4. Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Camila Flores
I woke up at four a.m. to bake a batch of cookies that need to be dropped off at the corner shop this afternoon. It’s my last order. I’ve decided I’m going to dedicate myself fully to my job as an executive assistant.
By the time I’m able to shower, my feet are dragging—and it’s only six. I better make a double espresso to-go.
I probably should have woken up early yesterday to test how much longer our routine would take. But as my grandma used to say, “Now’s not the time to cry over spilled milk.”
I decide to make breakfast before I wake up Ava, that way, she’ll have something to look forward to. I’m sure the smell of bacon and pancakes will do the trick.
“Ava, good morning, mi amor ,” I say, turning on the light as I walk into her room.
My girl is a sound sleeper, so I usually have to gently nudge her before she can even start tossing around. It’s a process that can take up to fifteen minutes.
Her body is usually achy in the mornings after an active day, so I often massage her legs and arms to make her feel better. Today is no exception—yesterday she spent the entire afternoon chasing ducks at the park.
“Good morning, Mummy. How was your sleep?” My sweet girl asks after she opens her eyes and gives me a hug.
She asks me the same question every morning, and my heart swells with love to see how thoughtful and caring my Ava is.
“It was great. How about yours?” I ask as I help her get out of bed.
She rushes off to the bathroom, and I chuckle at her zero-to-sixty energy.
Once she has chosen her outfit, we move on to her hair, since she loves getting different hairdos each day. Maybe this week, we’ll stick to simple ponytails or a single plait.
“One plait sounds good?” I ask as I look at her through the mirror.
She nods happily, and I get on the task.
By the time we’re done eating breakfast and brushing our teeth, I jump into action with ten minutes to take Ava to school. I definitely need to adjust this routine tomorrow.
I haven’t worked regular office hours in years. After Ava was born, I decided to work at night and be present for her during the day.
And now, on top of that, I have to get used to wearing heels, dresses, and skirts—when my go-to look is usually jeans, Chucks, and tees. I didn’t even have time to put on makeup. Guess I’ll have to do it on the Tube .
“Are you ready, Mummy? I don’t want you to be late on your first day at the new job,” Ava says, grabbing her backpack and tapping her foot.
I chuckle as I grab my bag and follow her out the door. Sometimes, I can’t believe she’s only five—she acts like a teenager.
After dropping Ava off at school, I take the Tube and make it to the office at nine on the dot. It was pure chaos this morning, but it’s the fastest and most affordable way to get to work on time. And I got to listen to my favorite podcast without my tiny human interrupting me every two minutes. The makeup will have to wait until I get to the office.
Once inside the building, I’m sent straight to Human Resources. They square me right away, giving me my badge and a brand new computer.
Portia, the girl who helped me submit my paperwork, walks with me to my desk. It’s funny to think Mrs. Evans was the one working here two days ago, and now it’s me.
The desk is huge, made of dark polished wood. The chair seems to be leather, and it looks quite comfortable. Other than the furniture, the office is bare—no decorations, not even a plant.
If someone came in here without knowing, they would think it was an abandoned office. I make a mental note to get a few things to brighten up the space.
Once Portia leaves, I sit down and take a moment to take it all in. I think it’s the first time today that I feel I can breathe.
I quickly plug in the computer, and just as I power it up, the phone rings.
“Good morning. This is the Godoy Group, Camila speaking. How may I help you?” I say, feeling proud of myself for coming up with a nice greeting.
“Finally, Camila. This is Vicente Godoy. Where on Earth have you been? I’ve been trying to contact you for the past two hours.”
All the happiness and giddiness I was feeling about my first day evaporates as his voice booms in my ear.
“Um—hmm. Oh, hi, Mr. Godoy. I was at Human Resources getting everything I needed to start working,” I say, hating how small my voice sounds. This is definitely not how I expected my first day to go .
“You should have done that before the workday started. If you’re going to be my assistant, I need you to be ready to go by seven in the morning—at the latest. Understood?”
His sharp tone makes me flinch, the edge in his voice just shy of yelling.
I knew he was going to be somewhat difficult to work with, but I didn’t expect him to basically snap at me during our first interaction.
Seven ? That’s when I get Ava ready for school. What am I going to do?
“Nevermind,” Mr. Godoy says in an exasperated tone. “That would actually be four in the morning here in Santiago. Fuck.”
Wait, isn’t he in the office across from my desk? “I’m sorry, Mr. Godoy. I don’t understand.”
“I had to make an emergency trip to Chile. I’ll be working from here for a while.”
Silence fills the space. I’m not sure how to respond to that. I had no clue he wasn’t going to be in town. Mrs. Evans didn’t mention anything.
“Any meetings I had planned for today, please reschedule them and rearrange my calendar. I don’t want anything planned earlier than nine in the morning, London time.”
“Very well, Mr. Godoy. Is there anything else I can assist you with?” I say trying to get my groove back.
“That would be all for now.”
I’m about to hang up when his voice comes through again.
“And Camila, welcome to The Godoy Group.”
Before I can reply, the line goes dead.
His tone was softer that time—that has to count for something—right?
Between answering the phone, scheduling meetings for Mr. Godoy, and trying to make my workspace more welcoming, the day goes by quickly .
