Chapter 2: Hired

I woke up to a cold sensation splashing across my face. I looked to see who the culprit was, and it was no surprise to find Scarlet smirking.

"Just lying there, thinking you're a Princess? Hey, ugly, it's more fitting to call you ugly than Beauty. Mommy wants to strangle you because you haven't cooked breakfast yet! Get up already! Cook something! I'm starving!" she yelled at me before leaving the room.

I let out a sigh before getting out of my bed and heading downstairs to cook for them, including myself. While I was cooking, Aunty Linda kept nagging at me, waiting impatiently for the food. Maybe I should put it with poison? Just kidding! Meanwhile, Scarlet was secretly sneering at me while taking selfies, probably planning to upload another photo on Facebook or Instagram. And Sidney was just wearing headphones, engrossed in her cellphone.

I finished cooking and they started eating. Sidney was the first who finished eating and quickly left the dining area, followed by Scarlet, who glared at me before bumping into me and leaving.

"Clean the table and wash the dishes," Aunty Linda said sharply before leaving me alone.

I looked at the leftover food on their plates, not even a single hotdog or egg left for me. Tears came in my eyes, threatening to spill. I don't know why, but it hurts every time I realise that I'm alone in life, even though I have Aunty Linda and my cousins.

I could hear my stomach growling, longing for food. Maybe I'll just buy some biscuits to fill my empty stomach.

I cleaned up the table and washed the dishes before going back to my room. I took a shower before heading to the store to buy some biscuits, then returned home and made myself a cup of coffee.

As I finished eating, I went back to my room and lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts.

In the middle of my thoughts, my phone beeps and I was shocked when I read the text message from Prince's company.

"Is this for real? But how? How did I get hired at the company without even being interviewed?" I questioned myself.

I even slapped myself lightly, hoping to wake up from what seemed like a dream, but it appeared to be true. This was not just a dream. I really did get a job offer at Dhuean Lee's company!

I immediately remembered Prince. Could it be possible that I was hired because of him? It wasn't impossible since he's the owner of the company, but why? Was he suspicious? Did he have doubts? Or maybe he just wanted to find out who I really am?

I didn't know whether I should be grateful for not using my real number because if I had, he would have found out that I applied to his own company.

I let out a sigh, contemplating whether I should accept the job offer or not. This was what I had been hoping for, and I got it effortlessly! It was given to me willingly, even though I knew it was impossible. But why was I hesitating now? It felt like if I continued, Prince would eventually find out who I really am. But what was I afraid of? Was I afraid of him knowing the truth, or was I scared of his reaction when he sees what I really look like?

As the night grew late, Prince called me again. I answered, almost failing to lower my voice due to my thoughts about what to say to him.

"Hello? Um . . . Ms. Beauty?" he asked.

I remained silent for a few seconds before I responded.

"U-uh . . . sorry, why did you call?"

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you and hear your voice."

"Ah, I see."

"Do you . . . have any problems?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"N-no, nothing."

"Okay. How's your day?" he inquired.

"G-good, how about you?"

"It's stressful at the office, but now I'm okay because I'm talking to you."

"Ah, okay."

I heard him chuckle softly.

"By the way, the girl with the same name as yours who applied to my company, I've already hired her, and I don't think she'll hesitate to come to my company and start working," he explained.

"D-did she go through an interview?" I nervously asked.

"Nope, I haven't seen or met her in person yet."

"Why did you hire her right away without interviewing her? Is it because of her name, like mine?" I asked, feeling anxious.

"Part of it, but her resume looked good, and she's qualified for the job in my company."

"You hired her without even seeing her? What if you see her and you get disappointed?" I asked again.

He laughed softly.

"Why would I be disappointed, Ms. Beauty?" he jokingly asked, even though there was nothing funny.

"What if she's not beautiful? What if she fails on her first day at your company?" I continued asking.

"I know she's beautiful like her name, and if she fails on her first day, then it's okay. Nobody's perfect; we need to make mistakes to learn, right?"

I didn't know, but his words felt profound, as if he wanted to convey something. I couldn't control my heart, and it started racing again. It felt like I was having a heart attack every time he spoke.

"Can I ask for a favor?" he asked.

"W-what favor?"

"Can you call me Yhuan? Then . . . I'll call you Beauty, if it's okay with you."

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay. Have you eaten?" he changed the topic.

"Yes, what about you?" I hesitantly asked, knowing that Aunty didn't feed me tonight.

"Just finished. What are you doing now?"

"Just lying in my bed while talking to you."

"Same. Anyways, how was your application at Jol's company?"

"Uh . . . I didn't get accepted," I lied.

"What?! Why?"

"It's a long story."

"I have more time to talk to you."

I took a deep breath before starting my story. There were parts where I told the truth and parts where I made up a story to avoid suspicion. I didn't know whether I should be happy or sad. After all these years, someone finally took an interest in talking to me and showed interest in my life, especially a famous CEO who happens to be the owner of the company. But I felt sad and guilty for lying to him just to keep him from knowing who I really am.