My Bracelet With The CEO

Maya hit the mattress of her small, creaky bed, curling her knees tight to her chest. She pressed her face deep into the thin, worn pillow, letting out the bitter sobs she had swallowed down on the street. The embarrassment of the afternoon suffocated her. She had lost her newly acquired job and suffered the ultimate humiliation of being thrown out onto the pavement like actual trash by the most powerful, arrogant man in NorthRidge. The cold indifference in that billionaire’s eyes still haunted her vision.

The lively, chaotic pitter-patter of footsteps echoed down the narrow hallway. The bedroom door burst open. Angel, Queen, and Chloe tumbled into the tiny room.

Maya scrubbed the wet tears from her cheeks in a frantic rush. She forced the corners of her mouth up, desperate to hide her mounting panic. The girls climbed onto the mattress, shifting the squeaky springs.

"Mum!" Angel beamed. "You came back from work early today."

"Yes," Maya lied, her voice straining under the fake cheer. "I had to leave early. I was missing you girls way too much."

Queen smiled, settling near the foot of the bed. "We are starting school next month, right?"

The innocent question sent a fresh wave of dread through Maya’s stomach. She needed to figure out how to afford their expensive school fees for the upcoming month. The dentist assistant job was supposed to cover everything. Now she had nothing.

"Yes," Maya said, keeping the smile glued to her face. "Nothing will change that. Where are your brothers?"

"They are doing the cleaning," Queen answered.

Maya reached out and ruffled Chloe’s soft hair. The youngest girl had been unusually quiet, resting her little head against Maya’s shoulder. "How is the new environment, Chloe? Do you like it?"

Chloe looked down, her small fingers picking at a loose thread on the blanket. "I... just want to meet my dad," she murmured softly.

The joyful, chaotic atmosphere in the tiny bedroom sobered in an instant. Maya’s chest registered a physical, sharp ache. She pulled the children close, wrapping her arms around their small frames. She offered warm, gentle reassurances, stroking Chloe’s back.

"You will meet him soon, I assure you," Maya whispered into her daughter’s hair.

Her mind screamed the harsh truth. It was impossible. She slept with a random gigolo in a dark hotel room six years ago. How could she ever identify a nameless face amongst the millions of people in this sprawling city? It was a hopeless dream.

"Why don't you all go play with your brothers?" Maya suggested, her throat tight. "I want to get some rest. I will come play with you when I wake up."

"Okay, Mum," the girls agreed in unison, sliding off the bed and scampering out the door.

Once the room fell silent again, the weight of Maya's despair returned, threatening to crush her. She had no one to ask for help. She rested her head back against the headboard, closing her eyes.

Her cheap phone chirped on the nightstand.

She stared at the unknown number flashing on the cracked screen. She picked it up and swiped to answer. "Is this Maya Vance?" a polite, professional voice asked.

"That's right," Maya said.

"We sent you an email three days ago and haven't received a reply," the man on the other end stated. "Please check your spam folder and let us know what you think."

The line went dead. Maya frowned, tapping the email app on her phone. She refreshed her inbox constantly. How could she miss something? She navigated to the spam folder. A single unread message sat at the top.

The sender was Moretti's Corporation.

Maya opened the email, her eyes scanning the text. Her jaw dropped. It was a job offer. A very lucrative one. Moretti's Corporation offered the highest pay scale in NorthRidge. A rush of overwhelming joy washed away her paralyzing dread. She had a lifeline.

Bright and early the very next day, Maya confidently walked through the towering glass doors of Moretti's Corporation. She breezed through her HR interview, officially securing the position by mid-morning. The receptionist escorted her to her designated floor and introduced her to Clint, the Head of her Department.

Clint stood behind his desk, offering a smarmy, practiced smile. "Welcome to Moretti's Corporation, Miss Maya."

"It's my pleasure, sir," Maya replied, taking a seat opposite him.

Clint slid a thick orientation manual and a stack of manila folders across the desk. "Here is your required orientation paperwork. The rules and regulations. And here are the initial project files the person before you was handling. You need to complete this project before the month ends."

Maya took the files, clutching them to her chest. "That won't be a problem, sir."

She watched Clint scribble something onto a notepad. She waited a moment before speaking up. "May I take my leave, sir? I should get started."

"Not yet," Clint said, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket. "I need to take you up to the CEO's office. It is a mandatory tradition here. All new hires in the building must meet the boss face-to-face before they officially begin."

"Alright, sir." Maya stood, smoothing the skirt of her professional dress.

She followed Clint out of the department, walking toward the private executive elevators. They rode in silence up to the opulent top floor. The elevator doors parted to reveal a massive, intimidating hallway lined with polished marble and modern art. Clint led her straight up to a set of towering double doors.

He knocked twice and pushed the door open.

Maya stepped inside. The massive office was chillingly quiet. A polished woman in a tailored suit stood near a state-of-the-art coffee machine, holding a steaming mug. The large leather chair behind the mahogany desk sat empty.

"Miss Tessa," Clint greeted.

"Hey Clint," Tessa replied, placing the coffee down on a side table. "The boss just stepped out for a moment. He should be back shortly. He asked for his coffee."

