Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Dear Diary,
To say that I was surprised by my officemate’s observations is an understatement. I ended up denying
everything. What can I do? How do I tell them that the CEO is indeed my boss? Of course not.
The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of my alarm clock. On the digital screen, the bright
red number 6:00 blink. I sit up in bed and take in my surroundings. Outside, it is mostly dark, with only
a few rays of sun filtering into my bedroom. Along with the gentle swishing of the trees, I hear the birds
whistling and am reminded of Kenya. I close my eyes and immediately see snapshots of my kids.
They’re bright, smiling faces playing under a clear blue sky. A loud knock on my door forces me out of
my nostalgia. “Miss Chelsea. Your breakfast is waiting for you in the dining hall. The driver is on
standby to take you into the city,” Marcel says warmly. Ah, yes. Today will be another day at the office.
The realisation hits me like a ton of bricks and I slump down lazily under my covers to avoid my reality
for a bit longer. Clearly, my defiance towards Dave was child’s play to him. He knew I would take the
job.
“Okay, Marcel. Thank you,” I sing out, my voice slightly muffled from being halfway under the comforter.
I have no choice but to get my butt into gear. My breakfast is ready; my ride is already here and in true
Brown-style I am sure another outfit is primed and pressed for me in my walk-in wardrobe.
I make my way sluggishly towards the bathroom, where I enjoy a hot shower. Feeling somewhat
rejuvenated, I slip on my fluffy white robe and make my way toward the wardrobe. I open the white
double doors slowly and my jaw drops to the floor in astonishment. It is decked with all new work
clothes, designer heels, and accessories, All my old clothes from Kenya have been pushed to the side
and I feel like I have just stepped into a fancy Beverley Hills boutique.
Yes, I anticipated a few brand new outfits for work. But all this? Dave has clearly outdone himself.
My initial shock finally disperses and I grab a few items and the same red heels I wore yesterday. By
the time I am dressed and ready to head downstairs, I look in the mirror and see another transformed
girl staring back at me. She is much different from the girl who spent a year volunteering in Kenya. This
girl is wearing makeup, high heels, and tighter clothes, yet she is confident, sassy, and opinionated.
She is back to herself. I do have to admit, I kind of like her. I missed her.
Exiting my room, I head down the hallway and stop at the top of the stairs. I look down and see my
sister, who I have not seen in what feels like forever.
apter 27
“Chelsea, sweetheart. You look divine! Sebastian told me the good news about you accepting the PA
position. Come, let’s have breakfast together.” She smiles gleefully at me and squeezes her hands
together in delight. Unfortunately, I do not share her excitement and find her over the-top, high-pitched
tone annoying. I make my way down the stairs, tightly gripping the rails so I do not trip on my heels. In
the dining room, I am greeted by the same lavish spread as the day before. I am no longer shocked by
all the gourmet food, but I still find it unnecessary. In Kenya, a hot meal was considered a luxury.
“Oh, Marcel, you know I like my coffee hot. This one is lukewarm. And please make sure my toast is
gluten-free and that you take the yolk out of my eggs before you make my omelette,” Christie states
with a biting tone, already in her seat.
She smiles at me as Marcel leaves the room to fulfil her request. I am not impressed by it. “So,
Chelsea. Tell me how yesterday went? Are you excited to become a Brown team member?” Oh,
goodness. She sounds just like Dave. “No,” I say dryly. She glares at me with disbelief. “Chelsea, you
think I haven’t noticed your unbecoming attitude since you got here? What’s gotten into you? It’s not
like you to be acting this way. Sebastian has been so good to us and I am appalled at the way you
have been treating both him and Dave.”
My eyes narrow in on her, anger and frustration welling up in me. My chest rises and falls slowly as I
gear up to fire back at her.
“Good to us? We were not destitute and homeless, Christie! And how dare you talk to me about
change? Since when did you become a stuck-up debutante that only eats gluten-free bread and has a
chauffeur? Was our life before not good enough for you? Since when is shopping your only hobby, and
since when do you have the audacity to command others? Do me a favour….remove that stick from up
your ass and get a grip on reality because, in case you haven’t noticed, you don’t seem like a nice
person anymore.” I pause to take a quick breath.
“I don’t know what Sebastian’s interest in you is, but he’s from money, and in my experience, people
like that always have specific reasons for why they choose to keep others around. I bet he doesn’t even
care about you that much. You’re a trophy wife to him, Christie. Nothing more.
Although I am completely aware that my statements must sting like a hot poker, I cannot apologise for
them.
Christie’s eyes swell with tears, and in one swift motion, she rises from the table and dashes out of the
room.
