Fooling the CEO

Back then, I thought the world was big. It's so big that I can't reach the stars and the sky; they can all be reached just by my eyes. It seems that everything I think is impossible; everything is so far beyond the reach of the mind and not of one's own ability.

I watched the tall skyscrapers rush to reach the sky. The city is well lit, but my heart is still stuck in this black hole.

"Ms. Hampton."

I stopped thinking when my driver called me. I looked at him and he stared at me from the rear mirror. Has he been calling me? I seem to have lost myself for a while.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Anderson called. He's asking for you, he's waiting for you for dinner. "

I gritted my teeth as I heard that name. It's been months now, but I'm still full of anger and disgust. I let out a deep breath. If he wasn't one of his men, I would have uttered an insulting word about him now.

"Tell him, I'm on my way home," I simply said.

"Shall I also tell him where you went today?" the driver asked.

My brows furrowed. My heart thumped in chaos, but I made sure he wouldn't notice that. I saw him glance at me again.

"Of course. No need to ask for my permission, Sibal. He's your boss," I uttered in a monotone voice.

He just nodded lightly. Of course, I'm not a fool to just give him the smooth railway. He knew anything about me, including my day-to-day whereabouts. So I'm sure he definitely knows about my meeting with Angelo today.

That's why as soon as the elevator opened, I immediately saw his angry face. I remained stoned face as my heels clacked along the hallway of his pad. Fire almost came out of his nose as he stopped in front of me.

"Where have you been?" he asked with restraint.

I smirked, "Didn't Sibal tell you? It's impossible for you to not know. "

"I'm waiting for you here for this goddamn dinner, which I told you this fucking morning! Only for me to find out that you're out with that mother fucker!? "

I saw his fist clenched to his sides. Veins popped out in his arms as he did that. He's mad, and I'm making fun of it.

"Didn't I tell you not to meet that man!?" He burst out.

My lips protruded as I looked at him with amusement in my eyes.

"I'm sorry, mister. You're not the boss of me," I said this sarcastically.

I stepped so that I could leave him, but before I could even do that, he grabbed my wrist to stop me. I gasped. I gripped my handbag tightly and remained calm, even though he was about to burst into rage.

"I own you, Emma. You are fucking mine. Only mine," he said emphatically.

His warm breath smells like whiskey; it hits my face getting colder now. I shifted my position and brought my palm into his rough jaw, feeling the spikes in his stubble.

"You own my body, not me Elijah." I whispered and kissed the side of his lips.

I lost hold of him because he seemed to be weakening, but he recovered quickly.

"Ahh!" I screamed when I felt the hard and cold concrete on my back.

He pinned me in there and pressed his body into mine.

"What about what happened to us last night? This morning? I thought we were okay, huh!? "

I groaned when his grip tightened.

"Oh! Don't be such a pussy, Elijah! We just fucked! Why are you making this a big deal huh!? "

"Just fuck !?" He turned to me intensely.

"Bullshit!" He shouted and let go of me.

He lost his grip on me and I breathed fast as I stared at his shoulder that was rapidly rising and falling. He brushed his hair with his fingers and proceeded to palm his face, dumbfounded.

"After all what I've said to you last night !? I call bullshit on that, Emma! "

I smirked and did not bother to fix my skirt. Soon that smirk became a chuckle and a faint laugh. He stared at me like I'm some sort of a puzzle he couldn't understand.

"You are such a fool, Elijah." I chuckled.

His brows furrowed. I stepped forward so I could be near him again.

"On the sixteenth day of September, the day that I made my plan... I told you I'll make you pay for this." I uttered with no mercy.

His eyes blinked as he's trying to understand me.

"I'm not sold on you, mister. But you called for a war in exchange for those millions. " I again explained.

"What?" he asked, confused.

I reached for the papers inside my bag and threw it on his face. The papers flew everywhere, and all he could do was watch those papers fall onto the cold floor of his pad.

