Alec was the last person I was expecting at the office. 

My excitement at seeing him made me throw caution in the air and jump into his hands. I would have stayed longer in his arms, but for my boss’ interruption. 

“What do you take this place for? He fires

Surprisingly, Alec remained calm and unperturbed by the outburst.

I am so sorry, sir.”

He glares angrily at me and demands the file he asked me to work on, which I immediately placed in his arms, feeling jittery all over.

As for Alec, he took his leave immediately, and my boss went back into his own office.

The rest of the day in the office was peaceful. His calls were brief but full of orders. His emails and messages were not left out; I replied to everyone, careful not to incur his wrath again.

At home, my phone rings, displaying "unknown" on the caller ID for the third time that day. I swiftly dismissed the call and reached for the smoothie on my bedside table. As the phone buzzed once more, Janet's name lit up the screen.

"You sure have a thing for interruptions," I muttered.

"Hey," she said cheerfully. "You never mentioned your new job."

"Sorry, it slipped my mind."

"So, how was your first day at work?"

I was tempted to share my encounter with my new boss, but I knew it would only lead to endless teasing from Janet. "It was stressful."

"Aren’t you coming home tonight?" With a series of yawns, I questioned

"Yeah, I stopped by at my cousin’s place. I will be back tomorrow morning."

I turned off my bedroom light and quickly drifted to sleep. Going to bed early wasn't my usual routine, but I needed as much rest as possible; my new job was already taking a toll on me. 

The next morning, I woke up with a mild headache. A quick look on my phone, and I frown at the obvious lateness I would incur if I delayed any further. 

I shed my silky nightwear and headed to the bathroom, eager to get to work as early as possible.

I arrived at the office 15 minutes late, relieved to find the boss absent. This gave me a chance to freshen up and tidy his office, although I couldn't help but wonder why I was doing the cleaning duties meant for the janitorial staff. I had inquired about it on my first day.

"Why does the boss want me to do the cleaner's job?" I had asked a coworker.

"He has his reasons," she replied, before hurrying away.

It was evident that everyone was afraid of him. Fear was etched on their faces when he summoned them, and they spoke in hushed tones when he was nearby.

"He's not just arrogant and proud; he's also intimidating," I concluded. I began to regret giving in to his charms the other day. Perhaps he was accustomed to having women vying for his attention. A question popped into my mind, and I decided a background check on him was in order.

"No wonder he's so full of himself," I remarked with a smirk as I examined the information on my phone screen. My attention remained fixed on the screen as the door suddenly swung open, revealing my boss's cold expression.

"Did I startle you?" he inquired, his fingers lightly tracing the neckline of my turtleneck top.

Could he not tell? His mere presence was enough to startle even the most composed person.

"No, sir," I stammered, shaking my head defensively. 

He persisted with his unsettling advances, his touch tracing a familiar path down my collarbone until his finger hovered just above my left cleavage. Growing more terrified, I attempted to step away from his reach, but he cornered me against the wall, his body looming over mine.

I raised my hand, hoping to push his fingers away, desperate to quell the emotions his touch was stirring. In response, he smiled—a boyish grin that I found almost impossible to resist.

"You're as enticing as you were the other night," he admitted before roughly pushing me away.

Instead of feeling relieved, I felt a pang of regret hit me as he roughly pushed me away from his body.  As if he feared I could infect him with some sort of deadly disease. 

It felt as if he was repulsed by my mere presence, or was I wrong with the hint of emotion I saw in his eyes when he trailed his fingers down the nape of my top? “This will be the last time he humiliates me again,” I said, anger suddenly taking over my mood. I had forgotten my promise to Janet. I even ignored her call when she called to inquire about my new workplace. The sudden urge to throw up follows my stomach grumbling. It was the third time I had such a reaction, except that this time it was almost impossible to ignore it. I hastily dashed into the restroom and freed my bowel of its contents.