Ethan;
Five people…
Five people lost their jobs because of me… on my first day!!
I should have just kept fucking shut. No one needed my opinion… No one asked.
Now, five people are jobless. Because of me!!!
I stare blankly ahead with my fingers laced together and resting on my knees.
I can't even panic over the fact that I'm sitting right beside my boss in the back seat of this car, because guilt is killing me.
What if they have families?? Of course, they have families! Children… wives… What if one of them even has a pregnant wife!!? And my big ass mouth–
Just a few days ago, I lost my job. I know how hopeless that made me feel, and now… Now I've gone and put five people in the exact same horrible place I was…
I battle to suppress a groan and shut my eyes as the heaviness in my chest grows.
I can't… even beg this man to spare them… He'd probably stare at me like a rag that suddenly grew a mouth.
My eyes discreetly crawl over to Alpha Aurelian, who's sitting with his legs crossed, has his cheek resting on one fist, and his eyes scanning a page of the paperback novel in his hand.
He seems to read novels a lot.
Even now… just harmlessly reading a novel with his suit unbuttoned… he still looks so… scary. How can–
"If you want me to hear you, you're going to have to use your voice." He suddenly says, and my brows crease.
He looks up at me, and my eyes widen.
Shit! I was staring.
He caught me staring.
"S-sorry. I-I uh–– I was just–" I begin, but stop as I don't know how to justify gawking at my boss.
I quickly look away, keeping my eyes trained on my thighs.
"S-sorry." I apologise, and there's silence.
I try to peek up at him again, but to my horror, he suddenly moves. My heart leaps into my throat, and I back up so fast, my back slams into the door.
He hovers over me, and I stare at him with wide eyes as the sound of my heartbeat floods my ears.
His silver eyes hold my gaze, and I feel the warmth of his body against mine.
WHAT IS GOING ON!?
"Your seatbelt." He says softly as he reaches for something behind me, and I blink in confusion as he pulls back and secures my seat belt around me.
He returns to his position, straps his seatbelt back on, and continues reading his novel like nothing weird just happened.
I gulp as I stare at him, but he no longer pays me any heed. I shift uneasily, trying to calm my heart and relax into my seat, but I can't.
That was weird. Wasn't it??
My phone suddenly dings with a notification, and when I pull it out of my pocket, it's a notification from Anu.
My worry instantly disappears as I see that she sent me a picture of her and my grandma.
Went to see Granny after work today. I felt bad about what I said this morning. It was stupid. She wouldn't have a relapse🤕. She's in perfect health and was even upset that I didn't come with you. I promised her you would come visit her soon, so you BETTER keep our promise.😊
I smile as I stare at the image. Her eyes look so bright and happy. So bright it makes my chest hurt. Granny deserves the best. She's always been there for me… and I've never been competent enough to pay her back.
Most times, I avoid going to the elderly home to see her out of shame. I should be more than I am now. I should be there for her, give her all the comfort she could ever give.
But I've… never been good enough to do anything that matters.
My phone dings with another notification, and when I open it, I see another of Granny's toothless grins with a knitted little doll in her hands. It's good to see she hasn't dropped her knitting hobby.
GRANNY MADE A KNITTED PLUSHIE OF MEEEEE💃🏽💃🏽!!! I LOVE IT!!! She made one for you, too. You have to see these. They're adorable!!💯💯
Another text from Anu comes in, and I chuckle softly.
Thank you for going to check on her.
I send, and finally, I feel the car pull to a stop. I look up and find that we're in front of the house the company gave me.
I don't know why Alpha Aurelian insisted that we ride together. He really didn't have to drop me home, but he–
"Alpha, should I park the car at the lot, or would there be a need for it later today?" The driver questions, and my brows crease as Alpha Aurelian unbuckles his seatbelt.
"Park it. I have no intentions of going anywhere else today." He replies as he opens the door, and my jaw drops.
He's… He's… huh!??
"You're getting down?" I can't help but question in confusion, and he pauses. He turns to look at me, and I remain frozen in confused shock.
"... Yes. I'm home…" He replies, and I blink at him in bewilderment, then I quickly look out the window again to be sure I'm seeing right.
"But this is…" The house, Zane said, I'd be staying at during my stay with the company…
"I thought I…' I try to speak again, but stop as my thoughts and mind start glitching in confusion.
"Don't tell me you did not understand the content of your contract before signing." Alpha Aurelian suddenly says in a serious tone that sends shivers down my spine.
