Chapter 2
“I don’t like you. Leave.”
“Why?” I raised an eyebrow at him and crossed my two arms.
“Why should I answer that? You’re just a mere applicant. You don’t have the right to ask about my decision,” he said coldly, as if he didn’t care about my reaction.
“I just need to know! You didn’t even look at me, you didn’t even read the resume I brought!” I insist.
He did not answer and continued what he was doing. I walked over to his table and banged it hard to catch his attention. It was a success and kept babbling.
“That’s the issue with you wealthy people! You undervalue people simply because you have money!” I fired at him.
I saw Cherry close her eyes tightly. If before, she cared how to stop me, now she doesn’t know how to look at this man. Who is this arrogant man, anyway?!
“I didn’t underestimate anyone. As an employer, I can observe who I hire. And do you think I should hire you based on your behavior?” He stated it without emotion. Because of the sarcastic tone in his speech, I closed my mouth. It sends shivers up my spine.
My eyes opened as I looked at the photographs on the brown wall. Former CEOs’ faces and identities are still visible.
“Whitlock,” I breathed into the air. I looked at the man’s table nameplate when I comprehended what I had uttered. I started noticing the enticing surname Whitlock there.
I’m speaking with the company’s president! I’m extremely lucky that he’s not the CEO! Out of humiliation, I only want to swallow by the ground. What on earth am I thinking? That this person is of my caliber? In irritation, I want to stamp my two feet.
The woman came in the middle of our talk and with the President’s chilly treatment of me. She’s lovely and appears to be just older than me, but looks young. She was dressed in suede sandals, heels, and a chiffon floral light pink dress that complemented her long black hair and white skin. I take a step back so I don’t interrupt them.
“Hugo, baby. Your daddy and I arrange a blind date for you. She is from a well-known family. We’ve been telling you for a long time that you need to start a family so that we can give you the business permanently and you can become a full-fledged CEO. We don’t care if she’s successful or not. We want you to settle down quietly so you can focus on everything while you have a wife who takes care of you,” the woman explained. It didn’t surprise me it was his mother because the Hugo he referred to was rather attractive.
“Please, Mom. I don’t want to discuss it. If Dad wants to give me the company, that would be great,” Hugo remarked, stroking his head as if it ached from what his mother said.
As I moved away, I didn’t notice the flower vase behind me, and the result was that I inadvertently hit and smashed it with my foot. Hugo’s angry stare drew even more of their attention to me. Her mother’s face lighted up.
“Is this why you don’t want to show up on the blind dates I set up for you?” She hugged me and said it with a big smile on her face.
What is going on? No! No! No! It is not what you assume. Don’t tell me I’m this arrogant man’s girlfriend, she thought.
“No, no, ma’am, this is not what y—” I didn’t complete what I was about to say because she rushed up to Hugo and recited.
“Take her home later! I’ll call guests and make a lot of preparations!” she exclaimed as she dashed out the door.
I first looked at Cherry, who was suppressing her laugh, as Hugo’s mother came out. Then next to Hugo, who was staring at me intently. I instantly hid behind Cherry, afraid of what he could do to me.
“Cherry, this is your final assignment for the week, and I will accept your resignation letter. Today is the day to take her to the salon. I shouldn’t see even the tiniest speck of dirt on her finger,” he said to Cherry.
I looked down at my clean nails and thought to myself, ‘My nails aren’t dirty.’
He looked at me coldly and said, “Teach her also what to do as my secretary.”
“Sir, yes Sir!” Cherry saluted as if she were a soldier. She was ecstatic since she could go right now.
Hugo walked out, Cherry and I followed, and we ended ourselves in another room. Before he recited, Hugo handed Cherry a card and look at me.
“When you return, come here to sign the printed contract. I’ll also look to see whether you’re pleasant to watch,” he replied flatly.
“Wait! Why are you deciding for me? “I simply applied as a secretary, not as your girlfriend,” I complained.
He waves for Cherry to leave first, and the woman casually follows.
Hugo gave me a sharp glare once again. “I’ll give you the money you haven’t touched yet. On paper, we’ll just be a couple. We will be together in 100 days and will apply for annulment in the next 101 days. I’ll write what I don’t want you to do when we’re all here under one roof.”
“I’ll wait for you till this afternoon. If you agree, that is up to you. Then I’ll tell you how much you can get,” he said in his last words.
He was the first to come out, and I was the second. “Let’s go?” I said to Cherry, who was waiting for me outside the door. She extended an invitation.
I’ll find out what I can get and how much he will pay me. For the time being, I will accept his request and sign if I like the offer.
I became uncomfortable in the car when I thought that if I accepted the request, I would have to deal with a variety of individuals of high social standing. We’re off to the mall now. Cherry told me I needed to get an evening gown for the event I’ll be attending later with Hugo. When we arrived at the outfit store, a short-haired woman approached us. She dressed in a wrapped gown that hung over her shoulder. I assumed she was the proprietor of the store because I didn’t see anybody else.
She peered behind us as if expecting someone to appear. I noticed her grumpy face as she returned her attention.
“The President is not present. However, he wants you to show her and put on the most gorgeous clothes you have,” Cherry said.
The woman cocked her brow and studied me over from head to toe. When her eyes returned to mine, I raised an eyebrow at her. She tempted me to ask who she was, but I held back. It’s clear what this woman is thinking, and it’s also clear that she is expecting Hugo.
“Who is this lady?” She shook his neck and asked Cherry. She also gave me a nasty look. This woman is making provoking me! I didn’t bother waiting for Cherry to respond.
“Why? I’m Hugo’s fiancée. I thought you were only a fashion designer? What is it you wish to know? He said nothing about you being a pollster.” I turned her off.
It seems to work on her. I noticed her stiffening and turning red. She turned around and walked to the white door. “Follow me. I’ll measure you to see what outfit I can offer you,” she muttered.
I want to burst into laughter because I feel like I’ve won a war. She asked me to try on the Evening Paragraph Party Mini Dress after she measured my physique. It has a light hue that is a mix of blue, pink, and white glitters. Cherry gave over the card that Hugo had given her earlier, and the woman swiped it.
We returned to the building at precisely noon. Hugo was not at his table when we arrived, since he was attending a board meeting. I sat on the sofa in his office and waited. Cherry left to join.
Because of the coldness of the room, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, I had a coat wrapped over me. I shifted my position and noticed Hugo looking out the glass window while he’s on the phone. I observed the attractiveness of his body. Since he was going to the gym, his ass was round. Because of the notion, I hastily covered my face. Hugo looked at me before hanging up the phone.
“You’re awake,” he moved over to the table, got a ballpen, and walked towards me, laying down the sheets.
“Before you sign, read what it says there. As my secretary, I will pay you regularly. When we live under the same roof, everything will be free. You are free to take my black card wherever you wish. When I am eventually appointed CEO, I will give you 10% of what I am paid. You can collect the money the day we file the annulment papers,” he stated to me, his voice devoid of any hints.
I placed the documents on the table in front of me, signed the contract, and handed it back to him. “Just make certain that you will meet all the conditions defined here. Because not just your family will know if you don’t do what you said,” I threatened him.
“Do not exaggerate your capacities. I’ll provide you a copy of the information. You must study them. I don’t like it when there’s an inconvenience between us.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Whitlock; I don’t enjoy meddling in other people’s lives. I don’t mind if you bring 10 more women into your room.”