The next day Indira showed up for work early in the morning. She decided to arrive earlier to make a good impression. She wore a red knee length dress with a black top and a black coat on top. She wore pumps. Her hair was tied in a bun, her beautiful face showing.

“Hey Bonita, it’s nice to see you” she greeted Bonita as she passed by the reception.

“Oh hello Indira, I’m so glad that you are okay. I was worried about you” after what happened yesterday, she was greatly bothered especially when she couldn’t go to the hospital to see her.

“Yeah me too…let me go before the cold man comes yelling for my name” she said and went towards the employee elevator, she couldn’t even risk going to the boss’s elevator, even if it did not require the boss’s card.

Upon arriving on the 12th floor, I met with Tom…who showed me my working space and everything that I needed to know before I could start working. The good thing was that I am a fast learner

“You seem like a nice lady, I hope you’ll not leave like the others” Tom had said to me. I was wondering what he meant by that.

“What do you mean…do you mean that the…?” curiosity got the best out of me. I wanted to know what happened. Did this mean that maybe the boss was harassing employees? My heart raced fast dying to know what happened to others.

“No, not what you think. The boss really gets angry sometimes and some of the employees leave, because when he gets angry he throws things around. And I guess people are afraid of being traumatised.” What a relief I was thinking otherwise. I can endure anything as long as he doesn’t insult me or anything.

“Be patient with him my dear he might be a pain in the neck…” Tom was saying when we heard a clearing of the throat behind us because our backs were facing the door. And when we looked behind, we saw Ares standing there all tall and handsome, nearly making me squirm. This man is perfect, but not for me.

“Is this what you call work? Early in the morning you’re gossiping… you! bring my coffee now” he said looking at me to bring his coffee. He looked at us disdainfully, especially me then went out. The aura that radiated from him was something I had never felt when I was working in that restaurant. I wondered what I had done to him to dislike me so much. Was he a misogynist?

I hope he doesn’t fire me.

I quickly made a coffee and took it to his office. After knocking, I heard a light ‘come in’. I pushed the door open and went in. He was arranging his file and laptop on his table. His office was quite nice. The smell of lavender, roses and wood. I guess it was from the wooden tables that served as his office table and the coffee table on the other side of the office.

“Are you going to stand all day, or are you going to give me my coffee?” I guess I was lost in admiring the office rather than doing what I was asked to do.

“Sorry sir!” I said, giving him his coffee. I looked at his face, waiting to see if he loved the coffee or not. And seeing him, I guess he didn’t like it.

“Ouch!” That hurt like hell.

“You call this a coffee! Why don’t you taste it yourself” how can I taste it when he literally poured it on me? This man is so cruel. Tears welled in my eyes, no one had ever burnt me this much. And the shattered glass pieces I had cleaned.

“Get out and bring me a fresh cup of coffee, not this crap you made! And clean this mess” I don’t think I can survive any longer in this company if this continues. Dragging my feet to the kitchen, I made a new cup of coffee. This time without using the machine, but, my own hands.

“Now this tastes like a fresh cup of coffee. Was it so hard?” he said smiling and sniffing the cup of coffee. Was he bipolar?

Sit down so we could discuss your contract” he switched to a serious mode. The look in his eyes held nothing but danger, deceit and manipulation. I looked at him and waited for him to speak.

“Since you begged me for a job and I gave you. You’ll have to be loyal to me like my employee” he said seriously. And I had no problem in being loyal because he gave me the job when I was at my worst. No one wanted to give an illiterate person a job at this time of a day.

“Yes sir, I promise to be loyal, and do anything you ask of me” I said knowing that I’ll forever be grateful to him. Even though he didn’t want to give it to me at first.

“Are you sure?” he asked me, leaning in his swivelling chair. He had that kind of smirk that held danger.

“Yes sir I’m sure…anything you ask me and I’ll do it” he smiled, broadened and took something from the desk.

“Alright then, take this and sign it” she handed me a red file to sign. He showed me where to sign and I did without asking anything.

“Alright you can go. And take these files and read through them. Tom will assign someone to teach you deeper on how things work here. ``He was smiling so much, just when he was about to have my head a few minutes ago.

I went out of the office with those files in my hands…when I bumped into Tom.

“Hey I’ve been looking for you” he said

“Oh yeah! I was in the boss’s office why?`` Why was he looking for me when we met earlier?

“Someone is assigned to you, to fill you in about how we work here… and what you were doing in the boss’s office?” his eyes narrowed as he looked at me.

“I was going to sign a contract” I said nonchalantly knowing that I just signed my work contract.

“What contract Indira?” he frowned.

“My work contract” why was he asking me so many questions. I was not used to telling people my business except my sister. I guess he and Bonita can make an exception.

“Your work contract? But, your contract is still pending and why would you sign a contract given by the boss? At least tell me you read the contract?``He was confusing me now. I thought all the contracts were signed in the boss’s office. And now realising that I had not read what was written in the file that I was given.

“Indira! What contract did you sign?” Tom snapped his fingers in front of me, jerking me to reality. He was raking his hands in his hair as if frustrated.

“It was just a contract and nothing else. Why are you so frustrated?” he didn’t have to look so messed up.

“Of course it’s everything when you sign it in the boss's cabin. So, what contract did you sign?” Tom couldn’t believe the level of stupidity Indira possessed. So he asked again.

“I don’t know,” I simply said.