It was pouring outside when I texted my notoriously cold boss on his business trip. "It's pouring so hard over here." "Is it huge over there?" I didn't realize until it was too late that bad reception caused the first message to fail. My boss hesitated for a long moment before replying. "Do you want to see?" 1 I was lounging on the sofa with my legs crossed, mindlessly watching TV when my phone buzzed. A text from my boss, Shaun, lit up the screen. "Deliver the contract to the Grandmont Hotel in Boston before three this afternoon." I turned my head with a deadpan expression, staring at the torrential rain lashing against the window, and aggressively tossed my phone onto the coffee table. Are you kidding me? It is the weekend. It is a literal monsoon outside. And he wants me to drive to another city to drop off some paperwork? Corporate slaves really have no human rights. I scrubbed a hand through my hair in frustration, picked the phone back up, and tried to appeal to whatever tiny shred of humanity this capitalist might possess. "Mr. Boss man..." "It's pouring so hard over here." "Is it huge over there?" With rain this heavy, I was going to get drenched the second I stepped outside. Cut me some slack, can't this wait until Monday? After hitting send, I stared nervously at the screen. Shaun was famously ruthless and strictly professional at the office. I had no idea if he would catch my drift. Should I have been more direct? On second thought, never mind. I didn't want to get chewed out. I stared at my phone for a solid twenty minutes before the screen finally lit up again. "Do you want to see?" My head filled with question marks. What was that supposed to mean? Was he going to send me a picture of the storm? Was that really necessary? What a sarcastic jerk. My temper flared, and with zero regard for my job security, I shot him down. "No thanks." "Boss, if it's really huge, I'm not coming. I'm a terrible driver." Shaun replied almost instantly this time. "You prefer it small?" Is this guy insane? Who prefers driving in a massive storm? Shaun was unbelievable. The wind slammed against the window, the heavy raindrops hitting the glass like a volley of arrows. Furious, I aggressively tapped on my keyboard. "Too huge is a bad idea. With my lack of experience, I'll literally die!" Shaun: "It's not that exaggerated. Don't be scared." "I'll be very gentle." I actually laughed out loud out of pure anger. I am the one driving the car on the highway. What good does it do if you are gentle? Is his brain broken? This evil capitalist was rotten to the core. To think I actually used to have a crush on him. 2 Hardly anyone at the firm knew that Shaun and I went to the same high school. He was the golden boy back then. Top grades, wealthy family, and devastatingly handsome. Every time he stepped onto the basketball court, a massive crowd of girls would gather just to watch him breathe. He wore a red jersey that highlighted the lean, defined lines of his arms. Whenever he flexed to shoot, you could see the faint trace of veins under his skin. The ball swished effortlessly through the net. Shaun smirked, raising a hand to high-five his teammate. The sharp smack of their hands echoed across the court. My heart did a stupid little flutter. A girl next to me squealed. "Oh my god, he looks exactly like a romance novel cover model!" I loved romance novels. So, I wrote Shaun a love letter. I picked out the most expensive pastel pink stationery and even sprayed a tiny bit of my favorite vanilla perfume on it. The next day, I intentionally took the long route past his homeroom. There, sitting in the trash can at the back of the classroom, was a massive pile of pink envelopes, overflowing the brim. All the color drained from my face. My childhood neighbor, Noah, happened to be sitting in the back row munching on an apple. Seeing me staring at the trash can, he leaned over. "Hey Sophie, what are you looking at?" "Are those..." "Oh, the letters Shaun tossed out? Yeah. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Noah wiggled his eyebrows with an obnoxious frat boy grin. "Wait a minute. I get it. Your letter is in there too? Damn, didn't know the little goody-two-shoes had it in her!" Noah was practically shouting. Half the classroom turned their heads to stare at me. I wanted the floor to swallow me whole. I snapped at him. "Are you out of your mind? Who the hell likes Shaun? I don't give a single crap about him!" I spun around to run away and immediately slammed face-first into a solid chest. The muscle was rock-hard, bruising the bridge of my nose. I clamped a hand over my face and looked up. A sharp jawline, thin lips, and dark, intense eyes staring down at me with an untamable arrogance. It was Shaun. My mortification peaked. I dodged around him and