5
1989 Words
She was so unlucky. Even though it was wrong to say such a thing—because it would make her seem ungrateful for all the blessings she had received in her life—that was exactly how Nicole felt at this moment.
She knew it was wrong to think of herself as unlucky, especially considering the good-hearted person who helped her finish college, her strict aunt, and even her aunt’s mean daughters. Even though Nicole wasn’t sure whether she should be grateful for being taken in by them or not, she knew she should be thankful for graduating as summa c*m laude and for all the other blessings she received daily. She had no right to say she was unlucky.
But right now, she really felt like the unluckiest person alive.
Of all the people who could potentially be her boss—if she even got hired by this prestigious company—it had to be this rude, ill-mannered man. Not only had he stolen her breakfast earlier, but he also insulted her. And to top it all off, of all the people who could interview her, it had to be the same arrogant, disrespectful man.
No wonder he had the nerve to look down on others. Not only was he ridiculously handsome, but he was also filthy rich.
Handsome? No! She wasn’t saying that the man sitting in front of her, in his tailored suit, twirling a pen in his fingers while resting his chin on his left hand, was attractive.
The soft clicking sound of the pen he was playing with filled the silent room, and Nicole could also hear the loud beating of her own heart.
Could she request another interviewer? Maybe even a different boss altogether?
Why did it have to be this man interviewing her? Couldn’t it have been someone else in charge?
Nicole mentally scolded herself for such a ridiculous question. She shook her head as she realized she had no choice. And of all people, she definitely couldn’t ask this rude man for a favor.
What was even more infuriating was the smirk on his lips, as if he were silently saying, "I know who you are, and you’re in trouble now."
And what annoyed her even more was that she wanted to throw her old shoes at his face just to wipe that smug smile away. But of course, she couldn’t do that. He was the boss, after all. Not only that—he was the one conducting her interview. She had to behave if she wanted this job.
Her irritation only grew when she saw the cup of coffee on his desk. Judging by its appearance, it hadn’t even been touched—it was probably cold by now. And her name, “Nicole,” was written on it. Meaning, it was the coffee he had stolen from her earlier.
How awful! He didn’t even drink it after taking it from her. If he hadn’t stolen it, she could have enjoyed her coffee. It wouldn’t have gone to waste. And she wouldn’t be standing here, hungry and annoyed, in front of this man.
“So, you are Miss Nicole Lorenzo? From the coffee shop this morning, am I right?”
Nicole felt a chill run down her spine at the sound of his voice. She had to admit—she was scared.
Well, who wouldn’t be? With his imposing presence, all he was missing were a pair of horns and a tail, and he could pass as a demon.
“Y-yes, sir. That was me… from the c-coffee shop earlier.”
Nicole stammered, forcing herself to answer. He was asking, after all—of course, she had to respond.
“Hmm, just as I thought. So tell me, do you not remember what I told you this morning?”
His smirk widened, making him look even more infuriating. Nicole tried to recall what he had said earlier, and after a few moments, her eyes widened in realization.
“Don’t worry, you won’t get hired!”
His words echoed in her mind.
So that’s why he had said that earlier—because he worked here. Not just worked—he was the boss!
Nicole glanced at his desk, where a trophy-like plaque was displayed. She read the name engraved on it.
"Shawn Alexander Montgomery – CEO"
Nicole wanted to scream in frustration.
You’re so unlucky, so, so unlucky!
Her mouth had gotten her into trouble once again. How was she supposed to know that this rude man was the CEO of the company she was applying to? If she had known, she would have prepared his coffee herself!
But no—she shook her head. Even if he was the CEO, even if he owned the entire company, that didn’t make his actions right. She had every reason to stand up to him earlier.
Wait… Montgomery?
Was he related to Sir Luis Montgomery?
They had the same last name, and Sir Luis was the kind old man who had paid for her education.
Nicole pondered for a moment but jumped slightly in surprise when the man spoke again.
“You graduated from one of the top universities under our company’s scholarship program, Miss Lorenzo? And oh, summa c*m laude in aeronautical engineering?”
He read from her resume, his brows furrowing as he glanced up at her.
“Y-yes, sir. I graduated from a university under your company’s program, and y-yes… I was a s-summa c*m laude in aeronautical engineering.”
Nicole stammered again, resisting the urge to frown. The longer she stood before him, the more she confirmed just how unpleasant his attitude was.
He didn’t even offer her a seat before questioning her. She knew how formal interviews were conducted—this was not how it was supposed to go.
Of course, she didn’t dare sit on her own, lest he think she was being too bold. She already knew how ill-tempered he was.
If Nicole didn’t desperately need the job that this prestigious company could offer her, she wouldn’t be standing here enduring this.
