BE MY SUBMISSIVE

****

"The rain ruined my dress, now I'm soaking wet,"

Rebecca said, as her frustration echoed softly in the rain-soaked air causing her glancing down at her ruined dress, that is now drenched and clinging uncomfortably to her skin. Her usual serene expression was replaced with a frown on her face and her steps became hesitant as she made her way through the unforgiving downpour.

As fate would have it, she crossed paths with Kimberly McCullough, whose disdain for Rebecca was no secret. With a heart full of animosity, Kimberly shot her a venomous look, clearly reveling in the opportunity to unleash her pent-up bitterness.

"Are you blind?" she bellowed at Rebecca, her words a sharp blade of malice.

Rebecca, her patience waning, quickly responded, "You were the one who bumped into me, Kimberly. Don't start with your morning tantrums, please."

"And as it is, My mood does not permit me to condole your rubbish,"she continued, as she tried to ignore Kimberly's obvious attempt to provoke her.

But a spiteful laughter from Kimberly that followed pierced through the air. "Coming from someone who doesn't even have dry clothes on," Kimberly mocked, relishing the chance to ridicule her drenched rival.

Rebecca straightened her back, with her tone resolute, "Listen carefully, Kimberly. I hold a far superior position in this prestigious company than you could ever dream of having. So, my dear, quit your envy and jealousy because in every way, I am better than you."

As the rain persisted, Rebecca's eyes became locked with Kimberly's, as her resolve unyielded despite the discomfort and the animosity that surrounded them.

And so, Kimberly's lips curled into a sneer, her eyes narrowing with disdain. "Oh, spare me the grandiose speeches, Rebecca. You may have your precious position now, but everyone knows how you clawed your way up. You think you're better than us, but you're just a conniving opportunist."

Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. As she was used to the jealousy and bitterness that accompanied her success, and Kimberly's relentless antagonism always struck a nerve in her.

"I worked hard for what I achieved," Rebecca replied calmly, her voice unwavering. "Unlike some, I don't rely on petty schemes and backstabbing to get ahead. Maybe if you focused on your skills instead of undermining others, you'd find success too."

Kimberly's eyes flashed with fury, but she couldn't deny the truth in Rebecca's words. Deep down, she knew her envy had consumed her, blinding her to her own potential. However, pride wouldn't allow her to back down so easily.

"You're nothing but a manipulative snake," Kimberly spat. "But go ahead, and keep pretending you're superior. But know this, I won't let your facade fool me."

Rebecca's patience was wearing thin, and the rain seemed to mirror her growing impatience. And so she uttered out. "I don't need to pretend about anything, Kimberly. My work speaks for itself. Unlike you, I have earned the respect of my colleagues through dedication and competence."

The intensity of their confrontation drew the attention of the office gossip with the latest altercation between the two rivals.

Kimberly's eyes flickered with a mixture of anger and grudging admiration, as she said. "You won't win this war, Rebecca. I'll make sure of that."

And with a determined glint in her eye, Rebecca leaned closer, her voice lowered but carrying an undeniable authority. "This isn't a war, Kimberly. It's a competition, and may the best person succeed. So, if you truly want to defeat me, focus on your work, not on dragging others down by stabbing them at the back,"

Amidst the confrontation between both of them, A loud voice yelled out her name from a distance.

"Rebecca!!!" Edward shouted with so much anger. And all she felt was so much rage inside of her.

But no one dared to raise a protest because everyone was used to his mean and selfish attitude. With a lot of haste Rebecca rushed into his office trembling.

As Rebecca stood before her grumpy boss, Edward Robinson, she felt an inner storm brewing inside her, matching the intensity of the rain-soaked turmoil outside. His aggressive tone and unwarranted accusations made her blood boil, but she knew better than to show her true emotions.

"Ye-yes sir you called for me", she said to her grumpy boss.

"Why the hell did it take so long for you to respond?" He asked her, as his eyes fell on her appearance.