A surge of distress comes over me. I have never spoken to her like that in my whole life. For years, we
have had a close bond. She has always been my best friend and confidant. But now when I look into
her eyes, an outsider looks back at me.
“Miss Chelsea.” I look around quickly to find Marcel not too far away.
“Yes, Marcel?” I ask, my voice trembling. “May I take you out to the car?”
“No, thank you, Marcel. I’ll go by myself in a few minutes,” I say with a slight smile.
Here I am in a ball of misery and in a couple of hours, I will be face to face with Dave again. It is not
exactly the kind of day I am looking forward to. As I re-enter the luxurious SUV and the driver begins to
drive away from the mansion, I can’t help but contemplate my actions earlier. It is heartbreaking to see
my sister so distraught. But am I sorry for hurting her?
Do I feel any empathy? To say yes would be a complete denial of how I feel about things. A part of me
believes that she is not crying over our souring relationship, but how I insulted her prince and their
“fairytale” relationship.
As I continue to contemplate my dwindling relationship with Christie, time passes way too fast.
Soon, the intimidating towers of Brown Associates come into view.
For the most part, everything associated with being a PA I could handle-the paperwork, reports,
presentations, and even the tight skirts and high heels.
But I can not handle Dave. I cannot handle his deep azure eyes, his sweet-spiced cologne and his
adorable dimples. I cannot handle the way he strides around the office like a king, and the way his
voice changes when he talks to his employees.
But most of all, I can not control the way my heart races whenever I am around him. “Here we are, Miss
Chelsea,” the driver says with a soft and comforting smile. “Good luck with today. I’m sure you will do
great work.” I sigh and gaze up at the high-rise building in awe, much like I did the day before. But this
time I’m afraid to leave the confines of the vehicle. “Thank You,” I mutter pleasantly and find the
courage to exit the car. I enter the building and make my way over to the elevators. Once inside, I take
a few moments alone to calm myself down. Maybe I will hardly see Dave today? Maybe he will be too
busy?
I exhaled deeply for about the hundredth time this morning.
You can do this, Chelsea. Just don’t be intimidated by him. He is just a snob with way too much money.
The elevator dings and I step out, only to almost crash into Dave. My body tenses with adrenaline. He
stands before metall, serious, and way too sexy. His hands are wedged in his pockets and he looks at
me with a smirk that forces me to look away.
Damn him for catching me off guard. I should have known he was watching my every move
from the moment the driver pulled up outside. “Well, if it isn’t my newest Brown team member. Glad you
could join us again, Chelsea,” he states, his smirk widening. NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.
I return my eyes to his. “Look, Dave, I’m not here to play games. I’m just here to work I really don’t want
any of your witty banter right now.” He stares at me wide-eyed for a second but then grins. “Still trying
to play the tough girl I see.
“Oh, I’m not playing with you,” I snapped. For a moment, I do not know whether to slap him or kiss him.
“Anyway, Diane here is going to take you through your tasks…she will explain everything that we didn’t
cover yesterday.”
Diane, once again, is impeccably dressed. She is wearing a formal pink-coloured dress, knee length
dress, and extremely high stilettos. Her hair is pinned in the same tight bun. Dave certainly has dress
criteria for his female staff. He makes all of us look like corporate Barbie dolls.
“Okay, good,” I reply, eager to get away from him and get on with my day. It’s the first time I have
spoken to him without sass on my lips. “Well, I will leave you in Diane’s capable hands,” Dave says
before walking off in the direction of his office.
I release a huge sigh of relief and then notice Diane’s curious eyes on me. “You know, I’ve never seen
Mr. Brown look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
“I beg your pardon?” I asked, taken aback by her comment.
Diane chuckles. “You heard me.”
I do not want people to notice the weird chemistry going on between Dave and I. Is it really that
obvious?
“Come on, show me how to get this job done so I can get out of here on time today,” I tell her,
deliberately changing the subject. I spent the next four hours going over files, organising documents
and covering all information on Brown Associates. She has given me the lowdown on all the details,
from how Dave likes his coffee to the gossip on what happened with his last assistant.
“She gave out all the company secrets to our competitor… so, of course, Mr. Brown sacked her, ” she
says, widening her eyes for dramatic effect. By the time the afternoon rolls around, my orientation
session with Diane has left me feeling upbeat. After a while, she leaves me to prepare a presentation
for one of Dave’s meetings tomorrow. To my total surprise, the day is actually going quite well. I am
getting the hang of this corporate stuff and I feel almost comfortable in my surroundings. Knock, knock
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