenue to show off and run into people you despise. Anyway, I got settled in my seat as the function began while I had a mini-meeting with my partner and his wife. We were looking into investing in an agricultural company, which seemed more sensible before they switched and brought up the hydro-electrical project idea. It wasn't a bad one. But, I wasn't looking at expanding my company considering my current state. Starting a new business was like giving birth. The procedures you go through in nurturing a newborn are what you apply to make a new business successful: groom, care, nurture, love, fight for, protect, and believe in it. And, it was best if you oversaw everything. That way, you could guide the path it took. Entrusting it to someone might not give you the satisfaction you crave when you see the result. I bent over the table, the din of the busy restaurant fading into the background as I strugg
MEREDITH: “Please, give me more time. I know that I'm late for the payments, but I promise that I'll clear half of it by the end of the month,” I lied. End of the month? That would only happen by a miracle. I couldn't let him know that. Couldn't let him drop the case because it would be wasted energy and abandoning my brother. I deserved to know what happened to him. To get answers. Whatever it took, I was willing to do. His voice was subtle, although I could hear the strain of him trying to control lashing out. “Miss Tate, I wish things worked like that. I would've been more than happy to help you. But, they don't. I need to facilitate the team and, considering that it's a very private investigation, that's why it's harder. I'm sorry.” My heart ruptured into a billion pieces. Who would I go to? How was I going to turn back now and let go? “How about you give me an extra week? If I don't get back to you, then you can drop the case.” The phone went silent for a while before his voic
MILES: As fate would have it, trouble always seemed to have a way of catching up, no matter how fast you tried to outrun it. They say the world is small, but did it have to be small enough for me to bump into Louis, my ex? Our history together was a whirlwind of emotions. Despite everything, I still harbored feelings for that witch. I gave her my all, only to be betrayed when she found out about the financial troubles in my company and cheated on me with a soccer star. Not only did she betray me, but she also turned me into a media spectacle, painting me as inadequate for her. Her fans rallied behind her, leaving me when I needed her the most. She was my first love, and her departure, coupled with the loss of my mother, shattered my faith in women. After Louis, they meant nothing to me. Caught in the midst of this chaos was Meredith, who seemed unable to stay out of trouble. Dealing with her ex-boyfriend was one thing, but now I had to face my ex-girlfriend too. What a day it turned
MEREDITH: I didn't anticipate feeling heartbroken or sad if I ever escaped Miles's grasp. But when I heard him say, “you're fired,” my heart twisted, and my stomach knotted. I had the feeling of wanting to purge everything I'd eaten, the urge threatening to overwhelm me. Yet, he didn't even acknowledge my distress. How was I being blamed for something we both played a role in? It wasn't technically my fault. None of it was. Getting laid off was cruel, especially when I was struggling to make ends meet and hoping he would eventually start paying me. I guess I'll have to find another job. That might be better. Being around him was hazardous enough. The man was toxic, always nagging and never smiling. But before I go, I'll give him a piece of my mind. What else do I have to lose? Another lawsuit? “I don't exactly understand why I'm getting fired, sir,” I blurted out after moments of consideration. Miles shifted in his seat, turned, and glared at me. With the deepest, meanest voice I'd