Bound to the Seduction (Free to read)

Chapter 20: A New Job

Sarah attended her fifth interview this month, and this time, she arrived at the company thirty minutes early. Seeing a long line of applicants waiting their turn to be interviewed, Sarah's heart drummed, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie.

It was finally her turn after hours of waiting. Most interviewers were beginning to look impatient and bored, perhaps because they had spent nearly three hours evaluating forty or so applicants. Seeing Sarah, some of their eyes lit up, but a good number retained their bored expression.

A lady interviewer flipped through her resume one more time and raised her head. She toyed with the pen in her hands as she said, "You graduated from a good university, and your major isn't bad. Why did you choose our company?"

'It's not like I had another choice,' Sarah wanted to say, but she restrained herself and smiled. "I'm impressed by your openness and fair treatment of employees. I'd love to work in such an environment."

"Your previous job was with an international company. Why did you quit?"

I didn't quit. I was fired. Sarah adjusted her sitting position and answered confidently, "Mainly because the company was not suitable for me. Their core values did not align with mine."

A myriad of unrelated questions later, a tired-looking gentleman with drooping eyelids opened his eyes. He scanned through the open document on the table and asked, "It says here that you worked as a dishwasher at a small restaurant. Tell us, why did you take such a lowly job?"

"Lowly, you say?" Sarah clenched her fists under the table and struggled to maintain her calm. "With all due respect, sir, I don't think there is a lowly or a noble job in this world. A job is a job."

Sarah took a deep breath to calm herself down. The way she looked at the panel had changed. From the questions they asked, it seemed they had no respect for other jobs. "As for why I worked there, let's just say I've always been passionate about not starving to death."

"Thank you for your time, Miss Suarez."

***

Sarah walked into the park looking dispirited. The scorching sun added to her misery as small beads of sweat formed on her nose, and her shirt was soaked at the armpits. She sat on the bench beside the huge tree under the cool shade. Sarah felt her skin breathe. She opened her water bottle, gulped the water, and took a deep breath later. What a refreshing feeling.

Ten minutes later, Emily arrived and sat beside Sarah. She had a mustard yellow sundress, heels, shades, and a wide-brimmed hat to prevent the sun from burning her skin.

"Girl, why are you cruel to yourself? You better have good news, otherwise this is not worth it," Emily said, taking off her heels and massaging her ankles.

"Why are you wearing heels at a place like this?" Sarah asked, looking at Emily like a strange creature.

"Girl, don't you know that heels are a must-have for every woman out there? It enhances my feminine charm. Do you want me to walk without my charm?" Emily responded with animated moves.

"I thought comfort should always be the priority," Sarah said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"What do you know?" Emily started, "Let me tell you..."

Sarah raised her hands, "Okay, okay, empress. You can wear whatever you like. I apologize." She knew Emily was about to give a full one-hour lecture about fashion, but she wasn't ready for that now.

"Since you know what is good for you, I'll let it go," Emily said, acting sassy. "So, tell me, how did the interview go?"

"Like the rest. I didn't get the job."

Emily's smile stiffened. "I'm sorry about that." She racked her brains on what to do. "Her girl, don't be discouraged. You will find one soon. Yeah, right, who wants to be a mere assistant? There are tons of companies out there. There is one just right for you."

Sarah almost laughed at her antiques, but she controlled herself. Emily was too deep in thought and did not realize anything amiss.

A light bulb went off in her head, and she suddenly clasped Sarah's hand. "How about I talk to my dad? He knows a lot of companies..."

"Emily, stop now." Sarah laughed, poking Emily's forehead. "What goes on in this head of yours? At least wait for me to finish my sentence."

Emily arched her brows.

"Remember my friend, Robert?"

"Yes, I remember him. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"He called me and asked me if I could help him find a cleaner for Henry." Sarah sat upright and stayed silent for a while. "I took the job."

"What?" Emily exclaimed and leaped.

"I know," Sarah said in a barely audible voice. "That was stupid, but it pays well. And I need the money," she defended.

"That is not stupid at all," Emily said excitedly. "Girl, you have a chance to get close to Henry every day." Emily's eyes were so bright that one could see tiny stars.

