BENNY'S HEART

Benny jolted awake to the loud, angry banging on the door.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she got up from the tiny mattress, her head

spinning from exhaustion. The sun wasn't even fully up yet, and already, trouble was knocking literally.

BENEDICTA! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!

The landlord shouts.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to move. Her body ached from another sleepless night of studying, looking for legit online gigs, and stressing over her unpaid rent.

She tiptoed across her, cluttered apartment, her bare feet freezing against the wooden floor. Maybe if she stayed quiet, he'd think she wasn't home.

BENEDICTA, IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR, I WILL BREAK THE DOOR.

She flinched. This man was serious.

Taking a shaky breath, she unlocked the door. It swung open so fast she had to step back.

Mr. Handerson, their very impatient, very unforgiving landlord, stood in the doorway, his face twisted with anger. His oversized belly stretched his faded gray sweater, and the strong scent of cheap cologne mixed with sweat filled the air.

Morning, sir, she said, forcing a polite tone.

Forget morning! Where is my money? His sharp gaze swept over the tiny apartment, landing on the unwashed dishes in the sink, the stack of law textbooks on the table, and finally on her. You promised me last month that you'd pay. Where is it?

Benny clenched her fists. She had no answer.

I just need a little more time sir, she said, with a tiny voice.

Mr. Handerson scoffed. That's what you said last month! If I don't see my money in one week, I'm filing for eviction.

Her stomach dropped. Sir, please..

No begging! I'm tired of stories. ONE. WEEK.

With that, he turned and stormed down the hallway, his boots thudding loudly against the floor.

Benny shut the door slowly, pressing her forehead against the cold wood. ONE WEEK.

Where was she supposed to get that kind of money in One week?

Her phone buzzed.

She sighed. It was her mother.

Benny hesitated before declining the call. She already knew what her mom would say she needed money for groceries, her younger brothers school fees were overdue.

She just felt so depressed, at this point.

Her legs felt weak as she sank onto the bed.

She couldn't cry. Not now.

She had to fix this.

Her eyes flicked to her laptop. Maybe there was still hope.

---

Hours later, Benny sat in front of her laptop, her fingers trembling over the keyboard.

Her exam results had just been released.

Her chest tightened as she clicked on the portal.

A few seconds passed. Then the numbers popped up.

Her stomach twisted violently.

Failed. Again.

No No, no, no!

She pushed back from the desk, her hands shaking. Her half ride scholarship was at risk.

If she failed one more course, shed lose everything.

The pressure was unbearable. Rent, bills, school fees, school pressure how was she supposed to survive?

Her phone buzzed again. Her mother.

Benny closed her eyes and ignored it.

The weight of poverty, failure, and hopelessness pressed down on her, suffocating her.

She buried her face in her hands, and cried.

God, why me? Her voice cracked. I work so hard. Why do I keep failing?

A sharp knock yanked her back to reality.

Benny! Are you in there?

Her roommate, Tasha.

Benny quickly wiped her face and tried to look normal.

Tasha, a tall, confident girl with caramel skin and a sharp tongue, stepped inside, her eyes narrowing at Benny's expression.

You look like someone stole your last slice of pizza, she said.

Benny let out a hollow laugh. "Worse".

Tasha gaze flicked to the laptop screen. The red Fail glared back at them.

Damn, girl, Tasha whispered.

Benny exhaled shakily. If I fail again, I'm done. No more scholarship, no more school, no more dreams. Just being depressed and poverty like I was always meant for.

Tasha brows furrowed. Okay, first, you are NOT meant for poverty.

Secondly, you need a real job sweetheart.

Benny scoffed. You think I haven't tried? I've applied everywhere fast food joints, online gigs, even those weird make money fast websites. Nothing works.

Tasha tilted her head. You ever tried ghostwriting?

Benny frowned. Ghostwriting?

Yeah, Tasha pulled out her phone. Rich people and companies hire writers to write books, articles and lots more for them.

Some of them pay crazy money.

Writing? For money?

It sounded too good to be true.

But at this point, she had nothing to lose.

For the next two weeks, Tasha gave Benny her paid online ghostwriting courses to study and taught her everything she knew about ghostwriting.

