RAYVIN: FALLING FOR THE WRONG BILLIONAIRE.

CHAPTER FOUR

R A Y V I N

I keyed in floor twenty, wing B. The ride was very silent and uncomfortable for me until my stomach decided to make it more uncomfortable by rumbling. Out of all the time, place, and person for my stomach to make that sound, it chose now. I felt very embarrassed that my stomach sold me out that I haven't eaten.

Carlos simply shot me dirty glares as if my stomach rumbling was very disgusting, and I did it on purpose to irritate him. My patience was just being tested because it was getting unbearable for me. I could wait to get off the elevator. Away from him to get fresh air because it was suffocating stating in the same space with him.

Thankfully, my prayer was answered, and we arrived on the twentieth floor. The elevator dung and he got off with his security before I found my way to my office. Getting to my office, I let out a massive sigh of relief and that unbearable lump that formed in my throat which made me so nervous dissolved immediately. Instead, it turned into lots of saliva that I hadn't swallowed.

Dropping my handbag on the desk, I noticed that all eyes were on me. What was the problem? Do I've something on my face? Well, it was their usual thing when they were trying to get a storyline to aid their gossip. Ignoring all of them, I settled in and got to work.

I hard barely switched on my computer when Felicia, one of Carlo's junior assistants, a hot red hair with blue eyes, swayed her hips to my office.

“Miss Hall, Gonzalez wants you in his office. Now.” She didn't wait to get a response from me before walking away. She seemed to be in a bad mood herself. I guess she has been scolded by Carlos. That is the inky thing that could flip a person's mood.

At the mention of Gonzalez name, the lump that had earlier formed in my throat on the elevator and later dissolved, came back immediately. And besides, why did he have to stress the poor girl to relay his message? The interior was available, where he did most of his shouting.

Taking a deep breath, I strengthened out and walked to Carlos's office. Gently knocking on his door, I went inside.

“Mr. Gonzalez, you asked to see me?” I said.

“Yes…”

I cut him off, thinking that it was best to first apologise before he continued with the reason he called me. Maybe that would make a difference.

“Mr. Gonzalez, I want to sincerely apologise for my sluggish and irresponsible behaviour of being nearly fifteen minutes late. It won't happen again. I promise to sit up and make up for that.”

“Seventeen,” he finally said after keeping quiet for a full minute.

“Pardon?”

“You were seventeen minutes late!” Clasping both his hand and leaning his head into it while his elbows rest on his mahogany table. His attitude was calm, but his voice wasn't. “I am not paying you to make mistakes and come back apologizing. I am laying you to give me your best.”

“And with all due respect, I've been giving nothing but my best.”

“Then today shouldn't have happened.”

“I understand fully well that my actions are inexcusable, but this is the first and would be the last of such happening.”

“Yes, indeed. It would be the last time.”

“Thank you…”

“I am letting you go.”

“What?”

“I said I am letting you go. Pack your things. The guards will escort you out of the building.”

No. No. No. Not now. This wasn't happening. Carlos, don't do this to me. Getting a job is difficult. And even if I got one, this was the only one paying a decent amount that kept Marcus happy at the end of every month. We were getting to the end of the month and there was no way I would be able to secure a new job and raise the normal amount that I give Marcus every month. I

needed to keep it that way with him for as long as possible, but I won't be able to do that considering that Carlos was firing me. I knew there was a possibility of getting fired today, but I just thought that it would slide like every other day.

“Don't just stand there like a statue. Get going.”

I wasn't going to let him belittle me like that. I should be standing for myself, not cowering. Since I've seen that, nothing was going to make him change his mind.

It was time for me to give him a piece of my mind. He wasn't going to fire me, and I'll still keep those feelings. This was the time for me to have my episode.

“You know what Carlos, you cannot fire me because be why? I quit! Yes! I quit on your shitty, rude, ungrateful, inconsiderate, authoritative, demanding and chubby ass. You treat us like trash and make us work overtime. Then we have to deal with your tantrum all the time. You are just a rich grown baby and nothing more.” I thought about what else to do to make sure that he got the message, and then boom! It occurred to me that I needed to remind him of his losses. Nothing dampened his spirit more than losing.

“Are you done being dramatic, Miss Hall?” He said casually, his expression still blank.

“No, I am not done. Do you know why you lost your partnership with Prescott Holdings? I'll answer that for you. Because no one likes doing business with a piece of s**t who doesn't consider the people that works for him. Good luck finding someone as good as me because l gave this company my all and what I get in return is getting fired? You are a dumb ass C.E.O who doesn't know how to spot potentials. f**k you and your company!" I walked close enough to his desk and flung the paper works on top of it to the wall, causing it to scatter everywhere. "Clean that up, Carlos!” I barked.

