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" Anthony! Coffe please!"

"Here you go sir!"

"ANTHONY THE MEETING PAPERS!"

"I'll get them for you!"

"Anthony can you please do this paperwork for me, please I have a date tonight."

"Sure."

"ANTHONY!"

"Anthony please."

"Anthony the usb?"

"ANTHONY!"

"Ahhhh! CANT I HAVE A BREAK!" I screamed as I locked myself up in a bathroom stall.

————————

My name is Anthony Bellerose, 23 years old and an intern at Nexora Systems the biggest company in Ashbourne, being an intern in this company has been hell and tiring. It's like I never get a break, I'm always going up and down, side and forward, but never sitting down calmly. And Is I was sitting at my table I was doing some seniors paper works.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw a notification pop up from my mom. "Anthony, don't forget your sister's recital tomorrow. She really wants you there." I sighed. Another commitment. Not that I didn't want to go, but with the way things were at work, it seemed impossible.

"Are you okay in there?" Someone asked knocking on the bathroom stall.

I quickly wiped my face and stood up fixing my clothes, "yes, thank you." I replied trying to sound okay.

As the person left I walked out of the bathroom stall checked myself in the mirror and headed out into the storm. As I walked out of the bathroom I bumped into Mr. Thompson my supervisor.

"Anthony," he said, with that fake smile that never quite reached his eyes, "I need those reports on my desk by noon. Oh, and could you fetch me another coffee? My last one went cold."

"I also need you to take this up to the top floor, that's the CEO's office." He said handing me a pack of papers and walked off.

I stared at the stack of papers in my hands, my heart sinking. The CEO's office? I had never been up there before. It was like the forbidden territory, where interns like me didn't belong. I swallowed hard, glancing at the clock. I barely had enough time to finish Mr. Thompson's reports, let alone make a trip to the top floor and grab his coffee.

I took a deep breath, shifting the papers to one arm as I pulled out my phone. I scrolled quickly to my sister's chat, staring at the message from her: "I'm really excited for you to come tomorrow, Anthony. It'll be my best performance yet!" My heart clenched. I couldn't let her down, but right now, it felt like I was being pulled in every direction.

"Okay, you can do this," I muttered to myself, trying to muster some confidence as I stepped into the elevator.

As the doors closed, I couldn't help but feel the weight of the day settling on my shoulders. The elevator ride felt longer than usual, each floor lighting up as we ascended, the silence only amplifying the nerves bubbling in my chest.

When I finally reached the top floor, I stepped out into the sleek, intimidating hallway. Everything here was pristine—marble floors, modern art on the walls, and the faint smell of expensive cologne lingering in the air. I was definitely out of my league.

I approached the glass doors of the CEO's office and took a deep breath before pushing them open. The receptionist looked up, raising an eyebrow as I awkwardly held up the papers.

"I… um, have these are for Mr. Carter," I said, my voice smaller than I intended.

She gave me a once-over before nodding and motioning toward the large double doors at the end of the room. "Go ahead. He's expecting them."

My stomach flipped. The CEO knows I exist? I slowly approached the doors, knocking lightly before hearing a deep voice from inside.

"Come in."

I opened the door and stepped into the massive office, where two tall, sharply dressed man, one was sitting behind the desk and the other was standing over him. The both turned to look at me, causing me to stif up.

"And who are you?" The guy who was sitting behind the desk asked.

"My name is Anthony sir, I was asked to bring the paperwork." I replied nervously.

The man behind the desk, who I assumed was Mr. Carter, leaned back in his chair, eyeing me for a moment before nodding slowly. "Ah, right. You're the intern from Thompson's team." He gestured to the papers. "Set them down here."

I placed the stack on the corner of his desk, feeling the intense gaze of both men follow my every move. The other man, who had been standing silently, crossed his arms, his sharp features unreadable. His presence felt just as imposing as Mr. Carter's, maybe more so.

"Anything else I can do for you, sir?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I tried to keep my composure.

Mr. Carter exchanged a glance with the man next to him before giving me a half-smile. "No, that's all for now, Anthony. I'll have Thompson follow up with you later."

I nodded, relieved. Just as I turned to leave, the other man—who hadn't spoken yet—cleared his throat. "Wait a second."