One evening, after spending hours searching for jobs, Benny saw something.

A multi-billion-dollar company was looking for an anonymous writer.

The pay? More money than she had ever seen in her life.

Her heart pounded.

This could be it.

Without hesitation, she spent hours crafting her application.

She wrote with passion, pouring her heart and soul into every word.

This wasn't just a job. It was her last chance.

She hit send.

Then, she exhaled and stared at the screen. Now, all she could do was hope and wait.

---

Five days later.

Benny was walking back to her apartment, exhausted and frustrated from another grueling day, when her phone suddenly rang.

An unknown number.

Her pulse quickened.

She hesitated before answering. Hello?

A deep, commanding voice filled the line. Is this Benedicta Williams?

She froze. Something about the tone sent shivers down her spine.

Yes who's this?

A pause.

Then, the words that would change her life forever.

"Congratulations Ms Benedicta Williams. We received your application for the Ghostwriter position, your skills stated on your application matched what we were looking for, You've been hired by Sterling & Co, and we request you start work Next week Monday".

Her breath caught. Was she imagining things?

Sterling & Co.

The biggest, most elite publishing empire in the world.

She just got hired. She felt like she was hallucinating, but it was real.

But what she didn't know was the man on the phone, was the ruthless billionaire heir of Sterling & Co.

And he was about to become her worst nightmare.

Benny Gets Hired...

Turns Into a Nightmare...

Benny sat on the edge of her tiny bed, staring at the email on her cracked laptop screen.

"Congratulations! You have been selected as a ghostwriter for Sterling & Co. Publishing.

Further details will be sent shortly". Welcome aboard!

Her breath hitched.

She actually got the job. It felt like a dream, or maybe she was just imagining things.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a disbelieving laugh and teary eyes.

This was Sterling & Co.-one of the biggest publishing firms in the world. People killed for a chance to work there. And somehow, out of thousands of applicants, they chose her?

An undergraduate, Who is just kinda new to Ghostwriting.

Why?

But before she could celebrate, reality hit her like a slap.

She had rent due. Bills piling up. And her landlord was running out of patience.

As if on cue, a sharp knock echoed through the room.

She froze.

The door swung open, revealing Mr. Henderson, her bald, wrinkled-suit-wearing landlord, with the usual look of unamused debt collector energy.

"Benedicta," he said, in a slow and smug voice. "It's the first of the month."

Her stomach dropped.

"I know, I-"

He held up a hand. "Save it. You're more than three weeks late. I've been generous, but now? I need my money. Now."

She swallowed. "I just got a job at Sterling & Co. I swear, I'll pay you soon-"

He snorted. "I'll believe it when I see it." He glanced around her tiny studio apartment with

undisguised disgust. "Until then, consider this your final warning."

Benny watched helplessly as he walked away, slamming the door behind him.

She had to make this job work.

Because if she failed?

She'd have nowhere left to go.

---

"Next week Monday"

Sterling & Co. Headquarters – Manhattan, New York

Benny gulped as she stepped into Sterling & Co.

It wasn't just an office.

It was a billionaire's playground.

Glass walls, Shiny marble floors, Employees dressed in designer suits, speaking into Bluetooth earpieces like they were closing million-dollar deals before lunch.

She tugged at her thrift-store blazer, feeling painfully out of place.

A tall, icy-blonde receptionist gave her a quick once-over before sighing like she had better things to do.

"Name?"

"Benedicta Williams. I was hired as a ghostwriter."

The receptionist barely glanced at her screen. "Top floor. Mr. Sterling's office."

Benny's stomach plummeted.

Mr. Sterling?

Her boss was Adrian Sterling?!

She thought she'd be working under some editor-not the untouchable billionaire himself.

Her hands tightened into fists as she stepped into the elevator.

The ride to the top floor felt longer than her entire life.

When the doors finally opened, she stepped into Sterling's lair-and felt like she had

entered another universe.

Cold. Sharp. Ruthless.

And sitting behind a massive glass desk, with the aura of a king surveying his kingdom, was him.

Adrian Sterling.

