Misery

10. 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙺

  Althea's POV 

The cold crept throughout the city with the chilling winds of early December. My knitted peach sweater and spiderman socks worked well against the weather anyhow. I reached the office pretty early today , assuming Cessier to be the kind of person who would be fussy about punctuality and all that stuff.

I had watched enough dramas by now to know what the right thing to do was. Considering the fact that it was my 'official' first day at the office ,I was anxious. Hence, I came in an hour earlier than I was supposed to. 

Although she was not my boss, she was my senior and was there to guide me, so impressing her and proving that I was worth it for this position was all I could focus on right now.

Naturally getting all aplomb was proved futile . Why did I not expect her to be present in her office way before I did? She decided the timings after all. Why was I stupid enough to assume that her timings were the same as mine? Of course she was already present . 

The door to her office was left open in the sunlit hallway as I was making my way into mine. I peeped in and saw her brooding , her head resting on her palm. A notebook was left open on her desk and a file was kept beside it.

In the dim sunlight her head shone like she was in an impressionist painting; the sun's rays warping a halo around her head. The texture of her skin catching the light and emitting it back like some mythological being glowing among the clouds. I stood for a moment or two, waiting. 

Her face was turned away towards the open windows and I thought of clearing my throat before stepping in; but she started speaking languorously without turning back , " Aren't you here a bit too early Ms. Aberra?" .

I was startled and standing there at her door indecisive about whether I should enter or step out , I started fumbling for words. Was I that loud ? My footsteps barely made any sound over the carpeted floor of the hallway .

Regardless , I was yet to learn how to answer her blunt questions without being taken aback. She was still  staring at the verdure visible through her windows while I practically screamed a little too coyingly " Ah... good morning Ms. Rinne." , in a voice I would cringe and cry if I ever heard it again.

She finally turned back with a gaunt expression , her eyes nonchalant and scarily stupefying. I just wanted to make a good first impression man and have her think I was an excessively productive workaholic.

" I read the timings wrong and realised it after catching a taxi." , I blurted  adding a nervous smile after the last word.

" Oh , I thought it was a failed attempt to impress me on your first day at work here but never mind. It's good that you're here already , I had to discuss certain issues regarding the case with you ." , she replied as if reading through my soul.

Apart from being terrible at lying I was also terrible at hiding my expressions . I smiled in an vague attempt to hint that her assumptions had definitely been untrue , but it rather came out as the look a child gave to their mother after telling her a conspicuous lie about not stealing cookies.

I entered and placed my backpack down my seat as she shifted in front of me . Then on went the morning sermon...

The word of Coby Dilian's death was all over the country. For the media , death of celebrities was a form of entertainment . From conspiracy theories to teenagers changing their profile pictures on twitter , a hailstorm circulated over the internet .