THE CEO AND ME!

"Tinsley, I m home with breakfast!"

Kian called out, entering the empty of soul living room. He dropped the breakfast on the table and walked inside the bedroom only to find his wife still deep asleep.

He checked his watch and it was nine in the morning. She was a late sleeper. It was something new he learned about his wife today.

He decided against in waking her up so he sat on the small dressing table to write a sweet cheesy note for his wife that would curve her petal-like lips in for a smile, he was so addicted about in his absence.

He placed the note along with the coffee and packed the cake on the nightstand and picked up his laptop to start on his work back in the cafe.

On his way out, his eyes fell upon the pretty red roses of the neighbourhood and he could not help himself from plucking one for his beautiful wife.

He ran back up the stairs to drop the red rose on the nightstand. He walked up to her side and bent down to drop a soft kiss on her forehead.

She looked so peaceful sleeping, clutching the duvet tight to her beating chest.

He kissed her closed eyes and then walked out of there. He was well aware of her background.

Sooner or later, she would sense how poor the lifestyle he was offering to her. After all, she was a born heiress and could never settle for any less.

He needed to work hard for her if not him and try to aim for success. And he was going to return her position back as the princess she was.

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Tinsley ate the last slice of cake, licking her fingers covered with vanilla extract.

The spoons and forks from last night were not cleaned and she found out they had no washing soap to clean the dishes and the spoons.

So she ended up eating the cake with her bare hands. She took the coffee cup and the packet to dispose of in the recycle bin in the kitchen.

The empty kitchen pantry made her think of going for grocery shopping. She had seen the town grocery market when driving here with Kian.

They needed to shop for basic toiletry items too, food, vegetables, fruits, a few dishes, utensils, and the micro oven was not working.

She had wanted to reheat the coffee but it was not working. So she needed to look out for a mechanic too.

She went back to the bedroom to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to get out and explore the town.

She tied her red hair in a messy bun and called Kian to inform him about her going out but he did not answer.

After three unanswered calls, she assumed, he was working so she dropped a text instead.

She went out, locking the door and climbed down the stairs. The town street was mostly empty with only a handful of people around it.

She slowly walked forward, watching everything and everyone. She had never been to a place like this.

The street vendor selling fresh fruits, vegetables, lentils, flowers...it was something new for her.

She had never done grocery shopping in her life. But she could not drop everything on Kian's head. She was the wife, after all, it was her responsibility to look after the housing department.

She strode towards the vegetable shop to buy some. They would need it for lunch and dinner.

But then she realized she had not bought any money with her. "Fuck!", she cursed in her mind for being so dumb, coming to the market without her handbag.

But then they had no money too back at home. Her bank accounts were long frozen. She did not remember Kian's pin code. So there was no way she could withdraw cash from the nearby ATM.

On looking around, her eyes fell on the jewellery shop and then the gold bracelet on her right hand made her think of selling it to get some cash.

It was the only way or she would have to return home with empty hands and there would be no food to cook tonight.

After losing everything, she had only the two platinum bangles and the gold bracelet, along with the diamond ring that Kian had gifted her as her jewellery.

There were days when she would not wear the same diamond twice but here she was today.

Life could make you see different phrases of life enclosed in one.

If someone had told her that one day, she would be selling a piece of her wearable jewellery to afford food on the table, a few months earlier, she would have bullied that person to death.

She could not help but notice the change in her attitude and behaviour so far.

How childish and spoilt she used to be, venting to others about her problems. But she felt too mature and understanding now.

She liked this version of herself...unlike that selfish, bratty one.

Maybe it was a good effect on her because of Kian. He was changing her for the better.

So with small steps, she got inside the jewellery shop and sold the bracelet in her left hand.

She counted the cash as she footed out of the shop. The gold was a rare quality one as the shopkeeper claimed with no adulteration but he could only give her a dollar three hundred bills for limited stock.

Not having any other choice but to sell or else she would have to walk to the other jewellery shop outside of the town to sell it at a higher price but it would take long to get there without a vehicle.

So she accepted what was handed to her and walked out. At least now she had enough cash to shop for the week.

"Is that Tinsley Rutherford??"

Tinsley tilted her head to see who it was calling out her name in the unknown town.

"Pauline???"

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