Bab 3: Chapter One
The honking of the nearby bus brought him out of his revelry.
"Watch it, bozo!" The bus had missed him by a hair's breadth. William let out a breath of relief.
He checked the time and nearly cursed.
He was late.
He'd zoned out again, a second longer and the worn-out road would have been painted with him.
He grabbed the briefcase he'd carelessly flung in the face of danger and checked if anything was broken.
When he was sure everything was intact, he made his way to his office.
He adjusted his snug black tie and made his way towards the office building:
MONOSOFT.
Monosoft Inc was a whooping fifty stories. It stood regal and tall among other buildings dwarfing them all in its glory.
"Another day, another struggle." Will sighed.
He crossed the building's threshold and came to the lobby.
Everyone was like busy bees trying to get to their respective cells on time.
Mondays were always the worst.
He was the secretary but it didn't mean he was immune to query.
He registered his name at the counter while they accessed and screened his belongings.
Once they were done with the custom check, he made his way to the elevator.
Dozens of others had the same idea and boarded the claustrophobic space and he had to calm down and not get bothered about how everyone seemed to get swished together like one big human sandwich.
Standing six-foot tall, Will dwarfed more than half of the passengers on board the elevator.
Will had soft blue eyes and silky black hair that framed his blue eyes perfectly.
He was handsome.
But for someone who could care less about looks or how it seemed to draw the attention of all the ladies on board, he was blissfully and utterly oblivious.
The bell dinged and the elevator door was about closing when a voice eeped, "Wait!"
Startled, Will glanced up, as everyone else did.
The halfway closed metal door opened the rest of the way and his breath caught...
Hope.
Will's eyes were wide as he took in the woman's ruffled hair and clothes. She was always like this in the morning.
He often wondered where she lived— not in a creepy stalker kind of way of course.
She was the most beautiful sight he'd seen all day.
"Going up." Hope chuckled lamely entering the elevator.
Will's eyes were glued to her brown eyes and hair. Hope let out a breath as she found a tiny spot to squeeze into.
William had been working for Monosoft for four years now.
He'd landed the job as secretary a few months after he got laid off from his first job as an accountant.
Budget cuts.
He'd met Hope on his first day and since that day, he couldn't give a word to explain how she made him feel.
She was like the sun and she could see her illuminating everything around her.
People tend to ignore her bubbly cheeriness, but they'd always been the highlight of his day.
Her brown eyes turned sad for a brief moment before she shook her head and plastered on a cheery smile, but he'd caught it.
Even though it was hardly noticeable and had happened within a split second, he'd caught it and he felt his heart clench at the thought of her sad.
'What was wrong?' he wondered.
One after the other, people got off the elevator as it ascended the floors and soon only four passengers were left.
Not many people worked on the top floor. They were reserved for the Chief Officers.
The remaining two people highlighted on the second to the last floor, then it was just them.
Despite his obvious admiration, Will had never spoken a word to her. He was always reduced to a bumbling mess whenever she looked at him.
They were only quick shy glances but it was enough to send his heart in a frenzy. Will silently cleared his throat.
Thinking he meant she was too close Hope moved away a few steps.
"Sorry."
"What?" William turned to her in response.
"What?" She looked back up at him, wide-eyed. He must have seemed like a frozen statue, staring into her honey eyes.
They held so much within them—her tenderness, her softness, her light.
He sucked in a breath thinking about all the responses her eyes alone brought in him.
Her eyes stared back at him curiously, innocently.
Ding!
As if snapping out of a trance, they both blinked and Will could feel his cheeks heating up.
"Um, bye." she bidded as she stepped off the elevator into the top floor.
William ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.
Get a grip, will you!
Will stopped at the first desk and sat, and she entered through the double steel doors leading to the CEO's office.
Yes, he was the secretary and she was the CEO's P.A.
And they both worked on the same floor.
Tough cookie.
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Will exhaled leaning back against the revolving chair, blue eyes closed. He was tired but finally, he'd gotten the job done.
His desk was empty, clear of any file. Today had been a busy day. Mondays always were.
The door leading to the CEO's office opened and he immediately sat straight, clearing his throat.
A man came in dressed to intimidate and impose. He exuded dominance and yet he had a calm to him, just like the calm before a storm.
Meet thirty-year-old Mr. Richard Bennett— son of the great businessman and founder of Monosoft, James Bennett—his boss and present CEO.
He was well known in the business for his stoicness and his zero tolerance for nonsense, just like his father, though a lot of people said he was worse.
Will noticed another presence behind him, an associate.
She was beautiful with brown hair and hazel eyes. He'd seen her there at the office many times and the meeting was never long, never more than ten minutes.
The woman glanced at Will curiously and his heart lurched. He swallowed.
He felt a sudden burst of adrenaline in him. It was a fight or flight response.
The woman was dressed in a suit skirt and a cute chiffon blouse. She had such striking features; high cheekbones and a pointy nose.
"Hope, come."
Mr. Bennett's voice was quiet but it left no room for dispute or delay.
