Chapter One

"Arielle? the director wants to see you,"

Arielle heard her co-worker Mary say, she stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.

"What? why?"

she asked.

"Do you think I know? how would I know? you can do yourself some good and go find out yourself, I already did my part,"

Mary responded.

Arielle was used to getting negative vibes from her co-workers, no one here liked her and it wasn't something new, she was used to not being liked by anyone, in her twenty-four years of living, the only people that have come close to liking her were her mom and stepdad, even her own dad didn't want anything to do with her and had left her mom before she was born, her stepdad, however, didn't leave her but she didn't feel all that much love from him either, but at least he was there, her mom, well, she couldn't define her relationship with her mom even though they lived together, they barely interact and it was just like that.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day while keeping the director waiting?"

Mary yelled in her face bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I will go now,"

"Don't tell me bitch move along,"

she said. Arielle cleaned her hand and walked up to the director’s office while wondering what he wanted, this was only her fifth month of working here and was the only place she has worked for up to that time, she had a nick of getting fired at her jobs, it wasn’t totally her fault but she was to blame for being forgetful and clumsy, nah, that’s a lie that each of her boss tells her before they send her ass away, she just hopes she wasn’t in any kind of trouble because she couldn’t afford to loss her job now, not when she needed all the money she can get, she wanted to move out by the end of the year and start a life of her own, she was so tired of living a lie and that’s exactly how she has been living for the past ten years, yup, she knew when she turned fourteen that she was better off on her own and had started working towards moving out of her parent’s house since but nothing goes as planned, first she couldn’t get the scholarship to study in the university so she had to drop out after high school, then all the money she worked went into fending for the family because both her mom and step dad had low income jobs and always ask her for money which she couldn’t say no to.

“Good day sir, you called me,”

Arielle said when she entered the director's office, he looked up at her and smiled, she hated how he looked at her, it always made her cringe in fear.

“Hon, sit down,”

He said and she did that after hesitating for a brief moment, she didn’t like that he was addressing her as ‘hon’ it would have meant nothing but the vibe he has been giving for the last few weeks left room for her to be suspicious of his motives, she just hopes it wasn’t what she was fearing that it was, the same reason she has been fired a couple times, the real reason.

One thing Arielle was scared of was her beauty, she didn’t see it as a strength rather it was a flaw for her which is why she did her best to tone it down as much as she could, she never wears make up neither does she make her hair, not that she had any spare money for that but even if she did have she still won’t do it, because she didn’t like the attention that her physical features brought to her.

She was beautiful and she has always been aware of that, she got everything from her mom, in her early days before her mom had her, she had been a beauty queen and she still curses at Arielle for being the reason she lost her body, and lost her career, and had tried to persuade her to make up for it by going into modeling but Arielle didn’t want anything to do with the spotlight, she didn’t have a great life right now but she was working towards it and would do everything except being on the spotlight.

“Why are you frowning? You have a beautiful face made for smiling, you should be smiling,”

Her boss said bringing her out of her thoughts, she forced a smile as he got off his seat and walked toward her, oh no! She thought as he sat close to her, she hated the smile on his face.

“Sir,”

She voiced and he smiled again as he reached for her hand, she flinched and stood up.

“Why are you acting like an innocent virgin? Come on, I just touched your hands not undress you, even though I will very much like that, how about we go out together and have a drink and you know, anything can happen after that,”

The disgusting man said it as if it was nothing and the most natural thing to say.

“Excuse me sir, but that’s inappropriate,”

She voiced knowing there will be consequences, there always have been consequences of rejecting a boss or a supervisor, it was all not new to her but she really wanted to keep this job and hope he was one to accept rejection without resulting to crazy moves, there was no way she was going to go out with her boss, someone she knew already has a family.

“What’s inappropriate Arielle? You are an adult, I am one too, you should know you will get this from me when you have been shamelessly flirting with me and showing off your sinful body since you started working here,”

He said as he stood up and walked toward her, she couldn’t believe he was saying all these, she didn’t even know how to flirt, wasn’t even interested in him, and has never shown any interest yet he was blaming her.

