Chapter 5: Lemon Water and New Beginnings

All day, I felt like a leaf battered by wind and rain, head drooping.

I barely got any work done, jumping every time I heard footsteps behind me. Even Daisy’s picture on my desk seemed to judge me.

Mariah looked at me with sympathy. “It’s okay, Rachel. Mr. Brooks doesn’t know who you were talking about. Besides, you weren’t talking about him.”

She gave me a reassuring smile, but I could tell she didn’t believe it herself.

I forced a desperate smile. “Thanks for the comfort. I feel even worse now.”

My voice was barely above a whisper. The embarrassment was suffocating.

Mariah pressed her lips together, eyes widening in shock. “You can’t be serious…”

She clapped a hand over her mouth, staring at me like I’d just confessed to murder.

I covered my face and nodded weakly.

I groaned, wishing I could turn invisible.

“Ah…”

Mariah silently mourned for me for three seconds, then suddenly got excited. “You’re in the perfect spot! Isn’t this how it goes in novels? The heroine stands up to the boss, and then the CEO says: ‘Woman, you’ve caught my eye!’ Then they fall in love!”

She waggled her eyebrows, clearly enjoying herself. "Rachel, this is your big break!"

“Rachel, you’re about to reach the top!”

She pumped her fist, as if she was my personal cheerleader.

I ignored her nonsense and started packing up my desk.

I tossed pens and notepads into my tote, mentally rehearsing my resignation speech. In my head, I channeled Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde: "What, like it’s hard?"

If nothing unexpected happened, I’d be packing up for good soon.

I checked my phone for job alerts, just in case.

I waited at my desk until the end of the day, but no one told me to leave.

Every time the phone rang, my heart skipped a beat. But nothing happened.

Maybe the dog neighbor wanted to make things hard for me so I’d quit on my own and save him a severance package.

Was this how corporate America worked? Passive-aggressive firing?

Not wanting to be bullied, I decided to treat my salary as feeding a dog, wrote a resignation letter, and headed straight to the manager’s office.

I figured, if I was going down, I’d go down swinging.

Forget it, I didn’t care about a few thousand bucks!

I squared my shoulders, channeling my inner Erin Brockovich.

The closer I got to the office, the more my courage faded.

My hands shook as I gripped the letter. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

I forced myself to knock on the door.

The knock sounded way too loud in the quiet hallway.

“Come in.”

His voice was calm, almost bored.

I pushed the door open. The dog neighbor was reading a document.

He looked up, eyes cool and unreadable, then set the papers aside.

I cleared my throat and placed the resignation letter on his desk. “Mr. Brooks, I’d like to resign.”

My voice wavered, but I kept my chin up.

He looked up, saw it was me, and raised his eyebrows. “Rachel?”

He almost smiled, but stopped himself.

Up close, he was even more attractive.

His jawline was sharp, his eyes so dark they looked almost black. I tried not to stare.

His features had a hint of coldness. His eyes weren’t the usual brown, but a deep, almost black shade.

There was something intense about the way he watched me, like he could see right through me.

But I wasn’t here to admire him. I lowered my gaze. “Yes.”

I fiddled with the hem of my blouse, trying to look professional.

A playful smile flashed in his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, arms propped up, his shirt outlining his muscles.

He looked way too comfortable for someone about to accept a resignation.

“Are you quitting because your boss overheard you badmouthing him?”

His tone was teasing, but I still felt my cheeks burn.

Hearing that, I blushed with embarrassment.

I ducked my head, wishing I could disappear.

I simply admitted it. “Yes! Your dog comes to my house every day to eat and drink, and you’re unreasonable. I feel like working for you is doomed!”

I blurted it all out, then bit my lip, waiting for the fallout.

He propped his chin in his hand and laughed quietly.

His laughter was low, almost affectionate. It caught me off guard.

“Rachel, after all these years, you really haven’t changed.”

His voice was so low I almost didn’t catch it. “What?”

The words felt strangely intimate, like we shared a secret history.

His smile faded. He sat up straight and looked at me seriously. “Rachel, yesterday was my fault. I was in a bad mood… Don’t worry, I won’t make things difficult for you. It was my mistake in the first place. The company really needs talent like you. Please stay.”

His tone was sincere, and for a moment, I almost forgot why I was mad.

He handed me the document he’d been reading. “I read your proposal. It’s very good. We’ll discuss it at next week’s meeting. Please refine it further.”

He slid the folder across the desk, his fingers brushing mine for a split second.

“Ah? Really?”

I blinked, not quite believing my luck.

He nodded. “It’s highly feasible. You did a great job.”

He gave me a rare, genuine smile.

My mouth stretched into a huge grin, almost to my ears.

I felt like I’d just won the lottery.

I happily took the proposal. “Thank you, Mr. Brooks. I’ll get right on it!”

I practically skipped out of the office, clutching the folder to my chest.

I left the office in high spirits.

Mariah gave me a thumbs up as I passed her desk.

It wasn’t until I sat back at my desk that I realized—wait a minute. I went in to resign, so how did I end up with more work?!

I groaned, but couldn’t stop smiling.