CEO's: Office Secrets

CHAPTER TWO: THE DEED (PROLOGUE)

ONE WEEK LATER

Purity was well aware that she had only an hour left to get her boss’s formal suit at the company’s warehouse, one of the many perks Mr. Webb had was that on various occasions the company would design him a one of a kind suite that he would wear at his events.

Today was no different with the exception that Mr. Webb had neglected to inform her that he needed his suit picked up today but luckily for him, Purity remembered. With a big bright smile on her face, feeling pleased with herself that once again she was at the top of her game, Purity walked into the warehouse.

“Purity, Purity” she spun to see who it was that called her and luckily enough, she saw who it was. Madelyn walked towards her, panic written over her face so much that it was enough to put Purity on edge.

“What is it, did something happen?” Purity frantically asked Madelyn, hoping that nothing bad had happened, the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her boss.

“Yes something happened, no one called me to inform me that the suit needed to be finished today of all days!” As soon as those words had left Madelyn’s mouth, Purity’s heart sank to her stomach, that was it, she had let her boss down and he would never again trust her, the worst scenario in her book.

Purity stared into the far distance, thinking of possible ways to fix the matter at hand, even though working at Fashion 4 Women for four years, she knew absolutely nothing about stitching, tailoring anything. For the first time in working with Mr. Scott Webb, she had failed him and she might never let this down.

“Purity!” She turned her head, looking right into Madelyn’s eyes and the older woman seemed concerned.

“Yes!” Purity answered, half her attention with Madelyn and the other trying to figure out how she might solve the situation at hand.

“You look like you’ve seen a vision of the end of the world or something” Madelyn joked but it was not funny to Purity, because, after this, she might have just seen the end of her working career with Fashion 4 Women.

“That’s it Purity, everything that you have worked for the last four years is gone down the drain” Purity mentally reminded herself. 

She had worked her entire life to be independent, escape the label of ‘orphan’ and she was about to be labeled as unemployed.

“We can make it work though” Madelyn responded, Purity’s eyes shot wide open, not believing what she had just heard because the last thing she wanted was to give herself false hope.

“What?” Purity asked her friend. Madelyn smiled at her, grabbed her hand in hers, and walked her to the elevator. Purity refused to utter a single word as they entered the elevator and the doors shut. Her body was still in shock right up until the elevator doors swung open and she walked into the designer’s room.

Stopping at the entrance of the design room Purity’s heart stopped, she dropped her notebook and covered her mouth with her hands. Right in front of her, a few meters away was a manikin clothed in Mr. Webb’s midnight suit.

Purity let out a breath of relief, one that she did not know that she was holding in until she set her eyes on the newly designed suit. She turned her head to Madelyn who was grinning at her, only then did Purity realize that her colleague had tricked her into thinking that the suit was incomplete.

“Why—when?” Still, in a state of shock, Purity questioned her colleague who was still smiling at her.

“Well two weeks ago that was all you talked about, I then took it upon myself to set a reminder and without waiting for confirmation I simply did it” Madelyn confessed and Purity was thrilled about it, her heart settled knowing that her job was saved.

Nudging Madelyn lightly both women laughed about the incident that had taken place and worse, the look on Purity’s face as she was told that the suit was incomplete. 

In a split second Purity had rushed towards the manikin and touched the suit, ran her fingers all over its fine fabric, inspecting every button and that every stitch was in place, and looking back at her colleague, she smiled.

“It is perfect! You have just saved my job Madelyn and I did not know where I would have been if you had not finished this suit on time” Purity thanked her friend but it was Madelyn’s raised eyebrow that caught her off guard.

“You’re kidding me right?” Madelyn asked Purity sarcastically as she picked up her cup of coffee and handed a cup of tea to Purity. Looking at Madelyn bewildered by her friend's question also raised an eyebrow.

“I am afraid I do not understand what you are asking? By the way, thank you for the tea” she thanked Madelyn as she took a sip of her tea but Madelyn still had her eyes on Purity.

“Are you blind? Mr. Webb firing you as common as lightning striking the same place twice” Madelyn said in a sardonic tone. 

“That statement is false, lightning can indeed strike the same place twice” Purity corrected Madelyn in which she smiled and rolled her eyes.

Purity sipped her tea but she could not help but wonder what Madelyn had meant and it bothered her. Even as she watched Madelyn carefully, placed the suit on a hanger and in a garment bag, she could not get the idea out of her head

“What did you mean by what you said earlier?” Purity asked her colleague who zipped up the bag and then looked at Purity with a smile on her face. 

“You’re too innocent to see that Mr. Webb cannot fire you, even if the bastard—

“Hey! Don’t say that about him” Purity jumped to her boss’s defense.

