THE EXECUTIVE AFFAIR 18

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

she stepped into the building,her chest thumped with her heartbeat...

She arrived at the interview just fifteen minutes late.

Are you one of the applicants? The Receptionist asked.

She nodded.....

"Ruby Wilson, I'm here for the secretary position," she said, barely raising her voice above a whisper.

Sorry ma'am, I was held up by traffic.

The receptionist raised her eyebrows unimpressed, this is one of the major transgressions in the corporate world. If you must work, it means you have to be

Punctual, she pointed her to the 45th floor.

Ruby Wilson tightened the straps of her leather bag.

When the elevator door opened, she found a large office bustling with various activities. She rushed to the designated door...

She knocked on the door...

Yes! Come in!

Ruby opened the door...

Good morning Sir, she greeted....

How can I help you? Alex replied....

Her anxious steps reflected on the marble as she moved towards the CEO....

I..I'm here for the interview.

her palms tighten.

"You're late," he said, turning to face her. His voice was clipped, but was full of curiosity.

"I'm so sorry Ruby stammered, "there was...

Alex cut in, "I don't care about excuses." He focused his eyes on her as he folded his arms across his chest. "You have five minutes to convince me not to dismiss you immediately."

Ruby swallowed hard. Her mind was racing. She was not ready for this. But then wasn't that her whole life? Improvising! Survival!

"I'm late," she began, lifting her chin slightly. "But I am not incapable. I worked hard to get here. And if you give me a chance I will work harder to prove myself."

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