The Job Offer

Emma slowly opened her eyes, the morning light filtering through the curtains. As she blinked away the sleep, thoughts swirled in her mind, replaying the moments of the previous day that had led to an overwhelming sense of sorrow within her. “It’s a new day, filled with possibilities.” She whispered to herself, determined to shift her focus away from the events of the previous day.  As Emma stretched and yawned, She reached over her nightstand and grabbed her phone.  She decided to check her Emails, and there it was, a  message from Narisco Limited the company which she had applied the previously. She didn’t want to ruin her day by opening it, because it had being sent to her the previous day. But there was an inexplicable pull, urging her to open it. As she clicked on the message, her eyes widened with disbelief. She had been offered a job, and was expected to start that very day at 9am. Emma couldn’t contain her excitement and let out a scream of joy from the depths of her being.

Upon hearing Emma screamed, Mike rushed into the room, thinking something was happening to her. 

He asked with concern on his face, “What happened?”

With pure joy, she  leaped out of bed,  grabbed  his hand,  and started jumping around like a child.

“I got the job! I got the job!”  She exclaimed as she continued to jump out of excitement.

“Oh,  that’s what the screaming was for, I thought… never mind,” he said, relieved.

She calmed down and said “you don’t look surprised. I got the job”  repeating it as she read the email out loud to him.

Mike couldn’t help but felt overjoyed seeing Emma in such high spirit. It brightened his day. “Take a deep breath,” Mike gently encouraged, “why don’t you go get ready.”

Filled with bubbling excitement, Emma swiftly prepared herself for the day ahead. As she brushed her teeth and dressed up, Emma couldn’t help but ponder how this sudden change had come about. She chose a lovely combination  of a pink long-sleeved shirt paired with a sleek black skirt.

As Emma arrived at the company, she bumped into Ms.Anderson. “What are you doing here?” Emma wanted to explain but before she could Ms.Anderson interjected, “I’m sorry but no matter how much you appeal, I can’t offer you the job. This company doesn’t need someone like you.” 

The commotion caught the attention of a staff member, she approached Emma and said, “Hi, I’m Regina. You must be Ms. Emma right? Follow me, I’ll show you to your desk.” Emma quietly followed Regina, grateful for her assistance.

Ms. Anderson, feeling  frustrated, went to her colleague’s office and asked, “Did you give Emma the job?”

Her colleague responded, “No, I didn’t.”

Ms. Anderson was puzzled and replied, “But that’s not possible. Every employee must be interviewed by either you or me to get a job.”

Her colleague decided to investigate further and clicked on the keyboard, examining the monitor. After a moment, he said, “Well, it seems her job offer came directly from the Board of Directors.”

Ms. Anderson’s surprise was evident on her face as she exclaimed, “Wait, what? Are you certain? But no one has ever received a job offer directly from the Board of Directors.” With anger she exclaimed “that slut! She must have slept with someone to get the job.”

Filled with anger, Ms.Anderson stormed over to Emma’s table and exclaimed, “I don’t know who you slept with to get this position, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on you.” Without giving Emma a chance to explain, she abruptly left.

Regina, noticing the tension, approached Emma and offered some comforting words, “Don’t let her affect you. You will find that you will enjoy working here. Emma simply smiled in response, appreciating Regina’s support. 

During lunch break, Regina approached Emma and kindly offered to show her around and have lunch together in the cafeteria. As they sat down to eat, Emma couldn’t help but noticed that many people were staring at her and whispering to one another. She couldn’t help but ask Regina, “Do I have something on my face?” Regina reassured her, “No you look perfectly fine.”

Emma persisted, “But is it just me, or do you also notice people staring at me?”

Curious, Regina turned to look around and wondered why everyone seemed so interested. Trying to ease Emma’s concerns, she said, “Don’t pay too much attention to it. It’s been a while since we’ve had a new employee.”

Emma nodded, trying to brush off the attention and enjoy lunch with Regina. They chatted and shared laughter, enjoying their time together.

After lunch, Regina approached a colleague and inquired about the staring. To her surprise, the colleague responded, “We heard she slept with someone to get the job.”

Shocked, Regina questioned, “Where did you hear that from?” Another  staff chimed in, “it’s true! I heard her employment came directly from the board of directors.”

Refusing to believe the rumors, Regina defended Emma, “That doesn’t mean she slept with someone. Don’t talk like that. You don’t know her.”  Disappointed, Regina left the conversation.

Emma continued to notice people whispering and pointing at her as they passed her table. Feeling unsettled, she turned to Regina and asked, “Is this how they normally treat new employees?”

Regina’s expression changed, unsure of how to respond. She couldn’t keep it to her self longer and revealed the truth to Emma. “Emma, people are spreading rumors that you slept with someone to get this job.” Shocked, Emma exclaimed, “What? That’s outrageous!”

Regina quickly reassured her saying, “Your job offer actually came from the board of directors, which is quite rare. We, as employees don’t have any information about them. All we know is that the CEO of Cranseberry Limited is the big boss and he also owns this place. It’s just managed by his friend. So your job offer being from them is quite strange.”

Emma was surprised by this revelation and shared how she had only just received a message from them without meeting anyone in person. Regina nodded understandingly and said, “ I believe you, Emma. It seems Ms.Anderson is the one spreading these rumors. But don’t worry , tomorrow will be a better day.”

As soon as Emma arrived home, Mike hurried to Emma, eager to hear about her first day. “So,  how was your first day?” he asked with concerns.

Emma signed and replied, “Not good. People are spreading rumors that I slept with someone to get the job because apparently it came from the board of directors.” Mike held Emma’s hands tightly and looked into her eyes. “Emma pay no attention to what anyone is saying. You deserve this opportunity.”

Feeling comforted by Mike’s words, Emma smiled gratefully. Mike excused himself to use the restroom, he left his phone in the living room.  Suddenly a message popped up on the screen, catching Emma’s attention. Curiosity  got the better of her, and she picked up mike’s phone, her countenance changed immediately.