A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 44: SOFIA

Chapter 44: SOFIA

I once read a poem that says,

"There are times so rare

When a small win feels like

How do I say it

What do I call it

Perhaps it feels like "everything"

For just a split second

Every other thing is forgotten

A smile sneaks in

As the troubles and loss are forgotten Replaced with that blooming feeling

Of unexplainable happiness and joy."

The poet, Terres Michael had called it ’A Tiny Ray’.

And that’s exactly how it feels now. A tiny ray of light blooming in my darkened life, as I walked the hallway of the Wellington Fashion Empire headquarters.

The words of that poem were exactly my words. I resonated with those words, I felt at home with them.

I may have lost the job, but getting this tour was a win, a small one that feels like... everything. I followed Vera with gait, the events of the last minutes insignificant compared to this unexplainable feeling of happiness and joy.

Perhaps I’m hyping it, but it felt good. It felt glorious that somehow I had left that office with a shred of my dignity. The insults, the flaunts of privilege, the look downs, the burns, the shame, all of it were temporarily forgotten as I edged closer towards this win of mine.

"What are you glowing about? It’s a fucking tour not some award presentation, though I still don’t know what you did to my Boss for him to agree" Vera said, turning to see how I fared in catching up.

It was evident that she was yet to forgive the aftermath of my reading, and I can’t say I blame her. I might choose to push the blame on Richard, but the truth remains that I was partially to be blamed.

I had read her, revealing certain things she had wanted to keep hidden under the trims and threads of her attire. My Sartorial Intuition most times had the tendency to do that. To hurt. To veer towards the ugly. To dig up memories that rather remain buried.

When I’m reading, it’s as if I become someone else entirely. Like I’m still myself, but not really. I become this unapologetic person who says things exactly as they are, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t apologize afterwards, especially if the reading in any way hurt or revealed things that weren’t supposed to be.

"Hey, Vera," I called, trotting to meet her. When I was beside her, I continued,

"I’m really sorry for the things I said during my reading, I didn’t mean to reveal those things. But you must understand I’m not really myself when I read_"

"Yeah, no shit" she quipped, not even offering me a glance.

"Yes, it sounds weird, but I assure you it’s true, and I know that’s no excuse for the things I said or did, so, I’m really sorry"

" Save your apologies, I don’t need it. I’m just glad that after today I won’t be seeing you or experiencing that weirdass ’reading’ of yours ever again."

"Um..." I made to explain to her how my reading works, someone called from behind us,

"Sofia!"

Oh my God, Cole. In my celebration, I totally forgot about him.

As I turned to face him, Vera snapped,

"Whatever you have to say, if I get to Harry’s office without you, forget the tour. I will just return and tell my boss that you chose a boy over the tour"

By God, she was cruel.

"This won’t take long, I promise"

"Whatever" she huffed, walking away with accelerated haste.

"Hey, Cole" I said as he jogged to a stop before me.

Again, I was amazed by his looks. He was like a cherub, with his dusty gold curls and his startling blue eyes. Before I knew what was happening, I was already making a mental comparison of him and Richard.

Cole was cute, whereas Richard’s looks could never be defined with the word ’cute’. Both were very, very dashing, but where Cole was kind, shy and not all proud of his looks, in fact it’s almost like he’s ignorant of just how breathtaking he was.

Richard, on the other hand, he’s anything but kind, definitely not shy and flaunts his looks like a whip, the same way he flaunts his privilege.

But if I’m to make a choice, I will always choose Cole. Dating Cole would be nothing short of romantic. Like a rom-com written by one of the best romance writers, filled with aww moments and gestures that shows a girl just what it means to be special, but most importantly the ending will always be a happy one.

And being with Richard, not that I would ever see myself with him, not even in my next life. Dating him would be a nightmare. Like a horrifying gothic tale with terrifying plot twists, fear-gripping pages and an ending nothing short of tragedous.