The ruthless, untouchable CEO.

Feared by employees, respected by competitors. Emotionally unavailable-or so it seems.

A man who gets everything he wants.

He looked pissed.

"You're late."

Benny blinked. "I-I was told to come at-"

"I don't care what you were told." His voice was calm but cutting, like ice slicing through

steel. "You work for me now. That means you follow my rules."

She clenched her jaw, swallowing a sarcastic "Oh, great. He's one of those, arrogant and

rude Boss".

Adrian leaned back in his black leather chair, his piercing blue eyes locked onto her.

"Let me make this clear, Williams."

He stood, walking towards her with the controlled grace of a predator.

Benny refused to step back.

"Sterling & Co. is not a playground," Adrian continued. "I don't tolerate mistakes. I don't

tolerate excuses. And I definitely don't tolerate laziness."

Benny's eye twitched.

"I-"

"Rule number one," he cut her off. "You always submit your work on time. No exceptions."

Benny's fingers clenched around the strap of her bag.

"Rule number two: I hate incompetence. If your writing is mediocre, you rewrite it until it

meets my standards."

Her nails dug into her palm.

"Rule number three: You don't waste my time with irrelevant questions. If you can't figure something out, you shouldn't be here."

Her blood boiled.

"And rule number four," he said, his voice dipping into a dangerous softness, "If you ever.argue with me, you're fired. Immediately."

Silence.

Benny could barely breathe.

She had met arrogant bosses before. But this man?

He wasn't just arrogant.

He was a nightmare wrapped in a designer suit.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Still want the job?"

Benny's pride screamed at her to throw his rules back in his face and walk out.

But then, she thought about her empty bank account. Her landlord. Her rent.

She had to survive.

So she lifted her chin and met his gaze head-on.

"Yes."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through Adrian's eyes.

Then, with zero emotion, he turned back to his desk.

"You start now."

---

First Assignment – The Nightmare Begins

Ava, Adrian Sterling assistant took Benny to her working space, then left to

get some documents.

Few minutes later.

Benny barely had time to breathe before she was handed her first task.

"Mr. Sterling wants this done by tonight," his assistant, Ava,said briskly, dropping a thick folder on her desk. "No mistakes."

Benny stared at it. "This is-"

"Twenty chapters. Due at midnight."

Her brain short-circuited. "Excuse me?!"

Ava shot her a bored look. "Problem?"

Benny wanted to scream. Who in their right mind expected twenty chapters in a day?!

But she forced a tight smile. "No problem."

Ava smirked, clearly enjoying her suffering. "Good luck, newbie."

Benny collapsed into her chair, rubbing her temples.

This was insane.

She took a deep breath, cracked her knuckles, and got to work.

---

Midnight – The Submission

By the time she finished, her brain felt fried.

She dragged herself to Adrian's office, knocking once before stepping inside.

He didn't look up. "You're late."

She gritted her teeth. "It's 11:58."

Adrian took the file without glancing at her. "Sit."

Benny hesitated. "Why?"

"Because I said so."

She clenched her fists but sat.

Adrian flipped through the pages, his expression unreadable. Then, without warning-

He tore the first page in half.

Benny choked on air. "What the-"

"This is garbage."Her jaw dropped.

Garbage?!

She had spent hours on that! Adrian looked up, eyes cold. "Redo it. By 8 AM."

Benny shot up from her seat, furious. "Are you kidding me?!"

He didn't even flinch. "Do I look like I joke?"

She glared at him, chest heaving.

"You're insane."

Adrian smirked. "Welcome to Sterling & Co."

Benny wanted to strangle him.

But instead, she grabbed the ruined pages and stormed out.

This job was going to kill her.

And Adrian Sterling?

He was going to be the death of her.

8:00 AM – The Deadline

Benny's fingers trembled as she clutched the revised chapters, her body screaming from exhaustion. She hadn't slept. Not even for a second,

she felt so frustrated and weak.

After pulling an all nighter fight, fueled with nothing but coffee, rage, and the burning desire to prove Adrian Sterling wrong, she had rewritten every single word.

And now, she had to face him again.