Will looked up just as the door leading to the CEO's office opened beside him.
It was Hope.
His heart sped up. He couldn't help it.
Hope answered the CEO meekly and silently followed him to the elevator— the woman that had visited him leading the way.
Soon, all three of them were out and he exhaled cupping his face in his hands
The round clock hung on the wall, struck three and he was done for the day.
Will reorganized everything on his desk to his taste and kissed the picture of his mother on the desk goodbye.
He then made his way to the elevator.
The elevator ride was far from eventful. Cramped bodies with pungent sweat from the day's stress were enough to make him dizzy.
If he was going to beat the traffic he'd better hurry.
He had to make it to the meeting that Monday or his mother would have his head.
Just as he got off the elevator, he saw Mr. Bennett and Hope getting into his Bentley and soon they drove off.
William sighed but kept on walking.
She was his P.A after all. She goes wherever he goes.
He pays her overtime of course, but it still didn't stop his heart from sinking.
He felt all this for a woman he'd hardly spoken five words to.
But if he could feel something again, it means he was getting better.
Will didn't live anywhere near the busy streets of Manhattan. He'd rented a quiet apartment just west of his office, far from the noise.
He had to be quick if he was going to make it to where he was going on time.
He was always late.
But it would seem the universe wasn't in his favour that day.
Rain poured like no man's business and he ended up getting soaked to his drawers.
Will changed his mind and decided to go home instead.
He sighed.
He was going to hear another lecture tonight, that's for sure.
The taxi dropped him off at his apartment.
It wasn't too shabby. It was just right for a twenty-six-year-old bachelor like himself.
Soaking wet, he paid the driver in cash and took the short walk up his stairs to his apartment building.
It was located in a fairly safe neighborhood.
'Fairly safe' because of the occasional theft here and there.
Will opened the door to his apartment, expecting to see the lights on, smell freshly made food, and a kind smiling face but it was just him alone in the apartment.
He heard the bark of his canine companion. His train of thought broke as a wide smile spread across his face. He crouched to pet the German shepherd.
The dog was whining and jumping.
"I'm sorry boy. Got stuck in traffic." He said with a kind smile on his face.
Will turned on the lights and an impeccably neat room greeted them both.
"Come on boy." He walked to the kitchen with Berry—don't ask— wagging his tail in excitement behind him.
The kitchen was well furnished and filled with groceries, he liked buying his things in bulk. He gave Berry his treat and made his way to his room.
He peeled the wet clothing off of himself to dry out later and he took a hot shower. The shower cascaded down his shoulders, easing the taut muscles on his back.
He exhaled, closing his eyes.
Will...
He opened his eyes. He felt the familiar shiver at the sound of her voice.
"Stop..." He whispered.
She was like a ghost haunting him.
The water coming from the jet became cold and he quickly left. He wrapped a clean towel around his waist exiting the shower.
He got into warmer clothes. He took out his contacts and wore his glasses before making himself some hot cocoa.
He sat down on the couch with his meal and hot cocoa in hand, expecting his mother's call any moment.
It was ten minutes past five already.
"Three, two..."
Ring!
Will couldn't help the small smile.
He took his phone and slid his thumb to the right of the screen.
"Yes, mother?"
"You're late." Her gentle voice filtered through the speaker.
"I wanted to come mother but the rain wouldn't let me." He said honestly, taking a spoon of his dinner and folding his legs.
"The pastor's asking of you."
Will sighed inaudibly. Ever since the incident, her mum had wanted him to talk to the parish pastor. He was like a father to him but the man got too worried for his own good.
"Tell him I said I'm good, and that I'll try making it to church next Monday. Tell him I couldn't this time because of the rain."
He heard his mother sigh over the phone, succumbing.
"How're the headaches?" His mother had always been a worry wort. He got migraine often, but so far so good, he'd had none that day.
"I'm fine mum." He said in a soft tone.
"Please take care of yourself William and use the prescriptions the doctors gave you. I don't want..." Her voice broke and he held a hand to his forehead.
"Don't worry Mum. I'm fine, really. I promise I'll take my meds, okay?"
"Okay." She answered over the phone sniffling. He hated it, when his mother cried, especially if he was the cause.
"It won't be like the last time and besides I don't want Pastor Feranmi giving me an earful about why I made you cry, again." He removed his eyeglasses to massage his temples.
He heard her light chuckle and it took the pressure that had been slowly building, off his chest.
"I love you, honey."
"I love you too Mum."
He ended the call and saw Berry looking worriedly up at him. He let out a sad whimper as he came to sit on his lap.
"Don't worry boy, I'll be fine." He whispered.
After supper, he went to bed. He pulled back his sheets and got in. He read a verse of his worn-out King James Bible.
It had belonged to his girlfriend. It was the only thing of hers he'd gotten to keep.
Although he couldn't remember much, he did remember her smile.
He thought about the ghost of the woman that had hunted him for four years, then he surrendered to a fitful sleep.
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Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
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Power 
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