sprinted down the hallway as fast as my legs could carry me. 3 Shaun probably never even opened my letter before throwing it away. I was heartbroken over it for a long time, but looking back now, it was a blessing in disguise. Distance really does create the illusion of beauty. His cold, aloof vibe seemed so cool in high school, but now that he was my boss, I realized he was just completely devoid of human empathy. He did everything with a resting ice face. The king of sarcasm. When I first joined the company, the very first proposal my team handled fell short of expectations. My coworkers and I kept passing the buck. No one had the guts to hand the report to Shaun. My coworker Cici nudged me. "Sophie, you do it. Didn't you say you guys went to the same high school?" Jenna kicked off her desk, rolling her ergonomic chair right between us. She lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. "Friendly warning. The boss hates it when people try to play the connection card." "When the last department head got fired, he was literally sobbing, clinging to the office door, begging for mercy because he and the boss lived in the same dorm building in college. Do you know what Mr. Boss man said?" Cici's eyes went wide. "What did he say?" Jenna straightened her posture, mimicking Shaun's icy glare, looking us up and down before giving a dismissive scoff. "I don't know him." "Furthermore, this is a corporation, not an alumni mixer." "Security, escort him out." Cici winced. "Yikes. That is so humiliating. Better to just keep your mouth shut." In the end, I was the sacrificial lamb chosen to deliver the report. I braced myself, placed the folder on his massive mahogany desk, and stared intensely at the tips of my shoes, completely unwilling to make eye contact. After what felt like a literal century, Shaun's cool baritone drifted from above. "Sophie." I jerked my head up and forced the brightest, most painfully fake customer service smile I could muster. "Boss. About this report, I promise we really did our best..." Shaun raised a single brow. "Do you not know who I am?" Oh boy. Here we go. The legendary sarcasm had arrived! I had heard him say this exact line to the previous manager. Do you not know who I am? The manager had stammered. Boss, you are the CEO, of course I know who you are. Shaun had given him a lethal glare. If you know who I am, why would you bring me this absolute garbage? I absolutely refused to stand there and listen to Shaun call my hard work garbage. I lunged forward and snatched the folder right back off his desk. "I know! I know you have high standards and strict requirements! I will take this back and fix it right now!" 4 (Shaun's POV) Sophie didn't recognize me. How could she not recognize me? How was it even possible? Watching her grab the report and flee my office like she was running for her life, I let out a long sigh. The light in my eyes dimmed as a bitter taste spread through my mouth. Would a girl really fail to recognize the guy she used to be in love with? So, that love letter back in high school really was just a misunderstanding. I pulled open my bottom drawer and took out a pastel pink envelope. It was old now. The color had faded, much like those dust-covered memories. Hey Shaun, look, it's Sophie from the other class. She's here to watch you play again. Do you think she's into you? I had followed my teammate's gaze and spotted Sophie standing in the crowd, holding a bottle of water. Her skin looked porcelain in the sunlight, her eyes clear and bright like morning mist over a lake. Our eyes met. It felt like a tiny needle had pricked my heart, leaving behind an indescribable, fluttering ache. The basketball carved a perfect arc through the bright blue sky and swished through the net. I high-fived my teammate, totally unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. Does Sophie like me? What a beautiful day. 5 In this god-awful weather, I should have been curled up on my couch watching Netflix. Instead, I was white-knuckling the steering wheel, cruising down the highway in a blind panic. The rain hammered against the windshield. The wipers were thrashing back and forth at maximum speed. My phone buzzed in the cup holder. I put it on speaker, and Cici's desperate wail immediately filled the small car. "Sophie, I have terrible news. Brace yourself." "Spit it out." Cici swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "That contract..." "There are a few critical data points in that contract. They are all wrong." "What!" I screamed so loud my throat hurt. Cici panicked. "We still have time! We can fix the numbers right now. The client doesn't need it until Monday. Please don't yell at me!" "We don't have time! Are you trying to get me killed? Shaun ordered me to deliver it to Boston right