"You think you brought me? Then I guess you're paying now. "

I smirked.

The elevator tinged and men in uniforms got in to get him. He looked at me, confused with pain in his eyes.

This game is over now. Fooling the CEO is a success plan.

"You son of a b*tch!" My father shouted.

His palm went into my cheeks and that sent me a headache right away. I sat down in extreme weakness. He's been beating me for a few minutes now, so it's no wonder I feel this way now.

Depressed, I fell to the floor and I immediately felt the blood flow in my nose. It is my seventeenth birthday today. He was so mad at me because I told him I was going to the city to buy a book or porcelain as a gift for myself, but he just got angry.

It's my fault too. I insisted, even though I knew it was forbidden.

"What did I f*cking tell you, Emma? You are not allowed to go out! The authorities might see you! "

I gasped for breath, trying to stay upright, but I was too weak to do that.

"S-sorry papa, I just want to buy a book for- Ahh!"

I screamed in pain when he grabbed my hair to make me face him. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at his face. He always says that I look like him, that if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have inherited the face that I have today that earns me a living.

His hair is black, and messy; his mustache is thick, as well as his eyebrows. He smells like cigarettes as always, and his lips are almost violet because of chain smoking. He says I look like him, but that's not what I want to believe.

My eyes are bulging and my eyes are not; his eyes are more like dangerous and evil. His face shape is elongated while mine is small and v-shaped. If his hair is black, mine is brown. That's why I always wanted to believe that I looked more like my mother. But without having any memory of her, I could do nothing but to just believe him.

"Fuck you!" he shouted and spitted in my face.

I closed my eyes to what he did. He released me violently, causing me to gnaw on the floor again. I felt a numbness in myself. My whole life has been like this. I'm so used to it that the word hurt is such a typical word for me now.

In the small house where we lived, this was what I served as a jail. My dad would often sell me into some old man or any age. Some guys will do me in this house and some will have the guts to take me somewhere else. Sometimes, I prefer it if they take me outside, because somehow I get a chance to see the outside world. Unlike here at home, I can only see four corners of the walls.

"You're not gonna listen to me, Emma? Then go! Go out there and as soon as the authorities find you, you'll be dead! " my father shouted again.

My body was shaking, but that was contrary to how I felt inside. I felt empty, I felt numb.

I nodded slowly as my messy hair covered my face. I saw him puff the cigarette for the last time and threw it at me afterward. My leg burned and I immediately avoided it.

"Fucking wh*re!" His last statement before he got out of the door.

I didn't know where he was going. With no expression, I stood up. I helped myself to my feet to get in front of the mirror. Can't even manage to walk properly, but I did it anyway.

In front of the mirror I stared at myself. My nose is bleeding and I have a bruise on the side of my lip. I reached for the end of my dress and tore a piece of it. I then wiped the blood from my nose mixed with his spit. I fixed my hair and tucked the strand of my hair behind my ears, and then I smiled after.

I could not go out because my father kept saying that some authorities are looking for us. He told me that he and my mother had done something wrong before, they were accused of killing a rich man here in the country, so the authorities are still after them.

That is also the reason why him and mother separated. He told me that I don't have a choice but to stick with him because he would be the way for me to see my mother. He also told me that he had to sell me to a certain man so that we could save up and be with my mother.

I smiled even more in the mirror. Just the thought of us being whole again makes my heart thump. I really should just follow my father's order because he knows what's right for us.

I hissed when I felt a stung on my legs. Fortunately, my thigh did not burn much. I went to the sink to get some water and wet it to relieve even a little of the pain. I sighed and looked at the book on the side of my bed.

Sometimes he buys me a book and other supplies, and I notice that those times are when I get a lot of customers. He is in a good mood and he is happy, so he buys me books, accessories and clothes.

But today is a different day. I tried to ask for his permission, but he wouldn't allow that. I haven't had a customer for a few weeks, so maybe he's mad. I guess he doesn't even know it's my birthday today.

