Noah
My name is Noah, you might be thinking this is a story of how I became gay, or a story of two gay lovers navigating life and exploring their sexuality. But I assure you, this is nothing like that, this is a story of how I met my demon and let him consume me whole.
It all began a year ago. The day that changed my life completely.
It was one of the most important days of my life. It should have been a happy day. My editorial magazine had just hit a major milestone, our latest issue broke all the records. Everyone in the office was excited.
My coworkers came up to me one by one, smiling and congratulating me. Some dabbed me on the back, others shook my hand, and a few words were spoken, "Noah, you're amazing! This success is because of you."
I smiled and acknowledged their support, muttering. "Thank you" over and over, but inside, I felt... incomplete. Sure, it felt good to be appreciated, but there was only one person whose words I wanted to hear, my boss, Ethan Carter.
Mr. Ethan is a man everyone fears. He's tall, with a sharp face that seems to be carved out of stone. His eyes are always cold and void of emotions, and he rarely smiles. He was known for being tough, and ruthless, but one thing that made him stand out regardless of his attitude was the fact that he was a billionaire.
He was on the cover of every magazine on successful business. Literally, every cover you could think of. But just like myself, the rest of the world barely knew anything about him.
People say he's impossible to impress. He never gives compliments, no matter how good your work is. But even so, I wished, no, I hoped that today, he might say something. Just one word of praise from him would mean everything to me.
But that seemed impossible to accomplish because he never even noticed me. I was like a ghost to him, even though I was also one of his assistants. It was like he knew us according to the labels he gave us and not our actual identities.
I was still lost in my thoughts when the office suddenly went quiet. The sound of chatter and laughter disappeared like someone had hit the mute button. I turned my head and saw why. Mr. Carter had walked in.
He wore his usual dark suit, paired with a black tie and black shirt. Even his shoes were black. His footsteps echoed in the silence. Everyone froze. Some pretended to work; others stared at their screens, not daring to look up. That's the effect Mr. Carter had on people.
He walked past the desks, his face stoic as always. My heart pounded as he walked past. Would he say something about the magazine? Would he even acknowledge it? I kept my eyes on my desk, pretending to look busy, but my mind was racing.
And then, he stopped. Right in front of me.
I felt my breath haul. Slowly, I looked up. He was staring at me with those cold eyes of his.
"Noah," he said in a low, firm voice. It was the first time he said my name, I felt a shiver run down my spine at the way my name rolled off his tongue.
"Yes, sir?" I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, despite my racing nerves."
"Come to my office, immediately."
That was all he said before he turned and walked away.
As soon as he was gone, the whispers started.
"What do you think he wants?" someone murmured.
"Do you think Noah's in trouble?" another voice asked.
"No way. It's probably about the magazine," a third person said. "Maybe the boss is breaking character and wants to congratulate Noah."
I didn't know what to think. My heart was beating so fast I thought it might burst. Was I in trouble? Did I do something wrong? Or... was he going to talk about the magazine?
I stood up, my legs feeling shaky, and walked to his office. It felt like the longest walk of my life. The hallway stretched on forever, and the sound of my footsteps echoed in my ears.
When I reached his door, I knocked lightly.
"Come in," his voice called from inside.
I pushed the door open and stepped in. His office was huge and cold, just like him. The walls were lined with shelves full of books and awards. His desk was neat, with everything perfectly in place. It suddenly occurred to me that it was the first time I had been in his office.
Only his secretary was allowed access, the rest of us, he addressed through the Zoom meeting, although he fired his secretary recently.
Wait! Could this be a promotion? I wondered, but that was impossible, right? I had only been in this company for a year, there were others more hardworking than I was.
Mr. Carter was sitting behind the desk, looking at some papers. He didn't look up as I entered.
"Sit," he said, motioning to the chair in front of his desk.
I sat down, my hands resting on my lap. I waited, the silence stretching between us. Finally, he put the papers down and looked at me.
"You've done well," he said.
I blinked, not sure if I heard him correctly. "Sir?"
"The magazine," he said, his tone calm but firm. "It's performing better than I expected. You've exceeded expectations."
I couldn't believe it. Was this... was this a compliment? From Mr. Carter?
"Thank you, sir," I said, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.
He nodded slightly. "But don't let this go to your head. Success is temporary. What matters is consistency. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," I said quickly.
"Good." He leaned back in his chair, studying me for a moment. "You have potential, Noah. Don't waste it."
Those words hit me harder than anything else. Potential. He thought I had potential.
"Thank you, sir," I said again, this time with more confidence.
He gave a small nod, then picked up the papers on his desk, signaling that the conversation was over.
As I stood up and left his office, I felt like I was walking on air. The man who never gave compliments had acknowledged me. He had praised my work, even if it was in his own, stern way.
When I got back to my desk, my coworkers were waiting, their eyes full of curiosity.
"What did he say?" someone asked.
I smiled, feeling a newfound sense of pride. "He said I've done well."
There was a moment of silence, and then they all started clapping and cheering. For the first time, I felt like I truly belonged, like all my hard work had paid off.