"Alright," Clint said. He watched Tessa glide past them and exit the room, the heavy double doors clicking shut behind her.

Clint turned to Maya, pointing a finger. "That is Tessa, the CEO's secretary. You can wait here for him. When he comes in, just introduce yourself." Clint walked toward the exit, pausing with his hand on the brass handle. He leaned in, narrowing his eyes. "Make sure you don't land in the boss's bad book. As long as you manage that, you won't have any problems here."

Before Maya could ask what he meant by that sharp warning, Clint vanished into the hallway.

Maya stood in the center of the massive, empty room. The air conditioning hummed, sending a chill over her exposed arms. She kept her posture straight, holding her files tight. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her heels pinched her toes. She checked the silver clock on the wall. Nearly an entire hour had slipped by. The ache in her legs grew impossible to ignore. What kind of CEO orders coffee and then vanishes for an hour?

Just as she prepared to turn around and walk out, her wandering eyes snagged on a small object resting deliberately on the edge of the massive mahogany desk.

Maya froze. She took a tentative step closer, her breathing hitching in her throat.

It was a piece of jewelry. A silver chain with a very distinct, intricate clasp.

Her heart began to race. She stepped right up to the desk, leaning over to inspect the object without touching it. It was her bracelet. The specific, irreplaceable bracelet her mother had given her. She had lost it six years ago on that fateful night she fled NorthRidge. She remembered tearing her room apart, searching the streets, devastated that her only connection to her mother was gone forever.

Her mind spun into absolute chaos. How in the world did the CEO of Moretti's Corporation get ahold of her lost bracelet? Did he find it on the street? Did he buy it from a pawn shop? Or was it something else?

She reached her hand out, her fingers trembling just inches above the silver metal. She wanted to snatch it back. She needed to take it. But the terrifying fear of being accused of corporate theft paralyzed her hand. If the CEO walked in right now and caught a new hire stealing off his desk, she would go to prison. She pulled her hand back, clenching it into a fist against her side.

An intense, burning curiosity took root deep in her chest. Who was this mysterious man? She needed to see his face. She needed to know how he acquired her mother's jewelry.

Maya backed away from the desk and returned to her spot in the center of the room. She stubbornly stood there for another grueling forty-five minutes. The muscles in her calves burned in agony. Her lower back throbbed. The silence of the office mocked her.

Finally, she admitted defeat. She could not stand for another second. Keeping her eyes locked on the silver bracelet shining under the desk lamp, she quietly backed toward the double doors and slipped out of the office.

The long workday dragged to an end. Maya packed up her meager belongings at her new desk, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and relief. Just as she swung her purse over her shoulder, the internal phone on her desk rang.

"Maya," Clint's voice crackled through the speaker. "Come to my private office."

Maya walked down the corridor and knocked on Clint's door. He beckoned her inside, gesturing to the chair opposite his desk.

"Did you meet with the CEO?" Clint asked smoothly, leaning his elbows on the desk.

"No, sir," Maya answered. "I waited for hours but didn't see him. I will try to go to his office tomorrow."

Clint nodded, his initially polite, professional demeanor beginning to crack. "How was your first day at work?"

"Very great, sir. Thank you. My colleagues were nice people too," Maya said, offering a small, polite smile.

Clint let the silence stretch. His eyes slowly dropped down to her hands resting in her lap. He stared deliberately at her bare ring finger. "Would you mind me asking a question?"

"Sure, sir," Maya responded, keeping her tone even.

"Since I don't see a ring on your finger, it means you are not married," Clint said, leaning forward. He tilted his head, aggressively prying into her life. "But do you have a boyfriend?"

Maya stiffened. The shift in the room's atmosphere was immediate and sickening. This was her first day, and her department head was crossing a massive line.

Firmly shutting him down, Maya met his gaze. "I won't like to talk about personal matters with my superior, sir," she said in a polite but icy tone.

"Oh!" Clint exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Okay."

Maya grabbed the strap of her purse. "Can I leave?"

Clint was completely undeterred by her boundary. His gaze turned intensely lustful, roaming over her body with a disgusting, calculated slowness. He took in the curve of her waist, the line of her legs, before dragging his eyes back up to her face. He leaned back in his leather chair, a smug expression forming on his lips.

"I have a lot of money," Clint offered arrogantly. "We could enter into a relationship. I can make your days at this corporation very easy, and very lucrative. I assure you."

Maya felt a wave of pure revulsion crash over her. She saw the disgusting true colors of her new boss laid bare.

She stood tall, glaring down at the man behind the desk. "I'm not so cheap. Excuse me, sir."

She turned her back on him and marched toward the exit. She reached for the brass door handle.

"I can also make your life a miserable, living hell here," Clint threatened coldly, a malicious smirk in his voice. "If you choose to play too hard to get, you will regret it."

Maya paused with her hand on the handle. Her knuckles turned white. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a panicked reaction. She kept her face stoic, her jaw locked. Without uttering another word, she pushed the door open, stepped out into the bright corridor, and let the heavy door slam shut behind her.