"I was waiting for Crys Aguas," he says sternly in a steely voice, and all of my fantasies evaporate in a second.
"That's me," I say, so quietly that I barely hear myself.
"You're Crys Aguas?" he clarifies, not looking away for a second, not even blinking, and I get weak in the knees.
I know he was probably expecting to see Christian or Christopher, but here I am.
"I'm Crystal, but you can call me Crys," I say, louder this time, trying to stand still and keep looking at him, despite feeling so uncomfortable that I’m actively stopping myself from running away.
"How did you find out about the competition at my company? Did someone leak insider information?" His voice becomes even rougher; he's obviously dissatisfied that I'm here.
"I work here." My voice is shaking despite how hard I try to hide it.
"Don't lie to me, Ms. Aguas," he cuts me off and takes a step towards me. "I've checked: there's no one here with that name."
"I work here as Crystal Wilson; that's my husband's last name," I finally confess, and cross the arms, trying to show him that I’m not afraid of him. "I used my family name—Aguas—on my résumé."
"Why did you lie to me?" he roars, taking another step, and now he’s two feet away from me.
My heart starts beating faster.
I didn't realize how tall he was before he came closer. Jack Harden is a head taller than I am even though I'm wearing high heels.
"Because I thought that you'd be…" I start quietly but then stop.
I lower my gaze and look at the floor.
How can I tell my boss that I think he is judgmental towards women?
"Don't mumble, Ms. Wilson, do you know how much a minute of my time costs?" he growls, and I startle out of fear.
What a jerk! I came to him to ask for a promotion, but I don't want to work with an arrogant asshole like him anymore!
"You don't give women a chance, Mr. Harden," I say, looking up at him again. "If I didn't lie, you would never ask me for a meeting."
His face changes from angry to slightly surprised in a second.
He takes one more step closer, and now our bodies almost brush against each other.
Luckily I keep my arms crossed as a barrier on my chest.
"Are you hinting that I'm a sexist, Ms. Wilson?" His voice is steel, but he's not furious anymore, more like concerned.
He lowers his head, and now his face is inches from mine.
He won't give me a job after this. I'll probably be fired by the end of the day.
I have nothing to lose. That's why I say, "Yes, Mr. Harden, I think you're a sexist." I exhale, talking louder this time. "I think you're a judgmental and arrogant sexist who is missing out on a million opportunities to work with smart women because of this."
And here we are. I said it. I know I just lost my job, so there's nothing for me to lose anymore, and that's why my confidence finally comes back to me.
I just hope security won't throw me out before I can get all my stuff.
Chapter Two
Jack
I think you're a judgmental and arrogant sexist…