The Billionaire’s Assistant

Maya Rose Richards, That was my name. My identity. The only thing in the world I could call mine. It was written on the birth certificate that had been placed on me when I was found at the doorstep of an orphanage. Along with a letter and a locket with the initials A.R. That was all there was to my life before the orphanage, my life before I turned eight months old. The director had never really understood why I had been abandoned at the orphanage since my parents kept me until I was eight months. I had read the letter too and all it mentioned was a plea for the orphanage director to take me in and nothing else, although it had also been signed with the same initials on the locket – A.R. I always tried not to think about it, the fact that I had been abandoned. My goal was to move forward, to build my life and my self esteem and to heal from all the trauma I had suffered over the years. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to forget the painful memories and get ready. I had an interview to attend, a job which if I got would be the turning point of my life. I was 23yrs old and had suffered to get where I was currently, which was basically dead broke, a month behind on rent and potentially late for my first proper interview. I pulled out the only proper formal outfit I had, a navy blue dress that hugged my body and stopped at my knees. Creaming my body hurriedly, I pulled on my underwear then proceeded to wear the dress. It was slightly loose since I had lost weight this past months but still looked good. I considered myself very lucky to have found it, seeing as I had thrifted it two years ago. I quickly wore my black pumps, also thrifted before running a brush through my hair. Grabbing a protein bar which was one of the few things left in my run down fridge, I left my house, locking the door behind me. A studio apartment on the bad side of town was the only thing I was able to afford currently and I was now on the brink of not being able to afford it too. Rushing down the stairs, since the elevator didn’t work, I stuffed my keys and the protein bar into my bag, planning to eat it on the bus. My apartment building was 5 mins away from the bus stop and I allowed myself to think of how my life was kind of crashing down on the walk. After leaving foster care at 18, I proceeded to enroll part time at the community college for my business degree while working my ass of to save money. Coming out with excellent grades was what managed to land me an interview at Crawford Enterprises, one of the top companies in the states. Now at 23, I was thankfully surviving without the burden of student loans but my bank account was reading red. I needed to get this job and I was going to make sure I got it. No room for mistakes. Unknowingly, I had already arrived at the bus stop and the bus was pulling to a stop right in front of me. I got on, thanking my luck that the seat behind the driver was empty. Hurrying, I sat down, and started going through possible interview questions in my head. The sound of my stomach rumbling due to hunger was what pulled me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath, pulling the protein bar out of my bag and peeling the wrapper off. I munched on it as I thought of my next course of action if I got the job. Working for someone I didn’t know was quite scary, after all even with all the research I had made on the company, the fact that the person who needed the assistant wasn’t revealed kinda threw me off balance. Of course, with the benefits the company was offering, I had no intention of backing down. After about 20 mins, the bus came to a stop at the stop closest to the company. Hurrying out, I started the 10 mins walk from the bus stop to Crawford Enterprises. My interview was scheduled to be by 9:30 and standing in front of Crawford Enterprises, I applauded myself inwardly for making it on time. The time was currently 9:00 and calculating the time I needed to get cleared at the security check, I would most likely be seated at 9:15, giving me 15 mins to prepare for the interview. Walking into the building, a blast of cool air washed over me, offsetting the heat caused by the summer air. Spotting the security station located at the middle of the lobby, I walk over, grabbing the attention of the guards stationed there. One of them came forward, watching me with an assessing gaze. I cleared my throat, clutching my bag tighter. “Hello”, I greeted the security guard. “Good morning ma’am. Please state what business you came for?” “Uh… I came here for an interview with HR.” “Ok then, you just need to go through the security check. The guard checked me before letting me pass through the gate, directing me to the receptionist. “Hello”, I greeted her. She gave me a perfect smile, all pearly white teeth and perfect looks. I couldn’t help the admiration filling my heart. “Good morning ma’am. How may I help you today?” “Good morning, I have an interview by 9:30 today with HR. For the position of assistant”. “Ok. Please what’s your name?” She asked, looking through her computer. “Maya Rose Richards”. I decided that I liked her. She was polite and didn’t look down on me in my obviously cheap dress. If the office romance movies I watched had taught me anything, it was that beautiful receptionists with pearly with teeth and designer clothes had the tendency to look down on others most especially girls like me; no sense of fashion and wearing cheap clothes. She focused on the screen some more before turning to me with that perfect smile. “ Alright Miss Richards. HR is on the second floor and your interview room should be in wing A, room B3. The numbers are on the doors. When you get to the second floor, take a right after stepping out of the elevator. Just ask for Mrs. Sawyer and your good”. “Thank you very much”, I smiled, thanking her. “You’re welcome”, she said, waving me towards the elevator and turning back to her computer. I steeled my heart, pulling my big girl panties tighter and marched towards the elevator. This interview must go well. Entering the elevator, I pressed on the button for the second floor as more people entered, filling the space. I rested my back against the elevator walls and shut my eyes. My entire life depended on this, there was no chance for failure. With that thought, I opened my eyes and stared directly at the doors, waiting for it to open and lead me to my dream.