The new faces

Aurora POV:

I must admit, It was great to be back at work. It was an underrated bliss to work at a job, you find so much peace of mind with. The atmosphere around the work today was a bit strange, not ill strange just strange. Probably because of the new faces I kept seeing or the series of new activities. How could I have missed so much in two days?

I was staring at my computer as I went through my daily routines. I took a glance at the clothes arranged on top of each other on the desk beside the computer and the box of pieces of jewelry right on top of it. It was every single one of the clothes Mr. Jordan had bought for me, including the ones I had worn from the hospital. It was never a debate nor did it for once cross my mind if I should keep it.

I did love them, they looked beautiful and befitting but they weren't mine to keep.

I cease to exist the day I ever shamelessly hoard someone else's clothes.

I had been waiting for Mr. Jordan, but I have reasons to believe he has been avoiding me, or else he would have come looking for me, to ask how I was and if I was holding up. I wasn't entitled to be sought after by him because he may have or may have not been involved indirectly with my recent adversities, but it was just something he would do, it was part of him.

I was getting sucked into the work I was doing when my door opened, It was him.

"Miss Hardy"

"Sir, good morning"

"You seem to be having quite a busy day"

"Yeah, and I was showing the new employees around"

"I did see two new faces coming in"

"There were three of them.

"Three at a go, did anyone quit"

"Workers don't quit under me, rather I fire them" He replied sternly

"So, did you fire anyone"

"No, with the incoming workload at the cattle Unit, I have to increase the number of workers so as not to choke the current ones with a huge workload"

"Are we expanding the cattle Unit"

Yeah, I will still employ more of them. With the newly discovered organic way to fatten the cattle in under a year, I look to investing more"

I was showing two around the Cattle pen, the third one will be in charge of the Cyber security and other tech stuff. I can't risk my opposition stealing the formula I paid top dollar for."

"I understand sir"

He was protecting himself from competition. Sometimes I forget how competitive his line of business is and how dark the competition can become"

"I will bring him over later before you finish for the day, he will run his cyber security munbo jumbo into the computer to protect it."

"Okay sir"

"I will be heading out, I still have a lot of things to do"

"Okay sir" I replied

He turned to leave before I remembered the clothes and pieces of jewelry. I quickly pack them all "Sir, I wanted to return this"

He stared at the clothes, then back at me. "What do you think you are doing Miss Hardy " He asked calmly

"I am returning the clothes of course"

"And why are you returning it, you don't like them anymore"

"No, no, of course, they are beautiful, I love them"

"So why are you returning it"

"Because they aren't mine"

"Who says they are not?" He asked

"Huhgh," I asked confused.

"What makes you think they are not yours?" He asked again.

How he was asking the questions like a shrink was starting to make me feel like an idiot.

"I just thought"

"Don't think Aurora, they are yours. Think of it as a gift for a job well done"

"I can't take these sir, it's improper of me"

"Why" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"they are too expensive"

"So the problem is how expensive they are"

"Yes sir, I can't take it," I repeated

"I won't lie they aren't. I got the finest fabric because you deserve it. Fine, let's say it's expensive, you do know it's barely a drop of water in the ocean for me right? So rejecting it because you think it's expensive is pointless, and if you do insist on rejecting it, you understand there's nothing I'm going to do with it, I'd probably throw it into a dark corner of the house and let it rot till eternity." He said

He did have a point.

"So stop being modest and take the gift, Miss Hardy"

"I will take it sir, but on one condition"

"State your demand" he chuckled

"Can you tell me why you hate Mr. Angelo so much and he likewise"

"I thought everyone knew that."

"Not that divorce story about how you two got into a fight. I know there's more to it?"

He chuckled "I'm sorry you think there's more to it, but there's nothing. It's the plain old story of getting into a fight because of the divorce" He said, looking uncomfortable.

"Mr. Angelo said something else, he said it had to do with why you and your wife divorced. Why did you and your wife divorce, sir"

All the laughter and warmth that had always been in his eyes disappeared. What stared at me were the eyes I had never seen before, laced in it was embarrassment, sadness, anger, irritation, and regret.

"That is too personal, Miss Hardy" He replied "And you of all people should understand that. You should never ask me that ever again" He said calmly

I was stunned by his sudden change in mood and the pain in his voice

"I am sorry boss"

He said nothing, instead he turned right back and walked out.

I was so confused, that I couldn't place a finger on why the sudden change was, was it guilt? Nothing else, it had to be guilt. He had nothing to hide, what could be so hideous about his marriage breaking apart, he had to be so cold about it. Unless, of course, he did have something to hide, he did assault his wife. Perhaps, what Mr. Angelo said was true. He acts all nice because has something to hide, he is nice because deep down he is a bad man.

Now, I have a decision to make, either I quit the job or ignore the fact he was a woman beater. It would be hypocritical of me to continue working for him. I will have to quit, there's no going back. I will have to quit!

I didn't particularly have a straight moral compass nor act upon one, but I can never look at him the same way knowing what he did, beating the woman who had a child for him. I can't look at him the same way. I would see every nice gesture from him as pretense and him as a faker, it would only grow worse with time and get to irritation, then hatred. To avoid it all I could easily quit the job and forget I ever worked for him.

The question now is when should I quit, it's two weeks till the end of the month. He was very nice to me the whole time I was here and treated me well. He helped me experience growth and find my self-confidence, With every growth I've made in recent years, I don't want to believe anything bad about him, but the possibility was staring right in my face. I wish I didn't know, I wish Mr. Angelo didn't tell me, my conscience wouldn't get hold of me if I was oblivious to it. But now I know, I knew the truth, I know what he was capable of.

The least I could do is give him a two-week notice and get my pay at the end of the month. I know it will hurt him, I could see it in his eyes, he liked me working for him, but it will hurt me more than it will hurt him.

I have to find a good time to break the news to him, certainly not today. Perhaps tomorrow, tomorrow should be fair enough. He would still have enough time to hire another worker before the end of the time.

I faced the computer and continued my work, but it saddens me even more, knowing I will be doing this for a relatively short span. I would miss the surroundings I've grown so accustomed to.

I was sucked into my work again, I was subconsciously waiting for the new computer tech. when someone came in.

I raised my head to see Mr. Jordan.