With the bus finally coming to a halt at the bus stop, Emily darted out, weaving through the morning crowd as though her life depended on it.
Her heart pounded in her chest, legs aching, but she didn't slow down until she pushed through the company gates and rushed into the building.
She prayed silently as she pressed the elevator button, each passing second a reminder of what was at stake. Please, let me not have missed the Monday meeting.
But even the morning seemed determined to break her spirit. The elevator doors slid open, and before she could breathe, she found herself face-to-face with Lolita.
Emily winced. "Enemies meeting at a narrow road," she muttered under her breath.
Lolita's eyes swept over her mockingly, taking in sight of her disheveled state; her blouse stained faintly, her skirt rumpled from being squeezed in the bus and her face glistening with sweat. A slow smirk tugged at Lolita's lips.
"Tsk, tsk, some people are really competing with the CEO now, arriving at the office on their own time."
Emily inhaled deeply, forcing herself to remain calm, she stepped forward, but Lolita shifted deliberately, blocking her path. "Are you just coming? In this state?" Her smirk deepened.
"Lolita, leave my way," Emily said coldly.
Lolita gave her a slow, disdainful once-over look, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hope you have a good excuse for missing the Monday meeting."
Emily gritted her teeth in frustration, suppressing the urge to slap her hard across the face.
She was already stressed out by Pauline at home, and now she was too tired to fight, too tired to explain herself and definitely not to Lolita.
Without another word, she sidestepped and pushed past.
Seeing her silence, Lolita's fist tightened at her side, though she masked it with a fleeting glance as she watched her throttle to the office.
Emily could feel Lolita's hot gaze drilling into her back, but she didn't have the energy to engage her, definitely not today.
Emily headed straight to her desk. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe she had escaped. Just as she sat down, preparing to bury herself in her work the illusion she had carefully woven shattered.
The office door banged open. Keira strode into the office, her composure regal and elegant, her confidence brimming with competence, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she strode toward Emily.
With other colleagues drawing in a deep breath at the sight of the sharpness of Keira's expression… she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.
"Emily," Keira's voice cut through the room like a blade. "You missed the meeting again?" She questioned, her gaze locked on her.
Emily's stomach tightened. She opened her mouth to respond, but Keira didn't give her the chance.
"If you're so eager to be late, maybe you should just quit. We don't have time for people who can't show up on time to do the needful." Her voice dripped with venom, her gaze trained fiercely on Emily.
Emily felt her words strike like a slap to the face. Her jaw clenched, but she had nothing to say because nothing would change.
She wasn't about to argue her way out of this. She was at fault, and especially now when Keira's temper was already on edge, it was better not to provoke her more.
Keira waited, her eyes cold as she stared down at Emily, expecting her response.
Emily could feel the weight of Keira's glare burning into her.
Her thoughts became a tangled mess… family pressures, the loss of breakfast, the looming feeling that everything was out of her control. Keira's words only added fuel to the fire.
Lolita stood at her desk staring at her, her gaze complica. Emily could almost hear her mocking voice in her head.
She had been through this before: pushed, taunted, treated as the underdog. It was familiar, and somehow, that made it worse.
Emily took a slow, deliberate breath. She didn't want to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her crack.
Keira's patience seemed to be running out as she waited for an answer, her fingers tapping on the desk impatiently.
Emily sighed. No matter how bad this moment was, it was just another challenge she had to face, just like the ones that always came before, and like the ones she'd conquer again. She schooled herself to calm down.
"Actually, something came up at home," she began, meeting Keira's gaze directly. "I was trying to handle it as fast as I could, but things didn't go as planned," Emily replied exhaustively.
There was a brief silence. Keira's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied her seriously for any trace of lying.
Emily had always been one of the best staff she had, but gradually she became an ardent latecomer.
"I think you need to handle this family matter quickly and not delay the progress of everyone's work due to your absence and lateness," Keira instructed concisely.
Though she valued her effort, when her actions became detrimental to the company, she couldn't save her.
Emily nodded slowly. She understood the point Keira was making, but she couldn't deny the frustration that began to simmer inside her again.
Keira's eyes softened just slightly. "Fine. Just don't let it happen again, or you'll have more than just a missed meeting on your plate."
Emily swallowed her frustration, gave a small nod. "I won't let it happen again." Her tone was determined. She would have to plan her life.
Inside, her resolve crystallized. She couldn't go on like this, tied down by her family's demands, her life constantly spiraling out of her control.
Even on the bus ride, she had already begun considering it.
Now, she was certain. She needed her own apartment. Distance from her family wasn't just desirable, it was survival.
She had worked too hard to reach this level. She wouldn't lose everything now. Not for her mother, father, or sister. Not for anyone.
Lolita clapped her hands in mockery. "Some people are really good in pretense. Who doesn't know you are just... Tsk tsk." She smirked as she left the office, swaying her hips.