Second Chances

The car stopped, the engine turned off, and the clock showed 7:58am before the screen turned black. I knew I had to get out of my small car, but I couldn’t help but stare up at the skyscraper of a building. Once in a while, I’d forget that I wasn’t just some kid trying to make ends meet anymore, but I was actually the CEO of such a prestigious company.

We supplied cleaning products to stores around the world, from little Mom and Pop shops to large supermarket chains. Our products were the most sought after in the nation, which certainly helped our business grow from just a corner store of our own to a large office building.

With a deep breath, I got out of my car and made my way inside. I greeted the girls at the reception counter then stepped into an elevator, heading for the top floor. The doors no sooner opened that I saw the bright, smiling face of my personal assistant and good friend, Anna.

“Good morning, Ivy,” she greeted me as she handed me a small pile of resumes. “You’ve got a full day of interviews today, plus a meeting after lunch with one of our clients to renegotiate their contract. Your first interview should be here in about ten minutes.”

“Another day in the life, huh?” I chuckled as I took the papers to my office. “Just call me when they’re here and I’ll take them in.”

I closed the door behind me and fell into my chair, sighing at the already packed day ahead of me. Among the resumes was my daily planner, today’s page filled with different names and times. The first name on the page caught my attention, and not in a good way.

Derek Riley.

Flashbacks filled my mind, along with the aches and pains that came with them. The punches, the name-calling, the kicks, the abuse. My heart started to race at the thought of seeing my childhood bully again, and having to interview him of all things. 

The phone on my desk rang and my heart finally stopped racing just long enough for it to settle in my stomach. I inhaled deeply through my nose and answered, “This is Ivy.”

“Hey, boss,” Anna’s cheerful voice came through the line. “Mr. Riley is here for his interview. Shall I send him in now?”

I cleared my throat, trying to regain my professional composure, “Yes, send him in.”

“Alrighty, he’ll be in soon.”

She hung up and almost immediately, there was a knock at the door. I called from my desk for the person on the other side to come in, and my breathing stopped when I saw the familiar face open the door.

There he was. Mr. Derek Riley. My old neighbor and tormentor for several years. Old feelings of hate and hurt came bubbling to the surface, but the mask of a CEO held strong, keeping my smile professional and my attitude in check.

At least for now.

“Mr. Riley, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I stood and shook his hand, but as I looked into his dark brown eyes, I felt something come up that I’d never felt before. “Please, take a seat.”

“Thank you, Miss.” He sat down and crossed his legs, a soft smile on his face. “It’s an honor to even have an interview.”

I pulled up his resume, “Now, Mr. Riley--”

“You can call me ‘Derek,’ if you’d like.”

I hated how sweet that fucking smile was; it was the same one he’d used on teachers to convince them that there was never any violence happening between the two of us. I hated how that smile would win over every staff member in our goddamn high school, until we got a new principal and she saw the bruises I’d tried so desperately to hide.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to call you ‘Mr. Riley.’ Professionalism and all that. You understand.” I looked over his references and immediately recognized the names of his old friends. Naturally he’d use them to vouch for him, I thought to myself. “So, Mr. Riley, tell me about yourself.”

I had to hide my smirk when his smug grin suddenly vanished. Although, to see him so nervous, it sparked something inside; I actually felt a little bad for the guy.

“W-Well,” he sputtered, “I’m hardworking, I’m loyal, and I’m trustworthy.” Mr. Riley chuckled a bit, “Actually, I’m the exact opposite if you ask my ex-wife. She’d probably throw me under the bus if she had a chance.”

I know your ex-wife, douchebag, I thought. She used to be a friend of mine until she caved in and fell for your fake charisma.

“She’d be right, though,” he admitted, catching me off guard. “As a worker, I work the hardest, you can count on me for anything. I’d even come in off the clock to help out if need be. As a person, though? I’m not the greatest. I alienated all my friends, I was a bully in school - especially high school.” His eyes widened and he looked back up at me, “I’m so sorry for rambling. I have no idea where any of that came from.”

I nodded a bit, taking everything in. “Mr. Riley, do you know who I am?”

He shook his head, his smile long gone. “I don’t. I’m sorry. Should I?”

The feeling of a knife piercing my heart filled my chest, and the fact that he was genuine only twisted it further. After hurting me for so many years, then to completely forget my face…

“Well, I guess it’s understandable since I don’t have a black eye anymore,” I sighed as I leaned forward, my elbows on my desk.

“What are you--”

I looked up at him to see that Derek’s eyes had widened to the size of plates. “I take it everything clicked?”

“Ivy?” He asked, uncrossing his legs and scooting closer. “Ivy Green, is that you?”

“I’m surprised you actually remember my name, instead of just calling me ‘Poison Ivy,’ or one of the several other horrible names you gave me.”

“Ivy, I’m-I’m so sorry for all the things I did to you. I know that doesn’t come anywhere close to earning any kind of forgiveness, and I know I don’t deserve it--” He was cut off by the sight of my right index finger raised.

“You can plead your case after the interview. We’re nowhere near done,” I smiled softly. “If you want to talk things out, put the past behind us, then why don’t we meet for coffee at 6? That will give me a chance to get home and out of my work attire.” I extended my hand, “Deal?”

He gently shook my hand, “Thank you, Ivy - or, should I call you Mrs. Green?”

