Chapter 4: Office Showdown

That night, I was still fuming. In my mind, even his handsome face turned ugly.

I replayed the whole encounter while washing dishes, scrubbing harder than necessary. Even Daisy seemed to sense my mood, curling up quietly on her bed.

But I couldn’t shake the feeling he looked familiar. I thought about it for ages but couldn’t place him—maybe he just resembled some celebrity.

Was he someone I’d seen in a commercial? Or maybe a bit part in a Netflix show? The more I thought about it, the more it bugged me.

After all, if someone like that had appeared in my life before, I’d definitely remember.

I mean, come on, you don’t just forget a face like that. Right?

Too bad such a good face came with that mouth—just my luck.

I sighed, flopping onto the couch, wishing I could swap neighbors with someone—anyone.

I was still grumpy at work the next day. Mariah from the next desk noticed my gloomy face and came over. “What’s wrong? You look so down. I heard a handsome guy is coming today—cheer up!”

She nudged me with her elbow, waggling her eyebrows. Mariah lived for office gossip.

I sneered. “Handsome guys aren’t necessarily good people. Some men look human but are actually dogs.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smirking at my own joke.

Mariah flopped onto my desk, surprised. “Whoa, what happened? Did a guy dump you?”

She leaned in, eyes wide, like I was about to drop the juiciest secret of the year.

I shot back, “You’re the one who got dumped. I have plenty of men.”

We both snorted, falling into our usual banter.

Mariah rolled her eyes.

She stuck out her tongue and shook her head, as if to say, "Whatever you say, girl."

Feeling stifled, I looked up. “You don’t know, my new neighbor is a real piece of work!”

I tried to sound casual, but my voice was edged with frustration.

“Don’t you live in a nice suburb? Rich people should be pretty cultured, right?”

Mariah always assumed money meant manners, which—clearly—wasn’t the case.

I dismissed it. “Yeah, right, he’s the king of idiots!”

I let out a dramatic sigh, slumping in my chair for effect.

I summarized the story in a few sentences.

I gave her the highlights: the dog, the food, the attitude. Mariah’s jaw dropped with every detail.

“And then?”

She leaned in, practically bouncing with anticipation.

“Then his dog is a dog, and so is he.”

I finished with a flourish, crossing my arms.

“Oh.”

Mariah blinked, speechless for once. A rare moment.

Suddenly, my arm was jabbed hard, making me wince.

I yelped, rubbing my arm. "What the—?"

I glared at Mariah. “What’s your problem?”

She didn’t answer. Instead, her eyes went wide, and she mouthed, "Behind you."

Mariah was staring behind me, face full of terror.

Her lips were pressed together, and she looked like she’d just seen a ghost.

A bad feeling crept over me. I slowly turned around.

My heart dropped into my shoes as I swiveled in my chair.

Yesterday’s idiotic neighbor was standing behind me, wearing a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

He looked even taller indoors, his suit perfectly pressed, and that same cool, unreadable expression on his face.

His dark eyes looked at me deeply, as if sighing at my recklessness.

He didn’t say a word, just stared, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Behind him stood Mr. Harrington, the company’s number two.

Harrington was beaming, completely oblivious to the tension in the air.

Harrington, apparently oblivious, cheerfully introduced him in the lobby. “Everyone, quiet please! This is our new General Manager, Mr. Brooks. Let’s give him a warm welcome!”

The room went dead silent for a heartbeat, then exploded in applause. A few of the women actually squealed. I felt my face burning.

There was a moment of stunned silence, then thunderous applause and excited squeals from the female colleagues.

Somebody even whistled. I wanted to crawl under my desk.

I clapped, hands trembling, each clap feeling like a slap to my own face—and my heart.

I tried to keep my face neutral, but my palms were sweaty. Was this real life?

If I get fired, I thought desperately, can I at least get an extra month’s severance?

I started mentally calculating my rent and wondering if DoorDash was hiring.