The Cold-Hearted CEO

Lexie's POV: *DING* With the sound, my heartbeat went fast—an email notification. I hurriedly sat on my makeshift work table. With shaking hands, I looked at the top of my inbox. "Please! Please! Let this be a good news!" Several weeks have passed since I submitted my job application, went through the interview process, and received rejections from multiple other companies. At that moment, I anxiously sat in front of my laptop, staring at the email that had just arrived. I stared at it for a couple of minutes. I called my best friend because I was too anxious to check the message. It could be an acceptance letter, but I suspect it's more likely to be another rejection letter. "Hannah! Iamsofreakin'nervousrightnow. AnemailarrivedfromS&LHoldings..." "Calm down, Lexie! You're spouting everything at once. I couldn't understand what you were saying. This time, slowly, please!" She was laughing after calling me out. "I said, I am so freakin' nervous right now. An email arrived from S&L Holdings." "And? What does the email say?" "I...I actually don't know yet." "Oh, Lexie. I know. But you have to check it now. I'll stay on the line while you open it, OK?" "OK. OK. Hold on." I put the call on a loudspeaker and placed my phone beside me. I positioned the cursor on my unread email and gave it a click. Dear Ms. Alexandria Cooper, Greetings from S&L Holding! We were excited to meet and get to know you over the past few days. We have been impressed with your background and would like to formally offer you the position of Executive Secretary. This is a full-time position; you are expected to report when necessary. You will be reporting directly to the ... "I got in...?" I was uncertain. Is this a dream? I stared at the message in front of me, re-reading the second line over and over again that I forgot that I was still on call with Hannah. Her voice snapped me out of my trance. "Earth to Lexie! Hey! You still there?" "I got in...Hannah, I got in! I got in!" My heart raced, and my palms grew sweaty as I uttered a loud and enthusiastic exclamation upon hearing this thrilling news. "OH MY GOODNESS!! Lexie, Congratulations! Wow!" "Yeah, wow!" "Finally! The long search is over! So, when are you going to start? We should celebrate before your first day. Let's go shopping for new office clothes!" "Uh, let me check. It says here..." I scrolled through the email and found what I was looking for. "I will start by Monday next week." "That's fast! That's five days from now." "IKR! I think they mentioned they were in a hurry to look for a replacement. Maybe that's why." "Well, we still have plenty of time to look for clothes. Let's meet on Friday afternoon!" "Alright! See you on Friday!" "And Lexie, congratulations! I am so proud of you!" "Oh, Hannah! Thank you!" "I'll call you! Love ya!" "Love ya!" I said as I hung up the phone. *Flashback* I have known Hannah for a very long time, ever since we were in middle school. I still remember the day when they moved into the house next to ours in the middle of a hot and sunny summer break. Amidst the commotion of people scurrying around, hauling boxes and furniture, she stood still on the freshly trimmed lawn. Her gaze followed the flurry of activity as men and women rushed past her, arms full of items to unpack. Meanwhile, she clutched onto her bag and a beloved Barbie doll. Noticing she seemed out of place, I introduced myself and initiated a conversation. From that day on, we became the closest of friends, spending countless hours together, sharing our secrets, and creating unforgettable memories. During my final year of senior high school, a significant life event occurred - my mother was involved in an accident. I was at school when it happened. Mrs. Fernandez, our Principal, called me to her office. As I arrived, I was startled to see my father waiting outside the office. From the look of his face, I knew something terrible happened. "Hey, Dad! What's up? What are you doing here?" I was playing it cool, but my stomach was churning. "Hi, Sweetie." As I walked towards him, he lifted his head, and his lips parted into a smile. It was not his usual smile, which was wide and infectious. Instead, his lips curved upwards only slightly, and his eyes looked sad and worried. "I need to get you out of school early... uh, hm, I'll tell you everything on the way." "Is something wrong? Where is Mom?" I asked. Where is Mom? She's usually here when I get into trouble, or something happens at home. "Let's go, Sweetie." My dad told me, ignoring my question. As we stepped out of the school's gate, the sun hit our faces, reminding us of the warm summer day. Our eyes scanned the parking lot, searching for our old pickup truck. Once we spotted it, we walked towards it, the gravel crunching under our feet with every step. The truck's paint was faded, and rust covered its lower panels, but it was still running, and that's all that mattered. We climbed into the driver and passenger seats, and Dad started the engine. While my father was driving, I glanced around my surroundings. The road seemed familiar, but it was not the usual path to get back home. "Dad, where are we going?" I asked nervously and eagerly this time. I'm familiar with this route. We've taken it a couple of times before, mainly when I was unwell or had a high fever or when my dad broke his arm while repairing the roof. We're on our way to the hospital. "Dad, what's happening? Why are we here?" I asked as soon as I spotted the city's hospital. "Listen, Sweetie." After a deep and tired sigh, he resumed speaking. "Your mother...she was on the way to the supermarket, but things happened." He was crying profusely, his tears streaming down his face. "A-A-A car was speeding towards her and hit her before she could react, causing a massive impact. She's in an emergency right now. But the doctors were unsure if she could..." He stopped. I knew what he wanted to say. This couldn't be happening! Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably as I struggled to contain my emotions. Suddenly, I felt a pair of warm, comforting arms wrap around me, pulling me close. The embrace felt safe and secure, allowing me to release all the emotions building inside me. After we had both calmed down, we stepped out and began searching for my mother's whereabouts. The receptionist informed us that she was still in surgery. We went to the operating room and noticed that Hannah and her family were there. Upon seeing me, she hastened towards me and enveloped me in a heartfelt hug. "Everything's going to be alright." As our eyes met, tears streamed down our faces, and we both wept. We took our seats and waited and waited. After a couple of hours, the bright red light indicator finally turned off, signaling the operation was done. "Doc, how's my wife?" Without revealing any sign of hesitation, my father rushed towards the doctor's direction, anxious to know about my mother's well-being. "It is imperative that we continue monitoring her condition. She sustained a severe blow to her head, resulting in persistent bleeding. At present, the individual remains in an unconscious state." "Will she wake up soon?" My dad interrupted. "I apologize, Mr Cooper. But we have yet to find out. The next 24 hours are critical. Your wife's condition will be carefully monitored during this time." As my dad began to ask another question, the doctor abruptly excused himself and left the room, leaving us in a state of anxious anticipation. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally caught a glimpse of the nurses wheeling my mom out of the operating room, her pale complexion and the various tubes and wires attached to her body a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation. I tried to get near my mom, but the nurses stopped me. "Excuse me, ma'am. I understand you are anxious to see your loved one, but we need your patience. We are currently in the process of settling her down in the ICU, and once she is stable, you will be able to visit her." After a few hours, the nurses notified us that we could see her, but we only had until six in the evening. My dad and I wore medical gowns, gloves, and masks. Before we were allowed to enter my mom's room, we had to undergo a disinfection process. As soon as we reached her bed, tears started flowing once again. My mother's once radiant complexion, with rosy cheeks and fair skin, had paled. Her long, glossy brown hair was now gone, and her right arm and left leg were swathed in bandages. "M-mom! Wake up, Mom!" I reached out to grab her hand. My dad, who was standing right next to me, also started to tear up. "H-honey, you must stay strong. Please come back to us." We spent some extra time in the ICU, anxiously waiting until the nurse finally called out to us. "Time's up. You can come back tomorrow." "But, how about mom?" "We will take care of her, darling." The nurse reassured us. "B-but..." "Let's go, honey." My dad told me as we finally exited into the hospital hallway. It's been a few days, but unfortunately, my mom still hasn't regained consciousness. One day, we received a distressing call from her doctor, summoning us to the emergency room. When we got there, the doctor informed us that mom had a cardiac arrest and the bleeding in her head worsened-that she needed to undergo another operation. "We will do everything that we can." The doctor said as he walked away from us outside the operating room. We waited for what felt like an eternity - it could have been two, three, or even more hours. As the doors finally creaked open, we all rose to our feet with anticipation. My heart was filled with hope, but the solemn expression on the doctor's face spoke volumes before a single word was uttered. "We deeply regret to inform you that, despite our best efforts, we were unable to stabilize her condition. Although we managed to revive her once, she suffered another cardiac arrest, and unfortunately, we were unable to restore her heartbeat. Our heartfelt condolences go out to you during this difficult time." My heart was broken. I was crying so hard that I could barely breathe. My dad - oh my dad - he loved mom deeply. She was the love of his life. After my mom passed away, we faced another hurdle - the mounting hospital bills. Despite my parents' stable jobs, the costs of the ICU and two surgeries quickly added up. We sought assistance from Social Security, but it wasn't enough. Thankfully, Hannah's family came to our aid. To make ends meet, my dad sold some of our appliances, but it was still a struggle to cover the remaining expenses. Eventually, Dad resorted to borrowing money from banks. He was able to pay the minimum amount, but not fully. And with the interest rates going up, our debt piled up. After my mother's passing, and with the burden of our debt, we had no choice but to sell our family home. We moved to another state and lived in a small apartment. Hannah couldn't hold back the tears when she heard the news. It was only when I made a pinky promise to call her every night that she finally managed to stop crying. As time passed, I found myself juggling part-time jobs while also trying to keep up with my studies at the community college. As time passed, I found myself juggling part-time jobs while also trying to keep up with my studies at the community college. Hannah and I have kept in touch all these years, and she has supported me in all my job applications. *End of Flashback