Chapter 3: Interview

Everything was happening so fast. One moment, Ethan was inviting me to his house, and the next, we were sitting in his living room with his mother staring at me with a serious expression. I tried to refuse Ethan's invitation, but he insisted as if something urgent had already happened.

As soon as we sat down, Ethan's mother turned to me with a stern look on her face. I couldn't shake off the feeling that she hated me for some reason.

"Luna, did you really have sex with Ethan?" she asked in an exasperated tone. I was taken aback by her question. It was unethical and inappropriate, but Mrs. Duncan's piercing gaze made it clear that she expected an answer.

I looked at Ethan, hoping for some support, but he was strangely silent. I whispered to myself, "Wait, is Ethan afraid of his mom?"

Before I could ask Ethan, his mother slammed her hand on the table in front of us. "Luna, I just have a simple rule. If I ask a question, then answer it. I've asked twice already," she said, her tone loud and demanding.

I had no choice but to answer her question. "Yes, Mrs. Duncan," I said in a low voice.

As soon as I admitted it, her anger erupted. "Damn it! You bastard! How dare you tease my son Ethan?" she shouted at me as if I was the villain here.

"Mrs. Duncan, I..." I tried to explain, but she cut me off.

"Shut up, you Luna bitch! You have the nerve to tease Ethan," she continued, her words sharp and hurtful.

"You're after Ethan's fortune. Huh?" she asked me accusingly.

Ethan was indeed quite rich, and his house was big. He had even admitted that he worked as a CEO in his startup company. But I had sex with Ethan, not because of his wealth. It all happened because of our nafsu, amplified by the kras that we drank.

"Then, how did you end up having sex with Ethan?" she asked me, her tone skeptical.

I could feel my heart racing as I tried to process what she was saying. "I don't know, Mrs. Thompson. It all happened so fast," I said, searching for the safest answer.

"No idea? Your vagina was penetrated by my son's penis, and you say you didn't know?" she asked, her words as sharp as a sword.

Meanwhile, Ethan's mother seemed to be snorting continuously as if she was filled with passionate emotions. "If it weren't for our family rules, you would never have set foot here," she said, her tone cold and unforgiving.

"You and Ethan must get married. At least three months before you leave this house," she continued as if this was all a transaction.

"But..." I tried to protest, but she cut me off.

"I don't want to hear the word but! It's our family rules," she said firmly.

"You think I'm happy, Luna?" she continued, her angry look unwavering. "I was supposed to marry Ethan off to a good woman. And you came into Ethan's life and ruined my plans."

"It's all because of that pussy of yours," she said to me, her words filled with disgust.

I looked to Ethan for support, but he remained silent, as if he was afraid of his mother. Suddenly, the phone rang, and Ethan's mom answered it. I was shocked by the difference in her tone compared to how she spoke to me. She sounded polite and sympathetic, whereas before she was like a crazy angry person.

After hanging up, Ethan's mom turned back to me and threatened, "Luna, you can refuse, but I will make your life miserable. You just have to marry Ethan for three months and live in the doghouse. But don't try to renege on that."

She continued to explain that their family was very respectful of intercourse and it could only be done after marriage. She then offered me one million dollars as a balsan to protect the good name of their family.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was she really trying to buy my approval? I looked to Ethan, who was staring at the floor, looking guilty.

"Ethan, is this what you want?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He looked up at me, his eyes filled with sadness. "Luna, I know this isn't ideal. But please, think about this. My mom was right. This could be a good solution for everyone involved."

I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I tried to process everything that was happening. I didn't want to marry Ethan just because of money, let alone because it seemed like I was at fault and should be responsible.

It was as if all the problems had been dumped on me. I asked Ethan, "Was the intercourse my fault?"

I remembered, I was the one who kissed Ethan first and then led to our intercourse, but was it my fault?

"Luna, in the intercourse we were both involved," Ethan replied.

"Then, why didn't you defend me in front of your mother?" I asked with emotion. I was getting beat up by abusive verbs by Ethan's mom and Ethan was silent as if he didn't care about me.

"Luna, I can't fight my mom," he said.

"Why?"

"For a man, mom is the most important thing in the world."

"You mean, if you have a wife then your mom is more important than your wife?" I asked and Ethan answered steadily.

"Yes."

I was at a loss for words and too lazy to respond. Ethan then said, "Luna, I know this is hard, but please, think about it. I know it's not ideal, but this could be a good solution for everyone involved."

I turned to him, my eyes glazed over. "Ethan, I don't know what to do. I don't want to marry you just because, I want a marriage based on love."

Ethan reached out and took my hand, his eyes pleading with mine. "I get it, Luna. I really do. But please, just consider it. We could have an amazing life together. I'll do everything in my power to make you happy."

