CHAPTER FIVE: THE FIRST TIME HE LOST
1283 Words
“Why is your husband looking for you in my company?”
The question stayed in the air so heavily that my chest tightened immediately. My fingers curled slowly against my skirt while the room went quiet again. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. All the managers were looking at me now, waiting for an answer I didn’t even know how to explain myself.
I swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know.”
One of the managers exchanged a look with the HR woman before clearing his throat carefully. “Sir, there seems to be some misunderstanding downstairs. The man said his wife came here this morning.” He paused shortly before adding, “Miss Serena Callister also called earlier.”
My brows pulled together instantly.
The HR woman looked uncomfortable already. “She said the candidate might cause trouble for the company and accused her of trying to get close to wealthy men after her divorce.”
The room became quiet again.
I felt heat crawl slowly into my face.
Of course Serena would do that.
Of course she wouldn’t let me breathe even for one day.
The manager beside Ethan adjusted his glasses and sighed softly. “Sir, maybe we should avoid unnecessary drama and continue with the next candidates.”
My chest dropped immediately.
There it was.
The rejection.
Not because I failed.
Not because I wasn’t good enough.
But because my life became entertainment for other people.
I lowered my eyes quickly because I refused to cry again in front of strangers. My nails pressed harder into my palm while I tried to stay calm.
Then Ethan finally spoke.
“Look at me.”
My head lifted before I even realized it.
His voice was calm, but there was something inside it that made people listen immediately. His eyes stayed on my face for a few seconds, sharp and unreadable, like he was trying to see through every lie I could possibly tell.
Then he asked quietly,
“Are you going to let people decide who you are?”
The question hit somewhere deep inside me.
Not because of the words.
Because nobody had asked me that before.
Not Jade.
Not Serena.
Not even myself.
I stared at Ethan silently while my heartbeat became louder inside my chest. Slowly, I shook my head.
“No.”
Something changed slightly in his expression.
Very small.
Almost impossible to notice.
But I saw it.
He leaned back in his chair calmly, then closed my file and slid it toward the HR manager.
“Good,” he said simply. “Go downstairs and handle it.”
That was all.
No congratulations.
No rejection.
Nothing.
For one confusing second, I just stood there staring at him. Then the HR woman gave me a small nod toward the door, and I finally forced my legs to move.
My breathing felt uneven as I stepped out of the office.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
My hands were shaking slightly around my file while Ethan’s words repeated themselves inside my head.
Are you going to let people decide who you are?
The elevator doors opened with a soft sound.
I stepped inside alone.
The ride downstairs felt too fast.
By the time the doors opened again, my stomach was already tight.
And then I saw them.
Jade.
And Serena.
Serena was the first to notice me.
“Oh look,” she said loudly, folding her arms immediately. “The future businesswoman is finally here.”
Several people near the reception turned to look instantly.
My steps slowed.
Jade’s eyes landed on me next.
His jaw tightened the moment he saw me walking out from the private elevator side.
“What are you doing here?” he asked coldly.
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because less than twenty-four hours ago, this man watched me bleed and still walked away.
Now he was standing here acting angry that I existed somewhere else.
Serena walked closer before I could answer. “I told you she came here for a reason.” Her eyes moved over my clothes slowly before she smirked. “Women like her always move fast.”
I gripped my file tighter. “I’m here for an interview.”
Serena laughed immediately. “Interview?” She looked at Jade dramatically. “Please. Since when do companies like Cole Group hire people like her?”
My face burned, but I refused to look away.
Jade finally stepped closer. “Did you tell them who you are?”
Something inside me snapped slightly.
“Who am I?” I asked quietly.
His expression hardened.
Serena answered for him. “A divorced woman who just left her husband’s house yesterday.”
The words landed hard.
People around us were listening now.
Receptionists.
Staff.
Security.
Humiliation crawled slowly through my chest, but before I could speak again, Jade suddenly pulled the file from my hand.
“Jade”
He opened it quickly.
His eyes scanned the papers once.
Then stopped.
The change in his face happened immediately.
His brows pulled together sharply while his eyes stayed on the signature at the bottom of the page.
Ethan Cole.
Serena noticed too.
For the first time since she arrived, her smile faded slightly.
“What is that?” she asked quickly.
Jade looked up at me slowly. “Why does this have Ethan Cole’s signature on it?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
That only made Serena more suspicious.
“Oh my God,” she let out a short laugh. “You actually got close to him?”
“Stop it,” I snapped.
Her eyes widened slightly because it was the first time I had raised my voice at her.
But Serena recovered quickly.
She stepped closer and lowered her voice just enough to hurt more.
“You couldn’t keep your husband, so now you’re trying another rich man?”
The words hit hard.
Very hard.
My throat burned immediately, but before I could answer—
A deep voice spoke behind us.
“Give that back.”
Everything went still.
Every single person around reception turned instantly.
My heart stopped for one second before I slowly looked back.
Ethan was walking toward us.
Calm expression.
One hand inside his pocket.
Dark suit perfectly fitted against his tall frame.
He wasn’t rushing.
But somehow the entire atmosphere changed the closer he came.
Even the security guards straightened immediately.
Jade’s posture stiffened slightly.
Ethan stopped directly in front of us and held his hand out toward Jade without looking away from him.
“The file.”
For a second, nobody moved.
Then Jade handed it over.
Ethan took it calmly before flipping through the papers once. His face stayed unreadable the entire time.
Serena forced out a small smile. “Mr. Cole, I think there’s been a misunderstanding here..
“She was leaving,” Ethan interrupted calmly.
Serena stopped talking immediately.
His eyes finally lifted toward me.
“Miss Luna.”
The way he said my name fasten by heartbeat a little bit.
Then his gaze moved back to Jade.
“If there’s a problem with her,” he said evenly, “you speak to me.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Jade stared at him for a few seconds like he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Serena looked worse.
Her face had completely changed now.
Ethan handed the file back to me personally. His fingers brushed mine for the shortest second before he released it again.
Then he said calmly,
“She works under my company now.”
I got the job.
Serena recovered first. “You hired her?” she asked sharply. “You don’t even know her.”
- Writer
