Owned By Mistake

Cherry raised her hand to slap Gilbert, but he caught it before it landed and gripped her wrist tightly.

"No woman has ever slapped me before," he said through gritted teeth. "Why didn't you think before doing that?"

Tears welled in Cherry's eyes as she yanked her hand free and wiped her lips roughly with the back of her hand.

"Why is it so easy for you to kiss someone like that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

She was furious. Humiliated. But deep down, she was also relieved Elijah hadn't seen it. If he had... she didn't know how she could face him again.

The slight smirk on Gilbert's face faded. His jaw clenched as his eyes darkened. "I'm just collecting what you owe me. Did you forget already?"

Cherry's face burned. Her ears turned hot. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered his harsh words from before. Her voice broke as she whispered, "T-That's not how I kissed you..."

Gilbert stepped closer. "How I kiss is none of your business."

Cherry sobbed quietly. "You're so rude..."

She couldn't stand being near him anymore. She shoved him in the chest with both hands, then ran off, trying to catch her breath. But before heading back to Elijah, she paused near the ladies' room mirror.

She wiped her lips gently with a tissue and winced at the sting. They were slightly swollen. Good thing she had a handkerchief , she pressed it against her mouth and took a few deep breaths before returning to the table.

When Elijah saw her, he frowned. "Are you okay? You don't look well."

Cherry forced a nod and smiled faintly, the handkerchief still pressed to her lips. "I just coughed earlier, Brother Elijah... I didn't want you to get sick, so I covered my mouth."

Elijah leaned closer, concern in his eyes. "Is that so? Then let's go home early. You should buy medicine and get some rest."

"S-Okay," Cherry replied, eyes downcast. She couldn't look at Elijah , not after the lie she had just told.

When he gently asked where she'd gone, she gave a simple excuse. He seemed to believe her, which made her breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Still, her chest felt tight. What if Gilbert was still nearby?

Eventually, they decided to leave the restaurant. Before heading out, Elijah paid the bill. Cherry had offered, even though she wasn't sure she had enough money in her wallet, but Elijah gently refused.

"Let's go," Elijah said with a kind smile after settling the bill.

Cherry looked down, embarrassed. She had promised to treat him, but now he ended up paying. "T-Thank you, Brother Elijah. Next time, I'll treat you, I promise."

"When you have a job," he chuckled warmly. He knew how tough life was for her. Covering one meal was nothing.

Cherry's cheeks turned pink. "Okay. Promise. When I get my first paycheck."

"I'll wait." Elijah winked as he opened the car door for her.

Cherry climbed in quickly, careful not to look back. Her shoulders relaxed only when they drove away. She didn't want to see Gilbert again. Not tonight , not ever.

More than thirty minutes later, they arrived at her boarding house. On the way, they had stopped at a pharmacy to buy medicine. Cherry still felt a little guilty for lying, but she stuck with it. There wasn't much else she could do.

"You live here?" Elijah asked, frowning slightly as he looked around the neighborhood.

Cherry nodded. "It's close to the university."

Elijah hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Alright. Be careful. Call me if anything comes up."

"Thank you so much, Brother Elijah," she said with a grateful smile.

After he left, Cherry climbed up to her room and closed the door behind her. The first thing she did was walk to the small mirror hanging by her bed. Her heart sank.

Her lip was swollen.

The memory of Gilbert's kiss came flooding back , along with the way he'd cornered her and acted like she owed him something. Her chest tightened with anger. It was unfair. He treated her like something he could just own and toss aside.

But, she had bitten him first.

Still, that didn't give him the right to act the way he did. She didn't deserve that.

Cherry touched her lip gently, then looked away from the mirror. "Please," she whispered, "let me never see that man again."

In the next few days, Cherry stayed busy handling Luke's transfer to the rehabilitation center. With the help of his doctor, everything was sorted in just one day. She paid the required deposit, and the only money she had left was for Luke's medication.

Even with everything that had happened, good news finally came her way.

Debonair Fashion Company called to tell her she'd been accepted. She could start her internship on Monday.

Cherry was so happy that she could barely sleep when she got home from her part-time job that night.

On Monday morning, before heading out, she replaced her old phone with the new one Elijah had given her. Her old phone had gotten too slow, and the cracked screen made it hard to read messages.

When she arrived at Debonair, the woman at the front desk led her to the team leader , Miss Divine , one of the interviewers who had met her before.

Miss Divine turned out to be kind and patient. Within just two days, Cherry was already handling small tasks on her own. Her coworkers, though older, were friendly and welcoming. Cherry felt like she finally belonged somewhere.

But on the third day, things took a sudden turn.

During a casual chat, one of her coworkers mentioned that Debonair had been losing money for some time now. The original owner had finally decided to give up the company , and a new business group had taken over.

Cherry sat frozen at her desk. She had just started, and this happened.

It felt like every time things were going well, something had to go wrong. Was she just unlucky?

During break time, Miss Divine came over and gently tapped Cherry's desk.

"Cherry," she said kindly.

Cherry looked up quickly and forced a small smile. "Miss Divine, is there something you need?"

Miss Divine smiled back and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know how important this internship is for you. Don't worry. You're not losing your spot just because the company changed hands. You're staying."

Cherry stared at her in surprise, unsure if she should feel relieved , or more worried about what came next.

Cherry's worry deepened.

"Can I ask, which company took over Debonair?" she asked carefully.

Miss Divine gave a small smile. "From what I heard, it's the Ace Carter Group."

Cherry's breath caught in her throat. "T-The Ace Carter Group?" she stammered.

The woman nodded. "Yup. The son of Mister Ace Carter Sr. is now in charge of our company."

Cherry felt like the floor disappeared beneath her feet.

