Chapter Three: The First Day
1230 Words
Monday morning came sooner than Sophia expected.
Her alarm rang at exactly six o’clock, but she was already awake.
Today was her first official day at Stone Enterprises.
Sophia sat up in bed, excited and nervous, fighting for space in her chest. She had spent most of Sunday preparing for the day, making sure everything she needed was ready.
She took a quick shower, dressed appropriately for the office, and stood in front of the mirror.
“First day,” she whispered to herself.
She adjusted her clothes and smiled.
“I can do this.”
After eating a light breakfast, Sophia grabbed her bag and left the house.
The streets were unusually quiet that early in the morning. By the time she reached Stone Enterprises, the company building was still mostly empty.
Sophia looked up at the enormous glass building.
“So this is where I work now.”
A nervous smile crossed her face.
She checked the time.
She was early.
Very early.
Sophia took a deep breath and walked inside.
The receptionist greeted her, and after introducing herself as the new employee, Sophia was directed toward her department.
A few employees had already arrived, and Sophia greeted them politely.
At first, she was nervous about talking to anyone. But it didn’t take long before the atmosphere became more comfortable.
One of the women sitting nearby introduced herself as Claire.
“So you’re Sophia, the new project coordinator?”
“Yes.”
“Welcome to Stone Enterprises.”
“Thank you.”
Another colleague joined their conversation, and soon Sophia found herself laughing with them.
They talked about work, their families, relationships, and the struggles of everyday life.
For the first time in a long while, Sophia felt like she was beginning to socialize again.
Then the conversation suddenly shifted.
“You know what I find funny?” one of the women said.
“What?”
“Mr. Anderson.”
Everyone immediately laughed.
Sophia looked confused.
“What about him?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Claire leaned closer and lowered her voice dramatically.
“Mr. Anderson has never been married.”
Sophia blinked.
“So?”
“He’s almost forty!”
The group burst into laughter.
Sophia couldn’t help smiling.
“Maybe he just hasn’t found the right person.”
“Right person?” another colleague repeated. “That man doesn’t even like the word relationship.”
“Or marriage,” Claire added.
“Especially marriage.”
Sophia laughed.
“Why?”
“Because he hates anything that distracts him from work,” one of them explained. “And according to the people who’ve worked here for years, he can’t stand seeing couples around him.”
“That’s strange.”
“Very strange.”
Another colleague shook her head.
“Don’t let his handsome face fool you. That man is bitter.”
“Extremely bitter,” someone added.
“He’s always angry.”
“And if you make one mistake around him, prepare yourself.”
They all laughed again.
Sophia shook her head.
“So basically, everyone is afraid of him?”
“Absolutely.”
Before Sophia could respond, the laughter around them suddenly died.
The office became strangely quiet.
Sophia noticed everyone looking toward the entrance.
She turned around.
A tall man had just walked into the company.
His black suit was perfectly fitted, and his expression was cold enough to make the room feel several degrees colder.
Anderson Stone.
Sophia recognized him immediately.
He walked through the office without greeting anyone.
His eyes swept across the room before stopping.
“Where is the new employee?”
Sophia’s heart skipped.
The receptionist pointed toward her.
“That’s Sophia, sir.”
Anderson’s eyes landed on her.
“Come here.”
Sophia stood immediately.
“Yes, sir.”
She walked toward him, trying to remain calm.
But the moment she reached him, Anderson’s expression hardened.
“You’re the new project coordinator?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you’re already late?”
Sophia’s eyes widened.
“I’m sorry, sir, but I arrived before”
“I didn’t ask for an excuse.”
She fell silent.
Anderson looked at her from head to toe.
“Is this how you intend to present yourself at work?”
Sophia glanced down at her clothes.
“Sir, I”
“Unbelievable.”
He shook his head.
“Do you people come here to work or to waste my time?”
Sophia stood there, stunned.
She hadn’t even been at the company for an hour.
“I’m sorry, sir. If I’ve done something wrong, please let me explain.”
“Explain?”
His voice became sharper.
“You haven’t even started working and you’re already giving me reasons to regret hiring you.”
The entire office had gone silent.
Sophia felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Anderson continued, criticizing almost everything he could find.
He questioned her appearance, her manner, and even the way she had introduced herself.
Sophia tried several times to explain that she had arrived early and was simply getting familiar with the office, but he refused to listen.
“Just do your job,” he finally snapped. “And don’t give me a reason to fire you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Anderson turned and walked away.
Sophia remained standing there for a few seconds.
She could feel everyone’s eyes on her.
Claire quickly approached her.
“Don’t take it personally.”
Sophia forced a smile.
“I’m fine.”
But she wasn’t.
She returned to her desk and quietly began working.
For the rest of the morning, she barely spoke.
Every time she remembered Anderson’s words, her stomach tightened.
Still, she refused to cry.
She had worked too hard for this opportunity.
She wasn’t going to let one rude man chase her away.
By lunchtime, Claire brought her a cup of water.
“You really shouldn’t let him get to you.”
Sophia sighed.
“I just don’t understand why he was so angry. I didn’t even do anything.”
“That’s Anderson.”
Claire shrugged.
“He’s like that with almost everyone.”
Sophia gave a small laugh.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to get used to it.”
“You’ll survive.”
That made Sophia smile.
Eventually, the workday came to an end.
Sophia packed her things and said goodbye to her colleagues.
She stepped outside the building, relieved that her first day was finally over.
At least she had survived.
She began walking home, her mind filled with everything that had happened.
Then something caught her attention.
A familiar face.
The man standing across the street looked familiar.
Very familiar.
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then her heart dropped.
“No…”
She knew that face.
It was the same man Lena had described.
The man who had attacked her.
Sophia’s hands tightened around the strap of her bag.
Her anger returned instantly.
She wanted to confront him.
She wanted to scream.
She wanted to make him understand what he had done to her best friend.
But she stood frozen.
The man looked in her direction.
Their eyes met.
Sophia’s heart pounded.
And for a brief moment, she wondered if he recognized her.
Then he smiled.
A slow, unsettling smile.
Sophia’s blood ran cold.
She suddenly realized that she wasn’t sure whether she should run…
or follow him
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