now. I am literally pulling up to his hotel as we speak!" I was on the verge of tears. "What am I supposed to do?" Cici gasped. "What!" "Okay, okay. Tell him you got into a car crash!" "Are you insane? Knowing Shaun, he would just order you to print a new one and drive it down here yourself. What good would that do? Plus, what if he comes to the hospital to check on me? If I get caught in a lie like that, my career is over." Shaun was a tyrant at work, but his employee benefits were undeniably top-tier. When a manager caught a fever after working three days straight, Shaun personally visited him in the hospital and supposedly left a massive bonus check. Cici stuttered. "Oh, right, right. Then distract him! Do something to get his attention away from the contract!" "How am I supposed to do that?" "Hello? My signal is dropping. Hello? Beep. Beep. Beep." The call went dead. I pulled into the underground parking garage, my mind going completely blank. What was I going to do? How was I going to face him? 6 (Shaun's POV) I stared at my phone screen, my mind completely blank. I understood every single word Sophie sent me, but strung together, they made absolutely zero sense. "Is it huge over there?" What is huge? Why would she suddenly ask me a question like that? Was she messing with me? Just like back in high school. I had received her love letter and practically sprinted to her classroom in a state of pure euphoria. But when I got there, I heard her screaming at Noah. I don't give a single crap about him! Sophie shoved past me and ran away. I felt like I had taken a bullet to the chest. I stood frozen in the hallway, the color draining from my face. Noah threw an arm around my shoulder and clicked his tongue. "Why was she trying so hard to prove she doesn't care about you?" "She was probably terrified I would get the wrong idea." "Man, I get it now. Sophie is into me. No wonder she's always at our games. And here I thought she was checking you out. Looks like I was underestimating my own charm!" Noah didn't bother keeping his voice down. A few guys in the class heard him and burst out laughing. "Let's go, Noah! Snagging the prettiest girl in the junior class!" "Hey, they grew up together. They have that childhood sweetheart advantage." Childhood sweethearts. I had never hated a phrase so much in my entire life. Noah and Sophie lived in the same neighborhood. They had known each other since kindergarten. Noah was my desk mate, and the name I heard come out of his mouth the most was Sophie. Sophie is such a nerd. Sophie is such a kiss-up. All the moms in the neighborhood think she's an angel. Do you know how many kids got grounded just because their moms compared them to her? Don't let her fool you, man. It's all an act. Sophie is vicious. When she hits you, she goes for the kill. 7 Amidst the boys' laughter, Noah's face turned bright red. When the bell rang and we went back to our seats, Noah nudged my elbow and whispered. "Hey, do you think I should say yes to her? She's gorgeous, but she's got a crazy temper. I'm kind of scared of her." How crazy could she be? Sophie had pale skin and the sweetest smile. I couldn't even imagine her throwing a tantrum or acting vicious. Or maybe, that was a side of her she only showed to the person she liked? Noah opened his desk and cursed. "Damn it, more letters. Shaun, can you tape your name to your desk or something? People keep mixing ours up." A sharp pain twisted in my chest. I grabbed my water bottle and took a massive gulp. The bitter, acidic taste spread through my mouth, and no matter how hard I swallowed, I couldn't wash it away. Sophie's love letter had been meant for Noah all along. I should have given it to him. But I didn't. I was a despicable thief. I stole a piece of beautiful affection that never belonged to me, locked it away, and treated it like treasure, taking it out to savor in secret. For the thousand and first time, I pulled that letter out of my bag. Unfolding the paper, the spot where she had written the recipient's name was stained by a drop of water. The ink had bled into a dark, illegible blur. To [Blurred], I love watching the basketball games. But whenever you are on the court, I can never focus. I never know whether to watch the ball, or watch you. The day Sophie delivered this letter, there had been a massive rainstorm. I loved the rain. I loved that the rainwater had washed away Noah's name. It let me live in the fantasy that the dark ink smudge actually spelled Shaun. 