I pulled myself together and got dressed, forcing my mind into work mode even though my heart felt heavy. I couldn't let myself spiral, not now, not with everything piling up.
By the time I was ready, Calvin's car was already waiting outside, sleek and spotless as always. He called it his "baby," and he was borderline obsessed with it.
He paid more attention to that car than he did to himself; if ever torn between using his last bucket of water to shower or to wash the car, Calvin would happily go unbathed for as long as it took. His devotion to it was almost comical, and it was one of the many things that icked Allison beyond words.
He gave me a polite nod when I slid into the back seat.
"Good morning, Ms. McCall," he greeted, his eyes fixed on the road. My choice to sit in the back seat had already signaled to him that I was having a bad morning. The formal "Ms." was his way of teasing me... sarcasm he knew would land.
"Morning, Calvin," I murmured, my eyes glued to my phone. No new messages.
After a few minutes of silence, he finally remembered he wasn't just my driver, he was my friend.
"Jac... are you fine?" he asked. I had always teased him that his choice of words sounded so feminine, why not just say "You okay?" like most men? But despite all my complaints, he never changed. That softness in him, that warmth, was what made some people tag him as "too gentle" or even "gay."
"Hey... are you even here right now?" he added, snapping me out of my fog.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied quickly.
"What has he done this time?" Calvin pressed. "I was surprised when I got his message this morning asking me to pick you up. I thought since he's in town, he'd be driving you himself. With everything going on lately... you two need every bit of time together you can get."
His voice was laced with genuine concern. I hadn't opened up to him about the recent cracks between Derek and me, but Calvin saw more than I ever said aloud.
Sometimes, I wished Derek had even a fraction of Calvin's softness.
As Calvin continued to speak, I almost let my guard down, almost shared everything. But thankfully, the headquarters came into view, saving me from confessions I wasn't ready to make.
The ride to the Phoenix Group headquarters felt longer than usual. The city rushed past in a blur of gray and gold. When we finally pulled up, I smoothed down my blouse and took a deep breath before stepping out.
The receptionist in the lobby, Tasha, greeted me with her usual bright smile.
"Good morning, Jacqueline!"
"Morning, Tasha," I managed, forcing a small smile.
Once inside my office, I dropped my bag and powered on my computer. The familiar ping of incoming emails immediately swallowed me up - a relentless flood of updates, approvals, and requests.
I poured myself a cup of coffee, perched on the edge of my chair, and began scanning the subject lines:
Urgent: Financial Review Required by Noon
Catering Preferences for Thursday's Executive Lunch
I sighed, taking a careful sip. The warmth grounded me, if only a little.
Soon, colleagues began appearing at my door.
"Hey, Jac, did you get a chance to look at those balance sheets from last week?" Mara asked, her brows pinched with mild worry.
"Yes," I said, clicking through folders. "I sent them back with my comments. Check your inbox."
"Perfect. Thanks, as always." She flashed a grateful smile and hurried off.
Next was Nathan from compliance, peeking in with a sheepish grin.
"Morning, Jacqueline. Mind if I borrow you for five minutes? I need help clarifying some audit points before finalizing the presentation for Derek."
"Of course. Come in," I gestured to the chair across from me.
While talking to Nathan, my eyes kept drifting to the clock, my mind unwillingly pulling back to Derek. I pushed the thought away, burying myself in numbers and deadlines instead.
After he left, I turned back to the sea of emails. My fingers flew over the keyboard, approve, forward, comment, schedule, repeat. I clung to the rhythm like a lifeline, letting it shield me from the gnawing uncertainty inside.
A soft knock snapped me out of my haze.
"Hey, you free for lunch today?" Allison poked her head in, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Not sure. Depends on how much I can clear before noon," I sighed, gesturing at my overflowing screen.
She pouted dramatically. "Fine, but don't disappear on me completely, okay? You look like you need a mountain of pasta and the strongest cocktail we can find."
I couldn't help but laugh, even if faintly. "Maybe after work."
She grinned, blew me a dramatic kiss, and ducked back out.
I had barely turned back to my screen when a sudden ping echoed through the office-wide notification system. A new internal alert flashed across my screen, bright red and urgent:
Company Update: Immediate All-Staff Meeting at 3 PM in Main Conference Hall. Mandatory attendance.
My heart skipped a beat. We never had emergency all-staff meetings, ever.
A hush fell across the hallway. I heard murmurs, doors creaking open and shut, footsteps quickening.
Another ping. This time, an email from the legal department.
Subject: Legal Action Notification. Confidential
My breath caught as I clicked it open.
>It has come to our attention that Phoenix Group has been named in a lawsuit filed this morning. Details to follow at the meeting. Please refrain from external communication regarding this matter until further notice.
My hand trembled as I reached for my coffee, suddenly unsure if I could even hold it steady.
A lawsuit?
I stared at the email, the words blurring and then sharpening again as the weight of them settled in my chest.
Outside, voices grew louder, panic starting to crackle like static electricity.
I pressed my fingers to my temple, forcing myself to breathe.
This wasn't just bad news. This was the kind of earthquake that could shatter everything, the company, my work, Derek... us.
I swallowed hard, my mind spinning with questions.
PING.
Another alert. 3:00 PM. Main Conference Hall.
I clenched my jaw, my pulse roaring in my ears.
Around me, the office transformed into a storm I couldn't outrun.
