Song of the chapter: You had a bad day - chipmunks.

"Wow." Ella breathed as she got down from the bus she'd taken from downtown. The uptown had really changed, since the last time she had been here. And if she really calculated it; that would be three years since she have been to the uptown part of west Philly.

Cassie sent her a message last night,stating that she had secured an interview for her with the one and only,William Mckade. Ella had fallen off her sofa when she saw the message last night. She couldn't believe that after so many years he was back. She had fantasized about him every night ever since she met him in 'cake 'n' cream, the day he came to meet Cassie. How many times had she dreamed that they got married?

Countless times.

But she knew that feeling that way was useless, since he had repeatedly professed his love for Cassie before she married Kaden. And even now, he would have moved on. Who knows,he may have married a supermodel, maybe be even two or three kids, and they might even be expecting another baby. She had an idea of what the children would be called, Nimo,chino and...

"Hey watch it." A man who  bumped into Ella shouted.

"Sorry." She bowed a bit before going on her way.

It was not until she had walked three blocks from the bus station, did she realise that something was missing. She clenched and unclenched her right hand. She had been holding her phone when she bumped into that man. She gasped as she pivoted on her heels and stalked towards the bus station. She scanned the bus station with her eyes,but there was no one dressed in suit here. Tears filled her eyes.

What ever had she done to the universe for it to treat her this way? Why was Karma and Fate hell bent on making her suffer?

She took deep breaths,as she fought the tears from spilling down her cheeks. She didn't even know the address to Golden Sky from here. And the only source with that information is her phone and now its gone.

How am I going to go there now?

#####

William checked his wrist watch with annoyance etched on his face. He had told Cassie to tell her friend to see him by eight this morning in his uptown company ,Mckade's Gadgets. the time is nine and she is yet to show up. He doubt if that friend of hers was really in need of a job at all. It is either she isn't serious or she just felt that since Cassie is related to him somehow,she can do what ever she likes.

He'd surprise her when he sees her.

"Emily." He said into the intercom,which was beside his office table.

"Sir." Emily Sander's, his private secretary, answered back.

"Cancel any of the appointment I have today." He scratched his stubbled jaw. "If anyone come...." He let the rest trail off when he heard someone, clearly a feminine voice, talking to Emily at the other end of the line.

"Sir, someone is here to see you."Emily sounded as if she had seen a bad pest.

"Who is it?" His frown deepen.

"A miss Milestone a friend of Mrs Cassie Mckade."

"Milestone?" He checked his right watch, 09:30, she was one hour thirty minutes late. Did she think she will get pardoned because of what she did?

"Should I let her in Mr Mckade?"

"Yes."

William sat up a little straight in his chair, adjusted his tie and was about to smooth out the wrinkles in his suit when he heard a knock on his door. He let his frown turn into a deep scowl, cleared his throat twice before ordering her to come in.

William had pictured the way Cassie's friend would look like when he sees her. Blonde hair,black eyes, slim and straight, maybe not too pretty, tall and fair like Cassie. But nothing prepared him for what or who walked into his office; dressed in brown cargo pants,blue blouse with matching blue silk scarf around her neck. And.... Was that combact boots she was wearing?

William lifted an eyes brow in surprise. She was not fair at all. She was dark, chocolate-y kind of dark and her skin was definitely smooth. She was curvy and slim alright and she was small on the front just like he had expected. Her legs looked short.. No, she was shorter than he expected. She was nothing at all like he expected, her hands look....

"Excuse me." Ella cleared her throat nervously,when she caught him staring openly at her.

William's gaze snapped to her face; his breath got caught in his throat when he saw her face. She had a dark face,sure, but what really threw him off was how beautifully shaped her face was. Her brow was full and was not shaped like he had seen women do this days. Her pretty small pointed nose looked as cute as a button, her dark eyes stared at him in awe, as if she could not really believe that she was really seeing him. Her small and beautiful lips hung open with surprise. He wondered what she would taste like if he..... He dare not finish that thought.

Clearing his throat, he gestured for her to sit down while he tried to gain his equilibrium. When he was sure that he had a very mean scowl on his face,he decided to speak.

"What were you thinking to have arrived late?" Ouch,that came out harsher than he expected. "We don't tolerate tardiness here, Miss Milestone."

"I'm sorry, but---" she was cut off sharply.

"Save your excuses." His voice was ice cold now. "If you think that I will treat you differently because Cassie recommended you then you better think twice. Any mistake like this again I will not hesitate to fire you, are we clear?"

William watched her eyes widen in fear, then it turned to pity. She slowly nodded as if he was some nut case who needed to be treat with pity,so he won't feel bad. This irritated him a lot.

I should be the one pitying her not the other way around. He thought angrily. Why is she pitying me?

"I am sorry Liam." She nodded again.

"Liam?" His scowl was so deep that he knew that if he tried to make it deeper, he will end up having wrinkles. "Have we met before now?"

"Yes, in fact Cassie introduced you to me." Ella's eyes shinned with happiness. "Do you remember that day in the cafe, when you came to look for Cassie and she---"

"Forget it." He cut in once again. "Just show me your credentials."

"Huh... About that.. I.." She cleared her throat nervously while her fingers played with the strap of her old and worn out  purse.  "I...I.."

"What are you trying to say?" He tapped his chin with his index finger. "You were speaking just fine right now when you were about to describe how we met. What suddenly changed now?"

"I didn't go to college, but I went to high school and I assure you that----"

"Then I consider this a waste of time." He reached for his brief case on the floor before getting up from his big swivel chair.

"What- what do you mean?" Ella got up too.

"How can you know what to do, when you didn't even go to college?" He reached for his BlackBerry and his car keys. "If Cassie had explained this to me earlier,I won't have to waste my time talking to you."

####

Ella tried not to let that hurt,she had heard worse in her life. So this shouldn't hurt,except that it hurt. When she had pictured their meeting,she did not think he would be so rude to her. He had been rude to her ever since she step foot into the office and she had did her best to be patient with him.

She understood why he was suddenly cold hearted towards her. She would be mean too if the one she loved married her sibling. After all William was not the type of love easily.

"Thank you for coming." He stepped out behind his desk with his brief case in one hand, his phone in the other one. "I trust that this is a good-bye?"

Ella remained mute as she thought about the fact that by this time tomorrow she'll be out in the street with her excuse of property. What will she do now? Last night she had been thinking of how she would get to see William everyday, but now it is all ruined.

"I am leaving now. I suggest you do the same thing too." He walked past her without a backward glance.

Ella knew that he was her last resort right now. And since she can't think of ways to get him to employ her,she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I will work as your maid!" She yelled at his retreating back. She bit her lower lip in nervousness.

I didn't just say that, or did i?

"My maid?" William asked with a raised brow as he opened his office door.

Accept help. Accept help. Ella chanted in her head.

"I need the money urgently." She fiddled with her bag strap again."I also need the job."

"My maid?" He asked again as if he didn't quite hear her the first time.

"Yes, i---"

"I don't need a maid. Nor do I have the time to listen to you." He gestured for her to leave.

Ella felt her cheeks turn red at his tone. But she was thankful that she was black,so he couldn't possibly see that. She opened her mouth to talk but he barked at her.

"Get out this instant!" His gaze hardened again. "I know what you are trying to do and it won't work. You want to be my maid in other to get closer to me don't you? Well hear this clearly, I love Cassie and she's the only one I'll ever love. Show your self out when you are done."

Ella stood dumbfounded after he stormed out of his office. There goes her last chance.

"What will I do now?"