"You're being paid for 24/7 availability. Availability that requires you to be right where I need you… when I need you." He adds, and my jaw drops as realisation dawns on me.
That's why he was in the kitchen this morning, with made tea.
That's why Zane smiled funny when I spoke about living alone in the…
I'M TO BE LIVING WITH MY BOSS!??
*******
"Wait… you mean… Like… In the same house!?" Anu questions, as I pace about her livingroom, and I stop to glare at her.
"What have I been speaking? Russian!? Yes, I mean the same house. I saw him in the kitchen this morning with cups of tea, and my scrambled mind didn't even bother once to wonder why he was there. He said my contract states I'm to be available 24/7. And to do that, I need to be— and I quote— where he needs me when he needs me," I explain, and she blinks at me in bewilderment.
"Wow…" She mutters, and I run my hands over my face and my panic flares.
"You really didn't go through the contract, did you?" She questions, and I pause.
"No…" I begin, but she cuts me off.
"No!? You said you would!" She scolds, and my jaw drops.
"Well, I was going to!" I snap back with a hand on my hip, and she raises a brow.
"Until?" She queries, and my gaze drops shamefully.
"Until I saw it was 30 pages of small text. I wasn't going to read all that!" I reply, and she scoffs.
"And now you're living with your boss." She replies flatly, and I shut my eyes.
I don't even know the insanities I may have agreed to by signing that contract. How the fuck was I so desperate that I didn't read through it??
"Don't beat yourself up. I also don't read the terms and conditions before downloading some applications." Anu sighs, and I look up at her, dumbfounded.
"This isn't the same thing," I whine, and her brows crease.
"How is it not!?"
"I'm living with my boss!"
There's a pause when I say this, and I groan once again, pinching the bridge of my nose in worry. I start pacing as all the reasons I can not stay in the same house with that man start to play in my head.
"Well… Is he at least good-looking?" Anu suddenly questions, and I stop moving.
I look up at her, and she blinks at me with an innocent expression.
"W-what??"
"If you're gonna be forced to stay in the same house with some dude, he at least has to be good-looking. If he's some creepy perv, we're gonna have real issues." She replies, and my jaw drops.
"Being good looking doesn't mean he's not a perv!' I retort, and she gives me a look.
"So you're admitting that he looks good?" She replies, and my hands curl into fists as I stare at my foolish bestfriend.
" You know… one of these days, I'll trade you for a loaf of bread." I snap, and she smiles.
"It better be golden bread." She laughs, and I pout.
"I'm serious, Anu. Stop joking. I'm freaking out here!" I rant, and she sighs before standing up and walking over to me.
"I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood." She says, and I roll my eyes before walking over to her couch nd dropping myself on it.
"What type of man is he?" She questions, and I look up at her.
She has her hair in corn rows now, and the seriousness on her face tells me that she's fully dropped the playfulness now. This causes me to sit up.
"I don't know… He's… he's scary." I confess, as I remember the cold, distant look in those eyes of his, and a shiver runs down my spine.
"Scary?" Anu repeats, and I nod.
"Hmm. He fired five people today. On the spot, and he did it like he was merely snapping his fingers. He's… intimidating and… I fumble over my words and self around him. This was only my first day! I don't know how long I'll last around him. He just might fire me for doing—" I begin, but stop as a thought hits me.
"What?" Anu questions, and my worried gaze crawls up to her.
"What if… he finds out about my illness? What if I have an attack around him? He'll definitely fire me." I speak in fear, and Anu places her hands on her hips as she stares into space.
"Okay… this… truly is a fucked situation." She mutters, and I groan as I flop onto the couch.
"I can't live with my boss. It'll be weird, and my anxiety will keep spiralling, and I have no idea the kind of person he is… The moment I saw him walk into the house, I whipped around, got in the first cab I saw and came here. It's weird, isn't it!? I'm not just overthinking, am I?" I begin to ramble in fear, and Anu walks up to the couch and sits beside me.
"No. You're not overthinking. It is indeed weird. But since you've been paid for a whole year up front… There's no backing out." She says, and I groan as I throw my head back.
"Here's what we're going to do. You're going to be very careful. Lock your room's door every night, and put a chair or something behind the door to lock it from inside. You do your job diligently, only ever leave your room when you have to, and… just be careful, in general, boo." She says, and I blink at her as I process her words.
"Think you can handle that?" She questions, and I swallow and nod slowly.
"Hmm. I think I can…"
It's just… a year. What's… what's the worst that could happen?