The Man She Called A Nobody

Chapter 8: The Reeds' Enterprise

The morning light filtered through the curtains of Lisa’s bedroom, but it brought no warmth. She lay motionless on her bed, the hollow ache in her chest feeling like a physical weight. For years, she had chased the high of corporate success, but after the humiliation at the gala, she felt like she was drifting in a dark, cold ocean.

Knock. Knock.

The door creaked open, and Mrs. Park stepped in quietly. She moved to the edge of the bed, looking down at her daughter with a rare expression of concern.

“Hey, baby,” she whispered.

Lisa didn't move. “Mom…” Her voice broke, and a fresh wave of tears spilled onto her pillow. “What did I do to deserve this? I did everything right. My company was on that list, Mom. I saw it. I was right there, and then they just… they threw me away.”

Mrs. Park pulled Lisa into a tight embrace, stroking her hair. “Listen to me, Lisa. You’ve lost a battle, not the war. You have the address. You know where the decision came from. You just have to get your head together, put on your best face, and go demand an explanation. You’re a Park. We don’t roll over and die.”

Lisa took a shaky breath, the fire of her mother’s ambition sparking something small and sharp inside her. She sat up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She wouldn't let them break her. Not like this.

An hour later, Lisa stood before her vanity. She chose a tailored, emerald-green power suit and spent twice as long as usual on her makeup, masking the puffiness of her eyes. She needed to look like a woman who commanded respect, not a divorcee who had spent the night sobbing.

As she hurried toward the front door, keys in hand, she ran into Kyler in the kitchen.

“Hey, sis. I heard about last night,” he said, leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee. “I was going to come check on you, but it was late. You okay?”

“I’m going to the Reeds headquarters,” Lisa said, her voice tight with focus. “I’m going to talk to whoever crossed my name off that list and get my contract back.”

Kyler nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. “That’s the spirit. Call me when you’ve handled it.”

*******

The drive was a blur of high-speed turns and the monotonous drone of the GPS. Every kilometer closer to the city center felt like a countdown to her future. When the voice finally announced, “You have arrived at your destination,” Lisa’s heart nearly hammered its way out of her ribs.

She looked up, and the breath left her lungs.

The building was a titan of glass and steel, towering over the surrounding skyscrapers like a king overlooking his subjects. At the very top, etched in bold, brushed-steel letters that caught the morning sun, was the name: REEDS GLOBAL ENTERPRISE.

She stepped out of her car, feeling suddenly, terrifyingly small. This wasn't just a furniture company; it was an empire.

Stepping into the lobby was like walking into another world. The air smelled of expensive leather and polished marble.

“Good morning, ma’am. Welcome to Reeds Global. How may I assist you?” the receptionist asked. Her voice was perfectly modulated, her smile professional and empty.

“I’m here to see the President,” Lisa said, trying to steady the tremor in her hands.

The receptionist’s eyebrows twitched upward. “Do you have an appointment? The President’s schedule is booked weeks and even years in advance, and he only recently returned to the office after a long hiatus.”

“It’s urgent,” Lisa pressed, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “It concerns the Kingston gala contracts from last night. I was told to come here directly.”

“I’m sorry, but without an appointment, there is simply nothing I can do.”

Lisa opened her mouth to argue, her chest tightening with the familiar sting of rejection, when a voice cut through the lobby.

“Is there a problem here?”

Lisa turned. Her eyes widened. It was the man from the gala—the one who had bowed to Nelson. John.

He looked at her, his expression unreadable, though there was a flicker of something—pity? amusement?—in his eyes.

“I’m here to clarify a misunderstanding about the partnership list,” Lisa said, rushing toward him. “I was told this was the place where the final decisions were made.”

John stared at her for a long beat. Then, he pulled out his phone and spoke a few quiet words into it. He hung up and gestured toward the private elevators. “Follow me, Ms. Park.”

The elevator ride was silent and fast. Lisa watched her reflection in the polished gold doors, adjusting her jacket. ‘You belong here’, she told herself. ‘You earned this.’

The doors opened directly into a massive penthouse office. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the entire city. Standing by the window, his back to the room, was a man in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit. His shoulders were broad, his posture radiating a quiet, absolute power.

“Sir,” John said softly. “She’s here.”

Without a word, John backed out of the room, the heavy oak doors clicking shut behind him.

Lisa took a step forward, her voice trembling. “Good morning, sir. I’m incredibly sorry for the intrusion, but I’m here about the Kingston gala. My firm was on the final list, but we weren't called. I was told you were the one who made that decision, and I… I just want to understand why.”

Slowly, the man turned around. The sunlight shifted, revealing his face.

Lisa’s purse hit the floor with a dull thud. Her knees turned to water as the world seemed to tilt on its axis.

“Nelson?”