Irony of Fate - New Rewrite - part 6 (Patreon)

Part 4, 5: https://www.patreon.com/posts/irony-of-fate-4-110446689

Part 7: https://www.patreon.com/posts/irony-of-fate-7-110643781

...

Part 6

As she stepped into the office, her body tense, ready to run. Emily couldn't help but think that she must look ridiculous. Who the hell walks into their workplace dressed up like they're going clubbing on the weekend? Her legs wobbled as she crossed the office, her heels clicking against the marble floor, making her cringe.

The stares were unbearable. Men and women alike looked her up and down, some with lust, some with shock. She couldn't help but feel disgusted by their gazes - they all a day ago were just a faceless employees for herself as Michael and now, now they were watching her as she stumbled toward her former office, hoping to meet with herself there.

"Excuse me...Emily..." Angela stopped her before she could reach the door and looked at her with wide eyes and a little suspicion. "What the hell are you doing?" she said in a cold tone and raised her eyebrow.

"What do you care? Go back to work or whatever it was you were doing..." Emily replied coldly as she brushed past Angela and tried to open the door of the office that once was her own, now Emily's.

"What did you say? Are you high? Did you come back from a night of clubbing? Or do you really think you can act with me like this and get away with it?! I'm your boss, damn it! Not the other way around! And if I say something to you, you answer! Have you got that?! I can fire you right away if I want to!" Angela yelled, grabbing her arm and squeezing tightly.

"Let go of me," Emily hissed, yanking her arm free with a force that surprised even herself. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at Angela, her former employee, now her boss. "I said, mind your own damn business, Angela."

Angela's eyes widened, clearly not expecting this level of defiance. For a moment, she seemed too stunned to respond, her hand still hovering where it had been gripping Emily's arm.

“What the hell is going on here?” Michael’s voice echoed through the office, startling them both. He stood nearby, his eyes narrowing as Angela immediately released Emily’s arm and took a step back, clearly uncomfortable.

Angela's voice was quiet but laced with venom as she answered. "Mr. Johnson, this new intern thinks she-"

“Save it,” Michael cut her off with a wave of his hand. “I don't care what little drama is going on here. What I do care about is getting some damn work done around here instead of watching a bunch of girls bicker like they're on some trashy reality show.”

He strolled closer, his eyes gleaming with amusement as they flicked between Angela and Emily. “Angela, I know you love to play boss, but unless you've got something more important to do than harassing interns, why don't you go and file some papers or, I don't know, maybe actually do your job for once?” These words made Emily smile involuntarily, though the smile was quickly wiped away when Michael's eyes locked onto hers.

“Oh, you think something’s funny, do you?” Michael leaned closer to Emily, his eyes narrowing as he scanned her body up and down. Emily could smell his aftershave and fought back the urge to gag. "Emily, you look like you had one hell of a night. Trying out for a new job? I heard there’s a club down the street that’s looking for a few new girls. You’d fit right in. Or you already do, it seems." He flashed her a grin and a wink before stepping away.

Laughter bubbled up from the nearby desks, and Emily’s face flushed with humiliation and rage. Her fists clenched at her sides, but she had to swallow it down. The old Michael inside her wanted to lash out, to put these idiots in their place, but she had to control it. For her own sake. For the sake of regaining her old life.

“You know, Emily, it’s a shame we don’t have a pole in the office." Michael walked toward her, his smile growing wider. He paused, tapping his chin. "Got nothing to say, huh?”.

Emily’s jaw tightened, but she kept her gaze fixed on the floor, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Michael glanced around the office, taking in the other employees who were watching the exchange with wide eyes. “Alright, ladies,” he called out, loud enough for everyone to hear, “show’s over. Get back to work. Angela, why don’t you go boss around the other secretaries or whatever it is you do? And Emily…” He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, almost mocking whisper. “Try to keep your legs crossed, okay? We wouldn’t want you distracting the boys.”

“Is that all, Mr. Johnson?” she managed to say, her voice cold, barely concealing the fury bubbling inside her. “Or do you have some actual work for me to do?”

"Oh, we have a little sass today, don’t we? Mouse shows teeth!" Michael replied with a sneer. He glanced at his watch with a bored expression, then shrugged. "If you have time to show a bit of backbone, why don't you start moving your little butt towards the kitchen? You know what I drink, right?"

Emily nodded, the familiar order rolling down her throat. "One black coffee. No sugar. Extra hot." She kept her eyes on the floor, unwilling to give Michael the satisfaction of meeting his gaze.

"Good girl" he replied in a sarcastic tone, turning and leaving her behind. Emily felt a wave of fury rising inside her as he walked away. She felt so weak, so helpless. She didn’t even know how much of a jerk he would... or rather, she was.