JUST DAY ONE
1020 Words
She stood up with the files in her hand. She had accidentally touched a piece of the broken vase, and it had gone quite deep into one of her fingers. Little drops of blood threatened to spill out. She balled her left hand into a fist and stared hard at him with all the hatred she could muster.
But he wasn't even looking in her direction.
"You'll pay for the vase with your first salary."
Just on her first day of work.
"Those files—there are about two hundred of them, and I want you to arrange each of them in alphabetical order. Make sure..." He paused and glanced at his wristwatch. "You submit them by 12 p.m."
She blinked in surprise. She thought he had just said he was firing her.
"You are on probation," he said, as if reading her thoughts. "Didn't Eleanora tell you I hate clumsy and disorganized people?"
Despite everything he was saying, he didn't look up at her face. His eyes were still fixed on his phone as he stretched his long legs beneath the table.
"Those suits you're wearing are so unforgiving. You look heinous," he continued. "I don't want you coming to my company tomorrow looking like a wet ostrich. You are the sixth secretary in just one month."
Then he inhaled and glanced at his wristwatch again, not bothering to notice that she had been standing there, trying to bear the pain from the shard of glass lodged in her finger.
She was shocked by this new piece of information.
Sixth secretary in just one month?
What kind of prayer was she supposed to say? A prayer to be retained or a prayer to get fired? Because as it seemed, even the devil would be spying on her now, feeling pity for her.
Did he realize this was her first day at work?
Anyway, there were still lots of shocks, surprises, and insults waiting for her in the near future. She had to brace herself for the unknown.
She turned to leave when he broke into her thoughts.
"Work resumes at 7:00 a.m. Latest, 7:05. If I arrive before you, you might not find it funny."
And did that include bringing her things over to live in her office?
She screamed internally.
"You ought to be happy," he intoned. "There are so many people dying for your position."
"Yes, indeed," she replied with a forced smile. "I will do my best—"
"So what am I going to do with your best? Sell it on eBay?"
She was still recovering from his previous shock when he sent another one her way.
She was just close to the door when he gave her another task.
"There are twenty emails you have to read and thirty-two more you have to respond to."
He listed the tasks one after another, leaving her breathless and her eyes widening in disbelief.
"The last secretary did a very bad job, so you'll have to continue from where she stopped." He yawned and stretched a little. "Try not to be stupid, please. Also..."
He continued as she turned to leave.
"You need to type some files too. Set my schedule for the next two months. Make sure each article you type is about 2,500 words."
She could already feel her face growing wet with unimaginable tears.
It was only her first day at work, yet the workload of fifty people was being handed to her.
If only there were a portal she could step into and disappear, or if she possessed magical powers, she would have dealt with him already.
Anyway, what was she expecting?
Bullies never changed. They only got worse.
She reminded herself to quit after this month.
She held the doorknob and twisted it to leave when his voice came again.
"Due to the fact that I've lost five secretaries because of their foolishness, I want you to be the last secretary to work with me."
She spun around, her eyes filled with curiosity about what he was about to say.
She took off her glasses and wiped them clean, her hands trembling.
This time, he was staring directly at her with his icy blue eyes, his gaze intense and unwavering.
"This is a long-term project," he said matter-of-factly.
She stood there waiting for him to continue.
His eyes remained fixed on her before he stood up and walked toward the window.
"You can also assist the cashier. Just be a helping hand."
She knew this wasn't part of the job description and that he was doing it to spite her.
She already knew his plan. He was waiting for her to protest, to say something, so he could throw her out just like he had done to the other secretaries.
"Did you just say no?" he suddenly asked.
"I said nothing," she croaked, her voice laced with tears.
She wanted to cry.
She reminded herself to arrive very early the next day to avoid whatever trap he might be setting for her.
She knew why he was doing all this.
He was probably already tired of her after just one meeting.
And this actually meant he hadn't recognized her.
She was safe, at least for the time being, until he realized that his secretary was the very girl he had bullied in high school.
How happy he would be.
"I'd like you to get me a cup of coffee. Black, with a little sugar and nothing else."
He said it casually, leaving her eager to hear what he had wanted to say earlier.
He picked up his phone from the table.
"I was saying..."
He paused as he scrolled through his phone, and a smile crept across his handsome face.
She knew he was doing this to test her patience.
"This will be a long-term project, and that means whatever happens, you are not backing out."
"What?" she blurted out, clapping a hand over her mouth.
He eyed her for a moment.
"You are only free to resign after working for two years."
Then he looked up at her.
"Any questions?”
- Writer