My heart skipped a beat. I turned back, unsure of what to expect. The man standing by the desk raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been interning here?"

"Uh… about six months, sir," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

He looked me up and down, as if sizing me up. "Six months, and you're still doing coffee runs and filing paperwork?"

I blinked, unsure how to answer that. Was it a trick question? "Well, it's part of the job," I said cautiously. "I'm learning a lot."

Mr. Carter chuckled lightly, but there was an edge to it. "Learning, huh? Good. Let's see if you can handle more than just paperwork, then." He glanced at the man standing next to him.

"You may leave now" he said with a slay smirk.

I nodded quickly, relieved to have an exit. "Thank you, sir," I murmured before turning and making my way out of the office as fast as I could without actually sprinting. The weight of their gazes still felt heavy on my back as I stepped into the hallway, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

As I walked toward the elevator, my mind raced. More than just paperwork? What did that even mean? Was it a good sign or just another way to test me? Whatever it was, it didn't feel like I had much of a choice. I needed to prove myself, not just to Mr. Carter and Daniels, but to myself too. I couldn't spend the next six months fetching coffee and running errands.

The elevator dinged, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for my floor. As the doors closed, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Glancing down, I saw another message from my mom.

"Don't forget, recital starts at 6 PM sharp. Your sister will be looking for you in the audience!"

I sighed, guilt gnawing at me. Between the pile of work I still had and this sudden new "opportunity," tomorrow was shaping up to be another long day. But I couldn't miss my sister's recital. No matter what.

When I returned to my desk, the usual chaos of the office was in full swing. Thompson was barking orders, Sandra was pacing by the copier, and I could already see more paperwork waiting for me. I sat down, my head still buzzing with the meeting upstairs.

Just as I started working on the reports, Thompson appeared at my desk. "Anthony! The CEO got those papers, right?" he asked, his tone clipped as usual.

"Yes, sir," I replied, trying to focus on typing.

"Good. Now I need you to stay late tonight. There's a presentation we need to finalize for tomorrow morning, and you're going to help me with it."

My heart sank. Of course. I should have seen this coming. But then I thought of Daniels' words—about taking on something more challenging. Maybe this was part of it?

"But sir tomorrow I have to attend my sister's dance recital tomorrow I can't afford staying overnight." I told him.

"I didn't ask you weather you had something to attend, I'm telling you to stay tonight to work on the presentation for for tomorrow."

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach as Thompson's words hit me. Of course, he wouldn't care about my personal life or my sister's recital. He was the type of boss who only saw people as cogs in the machine. I took a deep breath, knowing I had to tread carefully.

"I understand, sir," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "But it's really important to my sister. She's been looking forward to me being there, and I promised her I would go. If there's any way I could get the work done earlier or—"

Thompson cut me off with an annoyed glare. "Do you want this internship to lead to something bigger, Anthony? Because if you're going to prioritize dance recitals over your work here, maybe you're not cut out for this. I can find someone else who's more dedicated."

The words stung, and for a moment, I just stared at my keyboard. I could feel the weight of his ultimatum hanging in the air. My heart was pounding. I couldn't afford to lose this opportunity, but at the same time, I couldn't stand the thought of letting my sister down.

"I am dedicated," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I've been working hard every day, doing everything that's asked of me. But my sister only has this one recital. I'll come in early tomorrow, and I'll stay late after the recital if I need to, but I can't miss this."

Thompson's jaw tightened, and he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "I don't think you understand. This is a make-or-break moment. If you walk out of here tonight, you might as well not bother coming back tomorrow. I'll make sure of it."

My chest tightened at his threat. This wasn't just about staying late—it was about showing whether or not I could handle the pressure, the sacrifice. But the thought of walking into that auditorium tomorrow night and seeing my sister's face when she realized I wasn't there… I couldn't do that to her.

"I'm sorry, sir," I said quietly, meeting his cold gaze. "I'll do my best to catch up with the work, but I can't stay tonight."

Thompson scoffed, standing up straight again and shaking his head in disappointment. "Suit yourself, Anthony. But don't say I didn't warn you."

As he walked away, I slumped back in my chair, feeling a mixture of relief and dread. I had no idea what the fallout would be tomorrow, but at least I'd be there for my sister.

TBC