Of all the companies out there, why did it have to be his?

Miss Divine seemed to notice the shift in Cherry's expression. "Hey, don't look so scared," she said kindly. "Rumor is, Mr. Ace Carter's son did really well managing their branches abroad. He's smart and strict, but fair. If you work hard, you might even get hired full-time."

But Cherry didn't feel relieved.

She had tried to leave that part of her life behind , the drama, the hurt, everything connected to that man. She came here thinking it was a fresh start. But now it felt like she had just stepped into another storm.

Still, she told herself it wasn't the end of the world. She wasn't being fired. She just needed to stay out of his way. After all, how likely was it that an intern like her would even run into someone like him?

By Friday, the air in the company had changed. Cherry noticed it the moment she walked in. People were rushing. Miss Divine looked tense. Even the janitor seemed jumpier than usual.

"What's going on?" Cherry asked Ally, another intern.

"Didn't you hear?" Ally whispered. "Mister Ace Carter's coming today."

Cherry's shoulders dropped. She dragged herself to her desk and didn't budge from her seat. When Ally invited her to lunch, Cherry just shook her head. "I'm still full," she said quietly.

It wasn't true. She was starving. But she didn't want to risk bumping into him.

When coffee break came, though, Cherry finally gave in. She rushed to the cafeteria to grab a piece of bread. Her head was aching and she couldn't focus anymore.

She told herself it was safe now. Surely, he had come and gone.

At least, she hoped so.

Cherry grabbed a piece of bread and a cup of coffee from the vending machine near the elevator. She didn't want to be seen eating at her desk, so she stood by the wall, sipping quietly while waiting for the elevator to open.

She took a small bite from the bread, hoping to ease the hunger that had been bothering her all afternoon.

But the moment the elevator doors slid open, her breath caught in her throat.

Cherry dropped the bread without realizing it.

Gilbert Ace Carter stepped out of the elevator, surrounded by several employees. He wore a sharp gray suit that fit perfectly on his tall frame, paired with sleek brown leather shoes. His strong jawline and unreadable gaze made him look like he had just walked out of a magazine. His presence was heavy, almost impossible to ignore.

Cherry panicked. She bent down quickly and acted like she was picking up the bread, silently begging the universe not to let him notice her.

"What are you doing, Miss Blaire?" came the voice of their manager, Mister Valdez.

Cherry's body froze.

"Stand and greet our new CEO, Mister Ace Carter," Mister Valdez said firmly.

Her hands trembled as she stood up and forced herself to meet the moment. "G-Good afternoon, Mister Ace Carter," she said, her voice shaking.

Gilbert didn't say a word. His face stayed cold and unreadable. He looked straight at her, and for a moment, Cherry swore his eyes landed on the name tag pinned to her chest.

Then, just like that, he turned and walked past her without a single reaction.

Cherry stood frozen for a second before rushing back to her desk, her heart throbbing in her chest. She felt like a criminal returning to the scene of a crime. Her hands were cold, and she couldn't stop thinking about how his eyes had lingered on her name tag.

If she had known he would be here, she never would've accepted this internship. She would've gone anywhere else.

When the clock finally hit five, Cherry packed up and headed home. Her legs felt heavy, her head still spinning. She had managed not to make a single mistake at work, but the tension never left her chest.

As she walked toward the hallway near the elevator, she heard two voices speaking quietly behind the curve.

"Mister Ace Carter, do you have any instructions?" asked Mister Valdez.

The moment Cherry heard that name again, her body tensed. She didn't wait around to hear more. Without thinking, she turned on her heel and walked straight back to her desk. She'd rather stay a little longer at work than risk bumping into him again.

The next day was quieter.

Cherry's tasks went smoothly. She was careful and focused, but inside, she felt like a shadow creeping through the hallways. She didn't relax, always watching her steps and staying out of sight as much as possible.

Then she heard the news.

Gilbert had left for a business trip abroad. He wouldn't be back for several days.

Cherry let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

But something in her gut told her this peace wouldn't last long.

When Cherry heard that Gilbert had left for a business trip abroad, the tightness in her chest finally eased. For the first time in days, she felt like she could breathe properly. Maybe she'd just been overthinking everything, maybe things weren't as bad as she feared.

After lunch, Miss Divine approached her with news.

"There's a new director," she said. "Starting tomorrow, I'll be working under him full-time. But don't worry, Cherry, your internship won't be affected. You'll just be assisting someone else now."

Cherry smiled politely, though her nerves quietly stirred again. A new director meant new adjustments, but she reminded herself it was good for experience. Every challenge would help her grow.

The next day, Cherry was introduced to Miss Emma, the new director.

Miss Emma was sharp and clearly skilled at her job, but she had a tough personality. She didn't smile much, and her instructions were short and direct. From that day on, Cherry found herself doing almost everything, making coffee, organising files, and photocopying documents. She was constantly moving.

She didn't complain. She told herself this was part of learning, and she would take it all in. If this was what it took to make it in the real world, she would do it.

That evening, Cherry sat in the cafeteria with her tray of food, quietly eating alone.

Her phone suddenly rang. The number was unfamiliar, but she answered it anyway.

"Cherry, do you have any money? Just give it to me."

The voice on the other end made her go still.

It was her mother.

Cherry's jaw clenched. The anger that had been buried deep inside her chest slowly returned. Her mother's voice, so casual, made her remember what had happened in the hospital, how she left Luke alone after taking the money meant to watch over him.

That same day, Luke had a seizure.

If the nurse hadn't passed by and seen him, things could have been so much worse.

Cherry held the phone tightly, her fingers trembling. She didn't say anything right away.

But this time, she wouldn't stay silent.