"Why are you looking so rough? Did you not have a good night's rest or perhaps you were out sleeping around?" Edward sneered in disgust.

"I apologize, sir," Rebecca replied, keeping her voice steady despite the seething anger within her.

And this got him irritated in a way that felt good to Rebecca as annoying him was like a soothing massage.

"Where is the summary of the Carvalle's books I assigned to you?" he questioned.

"S-S-sir, about the summary I did as you asked, but the rain caught me off guard on my way to the office, and unfortunately, it ruined the documents you assigned me."

Edward's eyes narrowed further, his irritation evident as he scrutinized her wet attire. And that told her how big of a trouble she was in.

"You should be more responsible, Rebecca. This is a professional setting, and your lack of preparedness is unacceptable."

"What do I do with you Rebecca, if only you were not the best of all my employees I would write a resignation letter on your behalf, now I want the summary before 11 am and if there is even a single error on it, you can kiss your job goodbye, Rebecca"

Suppressing her frustration, Rebecca forced a calm smile, knowing that getting defensive would only fuel Edward's antagonism.

"I understand, sir, and I take full responsibility for the mishap. I'll redo the summary immediately and have it on your desk by the end of the day."

Edward's scowl softened slightly, but his skepticism remained apparent.

"See that you do," he warned, dismissing her with a dismissive wave of his hand.

As she left his office, Rebecca couldn't help but feel a strange mix of satisfaction and exasperation.

Edward's mean-spiritedness and constant belittlement were no secret to anyone in the company. Still, she had managed to maintain her composure, and that, in a way, felt like a small victory.

Returning to her desk, her clothes were still dripping with rainwater,and so she focused on redoing the summary.

The rain seemed to have a calming effect on her, washing away the tension from her confrontation with Kimberly and the toxicity of her interaction with Edward.

Few minutes later, Kimberly barged into Rebecca's office,with her eyes blazing with satisfaction.

As the noise Edward had made piqued her curiosity, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to revel in her former friend's misfortune.

"Well, well, well, look who's in trouble now," Kimberly taunted, her voice dripping with malice."Seems like you've finally pushed Edward's buttons one too many times."

Rebecca's jaw tightened as she felt the familiar surge of anger rise within her. Despite their once-close friendship, Kimberly had become Rebecca's most formidable adversary. And their shared memory, now seemed like a distant echo, drowned out by the bitterness that had consumed Kimberly's heart.

"You should watch your back, Rebecca," Kimberly continued, circling Rebecca like a predator closing in on its prey. "It's only a matter of time before Edward realizes he can do better without you."

Rebecca's heart sank as she confronted the stark reality of how far their relationship had deteriorated.

Before their stormy rivalry, Rebecca had once trusted Kimberly implicitly as they were best of friends, they did everything together, she even allowed Kimberly to get close to her ex boyfriend, who eventually dumped her as she refused intimacy with him.

But the trust between both of them got shattered when Kimberly betrayed Rebecca by getting intimate with her ex-boyfriend after their break up.

And then pain of that betrayal had fueled their rivalry, transforming a once inseparable friendship into a bitter competition for success.

Also the hatred took a step higher when Rebecca got promoted as the personal assistant and writer to the company they both worked for, and with that Kimberly's jealousy reached new heights as she hated Rebecca twice as much and she now wants everything Rebecca has.

"I don't need your warnings, Kimberly," Rebecca shot back, her voice firm despite the turmoil inside."I've worked hard for this position, and I won't let anyone bring me down."

Kimberly's laughter cut through the tense air like a sharp blade. "Worked hard? Please, you've always been the teacher's pet, the golden girl who gets everything handed to her on a silver platter."

Rebecca's eyes flashed with a mixture of hurt and defiance."We could have been close friends before but you know nothing about my journey, Kimberly. I earned this promotion through dedication and countless late nights, something you seem incapable of understanding."

And so, the room seemed to crackle up with animosity, as Kimberly walked away with a frown of defeat laced on her face as she realized none of her words were weighing Rebecca down.