The Embrace

Dylan adjusted his baseball cap, and studied the distant environment. He smirked and looked down at the golf club he was holding. He crouched, raised the club past his ear, and struck it down immediately. It hit the golf ball, which flew far.

"Wow, nice" A person's voice was heard. Dylan furrowed his brows and watched the person come closer. He felt worried and anxious already since he couldn't recognize whoever it was.

He has a predicament which is actually a secret. Not only that, but he even kept it from his entire family. He knew he wasn't really stable due to the frequent headaches he had, and even the dizziness was something he couldn't phantom.

Thinking it was something minor and which simply would go away, he ignored it. However, all hell was let loose when he slipped down the stairs and hit his head really hard on it. Dylan passed out immediately and it after 10 hours, he woke up.

When he did, he noticed something changed. He went outdoors and was so confused. He felt he needed to go to the hospital and when a doctor who is actually a college course mate of his ran some tests on him, the test results came out and that was when Dylan realized he was diagnosed with prosopagnosia also known as face blindness because of the traumatic brain injury inflicted by the crude fall.

Dylan had also begged his college course mate who happened to be the doctor, of course, to keep his illness a secret.

Eric, the doctor, complied immediately and in time, this two became tight friends. That was how things ended and Dylan became a face blinded CEO who was still successful despite all odds.

Dylan studied the person behavior, and appearance for a while and sighed deeply. He just couldn't get it. Though he was smart, he wasn't still good at distinguishing people.

"If I had known you were here, I could have come earlier. Playing golf at this time of the night would be cool" The person said, and a smile enveloped Dylan's thin lips.

He already knew who that person was. Judging from the statement, he would be good in golf and the only person he knew that would be good and perfect in golf like he was, was none other than his cousin, Jeffrey.

"Jeff" Dylan muttered.

"Hmm" Jeffery chuckled.

Dylan walked to the steel chair and picked the hand towel from it, which he used to wipe his sweaty forehead and neck.

"Nice cap by the way" Jeffrey chirped.

"Thanks, I got it from a friend"

"A friend? A lady?"

Dylan cackled. "I wished. What are you doing here? You rarely come over" He said as he walked with Jeffrey by his side.

"I heard you got a new secretary"

"Hmm, I guess"

"Is she pretty?"

"I haven't seen her face but the interviewers all gave her a 5, I'm guessing she's pretty since she's smart"

"What's her name? I wanna go for tarot reading"

"Don't tell me you believe in that nonsense. Anyway, if you must know... I didn't really care about her name or anything about her. Since she's smart, I told the management team to send a response to her" Dylan said and stopped by his Maserati.

"Are you serious? Just like that? You didn't get to check her name? Even her passport? You don't even know how she looks like. Looks matters too. As a handsome CEO, you ought to have a beautiful secretary by your-

"I'll leave first. Goodnight" Dylan interrupted him and entered the car.

"So cold. He's better than before though" Jeffrey muttered.

Dylan looked at his right side mirror to have a glance at Jeffrey, and when he did, he shook his head.

"Well, he doesn't know I can't recognize faces. So, I care less about what my secretary looks like. What I need from her is her brains. Her smartness. Besides, no secretary ever stays with me pass a year" He thought as his car zoomed off from sight.

*

A loud and harsh knock was what woke Chloe that morning. Immediately her eyes opened, she snorted and let out a soft sigh.

"Who is that?" She asked as she lazily got up from the bed.

Chloe walked to the door and opened it and who welcomed her was her short and angry looking landlady. She gulped down heavily when she saw the spite on her face.

"Good morn-

"Oh shut up, Chloe" She snapped.

"Oh" Chloe muttered.

"I came to tell…Wait, Where's your roommate, Ariel? She ought to be here because what I want to say requires her presence"

"Uhmm… She…She traveled" Chloe lied.

"Okay then. I'm here for my rent and I need you two to move out before next month" She spoke out causing Chloe body to tremble.

"Wait, what?. Why? Why should we move out? We did nothing wrong. Fine, we will pay you your rent but asking us to leave just like this is wrong" Chloe shook her head.

"Well, If you must know, you aren't the only ones moving out. All my tenants are also moving. I want to tear down this building and make a bigger and better one"

Chloe face turned pale. Her thoughts were endless now. She wondered how she would get enough money to move into a new place without the help of Ariel.

