A Serious Responsibility
1112 Words
I was surprised when Natalia returned and announced that she just hired me. Because of that, the staff let go of my arm. Then he nodded and after taking additional orders, he excused himself politely.
"And about you…" Natalia scanned me from head to toe. The way she inspected me almost stopped me from breathing. "Forget about the job in this company."
I blink. Twice. "But why?"
"It's because I'm going to assign you personal responsibilities. Come with me," she explained as she turned on her heels and began walking. With my uncertainty, I followed her without asking any further questions.
We were on our way to the sixth-floor parking space in a matter of minutes. A man in a dark coat smiled and opened the door for her behind the driver's seat of the red SUV.
I was under the impression that I was simply accompanying her to her car. The driver, on the other hand, turned around and opened the other door for me.
In the car, Natalia chuckled as she gazed at me. "What are you waiting for?"
"I'm sorry!" I said as I straightened my clothes before getting into the car.
o0o
"So, what's your full name again, and how old are you?" Natalia asked as she settled in next to me in the backseat. She talked on the phone for the first few minutes of the trip. And now that she was concentrating on me, my heart was beating in fear of the questions she would ask.
I'd want to give her a copy of my resume, or rather, my fake resume. But I suppose it was wrong because she hadn't yet requested any papers from me. So, I chose to respond cautiously. "My name is Charlene Olsen, but you may call me Charley. I'm twenty years old."
She gave me another question with a nod. "Are you working right now, Charley?"
"Um... no," I said, shaking my head. It confused me why she needed to ask if I had another job since she was aware that I was looking for work at her company. "Actually, I just moved from Beaufort. I love my place but I'm looking for a bigger opportunity where I can pursue my dream of working for a private company."
"Oh, so you just got from Beaufort." It was more of a statement, making her brows raised. "What's your previous employment?"
I cleared my throat and said, "I worked for my aunt who owns a cafe."
"Do you have experience in clerical work there?"
"A little," I mumbled. "I also handled certain accounting tasks because there was no other personnel."
"Why?" she inquired, her head inclined, as though surprised by my response. "Is your aunt's cafe a small-medium business? And if you were the only worker, why did you leave knowing that she runs her business alone? Are you the kind to quit your job without giving proper notice?"
Her question caught me off guard. But I did my best to answer it honestly. I could be concealing my current profile, but that didn't imply I'd keep lying continuously.
"A-actually, she isn't my aunt. I just grew up in her custody because my parents were long gone. But I didn't leave her because I was avoiding my obligations. I left—escaped—one night because she was selling me to a businessman as a... as a... pet." I looked down at my skirt. I couldn't stop myself from feeling ashamed. "I understand if you don't want to believe it, but the truth about me is that I have a dark background that still haunts me until now."
For a few periods, silence settled before I heard her sigh and felt her tap my shoulder. "Hey, don't be sorry about it. We've all had bad experiences in the past, but that doesn't mean we'll let them ruin our present. What matters is that we strive to improve."
I smiled. Such wonderful remarks from a woman I've learned to adore in a short time. That's why even if I didn't get the job, I was thrilled only to have met her. Just by the way she expressed her visions, I could conclude she was a deep and great person.
"By the way, I want to thank you."
I frowned. "For what?"
"For comforting me when we got trapped in the elevator."
"It's not a big deal. I believe anyone would do the same thing when they were locked in the elevator." I shrugged off, looking out the window.
"No, Charley. Not everyone would do what you've done. If they were in your shoes, they'd look for a way out first, or possibly panic out first, unlike you, who could think clearly despite your terrible situations — that's what convinced me to hire you. You will be looking after my son. And your salary is equivalent to how much I pay my assistant. Is that okay with you?"
I cupped both hands around my mouth. But all I wanted to do was hug her. I couldn't say anything, so I nodded.
On the outside, I appeared calm, but on the inside, I was screaming. Who'd have guessed that, despite my story, the famous Natalia Johnson would admire me and my deeds? And now I'd be her employee.
The next thing I knew, I was staring out the car window at enormously high stone gates. It didn't take long for it to open, and Natalia's driver began maneuvering the car.
When I was still researching her, I found this compound on the internet. However, up close, the location was absolutely stunning. I noticed the beautiful pool atrium in the middle of the mansion not far from where the car had parked as we approached the massive door. When it came to a stop, the driver flung open the door for Natalia. He then opened my door, and as I stepped out of the car. I thanked him.
"Come on in. I'll introduce you to my son," Natalia said, beaming, and held my hand as we proceeded inside the mansion.
The huge house from the inside looked as picturesque as the outside. Everything my eyes laid on was glorious.
"Good morning, Miss Natalia." A woman greeted us as she approached. She dressed like one of those employees in the office.
Natalia nodded. "How's Austin?"
The smile on the woman's face vanished slowly. "He's in the room, Miss Natalia. He's been crying because his robot has been broken by his classmate."
Natalia sighed and looked at me. "I'm telling you, Charley. My son isn't easy to deal with. I hope you can stay here longer than you should."
- Writer
