The Cold CEO's Woman

Chapter 10: The stubborn daughter

Temisa is in her father's mansion; their home is a standard duplex in a government-owned estate, which her father bought as a new house.

"Father, have you submitted my CV and letter of application to the new boss?" Temisa asks, as her father steps into the living room. She sits on the couch, filing and brushing her long nails.

Mr. John just stares at his daughter. Instead of standing up to welcome him, she comfortably sits on the couch, filing her long nails and asking him questions as if he's her errand boy.

"Temisa, you're quite unbelievable. Not even a welcome greeting from you to your father?" Mr. John asks, as he drops his briefcase on the living room center table and slowly loosens his necktie.

"I'm sorry, father. Good evening, father. Welcome." Temisa drops her legs down from the couch where she had previously rested them and continues filing her long nails.

"Where's your mother?" Mr. John asks, and Temisa responds, "Mom went to the market to refill the house with foodstuffs."

"And your elder brother?"

"Father! I'm not his keeper, and I don't know where Martin went either, since I didn't ask him about it."

"Hmmm," Mr. John sighs.

"It's okay." He makes his way to his room on the first floor, as the top floor is where his children and his wife use their rooms.

Just then, Temisa asks, "Father, you haven't said anything yet about the letter I submitted to your company today?"

Mr. John pauses and stares back at Temisa.

"Temisa, you should know that the company has people in charge of managing affairs related to new applicants. I don't know, and I didn't even get to see the new boss either," Mr. John replies.

"Why? Weren't you the one who told me that the CEO personally requested you to bring my CV to see if I can be enrolled to get along with his son?" Temisa inquires.

Mr. John shakes his head as he meets Temisa's gaze.

"I'm tired right now, Temisa. Allow me to rest. Besides, you said you're not interested in working with the BENSON GROUP. How come you suddenly changed your mind? Don't tell me you're already tripping for the new CEO you haven't even met?"

"Father! How can you even think of me as such?" Temisa frowns, as she chews her bubblegum in her mouth, and narrows her eyes at her father angrily.

"How do I know? What if you've seen photos of the new CEO somewhere, and automatically fallen in love with him?"

"Father!" Temisa exclaims, and just then her elder brother, Martin Patrick, returns.

"What's going on here?" Martin asks, as he walks into the living room. He greets his father, "Good evening, father. Welcome home."

Martin walks toward the stairs in the living room, wanting to go upstairs.

"Welcome, son. Where did you go?" Mr. John asks, shifting his gaze away from Temisa to face Martin.

"I went out to see my friend. How was work today in the office?" Martin asks.

"Fine, son. How about you? Aren't you contemplating starting something to do other than this online business you’re involved in?" Mr. John questions, staring at his son. He only has two children, Temisa and her elder brother Martin, who is three years older than Temisa. But they are both dark-skinned.

"Father, online business is more lucrative and less stressful if you're consistent and know what you're doing. You can never understand this, because yours is just office work," Martin responds with a smile.

"Really? Just be sure of what you're doing, as you're no longer a kid and you need to get serious about your life!" Mr. John warns.

"I know that already, father, and I'm serious about vlogs and music creation, and I'm fine with it. You can focus on Temisa for now." Martin winks at his sister, but Temisa glares at him.

"Yes, and about your sister, talk to her to behave herself and get ready to resume work with me on Monday," Mr. John states, as he turns to go back to his room.

"Wow! So quick, father! They didn't even waste time approving new staff?" Martin asks loudly.

"No, not that..." Mr. John's words trail off as he pauses.

"What's the matter, father?" Martin asks, and Temisa is also eager to know as she stares at her father.

"Nothing serious, just that a lot of female workers resigned in annoyance today and some later returned with new outfits other than the ones they wore to work this morning."

"Why's that, father?" Martin asks in surprise, and Temisa is even more eager to know why. Mr. John sighs.

