Brrrngggg!

Brrrnggggg!!!

I forcefully pulled open my eyes.

Dang it!

Throwing a little tantrum on the bed, I fell off and had a hard land on the floor.

"Fuck! It's not just your day, is it?" I sighed, staying still on the ground.

I had to go to work again. I just blinked when I laid on the bed last night. How was it the following day already?

Stomping my feet all the way, I trailed into the bathroom.

It wasn't easy denying myself of sleep, trust me. But with what just occured at work, I wouldn't want to take any chances.

I sighed again, staring at the day's office attire that clung unto a hanger.

As usual, it was coporate to the teeth; a sharply ironed white shirt with a fitted black skirt that stopped just above my knees. A pair of flat black shoes laid on the floor, just underneath the clothes.

"I shouldn't have accepted this job," I said for the umpteenth time.

I drew off the white shirt and pulled it on.

It was too late to start complaining. I had better face it head on.

"I mean, what's the worst he could give as a punishment?" I stared at myself in the mirror, wearing some light make-up.

"Be his errand girl for a month? Or maybe be his cleaning maid for a month? Those are easy things!"

"It shouldn't be a big deal, right? I even do those things at home for free. But I'm getting paid to do it here and it's a punishment? Pfft!" I laughed.

I exhaled, letting my laughter off me.

But what if that wasn't the punishment? What if it was way worse than that?

I slapped my cheeks continuously to awaken myself, "Don't jinx it, Claire."

I picked up my red handbag and took one last stare at my outfit in the mirror.

"And if that happens, we'll just say goodbye to Vanish Empire."

I locked the door and walked off.

My journey to Vanish was quick, which was partly because my apartment was situated close to the company, and mostly because of how briskly I carried my legs.

When I looked at my watch and realised that if I kept moving the manner I did, I was only going to make it to work twenty minutes early— which was often when Jeffery Cartier arried at work— I got into a cab.

If felt like the cab driver just wanted to toy with me, taxing the vehicle to its destination like I didn't tell him I wanted to get to work on time.  

I gritted my teeth and glared at him from the front mirror any time our eyes met. He sure would have gotten an earful from me if I wasn't so focused on work and work alone.

We finally arrived at Vanish and I got off the cab.

Walking past the office gates, it felt like I stepped into the den of Satan. The hair on my skin became alert and goosebumbs covered my arms.

We're back here. I sighed.

"Miss. Devon!"

I swiftly turned around, trying to catch who called my name.

A tall, appropriately slender man jogged towards me from a few metres away. His white shirt radiated very bright light even as he was at a far distance.

His hair was in a frenzy and he wore on a dark blue backpack that matched with his shoes.

It amazed me how he ever refused to carry a briefcase like every other male worker did. In his defense, he did so because a briefcase would be too heavy for him and he might just lose it on the subway.

"Oh hey, Mr. Clark! Good morning," I said as soon as he stopped in his tracks beside me, panting.

A short while after gaining himself, he smiled. It was something beautiful that he had revealed just to me in the establishment.

"And good morning to you too."

I smiled at him as we walked towards the office building.

"It's quite a surprise," he chuckled.

"What's that?"

"You're quite early today."

"Oh!" I let out a laugh, "I'm starting to have a change of heart."

We looked at each other and laughed.

Call it a change of heart, call it an 'I don't want my boss to find any fault with me and use it against me again', it's still the same thing. All the same difference.

Clark pushed open the entrance door for me.

"Thank you."

"It's my duty," He smiled.

I stared at him when I noticed he wasn't looking and bit my lip.

It was hard being in this position. He was making it too obvious.

"See you some other time," I forced on a smile as we parted ways.

I'd have to find a way to break it to him one way or the other. I smoothened down my hair.

Walking into the office, I met Mallory already settled down, having a cup of coffee.

She smiled in astonishent, "I can't believe it!"

I rolled my eyes, laughing, "I know, it's a Christmas miracle."

"What touched you?"

I sunk on the chair and sighed, "You know?"

"The punishment?" Mallory completed.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

"He hasn't even given you a punishment but you've already given yourself one."

"But if he sees me working hard to be perfect for him, maybe he'd let go?"

"Claire, I've spent almost half of my thirthy-five years on earth working here and I promise you that Mr. Cartier doesn't 'sees' anything."

"Whatever effort you put, whatever danger you place yourself, whatever good thing you deprive yourself of just for the company, he doesn't see it. And even if he does, he doesn't give a fuck," she raised her eyebrows, then quickly glanced at the time to check if we were already on the clock.