I fell asleep for a while in my bed due to body aches and fatigue. I just woke up when I felt someone caressing my thigh. I was startled and almost cried, but quickly someone covered my mouth. It was dark all around and quiet. The first thing that popped into my eyes were the eyes of a man I didn't know.

I couldn't even breathe properly as his hands roamed on my body. I didn't know who he was. All I knew was that my chest was throbbing fast.

"Hmmp!"

"You're mine for hours little girl." A hoarse voice of the man uttered in my ears.

It sent shivers to my body. I struggled, but the man was very strong.

"Help!" I uttered with a muffled voice, because his palm is covering my mouth, and I don't even know this man.

"Shhh!" he hushed me.

His other hand tore my dress, revealing my undergarments. I was shocked by what he did. I don't know what's happening.

"Help! Don't- "

The door opened, and with a blurry sight I saw my dad standing on the door.

"What the f*ck? Can you shut that child's mouth? The neighbors might hear! " he hissed while puffing his cigarette.

I weakened when I realized what was going on.

Oh, this is one of his clients. I was stunned and did not try to fight back. The man who's above me stood up and came to my father. He snatched the cigarette from him.

"Alright, right. Go now, Alberto. " The stranger said. I was numb looking at them.

The guy then shut the door again and turned into me. His eyes are gleaming with evilness while puffing the cigarette he snatched from my father. I was so willing to give in, but then he strangled my arms and pressed the cigarette into my skin. I screamed and cried because of the pain.

I felt the burning pain in my arms, but he just tried to kiss me after. I cried and cried for help hoping my dad would hear me. I was too weak to even fight back.

The man tore my dress, revealing my chest, and that's when I realized that I couldn't do anything anymore.

That's just one of the years in my life where suffering seems to be just a typical state for me.

I can't help but to recall my last birthday. Looking at the scars on my arms brought me back to these painful happenings. Now, with the same date and new year, I look back and find myself so weak and pitiful.

I cried, but no one seemed to hear me. I've been crying all my life, but no one wants to help me. And with all those painful events that had happened, the only thing on my mind was that I was the only one capable of helping myself. Like in the books with the princess who waits for their kryptonite, I wouldn't do that. I am my own hero. If no one can help me then I'll stand for myself. I'll do whatever it takes to save myself from drowning.

I stared at my father, who was drunk and lying on the bed. If last year he hadn't let me out, now he can't do anything because with the amount of alcohol he drank, he definitely wouldn't know I was leaving.

Wearing a simple shirt and jeans, I came out of our house. The sun rays touched my face, and the breeze of the cold air served as medicine to my long wounded heart.

For some, this might have been just another day, but for me, this day is different. Like a wind that's not noticeable but exists. Like a ray of sunlight that's always been there. I am here.

It's been a few months since I came out again, and some changes are noticeable. I glanced at the busy road. I was like a stray fish in a vast ocean.

I waited for this day to come, so I planned for weeks what to do just to make this day worth it. I made sure that father would drown in liquor so that he would be asleep the whole time I was out.

Every step I'm making is like a free gesture. I'm confined to a few corners of our house, so I feel like every step I take is rewarded. My heart is so full seeing the cars and all the vendors on the side of the streets. They are all busy doing their thing, something that I've been robbed of for my whole life.

"Aww!" I groaned in slight pain when someone bumped into me.

"Sorry." The deep voice uttered. I didn't see that person's face.

I quickly passed the man and bowed a little. I fixed my cap so that no one would notice me. My chest throbbed fast; my steps also slowed slightly.

Damn. I momentarily lost myself. I shouldn't have allowed myself to be distracted like that.

I'm still overwhelmed with fear. I had a strange courage to escape my father today, but that courage wasn't enough to have a walk outside. The authorities could see me. If that happens, I will never be free for the rest of my life. And the incarceration also meant the loss of the possibility of me seeing the mother.

I arrived immediately at my destination for the day, the chime on the door rang as I opened it. I thought there would be a change, but this place is still the same.