"There's a new dress code implemented for all the female staff that are working with us; I heard the new CEO instructed them not to wear tight outfits to work, nor anything too short, or anything that will make them look too hot, as he's against it."

"Wow, father!" Martin bursts out laughing, but Temisa isn't finding it funny at all, as she loves dressing hot and wearing skimpy outfits.

"You can't be serious about this revelation, father?" Martin asks, but Mr. John replies, "Of course I am. It delayed production and manufacturing today, as a lot of female staff refused to follow the new boss's orders until the company security chased them out. So Temisa, when you're finally emailed to resume work on Monday, you should dress responsibly to avoid being chased out."

"Father!" Temisa exclaims, stomping her feet on the ground.

"It's the new boss's order, Temisa—to create a work environment free from any form of distraction," Mr. John explains, and Martin agrees with him.

"You're right, father. Who knows if one of these female staff tries to seduce him and he noticed it, so he implemented this? Hahaha," Martin chuckles, and Temisa shoots him a deadly glare.

"What's wrong, sister?" Martin asks her as he tries to hold back his laughter, while Mr. John sighs and walks toward his room door.

"Father! We aren't done talking yet!" Temisa calls after him, and he responds, "Later, my daughter. I'm tired for now."

Mr. John opens his room door and walks in to rest. He walks to his shelf, drops his briefcase, and sits on his bed to take off his shoes.

Mr. John stands up and prepares to take his evening bath. He can hear Temisa still arguing outside his room door with her elder brother, and he walks over to his bathroom to take his bath.

"I cannot work with them, brother. Imagine me wearing oversized clothes to work, just to fit into the company. And how that their useless CEO wants me to look like that!"

"Temisa!" Martin tries to hold back his laughter, and just then their mother arrives home.

She walks into the living room and overhears Temisa clearly mention "useless CEO," making her wonder which CEO is useless. She notices her husband's car parked outside in the garage, and she knows he's around, listening to them.

Mrs. Bianca Patrick walks into the living room and questions them, "Which CEO is useless, Temisa?" pausing and staring back at them.

"Mother! You're back!" Temisa exclaims in surprise, as Mrs. Bianca smiles and walks up to sit on the nearest couch.

"Yes, I'm back, and I overheard you just now mention a useless CEO to your brother. Which CEO is that? Don't tell me it's your father's company CEO that you're referring to as useless?" Mrs. Bianca asks, and Martin bursts out laughing again as he turns to head upstairs.

"Welcome back home, Mom," Martin greets her first, as he starts climbing the stairs.

"Yes, son. So which CEO is your sister discussing with you?" Mrs. Bianca asks, but Martin quickly hurries his steps upstairs.

"Why not ask her? I don't really know, and I haven't heard or seen any useless CEO either," Martin quickly goes back to his room, and Mrs. Bianca sighs and stares back at Temisa, who is standing beside the stairs.

"Temisa..."

"Mom, I was just talking about Dad's company new CEO. Like father said, he's against women dressing hot to work, and if I'm to resume by Monday, I have to comply and wear an oversized suit to work too. You know that I don't wear any oversized clothes, let alone oversized suits," Temisa says.

"I know that, sweetheart, and I saw it on the news too," Mrs. Bianca responds.

"Where's Felicia? Let her come and take my bag of groceries first from the car. Felicia!" Mrs. Bianca calls out to their maid, who is also her adopted daughter.

"Yes, ma'am," Felicia, a 20-year-old young lady, immediately runs out from her maid's room downstairs and walks out to meet Mrs. Bianca in the living room.

"Welcome back, ma'am," Felicia greets Mrs. Bianca.

"Thank you, Felicia. Go to the car's trunk and unload all the things I bought from the market, then take them to the kitchen," Mrs. Bianca instructs her.

"Okay, ma'am," Felicia smiles as she collects the car keys from Mrs. Bianca's hand, and heads out of the living room to the garage to unload all the items that Mrs. Bianca bought from the local market.

Felicia takes them straight into the kitchen through the back door, instead of entering through the living room.