It happened when I was nineteen years old. The day I ran out of university, it was for a mental breakdown.

Kilee was only nineteen then. She was too young but had to learn quickly to deal with the world and her family. She was the CEO's youngest and only daughter. She had been away all her life, living in the shadows. Her mother was way too busy to play the mother role; she was in the spot as the CEO's perfect wife.

Kilee had two brothers. Both were more than ten years older and did not spend much time together, so they were not close to each other.

At fourteen, Kilee's only relative was Helena, a distant cousin. Despite being close in age, Kilee never tried to understand or befriend her. They spent hours and days together without speaking to each other, but they were somehow comforted that someone in their family was different from the others. Not only interested in money.

Kilee somehow started to grow more distant from her parents than initially, and she almost cut off her brother's existence, family meetings, etc. That was when her father gave her her first job and made her struggle as much as possible. That was the period when she met Maria, her only rage of light.

Unfortunately, after that day, when they spent time together, she could no longer find her. She was like she had disappeared in thin air.

That was the day Kilee found herself desperate to see her but had no way to do so. Then, she made her mind up and went straight to her father.

"So you're here, Kilee," said the CEO and her father.

"Father, I will finish my studies in the field you want, as you wish." He was pleased, but she made clear she had another request. However, there was another issue: people did not believe in her, not because of who she was, but because they thought she was more suitable for the company image as her mother than working in an office. They did not want the CEO's daughter to earn more power than them.

"This will be a hard path," he told his daughter. She nodded, knowing it would be difficult, and then asked her father for permission to follow the rats in charge of embellishment. She made herself clear that she learned a lot.

"Father, I have an idea. Will you hear me out? " he asked, looking straight into her eyes. Unlike his two firstborn boys, who were outstanding but never dared confront their father, she was something else.

"Alright, tell me." he always had a knee eye for talented people, but he couldn't read his daughter; it was complicated.

"I will go to complete my studies and finish them as a top student, and I would like to get into the company after that as director K (alias Kile)." That sentence left her father speechless. 

"I will get back my gender role in a few years; just time needed to clean up a bit." He understood where her stats came from. The company had a big storm, and he did not know how to catch the rat who made that storm because he was sneaky.

"At one condition," continued the CEO.

"I'm all ears," replies her.

He was incredibly electrified. She was his daughter; he never thought she would be as bold and outstanding as her brothers, but that was what he saw in her then. 

"You have to work yourself. I will sponsor it behind the scenes, but you have to earn that place yourself," he said, smiling. If you can accomplish it, I will give you a prize." He couldn't buy me like that, but he always kept his promises. It was clear she had the lead in that conversation.

"Alright then, i will start to move while on campus," said her with a stern face; he was delighted.

Back to the present, Kilee was standing there watching far away; she was not there with her mind at that moment.

Maria stood there watching her hair move with the breeze, making her heartbeat. It was not just admiration; somehow, she was catching feelings for another woman.

The person before her seemed strong, too much for her to handle. Sometimes, she felt the steps between them. Kilee stood at the top of the stairs while Maria was in the middle, hardly trying to reach the steps near her.

"How did we meet before?" Maria asked after some time, immersed in that suffocating silence. Kilee turned back and looked at her, right into her eyes, and smiled tenderly. Maria blushed a little.

Some years ago, they sent me to take care of some business at Mr. Jay's Company," Kilee said with a grin. She had worked for that company, so they probably met then. The director was different from anyone she had ever met.

"She is different from anyone I've met; that's what your face says," said Kilee, laughing. That made Maria get back to herself.

"I'm sorry, it's just... tell me when... " She was trying hard to remember but had no clue where to start.

"I was wearing a suitable Dress. Maria, that man's secretary, threw a tantrum and fired herself that same day while getting out with me from that company." She was right, thought Maria. So that meant the young woman was Kilee?

"The young girl that was crying out all her existence," she said, covering her mouth in surprise, looking at the woman she became.

Kilee was embarrassed to be remembered as a young girl who was crying herself out as a brat in front of her.

Maria took some time to metabolize all that. She was somehow happy to see that girl again, but that did not bring her back to herself. She then met Ioan again and started dating him. At that point, another thought came to her.

If it had passed some years and she had been that little girl, the director would have been younger than her.

"How old are you?" That question made Kilee lose her composure, and she laughed as much as she never did; after all that, she was afraid Maria would resent her somehow after hiding the truth.

"Twenty-four" that made Maria's jaw fall on the floor.

"What? You're so young. " Kilee put her elbows on the table and looked into her eyes. "Why, that reaction?" she asked, flirting a bit.

She was happy that Maria was not angry with her. She worked herself to the bone to appear magnificent for the day when they met again.

"It's late; we should go," said Maria, blushing like a tomato. She made Kilee follow her while smiling from ear to ear.