"At this moment, I'll have to move out?" Chloe shook her head.

"I don't get what you're saying, but make sure to wire the rent before tomorrow. Have a nice day, Chloe" She said and left.

"Nice day? Thanks for the sarcasm!" She screamed out and slammed the door heavily.

*

After lunch, Chloe got to her phone and started checking out jobs online. She sighed deeply when she saw most of them wasn't worth it.

"This is harder than I thought" She whispered and kept her phone away.

She suddenly remembered the email she got concerning the secretary job.

"Should I go for it? Oh no...I don't think so. I mean, I can't use Ariel's name while working there. Gosh, living under her identity? I don't think so" She shook her head.

"But you need this job, Chloe" Her consciousness rang.

"What?" Chloe eyes batted.

"You have a lot of expenses to cover up. Have you forgotten about the hospital bills? The rent? Even the food stuffs you have here are almost out. Don't you need new clothes too? I mean look at how dry your wardrobe is" Her consciousness told her.

"There's nothing so bad in taking this job. You strived for it and got it. Ariel won't even feel so bad if she wakes up because she desired the job. Rejecting it will only make her feel sad and bad" It continued.

Chloe sighed deeply and slowly sat on the bed. "Well, I guess you're right. I have to move before next month and I don't have enough cash. I'll just do this for 3 months. By that time, I would have gathered enough cash"

"So, you really doing it?" She heard the voice again.

"I guess. I think I'm going to have to use my friend's identity for a while. Here I come, DMC Company" She whispered.

*

THE NEXT DAY*

Chloe alighted from the taxi and paid the driver and later zoomed off. She faced the mighty building before her and exhaled deeply.

"I feel anxious than that day" She said to herself.

Chloe found herself walking into the building. She met with the bubbly receptionist at the counter, who took her to the CEO's office.

"So, what's your name?" The receptionist smiled.

"Chl.... Huh, I'm Ariel Peterson" She chuckled nervously.

"Ellen Fallon" The receptionist said and stretched her arm.

"Nice to meet you, Ellen" Chloe took her hand.

"Same here" Ellen smiled and they both dropped their hands.

"You must have heard, right?" Ellen whispered.

"About?" Chloe asked as she dusted her thighs. She was dressed elegantly like a secretary would. White packet shirt and a black skirt, with flat brown shoes. Her hair was tied, and she had simple makeup done.

"The CEO, of course. You know how he behaves, right?"

"No, I don't" Chloe shook her head.

"Well, He's quite so-so. Just don't get on his bad side and also, he fires secretaries a lot. None has ever lasted with him for 6 months"

"Oh" Chloe eyebrows danced.

"Well, here we are" Ellen chuckled, coming to a halt. They both faced the huge and beautiful constructed door before them and out of nervousness, Chloe swallowed hard.

*

Dylan was in his office, busy with some paperwork, when he got a call. He sighed deeply and reluctantly accepted the call after checking the caller ID.

"Hello mum?" He said.

"Dylan, How's your day? Fine, I guess?"

"You answered that yourself, Mum. So, why did you call? I'm very busy right now" He said quickly.

"Okay, okay... Hmph! So, Danielle is on her way to your office"

"Danielle?!" He screamed, and jumped on his feet. He couldn't believe it. Danielle was his younger sister who had been in London since she was five. Though, she occasionally came over to the US to greet her family.

"So, Is she on her way?"

"Yes, right now. She wanted it to be a surprise, but you know me, I'm such a chatterbox"

"Indeed you are. God, I'm so happy. Finally, I get to see Danielle? After all these years? I sorely miss her" Dylan smiled.

"Obviously" His mother chuckled.

Dylan's face saddened a bit, though. He wasn't happy that he wouldn't be able to recognize his sister's face. It was such a pity.

A knock was heard and his eyes widened.

"That could be her, Mum"

"Guess she has arrived"

"I'll call you back" Dylan chuckled softly and ended the call.

He walked briskly to the door and opened it. Immediately he set his eyes on the womanly figure before him, he smiled broadly and threw his arms around her, engaging in a warm embrace.

Chloe, who was being hugged for no reason by a man who, should be her boss nearly had a heart attack.

"What's happening?" She thought in surprise.

Ellen who was behind her gasp in shock and disbelief. She, too, wondered what could be happening.