But Richard Wellington doesn’t date, neither do I.

I really wish I could tell Cole that... this thing he wants us to be. This thing he wants to start isn’t for me. But as those blue eyes bored at me with the highest reverence, I just couldn’t.

Someone as shy as Cole Trail must be innocent to the cold devastating realities of love and I can’t be the one to enlighten him, so I forced myself to smile. After all, I don’t think I would be seeing him again after today and I can always make up something if I ever run into him again and he complains of not replying to his texts or taking his calls.

So, I guess a few moments of pretense wouldn’t hurt. But... I liked him, a part of me was falling for his smile, his kind eyes and his overall... captivating demeanor.

"I saw you pass and erm... I just had to call you. It’s that okay, I mean I know you told me to leave you alone and all" he said, scratching his head.

He couldn’t have looked any cuter than in that moment. My heart broke as I remembered how harsh I had sounded the last time we spoke.

Slowing hard, I placed both my hands on his arms and said,

"I’m really sorry about that. I’m not usually that harsh, I was just frustrated and I took it out on you. You didn’t deserve that, especially not after how kind you’ve been. But I have to run along now, I was granted a tour and you know how Vera is, anyway, congratulations once again on getting the job, you really deserve it."

"Does that mean we are cool now?" He asked, his eyes intent on me.

Giving him a playful punch, I replied,

"Of course we are"

I began walking away after that, the guilt in my heart propelling me forward. I may have smiled, but I knew that was goodbye.

"I will text you later!" He called after me.

Not trusting myself for a response or to even look at him, I raised my arm and offered him a thumbs up.

"Great!" He yelled in response.

I hastened up, hurrying to meet Vera as she made to round a corner.

At that moment, my win didn’t feel so blissful anymore. I hated that I was going to ghost Cole later, he was sweet and someone like me doesn’t deserve him.

I really hope he will meet someone who truly deserves him, someone you will love him as much as he deserves to be, someone who will look at him the same way he looked at me. Someone kind and not as cruel as me.

I almost slammed into Vera as I rounded the same corner as she,

"Here we are," she said, knocking lightly on the already open cream door.

"Hey, Harry" she said to the man who sat behind a desk painted the same hue as the door. The same man who had taught the applicants the history of the Wellington Empire.

As I looked around, this entire section had blue painted walls and cream colored doors, I counted 8 doors before Vera dragged me inside.

Harry took off his glasses and said, his voice dripping with sarcasm,

"Oh hey, Vera. Nice to see you again, what does he want this time?"

Before Vera could respond, he went on,

"Wait, let me guess, a detailed report of how the teaching went, or the fucking tour. Imagine me, one of the top senior clerks being made to lead around dorks in the name of a fucking tour, and as if that wasn’t degrading enough, he had me educating them on facts about this establishment like I’m a fucking tour guide! Don’t we have those anymore, what are those fat lazy assholes doing? And why must he choose me? I get that he’s pissed at me for recommending Ramos, the clerk who made the typo, but is that really my fault and must he punish me so?"

Instantly I regretted why I thanked Richard for the tour. Should have known there was something else attached. That he was incapable of simply granting my favor. Of course it was to the detriment of another, typical Richard Wellington move.

I watched Vera swallow as she struggled to tell Harry why we were there.

"Wait, is this the replacement?" Harry asked, pointing to me.

"Erm... no." Vera answered, "Harry, um, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I fear my Boss is yet to be satisfied with erm... um"

"Oh spit it out already, of course it’s always something with that Boss of yours. Ever since he became the CEO, it’s always something."

I found it amusing that Harry referred to Richard as Vera’s Boss whereas he was his as well. But I didn’t dare snicker.

Sighing, Vera quickly declared,

"He wants you to give this lady here a tour, in his words ’a detailed and private tour’"

Never have I seen a man turn red as fast as Harry did and in that moment, I knew I really shouldn’t have rejoiced over that win.