“I see you were part of the company’s educational program. Am I right, Miss Lorenzo?”
He continued reading from her resume before looking up at her once more.
“Y-yes, sir. That’s correct.”
For some reason, Nicole found it difficult to show respect to this man. His attitude alone made him seem undeserving of it.
But of course, since he was a CEO—or rather, an arrogant, rude CEO—she had no choice but to be polite, even if it was against her will.
“Hmm, I see. I see.”
He spoke while nodding as if he knew everything.
"So arrogant. Should I just twist his neck?"
Nicole muttered to herself in irritation.
“To be honest with you, Miss Lorenzo, we are looking for employees who are, you know—respectful, kind, not loud or uncivilized. Based on how you acted at the coffee shop earlier, you are far from the kind of employee this company is looking for. Your academic achievements mean nothing if your attitude is trash.
Also, I’m curious how you even got into the company’s program at that university. Hmm, let me guess—did you also argue with the person giving out scholarships?”
He spoke at length, doing nothing but insult her. Nicole glared at him, trying to convey her anger and frustration at his belittling remarks.
Nicole admitted she was poor—probably even poorer than a rat. She was also bold and had no filter when she spoke, especially when she was standing up for what was right. But no one had the right to insult and step on her. She was sick and tired of it because that was all she ever received from the people she considered family.
Taking a deep breath, Nicole gathered her courage and spoke.
“With all due respect, sir, your attitude isn’t exactly respectable either. I didn’t come here to be insulted, humiliated, and trampled on. I came here for a job interview because I’m looking for a decent job—one I know I’m qualified for. And you’re wrong. You were the one at fault for what happened at the coffee shop earlier. You’re the one with a rude and disrespectful attitude.
I know it’s wrong to say this, but maybe I should be the one asking how you managed to land such a high position in this company when you have such a terrible attitude. Do you have a powerful backer here? Because if you do, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the only reason you’re sitting in this position as CEO of this company!”
Nicole ranted furiously. She knew she was angry and was ready to accept it if he screamed a big “YOU’RE NOT HIRED” in her face. She didn’t care anymore.
Nicole felt her whole body trembling with rage and frustration as she turned her glare back at the rude and arrogant CEO, who was now clenching his jaw and staring at her in silence.
"Oh, so you’re speechless now?"
She wanted to scream those words right in Montgomery’s arrogant face. But before she could, their attention was drawn to the door suddenly opening.
An unfamiliar older man entered, but his face looked somewhat familiar. He was wearing a gray suit and exuded power just by his presence.
He clapped his hands slowly as he approached, and Nicole glanced at Montgomery, who seemed just as confused as she was.
“Bravo, Miss Lorenzo. Welcome to our company. You are hired!”
The man said with a big smile.
“W-what?!”
“What?!”
Both Nicole and Montgomery blurted out at the same time, disbelief evident on their faces.
“You heard me, Alexander. Miss Lorenzo will be working with us.”
The once-smiling older man turned serious. For a moment, Nicole felt nervous—this was starting to smell like trouble.
“Hell no! You can’t just hire that woman!”
Montgomery yelled angrily at the older man. Nicole rolled her eyes and glared at him in annoyance. For a second, she wanted to take off her shoe and throw it hard at his face.
He was unbelievably rude—even shouting at an elder instead of showing respect.
Nicole sighed and remained silent, pretending to listen, though there was nothing to listen to because the two men weren’t even talking. They were just staring at each other. Literally.
If looks could kill, these two would have dropped dead on the spot.
Instead of watching their silent staring contest, Nicole let her eyes wander around Montgomery’s luxurious office.
Montgomery…
She stared at the CEO again, wondering if he was related to Sir Luis Montgomery.
“Your father specifically ordered that he be the one to interview Miss Lorenzo. Why are you interfering in something your father was supposed to handle?
Apparently, we listened to and watched the interview you conducted with Miss Lorenzo, and your father asked me to inform you that Miss Lorenzo is hired.”
The older man’s long explanation caught Nicole’s attention.
Montgomery didn’t argue further—he just clenched his jaw and looked away. Nicole followed his gaze and saw a camera near the door. Once he seemed satisfied with staring at it, he turned his glare back to her.
“Miss Lorenzo, please follow me.”
The older man addressed her. Nicole immediately complied but glanced at Montgomery before leaving. She wanted to stick out her tongue at him but held back. Instead, she just gave him the sweetest smile.
He looked like he was about to throw a picture frame at her, so she quickly left his office and silently followed the older man, who claimed to be following the orders of CEO Grump’s father.
Nicole’s mind raced again.
Dad? Could that arrogant man be Sir Luis’s son?
- Writer