“For now, call me ‘Miss Green,’ and I’ll let you know what you can call me outside of the office when we’re getting coffee.” I chuckled softly, “Is that agreeable, Mr. Riley?”

He nodded, relaxing a bit as a soft smile appeared on his face. “Agreed, Miss Green.”

Since the ice was broken, the rest of the interview had gone much smoother than how it started. 

True to my word, once the day was done, I went straight home to get into something more casual, and I was feeling so excited, my heart started to try to escape from its cage. When I was ready, I drove to the coffee shop we agreed on, and I started having second thoughts.

“He’s just using me, like he did everyone else,” I thought out loud, slumping in my seat. “He’s just going to hurt me again.”

A gentle knock on my window made me jump in my seat, hastily pulling my head out of the clouds. A familiar, nervous smile greeted me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” Derek apologized. “I guess I’m just a bit nervous, I thought you wouldn’t show.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” I asked. 

“W-Well, not everyone would be willing to grab coffee with their bully.” Derek chuckled a bit, scratching the back of his neck, “I mean, I know I’m in no hurry to talk to my father anytime soon.” His eyes widened, “Why did I just say that?”

“It’s okay. Why don’t we head inside?”

He nodded and we made our way into the coffee shop, but much to our surprise, it was filled to the brim with customers! I tried looking around for a table, even though it felt like trying to find the miniscule needle in the giant haystack. A hand on my shoulder made me flinch, forcing me to immediately look at the owner of it. I felt a lump in my throat when I saw Derek’s hurt face as he pulled his hand back.

“I didn’t mean to--” He cut himself off with a sigh as he pointed toward the back wall, “There’s a table back there if you wanted it.”

I only nodded as I made my way to the back, suddenly feeling guilty for flinching so badly. Although, I couldn’t fully blame myself, because I only started doing that after he beat me so royally.

When we sat down, I noticed the fake smile he donned when the waitress stopped by for our orders. She no sooner walked away than his mask slipped away, showing the regret he still held on to.

“I did some damage that I can’t undo, didn’t I?” He saw my look of confusion and rubbed the back of his neck, “I have a feeling you didn’t start flinching like that until after we met. Am I right?”

“W-Well…”

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes.’ Ivy, I - I don’t even know where to start, other than just, I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve any of the shit I put you through. I understand if after today, you never want to see me again. I could try to explain why I did any of it, but they’re just excuses.”

I took a deep breath, “Actually, I’d love to know why you decided I was the perfect punching bag. I’d love to know why you singled me out from everyone else, then made me feel like I was truly alone in the world. Derek, you made my entire school life a living hell, so yes, please, explain why you ‘did any of it.’ Please.”

His eyes widened a bit, then he swallowed a lump in his throat. “O-Okay. Um… My father wasn’t the nicest of men. He’d hit my mom, and whenever I stood up to him or looked at him funny, he’d smack me around, too. I mean, some of the time, I probably deserved it - I was a funny-lookin’ kid, after all.”

“You didn’t deserve any of it, Derek. No one does.”

He nodded, clasping his hands in front of them, although that didn’t stop them from shaking. “My father continued hitting us until I turned 18, when I moved out. I begged my mom to come with me, but she said that if she stayed, she’d have a better chance of returning him to the man she married.” He shook his head, “A couple months later, they died in a car accident. He was drunk.”

I said nothing as I gently rested my hands on his, showing I was listening.

“While I was growing up, no one told me or showed me how to behave around any girls I liked, so my only inspiration was seeing how my father acted around Mom.” Derek looked up at me, a sheepish smile on his face when he saw how wide my eyes were. “I had the biggest crush on you in school, and back then, I had no idea why you didn’t like me back.”

“D-Derek, I--”

“Like I said, I don’t deserve forgiveness, but that’s why I did what I did.”

My brain was sputtering as I tried to put sentences together, but it only succeeded if I stumbled through my words. “B-But you got married. You were with Nicole for a while. I thought you guys were happy; what changed?”

“I’m gonna sound like a complete and total asshole.”

“‘Gonna?’” I chuckled, “I think you’re kinda past that at this point.”

He chuckled softly before his smile disappeared yet again. “To be honest, I only stayed with her because she put out. I mean, 16 year old boy gets a girlfriend who promises unlimited sex? It made sense to me back then. Then, as the years passed, she gave me an ultimatum; if I wanted to keep sleeping with her, then I’d have to marry her.”

“Let me guess, your dick did the thinking again?”

“Y-Yeah… Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I didn’t truly love her until it was too late. By that point, I’d suspected her of cheating, and said I wanted a divorce. She agreed in a heartbeat, then admitted she was sleeping with an old friend of mine, and was pregnant with his kid.” He shrugged with another sigh, “So here I am, starting back at square one. Karma’s a bitch but I deserved it.”

I gave his hands a gentle squeeze, “You know, I could sit here and say about how you didn’t deserve any of that, but it would be somewhat of a lie. The stuff with your father? You didn’t do anything to warrant him hitting you. Nicole? She’s most likely what Karma decided to bring you so you’d learn your lesson.”

“Well, lesson learned; I was a shitty person growing up.”

I shrugged, “Yeah, you were. But I’m a firm believer in second chances, and that everything happens for a reason. So, how about tomorrow night, we meet up for dinner, and get a start on that second chance?”

He smiled brightly, “I’d love that… Miss Green.”

I chuckled, “Well then, Mr. Riley, it’s a date.”