"Emily, I'm just a maid. Nothing more."

"Do you know how many people would die for a chance to take a picture with him?" Emily scooted closer and tapped Sarah's shoulder. "You, on the other hand, have the chance to get to the charming prince's house whenever you want."

"Yeah, but I'm still his maid. Have you ever heard of him going out with his maids?" Sarah said as she rested her head on Emily's shoulder.

Emily thought for a while, then shook her head. "No. All his past dates were either top models or rich heiresses." She ran her fingers through Sarah's hair in a comforting manner and sighed. "There is no hope for you."

Sarah suddenly sat up. "Enough about my problems for now," she said, turning to Emily. "How's your family?"

Emily's expression changed, and all her earlier childishness disappeared. She was silent for a long time, her eyes fixed on her manicured nails. Finally, she said in a soft voice, "My dad still refuses to see me, and my mom is blaming me for her failing marriage. My brother is mad at me for abandoning the family."

"Yep, that's messed up. You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Sarah, I'm not very proud of my identity. I don't want to lose you, too."

"Emily, what are you talking about? We've been friends since our freshman year, and we've been through so much together. Nothing you say will make me judge you."

Emily kept her eyes on her manicured nails. "Haven't you always wondered why I know so much?"

Sarah hummed a response, sipping a mouthful of water.

"That's because I'm a highly trained mercenary—"

"What?" Sarah choked on her water. "That must be a joke." Sarah laughed, poking Emily's bicep. "Can you even fight with these tiny muscles?"

Emily suddenly wrapped her arms around Sarah's neck in a chokehold. "What do you think?"

"Okay, okay." Sarrah tapped Emily's thigh, barely breathing. "You can fight, okay?"

"I thought so, too," Emily said, loosening her grip. "I don't like it when people doubt my abilities."

"Geez! That was... intense," Sarah said, clutching her throat. She held Emily's hands, prying her fingers away from her neck. "How come you can't cook to save your life?"

"That's why I have you." Emily joked, flicking Sarah's forehead. "Anyway, as I was saying, I'm highly trained in acquiring confidential information. I can get dirt on anyone, and my father wanted to use that to his advantage. My code name is Black Widow." A proud smile appeared on her face before declaring, "I'm the one who named Henry, The Smiling Devil."

"Interesting name. So, does that mean you and Henry know each other?"

"If stalking him for a week counts as knowing each other, then yes." Emily leaned back on the bench and stared into space. "All I've ever known is training; some nearly cost my life. I never had a normal childhood, and my greatest dream was to be a normal girl. I loved girly things growing up, but my family, being a respectable mafia group, never allowed any of my femininity to blossom. My dad once had me set ablaze a brand new dress my aunt got me for Christmas. Despite that, I loved fashion, which irked my father so much. He made sure to squish that dream every chance he got."

"There comes the depressing stuff." Sarah mirrored Emily's posture. "Maybe after this, we can compete on who has the most depressing past."

Emily smiled at sarah's attempt to lighten the mood. "As years passed, I got better at my job, and my dad grew stricter with me. He was grooming me to be his successor, but that is not what I wanted. I just wanted to be a regular person. Because of that, I resented him." Emily sniffled, and her voice cracked. "At last, I couldn't take it anymore. I secretly applied for a fashion and design course at the University, and once I received the acceptance letter, I packed my things and called it quits. My dad was PISSED. To get back at me, he froze all my accounts. That's why I was dead broke when we met."

"Okay, that explains A LOT," Sarah said, clasping Emily's hand. "Emily, I want you to know that you can always count on me. You are the best friend I've ever had."

She turned to Sarah, smiling through her tears. "I've always envied your family. It's simple, genuine, and full of love. You care for each other despite your difficulties, while mine fight every chance they get."

"It's okay." Sarah pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't worry about that too much. You are already part of my family."

They stayed in the embrace until Emily calmed down.

"I'm okay now," Emily said, picking up her purse. "Let's go for lunch and celebrate your new job. My treat."

"I can't say no to free food," Sarah laughed as she got up from the bench.