Her Redemption

30

As Rachel made her way to the office, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been lingering since her nightmare the night before. The memory of her father's death was still fresh in her mind and it made it hard for her to focus on anything else.

On the bus ride to the office, she noticed the teenage photographer from the day before. She felt a pang of curiosity, so she decided to go and sit beside him.

They struck up a conversation and she found out that he was a photography student and had been trying to capture the city's beauty. They talked about his passion for photography and Rachel was impressed by his dedication. She even gave him her contact information, telling him that she would love to see some of his work.

As she entered the office, she wondered how her boss would treat her after their elevator incident. To her surprise, Leo seemed to be locked in his office with clients and she hardly saw him all morning.

As Rachel walks into the office, she notices her boss, Leo, sitting at his desk, surrounded by papers and looking stressed. She knew that he needed a pick-me-up, so she heads to the break room to make him a cup of coffee.

She grinds the beans and starts the machine, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the small room. She carefully prepares his usual, a black coffee with a touch of sugar and some cream, and takes it to his office.

As she enters his office, she notices that he is still engrossed in his work, so she quietly places the coffee cup on his desk. He looks up at her and nods, acknowledging her presence, before returning to his work. Rachel smiles, happy to have been able to help him start his day on a good note. She leaves his office, feeling a little less anxious.

It was only when she went to the cafeteria that she saw him and his foul mood seemed even worse than before. Even William avoided him, and Rachel felt a sense of pity for her friend. "Hey William, can I talk to you for a minute?"

William's eyes narrowed as he wondered what she wanted to speak to him about. "Sure, what's up?"

"It's about Celine," she started heatedly. "I just wanted to say that I've noticed you've been acting differently around Celine lately, and I'm worried you might be playing with her feelings." William's brows met "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're always flirting with her, but I can tell she's starting to develop feelings for you. And I just don't want to see her get hurt." "What do you mean, I don't understand" he tried to defend himself, a smile escaping his lips.

Rachel continued. "I know you know what I am talking about. I hope not, because she's one of my closest friends and I care about her a lot. But I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case you didn't realize the effect you were having on her." At the end of the day, Rachel made her way to Leo's office to ask for permission to leave early. As Rachel made her way to her boss's office, she felt a sense of anxiety building up inside of her. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she was about to face rejection, or worse, anger from her boss. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, trying to steady her nerves. When he called out for her to come in, she opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, with only the light from his desk lamp providing any illumination. He was sitting behind his desk, his attention focused on a stack of papers in front of him. He looked up as she entered, and she could see the hint of irritation in his eyes. She can hear him snapping at his employees through the closed door and she can't help but feel a bit intimidated.

She takes a deep breath and knocks on the door, trying to steady her nerves. Leo gruffly calls out for her to enter, and she opens the door tentatively. Inside, the atmosphere is tense and chaotic.

Papers are strewn about the room and Leo is on the phone, barking orders at someone on the other end. Rachel can see the frustration etched on his face and she begins to wonder if this was a good idea.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly, his tone making it clear that he was not in the mood for small talk.

But she knows she needs the permission to leave for her upcoming trip, so she musters up the courage and approaches Leo's desk.

As she walked into his office, Rachel could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to steady her breathing, knowing that this conversation would be difficult. Leo was sitting at his desk, surrounded by papers and files, his eyes scanning through them quickly as he took a sip from his coffee cup. He looked up when she entered, his expression dark and brooding.

Rachel approached his desk, her hands shaking slightly as she held the coffee cup.

"Good morning, Leo," she said, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Leo looked up at her, his eyes narrowing. "What do you want, Rachel?" he asked again, his tone curt and impatient.

Rachel took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. "I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time," she said, placing the coffee cup on his desk. "I need to ask for your permission to take some time off next week." She needed to travel with her mother and Celine to her betrothed's family house, and she would be getting married the next week. Leo, ever the arrogant boss, asked her why she needed to leave and Rachel didn't dare to lie or divulge the truth.

To her surprise, Leo granted her permission to leave, with a warning that she needed to be back to work as soon as possible.

As Rachel left the office, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had managed to get through the day without any major incident and she was looking forward to catching up with Celine over a drink.

But as she boarded the bus, she couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty that lingered in her mind. The thought of her upcoming marriage and the fact that she hardly knew her betrothed, weighed heavily on her.

Rachel took a deep breath and tried to steady her nerves. "I wanted to ask for permission to take some time off next week," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.