We're Not The Same

The universe has a weird way of working. Most of the time, it leads us to where we least expect it to be. It allows us to meet other people who impact our lives, big or small. There are moments when the universe is on our side, and other times, we feel like the universe likes to see us suffer. However, despite the curveballs thrown at us, we always bounce back stronger than before. And sometimes, it's the universe's way of making us a better version of ourselves. Unfortunately, not everyone handles the hurdle thrown our way that well. There are only two choices, really. One, we bounce back, or two, we don't. Some people bounce back quickly while others, let's just say a turtle makes more progress than them, but progress is progress, right? I, for one, belong to the latter. It took me a long while to finally bounce back on my feet and from taking baby steps to full-on running to regain my life back. But seeing my high school bully in front of me in a conference room for a job interview pulled me back into the darkest place I locked and sealed in the back of my mind sixteen years ago. Just like that, I was back in square one. ---- I was on my way to the office, but I wasn't going there without my morning coffee fix. I stopped by the small, cozy cafe near work, ordered a Cappucino, and got some for my secretary, Bethany, and dad. Yes, I got my assistant her coffee. It was probably weird for a CEO to do that, but I wasn't the mean, bossy, demanding employer. And plus, Bethany was my best friend at work. It's normal to do nice things for your best friends. Once I had the coffees on hand, I paid and thanked Debbie, the cashier, and headed to the car, where my driver held the door for me. Living in the Big Apple came with the traffic. But that's what made New York what it was. And living here for years, I've grown accustomed to the daily traffic New York had. It was usually the only time I thought of things outside of work. I stayed at the office until late, and when I got home, I was either working more or too tired to do anything else and passed out in my bed. And then the next day, I wake up early, head to the company, and the cycle repeats. It's what being CEO does to you. It requires your full attention, leaving no spare time for friends, missing a few family gatherings, and no time for relationships. I didn't know how my dad did it, but he somehow always had time for the ones I listed I didn't have time for. He's even had a few vacation trips here and there, whereas I haven't had any since I became CEO. But despite all that, he handled the company so well. Among the many other things CEOs do, I apparently had to hire new employees alongside HR. My dad thought it would make the employees feel more welcome or cared for if I personally saw them. When I finally got to the company, I rode the elevator and greeted every employee I passed by. Once I was on the floor of my office on the 32nd floor, I was greeted by the familiar scene of people typing away on their laptops or computers. Big mugs or cups of coffee were perched atop their desks. There was a lively buzz among the employees, and it made me thankful that they were dedicated to getting their jobs done. Seeing this daily pushed me to work harder and not let them down. After greeting a few more employees, I finally reached my office. "Good morning, Bethany. I brought you your favorite." I handed her the paper cup filled with her latte. This brought a smile to her face. "You are a savior, Becca! Thank you so much!" "No worries," I returned her smile. I settled in, stretched my arms forward, and turned my neck sideways, preparing for the long day ahead. "Okay, what do we have planned today?" I asked Beth, who placed a folder on my desk in front of me. "You have a meeting with the applicants until ten, and then at one, you have a board meeting. After that, you have another meeting with the investors. And-" "Let me guess another meeting?" I cut her off. "Yes, with Mr. Johnson. He wants to know if you still want to push through with the partnership deal he offered." I sighed, "Got it. Anything else?" She shook her head. "Other than a day full of meetings, that's it." I nodded. "Okay, let's get this over and done with." Grabbing the things I needed, Bethany and I headed over to the smaller conference room where the interviews would occur. When we got there, a long line of applicants was seated. Others were fidgeting in their seats; others talked to their fellow applicants. Others simply looked like they had somewhere better to be. I cleared my throat and got their attention. "Good morning to all of you. I'll be with HR for your interview today. It might take a while. Please make yourselves comfortable. Feel free to have a cup of coffee and the snacks we've set up for you. I wish you all good luck!" A chorus of thank you's and polite smiles were what I got as a response. Nodding once more, I headed into the room. Two hours in, I was pretty much exhausted. A few applicants rambled on about the most random things that weren't necessary. I figured they were nervous; others clearly didn't know what they were talking about, some did okay, and some surprised me with their potential. We were finally down to the last applicant for the day, and I couldn't be happier to be done with it. "Hey, Becca, can you handle this last one on your own? There's an issue at the HR department, and we're needed there." I nod in understanding and plaster a smile. "Yeah, it's okay. I'll send the applicant's file to your department if they get in." "Thank you so much, Becca. You're an angel." With that, the two employees left the conference room. I signaled Bethany to let the last applicant in. I was shuffling a few files on the table when the interviewee went inside. "I'm sorry, I'll just fix these for a while. Please take a seat." I said without looking up. I heard shuffling noises. When I was