Chapter 2: First Day Disaster
1291 Words
The shrill sound of Sofia's alarm echoed through the small apartment.
"Ugh..."
She reached for her phone and squinted at the screen.
6:00 A.M.
Today was the day.
Her first day at Montenegro Corporation.
Sofia immediately sat up and clasped her hands together.
"Please... let today go smoothly."
From the kitchen came the familiar aroma of fried eggs and garlic rice.
"Lola!"
She hurried out of her room, still fixing her hair.
Her grandmother, Lola Elena, smiled warmly.
"Good morning, sweetheart."
"Morning, Lola!"
"You barely slept."
Sofia laughed awkwardly.
"I kept imagining my first day."
Lola Elena placed a plate of breakfast in front of her.
"You'll do well."
"What if they don't like me?"
"They hired you because they believed you could do the job."
Sofia smiled.
"You always know what to say."
"And remember..."
Her grandmother gently held her hand.
"Never lose that smile."
Sofia nodded.
"I won't."
---
An hour later...
The towering glass building of Montenegro Corporation came into view.
Sofia stopped walking.
"So... this is my new workplace."
Employees in formal business attire walked confidently through the revolving doors.
Meanwhile...
Sofia nearly tripped on the entrance mat.
"Smooth, Sofia..."
She scratched her head before laughing at herself.
"This is fine."
---
Inside the lobby...
Everything looked luxurious.
Marble floors.
Crystal chandeliers.
A massive company logo stood proudly behind the reception desk.
Employees moved quickly, barely speaking.
Nobody wanted to waste a second.
As Sofia admired the building, someone accidentally bumped into her.
"Oh!"
Her folder slipped from her hands.
Papers scattered across the polished floor.
"I'm so sorry!"
A man wearing an employee ID quickly crouched to help.
"It's okay," Sofia replied, embarrassed.
He smiled.
"First day?"
She blinked.
"Is it that obvious?"
"You've been staring at everything for the last five minutes."
Sofia laughed.
"Guilty."
He handed her the last sheet of paper.
"I'm Noah Garcia."
"The IT Manager."
"Sofia Reyes."
"Executive Assistant."
Noah's eyebrows lifted.
"Wait..."
"You're the CEO's new assistant?"
"...Yes?"
He suddenly looked at her with sympathy.
"Oh."
Sofia frowned.
"What does 'oh' mean?"
Noah chuckled.
"You'll find out."
Before she could ask another question, a cheerful voice interrupted them.
"There you are!"
A woman hurried toward them carrying a tablet.
"I'm Mia from HR."
She grabbed Sofia's hand.
"We've been looking everywhere!"
Sofia smiled apologetically.
"Sorry..."
"I got distracted."
Mia laughed.
"Understandable."
She leaned closer and whispered dramatically,
"By the way..."
"Try not to get fired today."
Sofia blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
---
The HR orientation lasted nearly an hour.
Sofia learned about company policies, employee benefits, and office rules.
But one rule stood out more than the others.
**Never interrupt the CEO during a meeting.**
**Never enter his office without permission.**
**Never make careless mistakes.**
Sofia raised her hand.
"Are those actual rules?"
The room fell silent.
Mia coughed.
"They're... more like survival tips."
Everyone laughed.
Except the HR manager.
"I'm serious."
---
During lunch break...
Mia led Sofia to the employee cafeteria.
"This place is huge!"
"It gets even busier later."
As they found a table, Sofia noticed several employees whispering.
"They keep looking this way."
"They're looking at you."
"...Why?"
Mia grinned.
"Because everyone knows you're the new assistant."
"No pressure."
Before Sofia could respond, the receptionist, Jenny Flores, walked over carrying her tray.
"So this is the brave soul?"
"I prefer the word 'optimistic,'" Sofia answered.
Jenny laughed.
"You're funny."
"You'll need that."
Another employee joined them.
Mark from Sales.
He looked around dramatically before lowering his voice.
"Have any of you actually seen the CEO smile?"
Jenny shook her head.
"Never."
"I've worked here for three years."
"Nothing."
Mia sighed.
"Last Christmas someone gave him homemade cookies."
"What happened?"
"He said..."
"'Sugar attracts ants.'"