"Good afternoon, Lulu." I greeted.

I saw her eyes squint because of slight confusion. She seemed to be staring intently at who I was. I smiled lightly at her while removing the cap from my head. When she finally realizes who I am, her eyes go wide and let go of the books she's holding.

"Jesus! Is that you, Emma? "

I chuckled lightly.

She came into me while still looking so shocked. I nodded at her. Her wrinkles became more visible, and she became more mature-looking.

"What took you so long?" The weariness in her voice is evident.

I averted my gaze and continued inside. I smiled and wandered around.

"Long story short, Lulu."

I sniffed and shut my eyes for seconds. I missed this. The books, the place - all of it.

"No, tell me, what happened this time?"

I stared at her eyes. The concern was obvious in her eyes. While my expression is still the same. I have long accepted that this is human nature. People have emotions, sadness, joy, anger, disgust, and many more. But all those emotions are still a puzzle to me.

"I'm okay, Lulu. Don't worry about me. I'm fine and still breathing."

Her lips parted, like she still had something to say, but decided to not just speak up.

Lulu is dear to me, apart from my father; she is the only one I know. She's the owner of this place. This library has been my escape ever since. She already knew me the few times I went here. Even though I don't go here often, every visit always leaves a mark. She knows some things about me, like I'm being abused by my father and all that. But more than that, nothing more.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me, Emma?" She asked me after an hour.

She gave me a hot chocolate drink. The amusement in my eyes is evident as I look at the simple hot chocolate drink. My heart is warmed with that cup of drink. These little things are big things to me; receiving hot chocolate today is big things to me.

"How did you come here? Did you run away from your dad again? "

I looked at her. Exhaled a deep breath before showing surrender. She's probably thinking that I'm not open to any conversation with her. She knew I wouldn't give him any information no matter what he asked.

"Emma, you know I'm always willing to extend my help to you, right? Just tell me and you can easily get rid of your dad. I'm sure you won't be imprisoned, as long as he is- "

"I'm planning my escape, Lulu."

I cut her words with a monotone voice. I smiled as I held the warm cup of hot chocolate. I heard her sigh slightly. I understand her shock. She knew how scared I was to run away from my father. She knew the consequences of everything in case I ever made the escape. And to hear that word in me was really shocking.

"Y-you're planning to escape?" she stuttered.

I nodded and smiled.

"If I were to run away, wouldn't it be better?" I smiled.

Her brows furrowed.

"If he is imprisoned, I can still not accept it. He is still my father, Lulu. " I said.

She sighed hard. She's worried, she's having second thoughts about my plans.

I never heard anything from her about my condition, and that was a big deal for me. That crack of respect is so important to me, that personal space that no one had given me since then.

"Will you come back again, Emma?" She asked after I said goodbye.

Three hours have passed and I'm sure if I stay longer dad will wake up. I stared at her deeply. I didn't know what to say to her. But her motherly worried face is sending me guilt.

"I will try." I answered.

She sighed and fixed the scarf on my neck.

"Be careful, Emma." Her voice cracked.

I walk home thinking about Lulu. Why? She is not my blood relative, nor does she know me well enough to worry about me like that. I don't understand her.

And then after a while, I realized. When you're finally being treated well, you'll question that kindness because you don't know if you deserve it, because you've never felt that way before. You'll question the things that you deserve.

Holding the single book in my hand, I glanced at the car outside our house. My breath hitched. It wasn't fear I felt. I had long since forgotten that feeling. It's just that I felt weird seeing that car in front of our house.

As soon as I entered the gate of our house, I could clearly see my father's troubled disposition. He's walking back and forth in front of the man, and when I saw him his eyes lit up. I hugged the book in my chest as I stared at the man sitting on the wooden chair.

"Emma! Finally, my daughter is here, Mr. Anderson. " My father spoke in relief.

Once again, I felt a strange fear. Fear that I hadn't felt for a long time now.