My Forever Love

Prologue

"Evelyn!"

It was your typical Monday morning at the office. Printer's racing, keyboards clicking, and thirty people shoved into an open space, with only one goal in common. To bring in customers. And every day, like clockwork, temporary supervisor Allison White never failed to remind her subordinate colleagues that they were all doing a terrible job. Don't you just love corporate enthusiasm?

Today's victim; Evelyn Mitchell.

"Evelyn!"

Evelyn jumped, spilling some of her scalding coffee on her new blazer, startled from the loud screech. She grabbed a napkin from her desk and hastily attempted to clean herself off. Taking a few deep breaths, she prepared herself for the wrath of Hurricane Allison. The sound of stiletto heels clicking across the floor almost cynically sent most employees into a working frenzy as no one else wanted to be collateral damage to the fallout.

"Evelyn!"

Gabriella, her cubicle partner, sent a sympathetic glance before locking her eyes back to her computer screen. Allison's screaming matches with unsuspecting employees were nothing new. Still, she seemed to have developed a special appreciation for yelling at Evelyn. Nobody knew why. Evelyn chalked it up to being too timid to fight back. While other employees stood up for themselves once in a while, she just took the verbal abuse. Instead, she took her usual moment in the bathroom to reevaluate her life and then go back to her cubicle and repeat the process.

"Evelyn!" Allison screamed for the umpteenth time as she crossed the office and stormed her way over to the cramped corner that Evelyn hesitantly referred to as her workspace.

"Yes, Miss. White," Evelyn responded, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

"Did you not hear me calling you!" She yelled as she threw down the forms in her hand onto Evelyn's desk.

"Sorry, Miss. White, it will not happen again. How can I help?" Evelyn asked, shrinking back into her seat, and Allison huffed in response.

"The marketing plan for Mr. Hudson, where is it?"

"I have no idea. I was not on that account."

"You have no idea?" she asked incredulously, and Evelyn closed her eyes, preparing for the anger that was about to erupt from Allison. "You have no idea! You ignorant imbecile. This is one of the biggest clients we have, and you don't know where the documents are for their marketing plan. Let me ask you something, Evelyn. Do you enjoy working here?"

No

"Yes, of course, Miss. White."

"Then act like it! I want those documents on my desk within the hour, or you can kiss this job goodbye. Do you understand me!" She yelled, slamming her hands on the desk, and the entire office went utterly silent.

"Yes," Evelyn muttered, trying her hardest to save any inch of confidence she may have had left.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Miss. White," she said finally before turning back to her computer screen to try and draw together whatever self-pride she had left. Feeling satisfied enough with her degrading of another employee, Allison turned on her heels. She glared at the remaining workers as she sauntered out of the open workplace and into her private suite. The remaining employees only took a breath once the echo sound of her office door slamming shut circulated the room.

"Girl, are you okay?" Gabriella asked, her eyes wide, and Evelyn nodded, unable to find the words she needed to speak. "Damn, that woman hates you. I mean, she's no walk in the park for the rest of us, but she really hates you. What did you do, kill her dog or something?"