Four

chapter 4-

The dimly lit office was filled with tension as Yvonne stood nervously in front of her boss’s desk. Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened to his harsh words, each one cutting deeper than the last.

"You’re worthless, Yvonne," her boss snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. "Another month without a single sale. What do you even do here? You’re good for nothing."

Yvonne’s face flushed with embarrassment as she tried to muster a response. "Sir, I’ve been trying my best, but the market has been tough lately. If you could just give me one more chance—"

"One more chance?" her boss interrupted with a cruel laugh. "You don’t deserve another chance. The only reason you’re still here is because of your pretty face and that body of yours. Maybe if you spent the night with me, I could reconsider."

Yvonne’s eyes widened in shock as her boss leered at her, his gaze lingering on her body in a way that made her skin crawl. "What are you talking about?" she stammered, taking a step back.

Her boss smirked, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied grin. "Don’t act so surprised. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last. Ask my secretary how happy she is with me." He turned to the young woman standing by his side, pulling her into a rough kiss that made Yvonne’s stomach churn. The secretary’s expression was blank, her eyes void of any emotion, as if she had resigned herself to this fate.

Yvonne’s heart sank as her boss rose from his chair and began to approach her, his intentions clear. She backed away, desperately trying to think of a way out, when suddenly, the door to the office burst open.

"Step away from her," came a voice filled with authority and anger. Yvonne’s boss froze, turning to see Matthew standing in the doorway, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Who the hell are you?" the boss sneered, his confidence returning as he looked Matthew up and down. "How dare you interrupt me? Do you know who I am?"

Yvonne quickly stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Matthew, please, don’t make things worse. I’m sorry, Mr. Henderson, he didn’t mean to—"

"Quiet!" Henderson snapped, cutting her off. He turned back to Matthew, his lip curling in disdain. "So, you’re the loser she’s been hanging around with, huh? You look like you can’t even afford a decent set of clothes, and you have the nerve to barge in here and act like a hero?"

Matthew’s expression didn’t waver as he met Henderson’s gaze. "I warned you to step away, and I meant it. You’ll regret it if you don’t."

Henderson’s eyes gleamed with malice as he stepped closer to Matthew, sizing him up. "Regret it? What are you going to do, boy? You’re nothing. You can’t even afford a decent meal, let alone stand up to me."

Matthew remained calm, his voice steady. "You can mock me all you want, but I’m not here to argue. I’m here to protect her. And as for your insults, I could buy a villa if I wanted to."

Henderson’s laughter echoed through the office, filled with disbelief and scorn. "A villa? You? You can barely buy yourself a pair of decent shoes, and you think you can buy a villa? You’re even more pathetic than I thought. And if you’re lying, it’s going to cost you."

Just as Henderson’s laughter faded, the door swung open again, and Rachel walked in, her new boyfriend, Michael, right behind her. A smug smile played on her lips as she surveyed the scene.

"Matthew," Rachel drawled, her tone dripping with condescension, "I heard you were making a scene here. What’s this nonsense about buying a villa? You couldn’t even afford to give me the compensation I deserved, and now you’re making ridiculous claims?"

Michael, ever eager to impress Rachel, chimed in. "This guy is a joke. I saw him begging Rachel to marry him, but she dumped him because he couldn’t even take care of her properly. He’s nothing but a black mark on manhood, a loser who’s so desperate he begged to marry someone who was already done with him."

Henderson’s eyes lit up with malicious delight as he looked between Matthew and the others. "So this is the great Matthew Donovan, huh? A man who begs at the feet of a woman just to get married? Pathetic. And now you’re here, trying to play the hero for this one? You two poor fools suit each other perfectly."

Matthew’s jaw clenched, but he kept his composure. The humiliation stung, but he wasn’t going to let them see him falter. He had learned too much, endured too much, to let their words break him now.

"You know what your problem is?" Matthew said, his voice calm but firm. "You judge people by what they look like on the outside. You think just because I’m not wearing a designer suit or driving a fancy car, I’m worthless. But you can’t judge a book by its cover. And I’ll prove it."

Henderson crossed his arms, still smirking. "Oh, really? How are you going to do that, Matthew? By buying that villa you were talking about?"

Matthew’s eyes locked onto Henderson’s, his gaze unwavering. "Yes. I’ll buy that villa today. And when I do, you’ll see just how wrong you were about me."

For a moment, there was silence in the room, broken only by the ticking of a clock on the wall. Then Henderson burst into laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. "You’re really something, Donovan. Alright, go ahead. But if you’re lying, you’ll be paying for it dearly."

Rachel and Michael exchanged smug glances, convinced that Matthew was bluffing. But Matthew simply pulled out his phone, his fingers moving swiftly as he made a call.

The room fell silent as they watched him, their skepticism growing by the second. But Matthew didn’t falter. He spoke briefly into the phone, then hung up and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Done," he said simply, turning to face Henderson. "The villa is mine. You can check if you don’t believe me."

Henderson’s laughter died in his throat as he stared at Matthew, the confidence slowly draining from his face. "You… you can’t be serious."

Matthew’s expression didn’t change. "I told you. Don’t judge a book by its cover."

Rachel’s smug smile faltered as she looked at Michael, who was now shifting uncomfortably. "He’s bluffing, right? He has to be."

But there was no answer from Michael, only silence as they all waited for the truth to reveal itself.

As the minutes ticked by, Matthew stood tall, unshaken by the doubt and disbelief surrounding him. He knew what he had done, and he knew that this was just the beginning. The beginning of a new chapter, a new life where he would no longer be the underdog, no longer the man everyone underestimated.

And as the weight of his words settled over the room, Matthew knew that, no matter what happened next, he had already won. He had proven that he was more than they had ever given him credit for. And now, it was time to claim the life he was destined to lead.

As the door to the office opened once more, this time to reveal a man in a sharp suit holding a set of keys, Matthew stepped forward to meet him, leaving behind the doubts and the people who had once held him back.

This was his moment, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away.