CHAPTER 1 - No One Can Escape Fate
1051 Words
Mallory took a deep breath before entering the company in front of her. She noticed the stern-looking guard eyeing her suspiciously at the entrance. She couldn’t help but feel self-conscious about her attire. She wasn’t comfortable in a skirt, so she only wore a formal blouse paired with jeans.
“Good morning, ma’am,” she greeted the woman at the counter.
She smiled to make it easier for her to breathe. She observed how those who came out were treated rudely by the intimidating woman behind the counter.
“Good morning. How may I assist you?”
She maintained her smile. “I would like to apply for the position of secretary. Could you tell me where I can submit my resume?”
It was a good thing she was accompanied by a nice front desk receptionist. She didn’t want to get into any trouble with her application.
“Of course, ma’am,” the receptionist replied cordially. “You can hand it to me, and I will personally deliver it to the CEO’s office. Rest assured, he will be the one making the decision.”
A slight frown creased Mallory’s forehead. “Will there be no interview?”
It was weird because, shouldn’t there be at least an evaluation or an interview process before employees were selected?
“No, as long as you fit the CEO’s preferences, you have a chance to be hired,” the woman replied, explaining the company’s policy.
That’s when she winced. She had been preparing for potential interview questions and practicing her answers for weeks, only to find out that it might all be for nothing. If her personal information was used as the basis for the qualification, she was out. She had no prior experience and was a failure. She had no chance of passing at all.
She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of company would place more importance on catering to the CEO’s tastes, rather than hiring based on a candidate’s competence.
“O-Oh, is that so?”
The woman flashed a smile as she reached for Mallory’s folder. She pulled it towards her, scanning the contents.
“Got it, ma’am,” she said. “Wishing you the best of luck! I hope you get the job.”
Mallory forced a smile in response, knowing deep down that it was all for naught. The job was as good as gone. No, getting the job was like waiting for those crows to turn white. She was like a player in a game who continued to play, even though she knew she had no chance of winning.
As she exited the company, she came to a halt, scratching her head in frustration. She realized she had no money to buy lunch today. It was inconvenient to bother Tiffany, especially since she knew she had already borrowed money from her too many times before.
Because her mind was wandering at nowhere, she was completely unaware of a vehicle approaching her.
“Oh, God!” she screamed when the car horn jolted her out of her reverie.
Her eyes widened in terror as she realized it was speeding towards her. She was stuck in her stance and could not move. It was as if the car was slowing around her and she was just waiting for it to hit her.
But, before anything could happen, the car sputtered and stalled, coming to a stop just inches away from her. Her entire body trembled at what had happened. A few people were gawking at her and murmuring because of the terrifying incident, her first near-death experience.
She gasped for air, panting before glaring at the car that had almost hit her and the driver inside.
“Hey, you! Are you crazy?!” Mallory yelled like a gangster on the streets.
She kicked the car’s tire in frustration, which caused her to wince as she felt the stinging pain.
“Get out of there! I’m going to charge you with attempted murder!” she threatened.
She backed away as the sports car door opened. She first saw the shiny black shoes, which were obviously expensive because of the polish. Her face was ashamed of its luster.
“What if you killed me–” she started to say, before trailing off when she caught a glimpse of his face. Her lips parted open, as if she was mesmerized by a celebrity.
In all her life, he was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen. Because his eyes were on her, she swallowed the lump in her throat. He was frowning, and for her, he was intimidating. His blue eyes were filled with annoyance, but also with concern?
“Are you insane, miss? Why weren’t you looking at where you were going?” he snapped.
Her lips hung open again in shock, then twisted into a scowl as her anger returned.
Antipathetic!
“Me? Insane?! You nearly killed me!” she shouted.
He rubbed his nose. “What are you doing, and why are you crossing the road as if you’re daydreaming?”
Mallory winced at the accusatory tone of his voice. She knew it was partly her fault, but she refused to accept the blame. She was the victim here, the one who had almost been hit by the man’s car.
She bit her bottom lip nervously, not realizing that the young man’s eyes were following the movement of her lips. He swallowed hard, then averted his eyes and cleared his throat.
He slid his hands into his pocket. “Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?” he offered.
She shook her head immediately. It would only be expensive, and she couldn’t afford to pay if he charged her a fortune! She still didn’t have any money and she looked fine, except for the flush of embarrassment on her face and the trembling of her thigh from the near miss with death.
“No, I’m fine.”
The young man squinted. He also didn’t pay attention to the passersby who were staring at them because they knew who he was.
“Are you sure?”
Mallory nodded, eager to escape the awkward encounter. “Goodbye,” she muttered before scurrying away.
She hoped she would never have to cross paths with him again.
- Writer
