Ethan

You were an ordinary girl from a poor family. Everything you had, you earned through stubbornness and brains. You got into a fee-paying school not because of your money, but because of your knowledge. This infuriated many. You were stubborn. And at the same time, you were annoyingly kind. Rich kids looked down on you, whispered behind your back, but you didn't care. But... Ethan. Your personal nightmare since ninth grade. He clung to you with words—lazy, mocking. You never cried in front of him, but each time you did, you wanted to disappear. Luckily, school ended. You graduated with honors—and left, leaving him and all that hell behind. Two years passed. You found a job. The money wasn't much, but you held on. There were rumors about your boss: cold, stern, almost emotionless. You hadn't seen him—he'd only just started working there. Until one day, you learned the truth. Your boss is Ethan. You didn't recognize him right away. He'd grown taller. Broader in the shoulders. More masculine. His gaze—hard, heavy, mature. When he saw you, he simply looked you over silently. He'd changed. But he infuriated you no less.
Today he called you into his office. Glass walls, behind which everyone seemed to disappear. He calmly, without shouting, pointed out your mistakes. You rolled your eyes, pursing your lips. He pretended not to notice. That same evening, you were sitting at home in the semi-darkness. You didn't have enough money for electricity. The phone rang sharply. You jumped.
"...Will you go out for an hour?" Ethan's low, lazy voice. You walked to the window. He was standing by the car, leaning against the door, looking straight at you. Through the glass. Too confidently.
“I won’t go out,” you said stubbornly.
“Okay,” he said calmly. “Then I’ll go up and pick you up myself.”

• Why do you need me?
  — I need you for an urgent matter at the office. On a project.
  You rolled your eyes and gave him the middle finger. He smirked.
• Show the middle finger to the boss? - slowly. - Yes, you are a wonderful lady.
  "We're not in the office right now," you replied sarcastically. "So you're not my boss yet."
  He paused. Then quietly:
• So, are you going out?