Stairwell

Ena was in deep thought in front of the mirror. It was a day when they were free to wear casual clothes. Her department does not meet clients often so their dress code is much more lenient than the others. She finally decided to fully accept the kindness of Grandma Carolina and wore the clothing they bought together.

She wore a black long-sleeved V-neck top and paired it with high-waisted jeans. She also wore a cream-colored blazer. She looked in the mirror again and thought that it was a good choice not to wear a push-up bra or that it would already be inappropriate, but she was still feeling unsure. She looked at the time and realized that she would be late if she did not leave the house.  

She entered the office and they were all there already. She was expecting that they would ignore her completely but they glanced at her for a moment and then just resumed what they were doing. She just thought that it meant what she was wearing wasn't that bad because they did not smirk or make insulting remarks.

It was totally different though when she went to the cafeteria. She caught some of them staring and she felt off, especially with the guys. She saw some others wearing the same clothes before because it is the trend. She just thought that she was being overly conscious because she was not used to wearing fashionable clothes. She finished eating and was on her way to the elevator when a guy suddenly started talking to her in a friendly manner. Some other guys joined in and they all looked so familiar but she did not know their names and, for some reason, they knew hers. She felt off and so she pretended that she would go back to buy a drink, but she went to use the stairs instead.

She just had to climb three floors but when she reached the second, the door opened and Aidan appeared. He took one look at her and he looked displeased.

"Good afternoon, Sir." She formally greeted him and resumed going up when she felt his hand on her stomach and then she was pinned to the wall. His hand then slipped from the neck opening and went to grab her right breast.

"N-not here!"

His other hand then went to the side of her waist.

"I hate it when they are staring too much at you. Too bad for them, I am the only one who can touch you like this."

She loves the low tone of his voice and when he speaks with such passion, her insides throb. She felt so embarrassed upon feeling how wet she was feeling down there. She did not know how that reflected on her face at the moment.

"Tell me what is it that you want." He said close enough that their lips were almost touching.

The door below opened and they heard steps going up. He decided to step back.

"Gavin is going to pick you up later. I will see you tonight."

He went back to the door where he came from. She wondered why he appeared in the stairwell when he was not even going to use it.

"Ena?" Jake said as he climbed the stairs towards her.

She was getting sick of these coincidences. Why would her ex appear just when she had a scandalous meeting with the man who she is falling for, who happens to be their boss?

"You look flushed. Are you okay?" Jake was about to touch her cheek but she stepped away from him.

"I'm okay. I have to go now."

"Can we have dinner tonight?"

"I'm sorry. I have plans."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"Jake, are you just going to keep asking me?"

"Yes. I will continue to try."

"Then my answer is no."

"I understand. Then, I will see you around,"

She was going up the stairs when she looked back at Jake leaving for the other door and felt something off about how he was being so obedient all of a sudden.

Just when she thought that her day could not get any crazier, she received a message from her uncle and aunt coming over to the city.

"What's up with you these days? You look different." Rachel, sitting next to her cubicle, suddenly asked.

She looked around but then she noticed that they stopped typing, which meant they were listening to their conversation.

"I-I am just trying to find the right clothes for my hair." She said, and it was not entirely untrue because she was really planning for a long time to find some clothes to match her hair color.

"Is that so? I thought it was because you were getting back together with the sales department manager. What's his name again? Jake?"

It's just like Rachel to be blunt, but those topics should not be discussed in the office. She paused for a moment, stopped what she was doing, and looked straight at her. Rachel also turned to her with her feisty stance and crossed her arms raising one eyebrow.

"Do you know that spreading malicious gossip is also grounds for termination?"

Rachel's feisty stance started to break down.

"Whatever, I'm leaving!" Rachel spitefully said and did not even fix her chair before leaving. The others followed and, as usual, she was left alone in the office. She worked for an additional thirty minutes and messaged Gavin that she would not be able to go.

She rushed to her house and began cleaning right away. Her house is usually clean because she does not have a lot of things, but her relatives just easily find fault in whatever she does.

They arrived shortly and her rigid Uncle just took one look around and already looked displeased. Her aunt is kind but she just submits to everything that her uncle and their children say. They took her to help her study in exchange for being their housemaid.

"Are you still sending money to your mother?" her Uncle asked.

"Last month was the last."

"And she is going to ask again. You are not earning much. You must start thinking about yourself."

She nodded.

"You should ask some of your friends and coworkers to invest in Xian's business. You can get a percentage and get a better life for yourself."

Xian is their eldest son and has just started this investment business connected to casinos. He became successful and was able to buy multiple properties, but then his line of business is still questionable. He was regarded as a hero in their family, but she could not just turn a blind eye to everything that he had done before. He was never kind to her and none of them treated her as a real family member and so she couldn't risk her reputation for them just because they were blood-related. She just doesn't want them to have any say in her choices in life anymore.

"Xian said he saw you with a man in the hotel he was also staying at. Are you getting married?"

She felt cold sweat running down her face. She tried to remember but could not recall seeing her cousin there.

"Why are you not answering? Are you selling yourself?"

That was too inappropriate and insulting, but the worst part is it still has an effect on her. Part of it is that she grew up receiving such words from them and, second, because she does not know exactly what kind of relationship she has with Aidan or she just refuses to accept the truth about the two of them.

"Think about what you are doing in your life. We will go now." He stood from his chair and she saw them out of the door.

She just sighed heavily when the door closed. She just realized how much she changed. Before she would cry herself to death whenever they made her feel like she was the lowest of the low but now her eyes remained dry and her insides felt empty. She hoped that that hollow feeling was better than her heart being torn to a thousand pieces.