Sweet Deception

Chapter 2: A New Chapter

Christiana

As the elevator doors opened up to the second floor, I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the white marble floor . The clack- clack of my heels echoed through the hallway, where soft light filtered through the blinds casting a warm glow, it was icily cold. The murmur of overlapping voices filled the air as fellow candidates chatted amongst themselves. I walk to the receptionist and hand over my resume. She smiled sweetly her, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun and handed me a number while attaching the same number to my resume. “Please take a seat, you’ll be called when it gets to your turn” the blonde receptionist said.

I thank her and head over to an empty seat . Adjusting my trousers, I glanced at the number on my card “31” Great, just great. I try to calm myself down and remember all I’ve prepared before now.

As I scanned my surroundings I realized there are no pictures anyway, I thought big CEO’s like to hang their pictures in halls. What struck me more was the number of women present for this interview -only 5 women in this hall and over 35 candidates, the irony of it made me frustrated.

The candidate sitting to my left, a lanky man with a mop of messy brown hair leaned in and whispered , “I heard they have over 200 applicants in a year and choose only 4 to head their various teams” his voice laced with awe and trepidation.

Another candidate, a woman with round face, puffy cheeks and and jet black hair chimed in, “ its extremely competitive and here’s the gist: nobody knows who the CEO is, apparently he’s almost a silent partner,” . A third candidate , a suave looking man with piercing blue eyes and a chiseled jawline snorted in disagreement “That’s just a rumor, everyone knows the CEO is Noah Davis, a ruthless narcissist but one hell of a negotiator and business man. He tears down businesses, buys them up and rebuilds them” his voice laced with admiration.

Just hearing all what they have to say makes me even more nervous, I could feel my hear ponding in my chest and my palms slick with sweat.I try my best not to make it show. The lanky man was called into the room and in less than 10 minutes he comes out looking disappointed, his eyes downcast and his shoulders slumped in defeat and that doesn’t bode well for my anxiety. After several minutes other candidates are called in each emerging with different expressions. Finally the suave looking guy was called in he spends the longest time there and he comes out looking triumphant, a smug smile spread across his face. He looks my way, mouths “good luck” and winks.

“Number 31” the blonde receptionist called her voice piercing the air.

I took one last deep breath, stand up and walk towards the large black door. I felt the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I could do this. With a steady hand, I reached out grasped the door, pulling it open with a soft creak.

As I step into the room the citrus scent hits me like a wave. The room was icily cold. I swore I could see my breath as I exhaled. The black tiles brakes th my feet seemed to stretch on forever meeting the start white walls at a clean line. A brown table sat in the middle of the room behind which a man who I assume is in his 50’s and a woman much younger watching me. The man’s face was a map of wrinkles and fine lines while the woman’s skin was smooth and unblemished. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I walked to the single chair on the opposite end of the table. I sat down trying to appear calm but my heart was racing with anticipation.

My eyes locked onto the interviewer's hands as he scanned my resume. His tone was apathetic, his words dripping with disdain.

"Christiana Everton from California, studied at New York University, graduated top of her class... two jobs in one year... no experience as a team lead... or any lead, for that matter." He paused, his gaze lingering on my resume. "Oh, and she's an author... no bestseller, of course. And she bakes... sometimes. Has a child."

My throat constricted and my face grew hot. I had expected tough questions, but not this level of dismissiveness.

The younger woman, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up. "So, Christiana, can you tell us why you had two jobs in one year?"

I took a deep breath, my voice steady. "As seen on my CV, I worked at high-end companies as an assistant team lead and a sales representative. However, I felt I wasn't offered the roles I was qualified for, and there was a significant pay disparity between men and women. When I raised concerns about being sidelined, I was told that as a team lead, they needed someone who was 'stable'... implying that as a single mother, I was anything but."

The younger woman nodded thoughtfully, her expression sympathetic.

The older man cleared his throat, his tone unchanging. "Tell me about a time when you had to adapt to a change in priorities or direction. How did you handle it?"

My response was effortless. "In my previous role, our project priorities shifted suddenly due to a change in business strategy. I quickly assessed the impact, communicated the changes to my team, and adjusted our plans to align with the new priorities."

The older man's expression remained skeptical. "How do you plan to manage this job with a child, especially since you don't have a partner? You're needed 8am-4pm, Monday to Thursday, with extra events and training sessions. We can't have someone whose attention is split between their child and work."

My voice firm. "I understand the demands of the job, and I'm confident I can handle them. I have a reliable babysitter for Emma, and she also stays with a trusted friend. I'm committed to delivering exceptional results, and I'm not concerned about my ability to manage my work and family responsibilities."

The younger woman smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Thank you, Christiana. We'll be in touch if there are any further developments."

As I stood up my legs felt unsteady, I walked out the room, my heart racing and made my way straight to the restroom. Leaning against the door, I took a few deep breaths, my chest my heart feels like it’s about to burst and i'm certain I did awful in that interview.