The entire table burst into laughter.
Even Sofia couldn't stop giggling.
"Seriously?"
"I'm serious."
"They say he even rejected a birthday celebration."
"Why?"
"He said birthdays don't increase productivity."
Sofia stared in disbelief.
"No way."
Jenny nodded.
"Welcome to Montenegro Corporation."
---
Meanwhile...
On the top floor...
A tense silence filled the executive boardroom.
Department heads sat nervously around the long conference table.
At the head sat Adrian Montenegro.
He calmly reviewed the quarterly reports.
"No."
A manager froze.
"S-Sir?"
"This report contains three calculation errors."
The manager's face turned pale.
"I..."
"You had an entire week."
Adrian closed the folder.
"I expect better."
Nobody dared speak.
Even Ethan Cruz, the company's Vice President and Adrian's closest friend, simply leaned back with a faint smile.
Once the meeting ended, Ethan caught up with Adrian.
"You scared them again."
"They're adults."
"They'll survive."
Ethan chuckled.
"You've got a new assistant today."
"I know."
"You planning to scare her too?"
Adrian adjusted his cufflinks.
"If she's competent, she'll stay."
"If not..."
He walked away without finishing the sentence.
Ethan sighed.
"Poor girl."
---
Two hours later...
Sofia received a phone call.
"The CEO is ready to meet you."
Her stomach dropped.
"So soon?"
Mia gave her an encouraging smile.
"You've got this."
Jenny handed her a neatly prepared cup of black coffee.
"The CEO drinks this every afternoon."
"Don't spill it."
Sofia laughed.
"Why would I spill it?"
Jenny and Mia exchanged a glance.
"...Please don't say things like that."
---
The private elevator climbed toward the executive floor.
With every passing second, Sofia's heartbeat grew louder.
The doors opened.
Silence.
Unlike the lively lower floors, this area was calm and elegant.
The secretary greeted her politely.
"Miss Reyes?"
"Yes."
"The CEO is expecting you."
She handed Sofia a folder.
"And his coffee."
Sofia carefully balanced both items.
"I can do this."
The secretary smiled nervously.
"I hope so."
Sofia took one deep breath.
She walked toward the large wooden doors.
Knock.
"Come in."
A deep voice answered.
She slowly entered.
The office was breathtaking.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline.
Bookshelves lined one wall.
Awards and framed certificates decorated another.
Behind the massive desk sat Adrian Montenegro.
Without looking up, he continued signing documents.
"So..."
"You're my new assistant."
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Sofia straightened her posture.
"Good afternoon, sir."
Adrian finally lifted his gaze.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment...
Neither of them spoke.
Sofia had expected someone intimidating.
She hadn't expected someone so unreadable.
Adrian studied the young woman standing before him.
She looked nervous.
Yet there was determination in her eyes.
"So..."
She smiled awkwardly.
"I've heard a lot about you."
"I imagine you have."
"...Mostly that you're scary."
Silence.
Sofia's eyes widened.
*Did I really just say that?*
Outside the office, the secretary quietly covered her face.
"Oh no..."
Inside, Adrian slowly rose from his chair.
Each step echoed across the room as he approached her.
Sofia instinctively tightened her grip on the coffee.
"You've been employed for less than one day," Adrian said evenly.
"And yet you're already comfortable judging your CEO?"
"I didn't mean it like that, sir."
Her phone suddenly vibrated inside her pocket.
The unexpected buzz startled her.
She flinched.
The coffee cup slipped from her fingers.
"No!"
The hot coffee flew through the air.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Splash.
Dark coffee stained Adrian's pristine black suit.
The room fell completely silent.
Sofia stared at the disaster she had just created.
Her face drained of color.
"I... I'm so sorry, sir."
Outside the office, every employee froze as they heard the cup hit the floor.
Mia slowly closed her eyes.
Jenny whispered a prayer.
Noah sighed.
"She's definitely getting fired..."
Inside the office, Adrian looked down at the stain on his suit.
Then...
He slowly lifted his eyes to Sofia.
His expression revealed nothing.
But somehow...
That made it even more terrifying.
Adrian took one slow step toward Sofia.
His voice remained calm.
"So..."
"...tell me why I shouldn't fire you."
- Writer