“Sir, I never flirt with you, and neither am I interested in whatever it is you are offering,”

She responded putting distance between them until her back touched the door.

“What if I tell you there is a catch? What if I tell you that if you become my mistress I will give you a better position here?”

He asked walking closer to her, she held onto the door.

“I still don’t want it, sir,”

She responded. She didn’t want a position that put her in the wrong place, being a mistress is not something she ever want to be, never.

“Then what if I tell you that there are consequences to not agreeing? You are already in the wrong way too many times since you started working here and I have just been overlooking, guess I might not again.”

He said with an evil smile, as much as it hurt to hear him say those words, it was as if she already prepared her mind for it without thinking about it.

“Sir, I will do my best if you give me the chance to, I am sorry about all my shortcomings,”

She said even though she knew it was a lost cost, she already knew it would be accept him or walk out of here without a job.

“That’s why I am giving you a chance, you have the body to make up for the things you lack, just let me get between that honey pot that I know will taste like honey and we will be good, and you will have better pay.”

He invited, his offer wasn’t even tempting, not when he had a lovely wife and two children, part of the reasons she was so sure she wasn’t ever going to fall in love was because of this, men are cheaters and she didn’t want to be fooled by love like his wife is fooled.

“No thanks,”

“Okay then, Arielle! You are fired! You are incompetent and we don’t want such incompetent people in our company, do well to pick up your things and leave this building immediately, your half-month salary will be sent to you by the end of the month, bye,”

He said and left her standing there, she let out a breath as she walked out of his office, went to where she usually keeps her bag, and picked it up, without speaking to anyone since she didn’t particularly have any friends here, neither did she have any friend anywhere.

Arielle refused to let losing her job get to her, she did her best to wear a bright smile as she boarded a bus home, even while walking the few blocks to the house she shared with her mom and stepdad, she kept a bright face, when she got home, she was surprised to meet the front door open, usually, at this time of the day, no one will be home, her mom usually hangs out with her friends at the local bar and her stepdad would be anywhere but home, she heard their voices before she walked in, wondering just what they were arguing about again and preparing to just greet them and pass without getting involved, they always have something to argue about so it was nothing new to her.

“Oh, she is here, good that you are here Ariel,”

Her mom said, Arielle didn’t like how she sounded, she never spoke to her mom unless it was necessary, not that it was her fault, her mom didn’t like her. she didn’t want to have a hand in this and her mom was already dragging her in, she was just going to make it clear that she doesn’t want to have anything to do with their fight and just go away.

“What’s going on?”

She asked uninterestedly.

“As much as I don’t want to be that person but I am going to say it, your dad here has something to say to you,”

She said pointing at her stepdad, Arielle turned to him wondering what he had to tell her, maybe they were finally going to get divorced, it was long overdue anyway, maybe when she was younger it would have hurt her to see them separate but now she just didn’t have the strength to care.

“Nothing you should bother yourself about,”

Her stepdad replied making her suspicious.

“You have to tell her you moron! Or I will do it myself, on a second thought I am just going to shut up because you are her favorite person,”

Her mom said and Arielle just kept quiet, she didn’t have a favorite person, not at all.

“What’s this about dad? Come on?”

“What’s your thought on marriage?”

He asked out of nowhere, that was so random, she was twenty-four without a boyfriend and has never been in a relationship because she didn’t have the time or the luxury to do so.

“I don’t have any thoughts about marriage dad and with the way you and mom act I don’t think I will ever think of it,”

She replied wishing he would just spill already so that she can go into her room and be alone, she needed to start looking for a new job by tomorrow, no way was she going to go broke completely before she finds another job.

“I was hoping you would want to get married, I need you to be with someone to help me,”

He said.

“You are not serious, right? Why will I marry someone to help you?”

She asked suddenly pissed, she was already in a bad mood and this sudden talk of marriage was making it worst for her…