done, I said, "Alright," I interlocked my fingers on the table and looked up, and instantly my eyes widened. That face, it's the face I never thought I'd ever see again. It's the face I could never forget either. And I didn't mean that on a positive note. The person sitting across from me was Blake Hall. The person who made my high school experience hell and dreadful. The person who bullied me to no end. It didn't seem like he recognized me from how he reacted or lack thereof. I wasn't expecting him to. I looked way, way different than I did back in high school. I was probably staring at him long enough because he cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, snapping me back to reality. "So, um, can I see your resume, please?" I cleared my throat. I had to snap out of it before I made a fool of myself. He handed me a white folder. I quickly scanned over the document and was impressed with what I saw. He graduated from Yale with a business degree and had been employed by good companies. This was surprising, considering he made his way through high school by cheating and bullying other people into doing his homework for him. I would know. I did all his homework unwillingly. I could feel him staring at me while I went through his resume. I looked up at him and saw that he was nervous and anxious. "These are pretty impressive, Mr. Hall. I see you're quite a hard worker." This caused him to smile. "Thank you." He seemed different. He was, in fact, humble about his achievements. The Blake Hall I knew in high school would have bragged about it. But I guess he has changed in the last few years. Or maybe he was just putting up an act to get this job. Surprisingly, when I asked him work-related questions, he answered them confidently and clearly knew what he was talking about. As much as I hated to admit it, he did have the potential to work here. Once that was out of the way, I decided to mess with him a little. "I'm sorry, this will sound cliché, but have we met before?" I c****d my head to the side. I saw the corners of his mouth turn up into a smirk. God, he's still so cocky. Clearly, his ego hasn't changed since high school. "Um, no, I don't think so, Ms…?" He looked at me expectantly as if asking for my name. I scoff. "Stark. Ms. Rebecca Stark," I saw his face falter slightly, "I expected better from you, Mr. Hall. I would have expected you to at least know who your employers are. But I'll let that slide for now." He was about to say something, but I cut him off. "-And I'm also sure we've met before." His eyebrows were knit together in confusion. "I don't want to sound rude, but I'm sorry, I don't recognize you." I tore my gaze from him and closed the folder in front of me. "Well, then I suppose you'd recognize the name 'Buck Teeth Becky'?" I looked up just in time to see his jaw drop slightly. Upon seeing recognition cross his face, I smiled at him sweetly. Under his breath, he muttered, "Well, shit." Ah, the sound of sweet, sweet revenge. I raised one eyebrow. "Excuse me?" His face was slowly becoming red from embarrassment, and he shook his head. He was trying to keep his composure together but was failing miserably. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to swear, Ms. Stark. I was just caught off guard." He genuinely looked panicked. "Mr. Hall, I do not tolerate those words in my company. Whether you were caught off guard or not, this place is strictly professional. I take professionalism with high regard. Do I make myself clear?" He held his head high, surprised me, and nodded, "Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again." "Good. Well, the interview is done. We will email you as soon as HR has gone over the rest of the applications. You're free to leave now, Mr. Hall." I said in a professional tone. He stood up and walked towards the door. When he was about to turn the knob, he paused and turned his head in my direction. He looked like he wanted to say something. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" I asked. "I just wanted to say that I hope my previous actions all those years ago and how I reacted earlier doesn't affect my getting this job, Ms. Stark." Both my eyebrows raised at this. I could have sworn I heard the desperation in his voice. "I know potential when I see it, Mr. Hall. As I have stated earlier, I was impressed with what I saw. Part of being a professional is setting aside personal feelings. What happened in the past is not a deciding factor for your employment in my company." "Thank you..." He barely whispered. He left the conference room, and I watched as he headed to the elevators. I sighed and leaned back into my seat when he was out of sight. So this is what it felt like to have that kind of power over someone financially. I was the CEO; of course, I knew already. But I didn't have a messy past with any of my employees. This was an entirely different case. If I was reading into it correctly, I'm sure there was desperation in his voice when he had asked me not to let the past affect whether he got the job or not. I knew getting a job these days was almost impossible, but the way he said it struck me differently. I meant it when I said what happened in the past did not affect his employment decision. His talent was needed in this company, and I wouldn't let it slip away. And it isn't my intention to get back at him. I'm thirty-three, for goodness sake! We were no longer high school kids where we got to do stupid things and get away with immaturity. Seeing Blake reminded me of the past and brought back painful memories, but I've grown to let it go and stay in the past to move forward over the years. Was I really willing to help the man who ruined me mentally back in high school and let him work at my company? Yes, because I would do anything to make my company be the best out there. Was I going to regret it? Hopefully not. It was my turn to say, "Well, shit."