Chapter 3: The First Day
1061 Words
Alice Ryan woke up before her alarm went off.
She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, listening to the traffic outside. For the first time in weeks, she didn't feel hopeless. Today was a brand-new start.
She sat up and took a deep breath. "No mistakes today, Alice."
After a quick shower, she put on a clean white blouse, a black pencil skirt, and low black heels. She tied her brown hair back into a neat ponytail and checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked professional and neat.
She grabbed her folder and whispered to herself, "It's just a job. Do your best."
The Vance Holdings building looked massive in the morning light. Employees walked quickly through the front doors holding laptops and coffee cups. Everyone looked busy and important. Alice felt a little nervous, but she held her head high.
The receptionist from her interview recognized her right away. "Good morning, Miss Ryan. Welcome to Vance Holdings."
"Good morning. Thank you," Alice said.
She picked up her temporary ID badge and walked to the room reserved for Human Resources. Inside, about twenty other new employees were chatting nervously. Alice found a seat near the window and sat down quietly.
A few minutes later, Natalie from HR walked into the room with a warm smile. "Good morning, everyone. Congratulations on joining Vance Holdings. You were selected out of thousands of applicants, so you should be proud of yourselves."
The room clapped politely. Alice smiled at herself. Maybe she really belonged here after all.
For the next hour, Natalie explained the company rules, work hours, office policies, and benefits. Then, Natalie cleared her throat and looked around the room.
"I have some unexpected news," Natalie said. "Our CEO likes to personally greet every new group of executive staff."
Quiet murmurs broke out across the room.
"The CEO?" someone whispered nearby.
"I heard he fired a manager on his very first day," another person said.
Alice shook her head gently. People always loved to make powerful bosses sound worse than they were. How scary could one man really be?
Upstairs, the private elevator opened on the executive floor. Raymond Vance stepped out, wearing a dark charcoal suit.
His morning meetings were finished. The phone call with foreign investors was complete. Now, he had to handle the orientation greeting. He disliked these events, but his assistant walked right beside him, holding his schedule.
"It will only take three minutes, sir," his assistant said.
"It's better," Raymond replied dryly.
"The board believes it helps new staff feel valued when they see you."
Raymond looked at him. "Does it?"
"Usually, it just makes them nervous, sir."
Raymond almost laughed, but kept his expression neutral as they reached the room.
Inside the room, Natalie stood up straight and checked her watch. "The CEO is entering now. Please give him your full attention."
The room went quiet immediately. Everyone sat up straight.
Alice kept her head down, finishing a quick note in her notebook. She heard the sound of expensive leather shoes walking to the front of the room, followed by a deep male voice.
"Good morning."
The sound of that voice made Alice freeze.
It sounded familiar. Far too familiar.
Alice slowly raised her head to look at the front of the room. Her eyes landed on the tall man in the suit, and time seemed to stop completely.
Her pen slipped from her hand and clattered onto the floor.
Raymond stopped mid-sentence. His gray eyes locked directly onto hers, and his jaw set into a hard line.
It was her. The stubborn woman from that terrible blind date.
Alice's throat went completely dry. No. Anyone but him.
She had just taken a job at his company.
Raymond stared at her for two long seconds. The silence in the room became heavy and uncomfortable. Natalie looked back and forth between them, feeling the strange shift in the air.
"Mr. Vance?" Natalie asked softly.
Raymond broke eye contact and looked back at the rest of the group, his face completely blank.
"Welcome to Vance Holdings," he said, his voice cold and flat. "In this building, doing a good job is not a choice. It is expected every single day."
He slowly walked down the aisle between the desks. Alice tried to breathe normally, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. Please don't say anything. Please just keep walking.
Raymond stopped right beside her desk. He didn't look down at her, but his presence was heavy.
"Some people think first impressions do not matter," Raymond said to the room, though his tone was sharp. "They are wrong. Every choice you make here has real consequences. If you cannot handle the pressure, you are free to leave."
He turned his head slightly, his gray eyes fixing on Alice one more time. "And I do not tolerate excuses or mistakes."
Alice squeezed her hands tightly under the desk. He was just as arrogant and cold as he had been at the restaurant. He hadn't changed at all.
Raymond wrapped up his speech in less than two minutes. "Work hard. Prove that you belong here."
He turned and walked toward the exit. But just as his hand touched the door handle, he stopped. Without turning around, he spoke clearly.
"Miss Ryan."
Alice froze. "...Yes, sir?"
"Report to my office on the top floor as soon as this session ends."
The entire room fell dead silent. Every single new employee turned to look at Alice in shock.
Natalie looked completely confused. "The top floor? Sir, new employees usually go straight to their assigned departments."
Raymond didn't offer an explanation. "Do not keep me waiting."
The heavy doors shut behind him.
For three seconds, no one said a word. Then, a man sitting near Alice leaned over and whispered, "What did you do?"
"I... nothing," Alice said quietly, though her mind was spinning.
Natalie forced a polite smile, though she still looked puzzled. "Well, I have worked here for six years, and the CEO has never personally called a new staff member to his office on day one."
Alice tried to look calm, but her hands were slightly cold. She knew exactly why he called her.
She was about to go face-to-face with the man whose pride she had wounded a month ago a
nd Raymond Vance clearly hadn't forgotten a single detail.
- Writer