His words somehow managed to pierce through the walls I had built around my heart, sparking a tiny flicker of hope. "Anything?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Maybe it sounded too good to be true, but there was something about the way Ethan was looking at me that made me feel strangely calm.

"Luna, love can grow in the most unexpected places. We may not be in love right now, but I'm willing to bet that in three months, we'll be head over heels for each other."

Tears streamed down my face as I tried to process everything that was happening. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to make the wrong decision.

"I need some time to think about it," I said, my voice shaking.

Ethan nodded, understanding in his eyes. "Take all the time you need. I'll be here when you're ready to talk."

The ride back to my apartment felt like it took an eternity. My mind was racing with thoughts and emotions, and I couldn't seem to make sense of any of them.

As I closed the door to my apartment, I leaned against it and took a deep breath. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew that I needed to take some time to figure things out.

**

After that incident, Ethan never reached out to me again. I couldn't help but wonder if he had given up on our marriage plans or if he was cooking up another scheme with his mother. Meanwhile, I was still jobless after being let go by my previous employer, Lorrick.

I had been searching for a job for weeks, and my hopes were dwindling. It felt like the universe was conspiring against me, pushing me towards the brink of poverty. But today was different. I was wandering around the apartment complex, trying to clear my head and gather some fresh air, when I stumbled upon an intriguing job vacancy at a marketing company in the city center.

Without hesitation, I applied for the position, and a few days later, I received an interview invitation in my email. This was unexpected, but I was excited at the prospect of finally getting back to work.

As I walked into the office building, I couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline. This was my chance to prove myself and start my career. I took a deep breath and headed towards the reception desk.

"Hi, I'm Luna. I have an interview with Mr. Wallace at 10:00," I said, trying to sound confident.

The receptionist looked up at me and smiled. "Of course, Luna. Mr. Wallace is running a bit behind schedule, but you can have a seat in the waiting room, and he'll see you shortly."

I nodded and sat down, trying to calm my nerves. As I waited, I couldn't help but notice a woman sitting across from me. She was around my age, with long blonde hair and a sharp, angular face. She was dressed in a sleek black suit and was typing away furiously on her cell phone.

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was looking at me with disdain. I tried to ignore it, but every time I glanced in her direction, she would smirk at me.

"Is this a bad sign?" I whispered to myself.

But I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind. There were bigger challenges ahead that I needed to focus on.

The woman from earlier was called in for her interview, and about an hour later, it was my turn. The receptionist led me to the interview room, and I was surprised to see the same woman sitting across from me, introducing herself as Sarah, the head of the marketing department.

It turns out that my initial assumption was wrong. She wasn't an interviewee but one of the interviewers.

"Nice to meet you, Luna," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm sure you're very excited to be here."

I was taken aback by her arrogance, but I tried to remain professional. "Yes, thank you for having me. I'm very eager to learn more about this position."

Sarah rolled her eyes and began asking me questions. But every time I tried to answer, she would interrupt me and make a snide remark.

"What experience do you have in marketing?" she asked.

"I worked at a marketing company last summer, and I also have a degree in business administration," I replied.

Sarah sighed and gave me a disgusted look. "Oh, great. Another ex-employee. Exactly what we need."

I started to feel frustrated, but I tried to keep my cool. I didn't want to let her get to me.

But then, things took a turn for the worse. When Sarah asked about my skills and qualifications, she suddenly stopped and looked at my shirt.

"What's that?" she asked, her voice filled with disgust.

I looked down and saw that one of the buttons on my shirt was slightly faded. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that was a problem," I said, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Sarah sighed and shook her head. "That's very unprofessional. How can you expect to work in marketing if you can't even dress appropriately?"

I started to feel humiliated, but I tried to stay calm. I didn't want her to see that she was getting to me.

Sarah then spoke to her colleague for a while, and finally, she told me to leave because they had some business to discuss.

I went outside, but after an hour, I still hadn't been called back. I started to get suspicious. There was no way they needed a full hour to discuss the results of my interview.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. I quietly opened the door and peeked inside.

That's when I saw Sarah, completely naked, giving a blowjob to two men who were sitting at the table.

"Ah, shit," I muttered as the two men looked up at me.

"Ah, Luna. We'll accept you if you come with Sarah," one of them said.

It turned out that the two men who were interviewing me earlier held important positions in the company. While Sarah was busy pleasuring them, they had been discussing my application.

I was disgusted and angry. I didn't want to be a part of this kind of corporate culture. I slammed the door shut and stormed out of the building, feeling hopeless and defeated.

"Damn it, why does everything have to involve sex? Does sex equal money now?" I thought to myself as I walked home, feeling more lost than ever.