With a deep breath, she pushed open the office door.

Adrian sat at his desk, a cup of black coffee in one hand, flipping through some documents with the other. He didn't even glance up as she approached.

Benny dropped the manuscript in front of him. "Done."

Silence.

Adrian finally lifted his icy blue eyes to hers. "I assume it's better than the garbage you submitted last night?"

Benny's nails dug into her palm. "Read it and find out."

A flicker of amusement passed through his gaze before he took the manuscript and began flipping through the pages.

Benny stood there, forcing herself not to fidget. Every turn of the page felt like a hammer to her nerves.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Adrian shut the file.

"Acceptable."

Benny blinked. "What?"

He leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee. "I said it's acceptable.

Not great. Not impressive. Not perfect, it's just acceptable or should I say, it's just

Manageable".

Her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to strangle him.

"Then I assume I passed your insane test?" she snapped.

Adrian smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "I guess for now."

Before she could unleash the insults sitting on her tongue, the office door swung open.

A tall woman with sleek black hair and sharp cheekbones stepped inside, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor. Ava.

She gave Benny a once-over before turning to Adrian. "The board meeting

starts in ten minutes."

Adrian nodded, and stood up. "Williams, you're dismissed. Get started on our next assignment."

Benny scowled. "What is it this time? Fifty chapters in one night or you could show me the beast in you by making it a Two hundred chapter or more in one night?"

Adrian smirked. "I could if you want"

Ava chuckled. "No. Just a small task."

She handed Benny a USB drive.

"You're ghostwriting Mr. Sterling's speech for tomorrow's investors' gala.

He needs it ready by 5 PM."

Benny's stomach dropped. What?!

She barely survived last night's deadline, and now she had to write a speech for the most powerful man in the company?

Before she could protest, Adrian was already walking toward the door.

"Don't disappoint me, Williams," he said casually, without even looking back.

Then he was gone.

Benny stared at the USB drive in her hand, She felt like throwing it away, but she couldn't, she had no option, she had to endure because she really needed this job, so she could pay of her outstanding debts.

This job was going to kill her.

---

THE SPEECH FROM HELL

Benny sat at her desk, glaring at the blank document on her screen.

What the hell was she supposed to write?

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Every time she tried to type something, her brain short-circuited.

After an hour of pure frustration, she groaned and buried her face in her hands. How was she supposed to write a speech for a man who barely spoke in complete sentences?!

A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Struggling already?"

She looked up to see Ava leaning against her desk, arms crossed, smirking.

Benny sighed. "Any chance you have some old speeches I can reference?"

Ava chuckled. "Adrian doesn't do speeches. He hates them. That's why you're writing one."

Benny wanted to scream.

Of course. Of course, the universe hated her.

She exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll figure it out myself."

Ava shrugged. "Good luck, newbie. You'll need it."

Then she walked off, leaving Benny alone with her misery.

She groaned and cracked her knuckles. If Adrian Sterling wanted a speech, he was going to get one.

And if he discredit this one, She was going to march into his office and throw her laptop at his face.

---

5:00 PM – THE VERDICT

Benny stood in front of Adrian's desk again, her heartbeat in her throat.

She had spent the entire day crafting the perfect speech-pacing, deleting, rewriting and questioning her entire existence.

Now, she had to survive his judgment again.

Adrian took the USB from her and plugged it in. His eyes scanned the screen as he read in silence.

Benny clenched her fists. Please don't discredit this one. Please. Oh God help me.

Finally, Adrian leaned back and closed the file.

"It'll do."

Benny's jaw nearly dropped.

It'll do?!

After all that suffering?!

She should have been relieved, but something about his bored tone made her snap.

"You know," she blurted out, crossing her arms, "a normal boss would say 'good job' or "thank you" instead of treating their employees like disposable robots or items"

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "A normal employee wouldn't need two tries to get it right."

Benny's eye twitched. "Unbelievable."

Adrian smirked. "Welcome to my world, Williams."

She glared at him, resisting the urge to grab his stupid designer tie and strangle him.

One thing was certain.

This wasn't just a job anymore.

This was a war zone, only the bravest could survive.