"All he cares about is his business," she continued, "He doesn't give two shits if you're trying to please him, he's still going to do what he says he'll do. You know this, Claire. I'm not supposed to be lecturing you on our CEO again."

I sighed, "Has anyone tried to please him before?"

"Alot of people. A whole lot."

"Well, my own case's going to be different. I can feel it," I said, feeling the inspiration.

"How sure are you that it's going to work out?"

I smiled, "I won't know if I don't try."

.

A middle-aged lady walked into the office and all the way to the front of my desk.

"Good morning, Miss. Devon. Mrs. Cooper," she formally greeted.

"Morning," Mallory and I responded at the same time.

She was also dressed corporately and I knew her quite well. She was directly underneath me in the office hierarchy as she was one of the workers in the department Mallory and I managed.

She held a file to her chest, fumbling her words, "Well, uhm, the ongoing sale with Tarson Wholesalers had been going on well since you handed it to me."

Mallory shut down her computer to listen to the lady, Mrs. Penelope, properly.

"Okay?" I commented.

Was she expecting me to sing her praises or what?

"I had gotten an approval from Mr. Marcus that there was enough in stock to settle all that they demanded for and everything has been going according to plan. It only remained the payment and transport of the goods from our warehouse to theirs."

She stared at the both of us.

"But today, the company just suddenly called in that they are withdrawing the demand."

Mrs. Penelope's golden-brown hair brushed against the file in her arms in the course of speaking to Mallory and I— mostly me, for I was the one who gave her the task.

"Let me have a look at it," I said, folding my arms underneath my breasts.

My gut screamed that something was wrong, there was a fault.

A regular patron could not just have withdrawn abruptly. There must have been a reason.

She placed the file on my table and I released my imprisoned arms, picking up the file. I had only thrown a glance at it before she automatically began to explain herself, intertwining her fingers.

"The thing is, the prices have gone up now and—"

I had found a fault and immediately held my index finger up, "Hold on! Did you get an order from me to include the updated prices in their purchase? Huh?" I creased my forehead.

"No, ma'am."

"And so, why did you?" I glowered at her.

"Uhm, I-I felt I should, so that the company wouldn't be at a loss," the 43-year old woman standing in front of me quivered to her knees.

It was the way of work life.

This woman was eighteen years older than I was, yet forced to address me like I was her senior.

Well, I was her senior— in this establishment.

It was the confusing way of work life.

"What loss? Is it in your say whether the company should over-gain from this group of wholesalers or give the original price?"

"They purchased these products before we had the prices changed and so they are entitled to buy at the previous price," I frowned even harder, "It's simple logic. Even a seven-year old would know that!"

A seven-year old would not know that.

"Haven't you been in this establishment for almost ten years? I thought you said you were QuAlIfIeD aNd CoMpEtEnT? Why did you flop this one, then? An important one for that matter!"

Penelope itched her watery eyes, "I'm so sorry, Miss. Devon."

I rested my elbows on the desk, clenching my two hands together to form one big fist as I ever refused to be fazed by her emotions.

"Now, because of your thoughtless action, we lost that sale. Will you be the one to explain to Mr. Cartier why there is a down-slope of sales this season?"

"I apologise once again, Miss. Devon. I'll try to contact them."

"I don't want trials, Mrs. Penelope. I want a good turn-out of sales from whatever step you're planning to take. Do I make myself clear?"

She nodded her head in the affirmative.

"Leave."

She took the file and walked out of the office with a sloppy expression written all over her face.

I took my pointy elbows off the desk. I was sure I would have punctured a little dent in the least.

"And then, you'd complain of how cruel Mr. Cartier is," Mallory chipped in as she grinned.

"Nah, this is not up to half of how he treats us and you know that."

"You shouldn't have insulted her about not being competent, though. It's not nice. People make mistakes."

"Sure, no doubt. But it gets annoying when they want to use their mistakes to implicate me. I'll even have to go tell Mr. Cartier about this, before he blames it all on me."

"But really, do not insult her again. I'm sure you've made a mistake before and you wouldn't have liked someone downgrading you just because of something you didn't do intentionally."

"I have made mistakes, Mallory. Every one has. But not as huge as this. We should learn to make mistakes reasonably. It may seem cruel but she deserved it. Next time, she'll think twice before making the company lose a loyal customer and almost a million at one go."

"What?" Mallory's eyes almost fell from their sockets.

I rolled my eyes, "Oh, now you say what."

"My days, That's huge!"

"I swear, she better get them to buy the products or bye-bye job," I switched on my computer and played with my mouse, not doing anything in particular.

...
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Almost a million dollars? That would change my life.

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