CHAPTER 51: FIRST DAY OF WORK I
The insistent ringing of her phone tore Diana from her sleep. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was past 7:00 AM. Panic surged through her as she fumbled for her phone and answered. Vanessa's small voice, laced with urgency, filled her ear.
"Where are you, Diana?"
"I'm almost at the office, what's going on?" Diana's voice trailed off, replaced by a sharp intake of breath. "Are you okay? You sound like you're underwater."
"You need to get here now!"
"Is it urgent, Vanessa?" Diana croaked, her voice thick with sleep.
"Urgent? Try catastrophic! I don't remember where the office is anymore," she stammered, confusion clouding her thoughts.
"What do you mean?" Diana's voice rose, laced with concern.
"It's different here, Diana. Everything is..." Vanessa's voice trailed off, unable to articulate the bizarre shift she felt.
Diana's head throbbed. Vaguely, she recalled drinking heavily the night before... but with whom? And where? Panic gnawed at her. "Look, Vanessa, I..."
"Just get here as fast as you can, alright? If you don't show up soon, I'm blaming you for the fallout!" Vanessa cut her off, the line going dead.
Sitting up, Diana scanned her familiar surroundings. It was definitely her bedroom. Richly furnished, a hint of masculine cologne lingered in the air, she recognized it as her husband's from last night before they left the house.
Memories flickered, fragmented and hazy. Her husband, James, arguing with... Cassandra? Then the restaurant, karaoke, James carrying her out...
Dread settled in her stomach. James hadn't come back last night. What was she going to do now?
Diana rushed to the bathroom. Reaching for her usual body wash, she paused. Her husband's bottle caught her eye, and a strange impulse to use it took over.
After showering, she entered the closet, surprised to find her clothes meticulously organized. Her husband had cleared a large section from his closet, apparently to accommodate her wardrobe.
She chose a sleek grey pantsuit, black turtleneck, and matching designer blazer. From her shoe collection, she picked black stilettos and a matching handbag. Gold jewelry adorned her wrist and fingers, and a few loose curls framed her face from the way she parked her hair. Light makeup completed the natural look.
But how would she get to work? Diana thought as she went downstairs. James hadn't returned, and Antonio was nowhere to be seen. Just as she was thinking about what to do, Nicodemus's voice from the foot of the stairs interrupted her thoughts.
"Ma'am, a gift from your husband."
"Gift?" Diana raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, ma'am".
"Did he return yesterday?"
"No, Ma'am".
"Then how did you get the gift?"
"His secretary delivered it." He produced a red velvet box.
Diana quickly walked the remaining steps to meet him and took the box, her curiosity piqued. Diana cautiously untied the ribbon. Inside, a single key glinted. "What is this, Uncle Nic?"
"Your new ride, ma'am." Nicodemus explained with a polite smile.
Diana's eyes widened in surprise. Excitement momentarily eclipsing her worry, Diana hugged him impulsively. He seemed surprised, but quickly recovered and returned the embrace.
"Forget breakfast, Uncle Nik," she said, excitement bubbling over. "I'm already late!"
"I figured as much," he chuckled, carrying a food container and a bowl of soup. "Your husband mentioned you might have a hangover. He also said you don't like medicine, so i opted to prepare this soup for you instead. You should gulp it down quickly."
"You're a lifesaver, Uncle Nik!" Diana kissed his cheek, quickly gulped down the warm soup, and rushed outside to see her new ride with her packed breakfast and Nicodemus trailing behind.
The sight that greeted her as she opened the door took her breath away. A brand new, gleaming black Rolls Royce Phantom stood parked before the house, and beside it, a man in his late forties bowed respectfully.
Diana ran down the remaining steps as Nicodemus held his hand to his chest praying and hoping she wasn't going to fall.
"Good morning, ma'am. My name is Leonard, and I'll be your driver."
"Can i call you Leo, please," Diana smiled warmly.
"Certainly, ma'am," he replied, a smile playing on his lips. "And there's more inside for you."
Diana's heart skipped a beat. Inside the car, a black designer laptop bag awaited. Opening it revealed a brand new iPhone, MacBook Pro, and iPad – all the latest models. A note nestled amongst them read, "Happy first day of work."
Diana's smile widened. Handing the key to Leo,
"We should get going Leo".
Leo nodded as she climbed into the luxurious car. He presented her with documents. "These are the car's documents and your license, ma'am. Please sign where necessary to finalize the registration."
Diana nodded, took the documents, and settled into the plush leather seat. Today might be strange, but it was starting to feel pretty damn amazing.
Diana approached the office building, her heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. As she stepped out of the car, her jaw dropped. Her entire team, including Vanessa, stood clustered outside, their faces beaming.
"Good morning, ma'am!" they greeted in unison.
"Good morning," Diana replied, her voice laced with confusion. "Vanessa, what's going on?"
Angelo, her husband's Secretary, stepped forward, bowing slightly. "Good morning ma'am"
"Good morning Angelo. What is happening here and why are my workers outside?".
"Your husband asked me to give you these." He extended a set of keys.
Diana's eyebrows shot up. "Keys? To what?"
"Your new office, ma'am. " Angelo explained with a smile. "Since you guys got married, he has had some renovations done. He felt the original space wouldn't be suitable for your new role. He's been busy renovating the entire five floors according to your preferences. And if something doesn't suit your taste, he said there's always the option of further changes"
Diana's mind reeled. Renovations? For her? "He did what?" Diana stared at Angelo, speechless as she asked, barely audible.
Vanessa nudged Diana, pinching her arms playfully. "Isn't this amazing, Di? Your Hubby's spoiling you rotten just three weeks in!"
A hesitant smile touched Diana's lips as she followed the group towards the entrance. Angelo pointed out a newly built parking lot and several shops nearby.
"Look Diana, he even had a parking lot built and some shops set up for your convenience," Vanessa exclaimed excitedly.
"I have eyes Vani", Diana said pointedly to her friend.
A wide smile spread across Diana's face as she entered the building, followed by the curious gazes of her employees.