Falling for the Enemy

Ch.5

Althea’s Pov

The office door swung open, unveiling a young woman with light blonde hair, elegantly attired in a black mini dress and coordinating stilettos.

"Good morning, Mr. Valenti," the woman greeted him with a sweet tone.

"Rebecca, what brings you here?" he asked with a firm demeanor.

"I came to see you, handsome," she purred, running her fingers through her hair.

She approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck and settling onto his lap. Hesitantly, she captured his lips, unbuttoned his shirt, and slipped her hand beneath it.

I tried to look away, wondering if she noticed me. I felt invisible; she was likely his girlfriend.

"Rebecca, now is not the time," he said, attempting to evade her eager kisses.

"Althea, please go see Mrs. Limbs and discuss your salary with her," he instructed me as the woman pulled back slightly.

I covered my face with my bag, trying to shield myself from the unpleasant scene unfolding before me, and slowly made my way to the door, disappearing behind it.

"Miss. Dawson?" Mrs. Limbs shouted.

"That's me," I answered promptly.

"How did the interview go," she inquired.

"He said I’m hired and I should see you and discuss my salary."

"In that case, come with me," she said, leading the way to an office. I hurriedly trailed after her.

"I have a few questions to ask you," she said.

"Certainly."

As we walked towards the office, I noticed the nameplate on the door that read "Tasha Limbs, Manager of the Human Resources Department." She opened the door and motioned for me to go in first. I heard her shut the door behind me.

Her office was quite impressive. A Valenti desktop computer sat on her desk next to an office phone. A leather couch was positioned near the door with a matching coffee table.

We took our seats facing each other on the couch, and she continued to speak.

"Could you please inform me of the salary you desire?"

"Oh my goodness, I can hardly believe this!" I exclaimed with joy.

"Thank you immensely for this opportunity once more! Um, I would like to propose a salary of eight hundred thousand dollars... and I would prefer to receive it upfront, like... right away?" The last part escaped me, fueled by my embarrassment over such a daring request.

"Excuse me? What did you just say?" She inquired for clarification.

"I must have misheard you."

"No, you heard me correctly. I would like my salary to be eight hundred thousand dollars."

"Are you serious at this moment?" I could sense the annoyance in her voice.

"If you could grant me that amount, I assure you I will work it off gradually."

"Why do you need such a substantial amount? The salary you are asking for is quite excessive, don’t you think?" She regarded me silently, awaiting my response.

I took a moment to think. Should I tell her everything? It's a fact that I desperately needed money, yet I wasn't keen on garnering sympathy from anyone.

"To be straightforward, I have a debt that needs to be paid, and the collectors are hounding me for it, so I need the cash," I explained.

Mrs. Limbs stayed silent for a few moments, letting the information I provided settle in, then she raised her eyes from her hands with a smile.

"We will send you the money," she started to say.

Oh my goodness, did she actually just say what I think she said?

"Really!? Thank you, thank you, thank you!!" I was glowing with happiness at the mere thought of being free from my debt.

-but..

"But?"

"To provide such a large sum of money all at once to someone, certain conditions must be met."

"Yes?" I inquired, my heart racing with excitement. I hoped the requirements wouldn't be too difficult to satisfy.

"After a thorough discussion with the HR team, we came to the conclusion that this arrangement could be seen as an investment if you agree to stay with the company for a number of years. This way, you can obtain the funds needed, and we can hire the personal assistant our CEO needs without worrying about you leaving right after receiving the payment."

"How many years are you thinking about? Is that the only requirement?"

"I was just about to explain further. You will be working with us for a duration of three years, and that's not the only condition. Of course, there are laws in place to protect employees from whistle-blowing and s****l harassment, but aside from those important exceptions, we expect you to be strong in your interactions with our CEO and to hold your position for the entire term. He can be quite a tough personality, but remember the salary you will earn and push through the three years."

That didn't sound too bad. Three years at a reputable company seemed attractive.

"That's fine. I can handle that."

She nodded with approval. "We will transfer the amount you requested soon."

"We'll need to sign a contract shortly, but let me go over the details. You can start working tomorrow if that works for you—" Mrs. Limbs said, looking at me for confirmation.

"Yes, yes, that's perfectly fine, absolutely fine."

"Fantastic. As you already know, you'll be serving as a personal secretary to the CEO of this building, Mr.Valenti. Your office will be on the 12th floor. As he mentioned earlier, punctuality is key. Please ensure you arrive on time. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to drop by."

"Alright, I will."

"Here’s the contract I mentioned earlier. It clearly indicates that your employment here will last for about five years, which is the timeframe we agreed upon when we allocated the funds you requested." She pushed a contract across the coffee table towards me.

I picked it up and started to read it.

CONTRACT FOR EMPLOYMENT

For the next three years, Althea Dawson will owe a debt to Valenti Corporations.

Miss Dawson has the option of a salary set at eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000), which will be disbursed in full. She will then commit the next five years to repaying her debt to the company.

If she tries to violate this contract, she will be terminated immediately and will lose the remainder of her requested salary. Additionally, Valenti Corporations will take legal action against her for the premature termination of the contract.

I signed it without asking any further questions. I got up and headed towards the door. I left her office and walked to the elevators.

I pressed the "up" button and waited for the elevator to come. As soon as the doors opened, I rushed inside and quickly pressed the lobby button.

Once I reached the lobby, I quickly exited the building and waved my arms frantically to catch a taxi.