**Dorothy's POV**

“Sir, you have a meeting at seven and another one at ten” I spoke as I followed behind Xavier, his wife shooting me daggers.

“He is going to breakfast with a friend of my dad. That meeting would have to wait” She scowled as she stood with her very expensive bag, scanning me from head to toe.

“I'm not, ready the car” He turned to me, completely dismissing Diana. It was almost too funny that I snorted.

Both Diana and Xavier looked at me and I just started coughing.

“Please can you help me with water” I coughed, hitting my chest.

“You know the kitchen. I'll be back, I want to take something upstairs” Xavier said and went upstairs.

I nodded and walked to the kitchen, took a glass and filled it with water.

“Do you think I'm stupid? You laughed at me! How dare you?” Diana spat and turned to me, glaring at me.

“I'm..I didn't laugh at all, ma'am. It was just a slight cough that I couldn't hold in anymore” I lied, swallowing the water deeply.

“I don't know how you came into his life or if you are the granddaughter to his father, stay away from my husband. I'm really happy that you have left here, clearly you remembered your lowly state” She hissed, and walked off, leaving me there.

Lowly state? I bit my lip, as I swallowed my words with another gulp of water.

“Where are you, Dorothy? We are going to be late” I heard Xavier's voice calling from the sitting room. I quickly dropped the glass and walked to the door, ahead of him.

I got into the car, and he followed suit and his driver drove off as we got settled in.

“What happened? I can smell you are upset” He started, his eyes trained on his phone.

“I’m sorry, did you say smell I am upset? How do you smell anger?” I asked, turning to face him.

“Ohh I don't. I have always wanted to ask that to someone” He shrugged, smiling from ear to ear.

“How…how old are you, again?” I asked, tilting my head.

“Blah blah” He sneered, using his hand to demonstrate how a dummy talks.

“Oh my sweet child. You do know, that from now on, anytime you are angry, I'll literally think you are throwing a tantrum” I replied him, smiling innocently.

He just simply glared at me, his eyes meeting his eyelashes from his lowered head.

“Sir, we've arrived” The driver announced, looking at us through the rearview mirror.

“Thanks, Sir Arthur” I thanked the mid forties man, and smiled while Xavier just simply got off the car.

I walked behind him and entered the conference room, and he sat at the head of the table. Soon, people started tripping in.

My heart stopped as I saw Edward walking in with his secretary by his side. He sat at the opposite head of the table, glaring and smirking at me.

“Let's start” Xavier directed, and the entire hall got silent.

The meeting went on for over an hour and my feet began killing me.

“This partnership will promote friendly communication between the different staffs” One of them said.

“Communication?” Xavier asked, his eyes trained on Edward as he tilted his head.

“Yes. In case, you are indisposed to come to a meeting, I can easily ask one of your staffs” Edward smirked, relaxing deeper into his chair.

Something about how calm he sound ticked me the wrong way. What the hell is going on?

“Dorothy” Xavier called my name which brought me out of my thoughts.

“Sir?” I asked, bending to see his face clearly.

“Do you want to have communication with Edward?” He asked me, joining his two hands together, fingers intertwined.

I blinked severally at the man before me. Why is he asking me that?

“I…well, if for business, yes” I answered, honestly and he turned to me slowly, giving me a side look and a smirk.

“Guess this answers that proposition. Declined. This meeting is finished” Xavier causally brushed off the last benefit of the partnership, and all other members walked off, but Xavier and Edward didn't move a muscle.

“So I see you knew about our meeting, right?” Edward asked, leaning in, dropping his hand on the table.

“Yes. You do not summon her to meet you privately. She works for me” Xavier seethed, as his face got into a stern frown.

“Really? Okay, then…she works for you. But I can tell you that, if she is a hundred percent, her body is a thousand” He smirked and I saw Xavier's face, fall.

Edward's smirk grew bigger as he saw Xavier's five second reaction. He stood up and left.

“And oh, Xavier….I had a good time” He smiled and left finally.

“Fuck!” Xavier screamed, removing all the files on the table with one hand. I flinched and moved back a step.

“You slept with him in the restaurant. Are you that desperate to be noticed?” He asked me, his hand on my neck.

I looked at the burning eyes staring at me, and wondered how someone can flip between emotions so quick.

“I..that didn't happen, Xavier” I choked out, trying to release his grip on my neck. He finally let me go and I fell to the ground gasping for air and cleaning the tears that welled in my eyes.

“Your mother must be so…ashamed right now. Look how her daughter turned out” He spat and walked off.

I sat there, trying to steady my breath, but I couldn't.

It became harder to breath. The words he said rang in my head and my eyes welled up. Was I really a failure?

My mind ran to the place it always goes, self criticism.

I started questioning my life, from two years ago till now. What have I done? What have I accomplished?.

And I just realized that I had been working my ass off, just to survive. I was so caught up in survival mode that I actually hadn't been living.

I've finished school but I couldn't settle down to look for a decent job that I had been choked up with bills to pay, to the point that I had no more money and it had gotten so bad that I was driven away from my family house by the bank.

And then that's when I realized, I am a survivor, not off a man's pocket but mine. My mom would be proud of me, because she taught me well.

I may not be bloody rich but hell, am I better than most girls my age. My dignity was still intact.

So….fuck you, Xavier Wort