Chapter 3
1149 Words
Amaka's POV:
After I finished my breakfast in the kitchen, I stepped out of the house and headed out of the compound.
The house was a rented apartment; Mrs. Ann didn't own it.
Luckily, as I reached the busy road, I spotted a yellow painted bus and climbed in. I sat beside a tall man in a black suit, and he smiled at me.
I felt too preoccupied to smile back. After what Joseph had done to me, I avoided smiling at any man.
It hurt so much that Joseph had broken up with me. He should have told me he wanted only s*x, not marriage.
I had been a very decent girl in my area, which turned me into a laughingstock among my peers—they never expected a good girl like me to get pregnant.
I wiped away my tears and fixed my gaze on the road. The man beside me spoke. "Hi, dear. I have paid your fare."
"Huh!" I stared at him, taken aback that a total stranger had covered my bill. As I studied his face, I gulped. He had very fair skin like me, but short brown hair like my son. Though he wasn't Joseph Erickson, he looked handsome and masculine.
"Thank you, but you shouldn't have done that. I don't need any favors from you," I said as the bus drove toward our destination.
"I understand, but I can't help appreciating your beauty. Do you live around here, or where are you heading now?" the man asked, and I grimaced.
Gross! I hated it when a guy pried into my affairs.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't tell you anything about myself. These days, people get kidn*pped easily, and trusting a stranger is risky," I said, lowering my voice to avoid embarrassing him since other passengers sat behind us.
"Fine. I'll keep that in mind," the man said as I looked away.
"Industrial estate. Anyone getting off?" the driver of the yellow bus called, and I answered, "Yes, sir."
I stepped down from the bus, and the man in the black suit got off too. My brows furrowed; I wondered why he wandered around so early without a job.
I tried to pay the bus conductor, but he said, "Your husband has paid."
"Hmm, he's not my husband," I warned the conductor, who gasped. "Oh! Sorry, madam. But you two resemble each other."
"Whatever!" I turned and hurried toward the company I headed to: J.E. Global.
I didn't speak to the man who walked alongside me. I figured that once I reached the company gate, he would go his own way.
However, at the gate, the man flashed his ID, and the security guard let him in. I felt surprised that he already worked there, but the guard blocked me.
"What do you want, madam?" the security man asked, and I replied, "I'm here for my interview." I showed him the email on my phone, and he finally let me enter the company.
I had to wait for my interview with the boss; the company seemed as strict as Maureen had warned me. I hadn't researched this company, assuming I would land the job easily.
They told me to sit and wait for the boss to arrive, and it was already 9 a.m. when he showed up.
I didn't lift my head to look at the boss who entered the company. I heard whispers from the other new candidates who had come for the interview. About ten of us vied for this tempting job.
Soon, the lady in charge of ushering us arrived with her folder and introduced herself, just as she had instructed us to sit and wait earlier.
"Hi, everyone. Welcome to J.E. Global Enterprises. We do not tolerate cheating or breaches of our contracts. We expect our staff to uphold our company name highly, motivating other brands to partner with us and our goods and services. So we'll proceed with a quick introduction. I am Anita Edward, your new coach. I will hand out this consent form to each of you. Once you sign it, you agree to our company's terms. Then I will assign you a partner who will mentor you on how our system works. But first, you will go in one by one for your interview with our boss. Once he approves you and your reasons for joining us, you can sign the form. Agreed?" She asked, and I swallowed hard.
I sat in the lobby on the long guest chair, waiting. I watched clients come in and out of the building. Nerves twisted in my stomach as I wondered who that man from earlier was.
No way the boss of J.E. Global would ride a bus like me. Though I had enough money to afford a small car, I didn't want to show off.
I earned more than Maureen, who had taught me how to blog. So if I bought a car now, it might seem like I tried to compete with her.
I didn't know if Maureen felt that way, but I imagined she might, so I avoided anything that could upset her. Though she rarely got upset, I didn't want to flaunt my success.
"Amaka Roland. It's your turn now for the interview," Anita said.
"Oh!" I snapped out of my daze, stood from the guest chair, and smoothed my red top and black skirt.
"Ma, can I take my handbag in there?" I asked, unsure if it was allowed.
"No. Come with me," Anita said. She led me to a safe where I could store my bag and keep the key until I returned.
"Thank you, ma," I told Anita, and she smiled.
"Hurry up and don't keep our boss waiting," she said.
"Okay," I gulped and walked to the boss's office.
I took a deep breath and entered the expansive office on the fifth floor. My eyes landed on the man in the black suit seated behind the desk.
"What?!!" I gasped, shocked to see Joseph Erickson as the boss of this new company.
*Why didn't I research J.E. Global? How could I forget to check the new company I came to work for?*
I tried to look away from Joseph and flee his office. He seemed indifferent, as if he didn't know me.
"Are you Amaka Roland?" Joseph asked, pretending not to recognize me.
Unbelievable! Had I changed that much? How could Joseph fail to recognize me after just four years since our relationship?
My lips trembled as I tried to answer him. "Jo... Joseph. You own this company?" I asked, tears welling in my brown eyes.
"Excuse me, have we met before?" Joseph asked. I shook my head. Since he pretended not to know me, I would pretend I didn't know him either. We had dated for a year before he ran away. How could he not recognize me?
- Writer
