The surrogate boss next door.

Chapter one

The piercing ring of the alarm got Emily's face all scrunched up as she groped blindly for the clock, silencing its nagging buzz. The sudden stillness was a relief, but sleep was far from her eyes. "Ugh, stupid alarm," Emily muttered, releasing a frustrated sigh. Her gaze drifted to the ceiling, where the morning light creeping through the blinds seemed to mock her.

With a groan, Emily pushed herself up and sat upright. Her feet scraped against the floor as she searched for her slippers. She made her way to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, unable to shake off the feeling of dread. She wondered what the new week had in store for her: meetings, deadlines, or perhaps a surprise project? The worst part was the thought of seeing her annoying boss.

"Why does Monday always have to come so soon?" Emily sighed. After washing up and dressing for work, she stood in front of her mirror, contemplating the day ahead, when her phone beeped. Emily picked up her phone and smiled as she read the message from her friend: "Weekends are over, lazy bone. See you at work. Let's grab some coffee together."

Emily was set for work and ready to leave. Downstairs, she noticed her mom was absent and called out to one of the maids. "Where is my mom?" Emily asked.

"She's at the vacant apartment next door," the maid replied.

"Thanks," Emily appreciated, making her way to the adjacent apartment. "Is someone moving in?" Emily asked as she approached her mom.

"Hey, baby," her mom said with a smile.

"Good morning, Mom," Emily greeted, smiling as she pecked her mom while hugging her.

"Morning, darling. Hope you slept well?" her mom asked.

"Yes, I did, just like a baby," Emily replied.

"I can see that. Did you have breakfast already?" her mom asked.

"Not really; I'll have it at work," Emily told her mom.

"You sure? You always skip meals. Promise me you'll eat once you get to work," her mom said.

"I will. Gotta go; don't let me distract you from your work," Emily said.

"Okay, darling. Be a good girl at work and don't get on your boss's nerves again," her mom warned, knowing how Emily interacted with her boss.

"I'll try my best. Bye," Emily said and walked away.

****************

"Is this the best you guys can come up with?" Alex scolded, tossing the files at them. "I don't know if you guys think this project is a joke, but you had the whole weekend to think about it. I guess you had other issues to attend to."

Emily stood at a corner, glaring at her boss, her eyes shooting lasers. It's a good thing glares can't kill, or Alex would have been a victim.

"Such a jerk," Emily cursed under her breath.

"Do you have something to say, Miss Emily?" Alex asked with a raised brow.

She knew better than to talk back to her boss unless she was willing to sacrifice her job. "Not at all, Mister Alex. And I apologize on behalf of my team. We'll make corrections and set things straight."

Alex's expression remained stern. "You better, or your salary will suffer if anything goes wrong. You all can leave and get to work."

The employees bowed and left, heading to their various sections to get busy.

Emily stood at Alex's door step with her friend, protesting. "Such a spoiled brat! It took us a whole week to come up with that, and he just flings it like it was nothing. I wish I could just... gosh, that guy always gets on my nerves."

Sarah spoke up, "What can we do? I mean, he is our boss. And I think all he does is just for the good of the company."

"Which side are you on?" Emily asked, giving Sarah a side glare.

Sarah smiled. "I'm on both sides."

Emily continued protesting until Alex called out, "Miss Emily."

Emily choked on her words, turning to face her boss. "Oh, fuck," she muttered under her breath, then lowered her head.

"I guess you have got nothing to do with your time," Alex said, walking closer.

Emily stammered, "I... erh... do, was just... I mean... I doubt you do." Alex interrupted, his voice firm. "If you feel you can't work under me, then turn in your resignation letter. My door is always open. Then go find a company where you can get all the praises you desire." Alex said then walked away with his PA, Emily let out a shaky breath. "Oh my God, did you see his look? That was a killer look" Sarah asked as Alex stared sent shiver to her spine.

"Should i just turn in my resignation letter like he said? That look almost knocked me out of breath." Emily said as she tried to shake off the feeling. "Let's go grab some coffee; I need to think."

Sarah expressed surprise. "You're still thinking about coffee after what happened?"

Emily shrugged. "Why not? I mean, this isn't the first... I have learned to get past his words. Let's go.". They both walked away to the cafe.

****************

"Don't you think you're being too hard on your workers?" Ethan asked, Alex's PA.

"How is that being hard? Are you saying I should come down to their level?" Alex asked, staring at Ethan through the rearview mirror.

"I never said that," Ethan replied. "But sometimes, give them a little credit for their effort."

Ethan had been a friend to Alex for years and was often the only one who understood him. Ethan is a year older than Alex, which makes him act more like a brother.

"Are you my advisor now or PA?" Alex asked.

"I'm willing to take on any role, just to help you," Ethan said with a smile, focusing on his driving.

Alex changed the subject. "How's my search for a new apartment going?"

"Actually, I've already set one up for you," Ethan said. "It should be ready by the end of today. You can move in over the weekend or tomorrow, your choice."

Alex replied, "Okay, then," and went back to work.

Ethan teased, "No thank you or tip?" knowing how hard it was for Alex to show appreciation.

Alex responded with a glare, which only formed a smile on Ethan's lips.

***************

The busy day was over, and Emily packed up, closing up for the day as she bid her other workers goodbye. She ordered a cab to take her home, feeling stressed.

As she walked in, she met her mom, still at the apartment, making final adjustments.

"Hello, Mom," Emily called out.

"Hey, sweetheart! You're home already. How was work today?" her mom asked with a smile.

Emily replied with a dull look, "I don't want to talk about it."

Her mom sensed her frustration. "I guess you had another frustrating day with your boss today?"

Emily shrugged. "Whatever. What's going on here? You guys are still working on this?" She glanced around the room.

"Yes, our new tenant is quite particular, so we're trying to meet the expectations," her mom explained.

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Wow, whoever the new tenant is, I hope they're not as extravagant as their taste. People like that can be hard to handle."

Her mom chuckled. "Actually, I think our tenant has great taste in design."

Emily agreed, "Yeah, And the workers did an amazing job. Don't you think?"

Her mom nodded. "Absolutely! They're incredibly skilled. (sigh) You look tired, sweetie."

Emily yawned. "I'm exhausted, Mom. Gotta get some rest."

Her mom reminded her, "Make sure you have dinner before bed."

"I will, Mom. How about you?" Emily asked.

"I already ate," her mom replied.

"Okay, then," Emily said, heading to her room.