Chapter 17 Bryce's Anger
"Is your work too little for you?" Bryce threw the question at Angela, who instantly became confused.
"I don't understand?" Angela replied, confused.
"You are my secretary, you work on the things I ask you to work on. If you want to impress me, do it when working on the things I have assigned to you. Read your contract and don't go outside your responsibilities," Bryce said.
"I don't understand. I didn't do anything wrong?" Angela defended.
"Angela, I am not asking for your explanation. I only told you what I hate. Now, if you wish to last in this company, you will listen. Now leave," Bryce said, and Angela felt pained.
She frowned and almost stormed out of the office. Bryce could tell she was deeply hurt, but he ignored her.
"Mr President, this is not right. I thought you were going to make her face the committee, but you let her go with a warning? How will this deter others from doing the same thing? If she signs an undertaking, she would see this is a serious company that does not condone certain behaviours," Susan expressed.
"She is still new. That would be too harsh a punishment. Let's just monitor her for now," Bryce said and dismissed Susan and Eva from her office.
Susan carried with her the files that Angela had worked on. She returned to her office with Eva.
"No, this girl needs to face the committee," Susan said, standing next to her desk.
"Yes, I agree with you. She dared to talk back at me this morning," Eva added her voice.
"What I don't understand is Bryce's behaviour towards her. Sometime back, Bryce would have terminated her appointment without a second thought. Why is he keeping this one?" Susan expressed.
"Yes, I was surprised too. The other secretary was terminated for the same reason, so why did he let this one off with a warning? Eva asked.
"Whatever it is we just need to make her look bad in the eyes of the president and she would be out of this company, away from our men," Susan said. "I have a plan," she added, leaned in and whispered something into Eva's eyes.
"That would work," Eva said after listening.
"Yes, Bryce would be so mad at her that she would face the disciplinary committee for real," Susan added. "I need a favour. Help me find out more about her," she added.
"I got your back, girl. Let's know what we are dealing with," Eva said.
Later that day, Angela was in her office working when the phone on her desk began to ring. She answered, and it was Susan.
"Come to my office now. There are some documents you need to sign," Susan said and ended the call without waiting for Angela's reply.
Angela stood up from behind her desk and exited her office. She met Eva in the hallway but she walked ahead of Eva towards the elevator. Angela pressed for the elevator and waited. Eva joined her in the waiting, standing just a distance away from her, holding something in a cup.
The elevator door opened, and the two ladies stepped inside. Angela pressed for the sixth floor and they both stood there in silence. As soon as the elevator door closed, Eva took a step backwards, so Angela shifted to her left side, making space for Eva, seeing she was moving backwards on Angela's right side, but Eva launched herself forward as soon as Angela moved and threw the content of her cup onto the camera. Angela moved to rescue Eva, thinking she was about to fall, but Eva grabbed her and started beating her up. Angela defended herself by fighting back. Eva was on top of Angela, delivering multiple slaps to her face, but as soon as she heard the elevator bell she stopped fighting giving Angela the upper hand.
The elevator door opened, and Bryce's voice travelled to Angela's ears.
"Angela!" Bryce yelled, standing in front of the elevator with Susan standing beside him.
Angela raised her head and met the angry gaze of Bryce while sitting on top of Eva, who had her hands protectively covering her face.
Angela stood up from Eva feeling very ashamed. Bryce glared at her, and Susan stood next to him with a smile playing on her lips.
Angela could read the anger in Bryce's eyes when he stared at her. She felt so embarrassed getting into a fight on her third day. Susan helped Eva up, and she exited the elevator while Bryce entered the elevator. Bryce pressed for the eighth floor, and the elevator door closed. Angela stood to the back in the back corner with her head lowered in embarrassment while Bryce stood in front, annoyed.
The elevator door opened on the eighth floor, and Bryce stepped out. Angela remained in the elevator with her head lowered.
"Follow me," Bryce commanded, and Angela stepped out of the elevator.
Inside Bryce's office, Angela stood hugging herself. Her clothes were in a mess and her hair looked messy.
"Picking a fight on your third day?" Bryce yelled at her. "You are a Moore and you should behave as such. Is this the way you intend to earn a role as a wife?" he yelled.
"I didn't do anything. She started it. They have been picking on me since the day I stepped foot in his company. First, they spilt cold coffee on me on my first day, while waiting for a bus at the bus stop, and Ms Susan tasked me to work on some files yesterday even though it was past my closing time just because she saw me dining with you. Today, I don't know what I did or what they came to tell you, but Ms Eva had already come to warn me to stay away from Mr Bernard, meanwhile, I have nothing to do with Mr Bernard. And now, Eva attacked me. I only defended myself. How did I become the bad person," Angela poured out her heart and broke down in tears.
"Are you finished?" Bryce asked coldly not moved by her confession and subsequent tears.
Angela raised her head to meet his cold gaze.
"If you are done, pick your card and go clean yourself up. You have twenty minutes. Come to the meeting room when you are done," Bryce said and sent Angela out of his office.
Angela felt broken and ashamed. She was on a three-month probation, and this happened on her third day. She walked into her office, picked up her company-assigned credit card from her bag and went out of the building to a clothing shop across the street. She picked up a grey office suit and dressed up before leaving the shop. The shop attendant looked at her and shook her head. Eva left the shop a while ago, and now this new employee. She already knew someone was going to get dismissed from the company,
Angela returned to the office within the time given to her by Bryce, and the meeting went on successfully. Angela did her part of the presentation, but her usual smiles and energy were missing. After the meeting, Bryce invited her to his office again.
"I am sorry," Angela apologised with her head lowered once inside Bryce's office, and Bryce could feel the brokenness and regret in her voice.
"Tomorrow, you will face the disciplinary committee. You will have the chance to voice out whatever you think happened," Bryce growled, and Angela could feel he was very mad at her.
"Let this be a lesson to you. Whatever they decide after sitting on your case will be your fate," Bryce said and dismissed Angela with a hand gesture.
Angela exited Bryce's office and ran into Susan in the hallway. Susan looked at her with a smirk before walking past her and entering Bryce's office without knocking and with her laptop in hand. Angela returned to her office and sat behind her desk.
"How can I be this stupid?" Angela said to herself. "They set a trap for me, and I was so stupid to fall into it," she thought.
There was work to be done, and she didn't have time to cry over what had happened. She forced herself to concentrate on her task for the rest of the day. The time quickly passed, and Angela closed for the day. She walked to the bus stop, waiting for the bus. While standing at the bus stop, she saw Bernard's car drive past. He didn't stop this time. Angela stared at the car until it vanished. The bus honked, drawing Angela's attention to it. She boarded the bus and headed home.
Inside her room, she called her mum, Mrs Anderson and broke down immediately.
"Sweetheart, what happened?" Mrs Anderson asked with concern.
"I messed up," Angela said sobbing. "I got a great opportunity and allowed my anger to get the better of me. Now I am going to lose it," Angela cried.