Swaying my hips out of his office, I felt so free. A burden had been lifted off my shoulder. Yes, I was now jobless, but, I didn't let him walk all over me one last time. Walking out of his office with so much joy, people bad already gathered outside but quickly dispersed immediately the sighted me. Their eyes were saying a big thank you for saying our mind! Good job! You are the girl! Go, girl!' And it made me happy. I walked with a squared shoulder back to my office. This was only the end to bad things and hopefully the beginning of something better. After all, I've never been one to keep silent and get pushed around. But I didn't express myself earlier because I needed the job so badly but since he was letting me go, I had to use the opportunity to make sure that he got to know exactly how we felt inside.

Immediately I got back to my office, I decided to do one last thing. Using their telephone for my business, which was strictly forbidden. You only made use of it when it is business-related and nothing personal. Stupid rule! Punching in Miranda's number, I dialled it. Gratefully, she picked at the first ring.

“Hi, baby sis,” I said excitedly.

“Someone is happy?” She chuckled over the receiver.

“Yes. I am. I did something I should have done a long time ago. I got fired, and then I quit my job.”

“You what?” She screamed into the phone.

Keeping the phone away from my ear because she was practically screaming instead of talking, “Hey, calm down. Are we still on for tonight?”

“You quit your job, and you are calm about it?”

“Yup!” Circling the cord of the telephone around my finger while using my eyes to take in the things I was taking along with me.

Deeply exhaling, “yes, we are on for tonight. But do not think that for one second we are not having this conversation. We are so having it.” There was a rustling noise in the background and brief silence before she spoke again. “I've to get back to work. See you by eight! Love you so much!”

“Love you too.” I had barely finished my sentence, and she hung up.

Phew! I needed to get my things and leave respectfully before Carlos would have his goons drag my ass out. I began to take my stuff — my flowers, painting, my luck teddy, some books that are mine, my extra clothes, toiletries and finally pictures. Stuffing them into a medium-sized brown box that very much still had space when I was done packing. Looking around one more time and I felt the emptiness and none of my things left, I walked in the most majestical way out of the office. Walking towards the elevator, it had someone in it already and the person was going towards the down floor.

“Hold the elevator, please!” I shouted, scrambling to catch up. But like the sloppy ass in the morning, he didn't. Wait! It looked like the guy from the morning incident. But I didn't get a good look at him. I had to go to the next one and thankfully, it was available and empty. Exactly what I needed. A space. Alone. To go over my thoughts.

Struggling with my box in both hands, I keyed in the code for the first floor and got in. Before the elevator closed, I took one last glance around the place that used to be my office. I would never have access to it again. Well, it is all for the best.

“Here we go,” I mumbled and rode the elevator silently down. It was morning and the lobby was a bit crowded. Once I passed, all eyes would be on me because I was carrying a box with my things in it which would sell me out that I just got fired. Great. The day keeps getting interesting.

“I heard what happened.” For the first time, Anastasia left her duty post and walked up to me immediately she saw me getting off the elevator.

Just great. Don't you guys have other relevant things to do than gossip around here? It was barely ten minutes and the news has travelled from the twentieth floor to the first floor. Pathetic and irritating. But I didn't show my disgust. I put on a smile and replied very warmly to her.

“One way or the other, I was going to get fire or quit on the job.”

“What you did was remarkable.”

Yeah. Right. And it amazingly put me out of my job. "I think you need to get back to work. I don't want you joining me today,” I joked.

She laughed and surprisingly hugged me. “Be good.”

“Sure. Bye.” Swaying my hips like some superstar out of the building.

This was no time to use Uber. If I could, I would have walked back home because I needed every possible money that I could get and paying for the bus fare was a considerable expense. I started walking to the bus station early to meet with it before it left. Arriving there, gratefully the bus was still there, so I just got in. It saved me from all eyes been on me and, all the judgements that would have been passed on me.

By the time I got home, the numbness, and denial of the fact that I had lost my job were wearing off, and the pride that I felt for standing up to Carlos dissolved into tears. But I wouldn’t cry in front of everyone, I would never let anyone see my weakness, never. After closing and locking my door behind me, I made for my wardrobe. There I put in the box I had walked out of the office with. I wasn't going to touch it for a while. It was still like a movie to me, and a horror movie at that. But looking on the bright side, for the first time I was home early. I had all the time to myself and would make good use of it. Tidying up my house, going grocery shopping and sleeping. A lot of sleeping because I have not gotten much of that in months. I walked around my apartment, mapping out all the places that needed cleaning and gathering, from one end to the other, the clothes that I hadn't washed in ages.

I let my handbag sag to the floor and walked slowly to the wardrobe once more, getting out a more casual cloth and changing into it. It feels so good to be in shorts, a tank top and with no bra. Just loose and free. I let down my hair, allowing it to fall to its full length. Rather than crouching on the sofa and feeling all sorry for myself, I better channel that negative energy and put it to use.

Looking all energetic, it was time to clean up and have a breath of fresh air. Then get something to throw into my stomach and wait for eight. Maybe, get maximum sleep while I wait.