8 "Shaun! Earth to Shaun! Why aren't you answering me?" Noah's obnoxious voice blasted through the phone speaker. I pulled the device away from my ear. "What is it?" "Guess?" "Just say it. I'm busy." Noah clicked his tongue. "You are so boring, dude! Just calling to let my boy know, I'm getting married! The eighth of next month. Make sure you tell Sophie too. You guys are both in New York, right? You can carpool down here. I'll take care of you guys, VIP treatment. Drinks on me all night!" A wave of discomfort washed over me. "You're inviting your ex to watch you tie the knot? That's messy." Noah sounded genuinely confused. "What ex? Who are you talking about?" "Sophie. Didn't you guys date in college?" I spent my four years of college overseas and rarely kept in touch with anyone back home. But one random day, I was scrolling through social media and saw Noah post a photo. It was from the back, showing him with his arm around a girl. The girl had long, flowing hair and was wearing a forest green cardigan over a white sundress. The sliver of ankle showing was strikingly pale. I had seen that exact cardigan on Sophie's page. I had clicked on Sophie's profile, only to see her latest status update: "Had the best weekend ever!" I stared at that sentence for a very long time. Then I closed the app and muted both her and Noah from my feed. "Who the hell dated Sophie? Man, don't even bring that up, it still pisses me off. Did you know she completely humiliated me back in college?" "Remember when I posted that picture with my girlfriend? Sophie commented something super sarcastic, like 'Oh look, the caveman finally figured out how to date.' So I messaged her, trying to let her down easy. I said, 'Look, I know you've always had a crush on me, but don't be too sad. Plenty of fish in the sea.' Dude. She ripped me a new one." "That psycho yelled at me for ten straight minutes. Just absolutely foul language. So I fought back. I told her she was just bitter and jealous." "And do you know what she said?" 9 My heart leaped into my throat. "What did she say?" Noah scoffed. "She said she never liked me. She said she was always into you. And that you were a thousand times hotter than me. Man, I have never been so insulted." "Shaun, be honest with me. Am I really that much of a downgrade?" Noah kept rambling on the other end of the line, but a loud ringing filled my ears, drowning out everything else. My heart was hammering against my ribs. With trembling hands, I hung up the phone. For the first time in years, I finally gathered the courage to check Noah's social media. I scrolled through photos of a stranger. Big eyes, thick eyebrows. Absolutely nothing like Sophie. I scrolled down frantically, jumping back to our sophomore year of college. Yes. It was the same girl. This was Noah's girlfriend. Then what about Sophie? I unmuted Sophie and clicked on her profile. "Corporate slave life. Grind never stops." "Why am I working so much overtime? My mom says it's because I'm single and have no life anyway. Lol, she really hit the nail on the head." "Another lonely, sleepless night. Good thing I have my spreadsheets to keep me company. Hehe." The attached photo was a massive stack of files and a glowing laptop screen. Lonely? Sleepless? Is that why she asked me if it was huge? Was she trying to— I didn't dare finish the thought. My face burned burning hot. With shaking fingers, I typed out my reply. 10 I groaned, shoving my phone into my pocket, and grabbed my umbrella before stepping out of the car. Whatever. If I die, I die. Better to just get it over with. Worst case scenario, I get fired. A four-thousand-dollar monthly paycheck isn't the end of the world anyway. I don't even spend that much. I'm a homebody, what do I need that much money for? Money means nothing to me. Oh god, Sophie, stop lying to yourself. That is four grand! If I drop to my knees and beg Shaun, will he forgive me? My heart was in my throat, my legs felt like jelly. Shaking, I knocked on the hotel room door. "Boss..." Three blank lines inserted here for paywall placement: The door swung inward at the speed of light. It opened so fast I genuinely wondered if Shaun had been standing directly behind it, waiting for me. I blinked. Shaun was wearing a plush white hotel bathrobe. His dark hair was dripping wet, the water trailing down his neck, making his sharp features look even more striking. He radiated the icy, unapproachable aura of a glacier. That jerk. He definitely already knew about the contract error. He was waiting by the door just to watch me suffer. My face turned the color of ash. Clinging to the document folder like a lifeline, I looked up at him. "Boss. Before you say anything, can you please show some mercy?" Shaun just stared at me. His dark eyes were swimming with intense, unreadable emotions. If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn I saw raw desire and anticipation in his gaze. Desire? Anticipation? Shaun is a total psychopath. Was he really this excited to scream at me and fire me on the spot?
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