“You see what I mean? You are so innocent that you try to defend him even in his absence. Look basically what I am trying to say is that Mr. Webb needs you, I mean look at the guy, he leeches off of you” Madelyn stated and she looked irritated and Purity could not understand why.

“No, he does not need me. Emilia said the same thing and I think that you both have lost your minds” Purity cracked a joke, hoping that it would lighten the mood between them.

But the saddened look on Madelyn’s face indicated that she was had not found the joke funny at all.

“You need to stop going above and beyond for people like Mr. Webb because he does not even care for himself. The guy is probably either stoned or having a hangover right now”

“You don’t know that”

“But I do know that he was out in London’s most exclusive clubs last night, drinking as if it was his last day on earth” Madelyn stated and even Purity could not argue with that, she was aware that her boss was out till the early hours of the morning.

“Here you go” Madelyn handed Purity the garment bag containing the suit, Purity took the bag and smiled at her friend, looking into her eyes as she took the garment bag.

“He’s not a bad man” Purity defended her boss and the look of sadness washed over Madelyn’s face.

“I know he’s not, it’s you that I am worried about” Without saying another word, Madelyn exited her office and left Purity at the center of the design room by herself.

                                                      **

“Bianca, for the last time, can we get over this already” Scott tried explaining to his now ex-girlfriend that he was through with her but it seemed as though a breakup was not part of Bianca’s plan for them.

“You cannot just break up with me; people are going to laugh at me!” Bianca raised her voice. If there was something that Scott would not miss about Bianca was her shrieking voice and vanity.

“The media will find another interesting story to write about, trust me” Scott stated, walking back to his desk as he tried to distance himself from Bianca.

“No, they will not! They are going to hound me at every turn and ask me about you Scott. Look we can make it work because you mean everything to me and nothing can ever change that” Bianca stated her claim.

Placing both his hands inside his designer pants and focusing his attention solely on Bianca as he studied her.

“I mean everything to you?”

“Yes you do and I can’t leave you for anything in the world” Bianca pleaded. Scott smiled; he was not used to seeing this side of Bianca. The Bianca he knew would never beg, rather she was proud and arrogant.

“How does fifteen thousand pounds sound?” Scott asked Bianca, his voice apathetic as he looked at her.

“Make it twenty-five thousand pounds, one of those expensive diamond necklaces, and we’re set” Bianca replied, a smile as she was pleased with herself.

Crossing his hands over his chest Scott smiled at himself, he was familiar with women like Bianca, it came with the territory for him.

“I’ll have my P. A send you the cheque as well as your diamond necklace” Scott promised her. With one last smile, Bianca turned on her heel and walked towards the exit, just as she unlocked the door, standing right in front of her was Purity, with her hands raised about to knock on the door.

“Good morning Ms. Bianca, I was not aware that you would be here today” Purity responded, always with a cheerful smile on her face.

“Hi, Purity” Bianca greeted her with a smug look on her face, one that made Purity feel out of place. Bianca leaned closer to Purity’s ear. 

“After he’s done with you, he’ll dump you as he does with the rest of us” she whispered into her ear, her words sent a chill down Purity’s spine and even as she watched Bianca walk past her, the cold feeling was still there.

“Are you going to stand there the entire day?” Purity looked ahead of her and there her boss, Mr. Scott stood, leaning on his desk, his hands across his chest and smiling at her.

Deciding to push Bianca’s words away, Purity smiled as she entered her boss’ office.

“Goodday Mr. Webb and how are you doing this lovely day?”

“Let’s just say that I have twenty-five thousand pounds less in my bank account” Scott confessed and the look of recognition appeared on Purity’s face.

“I’ll prepare the cheque for her as soon as I am done but you have a function tonight” Purity reminded him, and Scott’s eyes grew wider.

“I forgot about that!” Scott exclaimed, slamming his hands on his desk. He could not believe that he had missed such an important event, one that is dear to his father’s heart.

“I knew you would forget”

 “Yeah sure, I need to get myself something to wear. Hold all my calls for me whilst I run to the warehouse and get something, anything—” 

“No need to” Purity interrupted her boss.

“Why not?” Scott asked Purity who continued smiling at him although he was going through a meltdown. Purity handed the garment bag over to her boss.

“Here you go. I had Madelyn design and make a suit for you” the thrilled look on Scott’s face was one that Purity would never forget as she watched her boss receive the garment bag.

“Thank you Purity, what would I do without you?” 

“I am pretty sure that there is a lot that you can do without me” Purity responded as Scott unzipped the garment bag to reveal his midnight-colored suit. 

“I need one last thing from you though if you will be kind enough to carry out the task?” Scott asked Purity, her heart leaped.

“Sure sir, if it is within my power then I will” like a faithful employee, she waited.

“Well since Bianca and I are no longer together, would you mind accompanying me to the fashion fundraising event?”