I went out for lunch and bought a set of color pens, sticky notes, and a disco ball humidifier. My desk was stocked with plenty of items, but everything was so plain—white paper and boring black ink pens. If I’m going to have a job that requires me to be organized and pay attention to detail, I need some color and sparkle around me. It’s just the way I am.
The computer makes a sound, and when I move the mouse to wake the screen, I see an unread email.
From: Vicente Godoy “ [email protected] ”
To: Camila Flores “ [email protected] ”
Date: March 17, 2025. 3:05 pm
Subject: Tomorrow’s schedule
Camila,
I’m trying to locate my meetings for tomorrow, but I can’t seem to find the updated calendar anywhere. Care to explain why you haven’t updated it? I need all the reports ready for reviewing in a folder. ASAP.
V. Godoy
Head of the Godoy Group
London, Alamo Peaks
Oops. I rescheduled all of his meetings like he asked, but instead of uploading to the computer, I took notes in my cute, glittery notepad. I bite the top of my pen as I try to come up with a reply.
I can’t help but feel like crap. I’m screwing up so badly on my first day. Is he always this irritable? I sure hope not. Otherwise, this job will be hell on Earth.
From: Camila Flores “ [email protected] ”
To: Vicente Godoy “ [email protected] ”
Date: March 17, 2025. 3:07 pm
Subject: RE: Tomorrow’s schedule
I apologize about the mix up, Mr. Godoy. I did everything you asked me, now I just have to update the calendar online. I’ll be working on the files next.
Let’s boogie, boss!
Camila Flores
Personal Assistant to Head of the Godoy Group
London
There. Hopefully, that’ll buy me enough time to find the files he needs for tomorrow’s meetings. Should I call Mrs. Evans and ask her? No. No way. I got hired to do a job, and I’m going to try my best. I have a degree in business, for God’s sake.
I track down the documents for Mr. Godoy and quickly create a folder with all the information he needs.
From: Camila Flores “ [email protected] ”
To: Vicente Godoy “ [email protected] ”
Date: March 17, 2025. 3:27 pm
Subject: RE: Tomorrow’s schedule
Mr. Godoy, I wanted to let you know that the calendar and the files have been uploaded, and everything is ready for you.
Regards,
Camila Flores
Personal Assistant to Head of the Godoy Group
London
My phone pings with a notification, and when I glance at the screen, I see a text from Mrs. Evans.
A smile tugs at my lips—I’m probably about to get a sneak peek at Ava’s day. I miss my girl something fierce, but I know this is good for both of us. She needs to have a world that includes more people than just me.
Mrs. Evans : Ava decided to make you a card to celebrate your first day on the new job. She couldn’t wait until you got home to see it, so she asked me to send you a picture.
*image attached*
I click on it, and it’s so beautiful, it makes me emotional. Ava’s hair is a wild mess—brown curls framing her face. Her bow is down to mid-head, and her eyes look tired, but her smile could brighten anyone’s day.
She’s holding the card she made me—a rainbow surrounded by flowers. It says, I love you, Mummy . I’m sure Mrs. Evans helped her with the spelling. She’s been learning her letters at school but doesn’t know how to spell words yet.
Camila : Ava, sweetie. I love the card. I can’t wait to come home and hug you. I love you.
Mrs. Evans : I just read her your message, and she squealed. Don’t worry about her. She’s helping me make dinner. No need to rush home.
Camila : Thank you, Mrs. Evans. I don’t know what I would do without you.
Mrs. Evans : Oh shush. It’s my joy to take care of little Ava. How are things going at the office?
Camila : Mr. Godoy is in Chile, so I’ve been quickly learning how to do things without him. I can still hear him yelling at me via email, but I guess that’s better than being yelled at in person.
Mrs. Evans : Don’t let his grumpy facade deter you. He’s a good man—just married to his job and needs to be shaken up a bit. Show him what you are made of. I know you’ll win him over.
I chuckle at the thought of me winning Mr. Godoy over. I’m no match for the head of the Godoy Group. I’m a single mom, who works two jobs to make ends meet and has a “mom body.” I mean, my stretch marks feel like my badges of honor—a reminder that the most precious thing in my life grew inside me for nine months—but that’s not something a man would find sexy.
Not to mention the pouch where I once had a flat stomach. If I ever wanted to date again, that’s definitely something that would make me extra insecure. Men prefer women with toned, beautiful bodies—not someone with flaccid skin and extra pounds like me.
Besides, from what I saw online, Mr. Godoy only dates models and celebrities. I have no business winning him over. Not him, not anyone else. I don’t have time for men when I know my daughter needs me.
But I can definitely show him what I'm made of and how good of an executive assistant I can be.
I don’t hear from him for the rest of the afternoon, which is fine by me. I don’t need his praise—I just need to do my job and get home to my little girl.
After uploading his entire week’s schedule online, I set up folders for each day and add some sparkling final touches to my desk. I’ll have to pick up a picture frame for Ava’s photo —that way, I can have her with me all day long.
Even though today was shocking, and it’ll take me a minute to adjust to the new routine, I feel a sense of pride for stepping out of my comfort zone and starting a new job.
“ You got this, ” I whisper to myself as I pack my bag and head to the Tube to get home to my girl.