SHADE OF TRUTH

   I was up before the sun. You know why? It was first day at my new job. It would be one of the most memorable day of my life. I couldn't wait to get started as a jewelry designer at one of the most prestigious companies in the city. Fraser's Gemonds Jewelry Inc., happened to be the best and I had spent months preparing for this very moment, and now it was finally here. I did not care about any other things apart from my job and I did not allow anything to bother me - Gerald, precisely. I actually thought about him but I knew I would never get him. He did not want to have anything to do with me any longer and I guess I also wasn't interested in a toxic relationship. That's the most he could offer. There was one thing I noticed. Whenever I thought about Gerald, I lost interest in the company. That was a red flag... I would not want to lose interest in a company where I could show my skills to the whole world. This was a chance for me to promote myself. Nothing would ruin it.

   Gerald's thoughts aside.

   I took a long, hot shower, trying to shake off my nerves, I was nervous but I knew I would be fine. I carefully chose my outfit, a sleek black dress with a statement necklace that I had designed myself. I wanted to make a good impression on my new colleagues. I knew they would be expecting a lot from me and I was ready to put in my best to serve the company. Everyone must have known that a new employee was coming over and she would be a teacher and as well as a designer. I never thought I could do the two at the same time until I was offered.

   As I made my way to the office, I could not help but feel a sense of awe. I had seen this before but it was looking really different. Or maybe it was because I hadn't seen the entire building before. The building was an architectural masterpiece, with gleaming glass windows and sleek lines. Of course, I had never worked in a place like this before. 

   When I arrived at the office, I was greeted by the receptionist, who directed me to the elevator. I could see from her face that she had questions to ask me but she did not say anything and I didn't bother to ask her. As I rode up to the 14th floor, I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I was nervous, but also excited to see what the day would bring. I couldn't wait to receive the love and affections from my colleagues. Something I had been craving for for years. 

   When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out into a bright, airy workspace. The walls were painted a calming shade of blue, and the polished hardwood floors gleamed under the bright lights. I could see the city skyline through the large windows that lined the walls.

   I made my way to my new desk, which was clean and uncluttered. My computer was already set up, and there was a stack of papers waiting for me. I took a deep breath and got to work.

   The morning flew by as I poured over designs and sketches, trying to get a sense of what was expected of me. I felt a bit overwhelmed, but also excited by the challenge. I knew that this was my chance to make my mark as a designer and to prove to Gerald that I was not a thief and I would never be a thief. He was just hot-headed and... I stopped thinking about him when I heard a knock on my door. Who could it be now? I stood up from the swivel chair.

   "The door is opened, you can come in." I said, my eyes transfixed on the door, waiting for the person to come in. I was nervous but you know why? The knock on the door reminded me of the day I was fired in qThe door opened and the person came in. Guess who it was? I actually wasn't sure. I had seen her once but I couldn't remember whom she was but I knew she worked here too. She walked majestically towards my desk and pulled out a chair. She sat. She was full of confidence and her aura was quite intimidating. I waited for her to speak.

   "I heard that you are very good and that you have amazing skills. Is that true?" 

    That was more of what I wasn't expecting. No pleasantries. Who was she?

   "Whoever told you spoke the truth. How may I help you? As you can see, I have things to do. And also, who are you?" I was already getting irritated by her actions.

    "I will have to introduce myself again then. I am Arin Silverstein. Gerald's P.A. I am just like his girlfriend, so be careful with the way you chat with him. I don't want you to be too close to him and lastly, whenever you want to speak with him, don't use your romantic voice. If you fail to follow any of these instructions, you will be fired." She said, confidently, menacingly and stood up from the chair immediately, heading out of my office. When she got to the door, she glanced at me and frowned. "Mr. Fraser wants to see you in the conference room when you get free." She said with an irritated tone, and she left my office slamming the door hard. I took my time to think about the whole thing she just said... It just didn't make no sense.

   Did I even care about her relationship with Gerald? She was just desperate. Why would she even think I would snatch Gerald from her? How dumb could she be? She wasn't even his girlfriend yet and she was trying to be bossy. Was I the only one she did this to?

   At lunchtime, I ventured down to the cafeteria. I was nervous about meeting my new colleagues, but also eager to get to know them. This was what I had been keeping myself away from, but for how long would I do that? I would just have to behave responsible. If we would be working together, they should know me more. I just hoped my secret remained a secret. I would not want to taint my reputation here again after everything I had accumulated in the past few months. I would always try to fight the urge.

   As I stood in line for my food, I struck up a conversation with a woman standing next to me.

  "Hi, I'm Hazel," I said, holding out my hand.

"I'm Emily," the woman replied, shaking my hand. "I work in marketing." 

  We both chatted for a few minutes, and I actually felt a sense of relief. Emily was friendly and welcoming, and it made me feel more at home in my new workplace. Having a friend who knew the in and out of this company would help me out on Arin. She was rude.

   After lunch, I was called to a meeting with my boss - Mr. Gerald Fraser. Until I was called, I didn't remember that Arin told me about it. I became nervous as I made my way to the conference room, but also excited to hear what was expected of me.

  When I arrived, I was greeted by a group of people sitting around a large table. They introduced themselves, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the room. I could recognize some faces but not all.

  "Welcome, Hazel," my boss said, smiling at me. Of course, that was a fake smile. He was only putting on an act because of those around him. I gotta play along definitely. "We're thrilled to have you on board. We've been looking for a talented designer like you for a long time."

  When he said that, I actually felt a surge of pride at the compliment. I had worked hard to get to this point, and it was nice to be recognized for my skills.

   Over the course of the meeting, I was given a rundown of my responsibilities and the projects I would be working on. I was excited by the challenge, but also a bit daunted by the scope of the work. I would be fine. I told myself.

   As the meeting drew to a close, I was given a tour of the office. I met more of my colleagues, each one more friendly than the last. I toured around the company and while I was doing the tour, I caught a glimpse of something that apprehended my attention. Glittering and shinning. Since I wasn't the only one on tour, I stopped following. They wouldn't notice that someone was missing. I just couldn't ignore what I was seeing.

   Unbeknownst to them, I had lingered behind, drawn to the glittering gems and sparkling diamonds like a moth to a flame. This was me, Hazel Willoughby, the real me, I couldn't resist the urge to steal these things. I looked around and when I noticed that the door was opened and no one was near to watch me. What a perfect timing.

   When I entered the store, I was mesmerized by the beauty of gold and diamonds. Who would see this and ignore? If everyone would do, I wouldn't be part of them. There was this pleasure I did get from stealing things, an undescribable one. I looked around again to confirm if there was no one watching me. I toured the huge store where, admiring what I was seeing. Did you even know how I actually felt? I felt like going home with the entire store. 

   With shaking hands, I carefully picked up a diamond necklace and slipped it into the pocket of my dress. The thrill of the theft pulsed through my veins as I surveyed the store for my next target. If I wouldn't be taking the whole thing home, I could take the most expensive. I continued to survey the store, picking and dropping the ones I didn't want.

   But suddenly, a noise from outside shattered the stillness of the store. My eyes flared up in fear when I realized that the sound was near. Footsteps echoed in the empty hallway, growing steadily louder. My heart raced as I realized I was being trapped.

   Desperately, I hurriedly looked around for a place to hide. No one should know I came into this store... I would be doomed! This was my first day at work for crying out loud. I spotted a small storage closet and darted inside, heart pounding in their chest. I didn't have an idea of what would happen next and that alone scared me more.

  As I crouched in the cramped space, I could hear the intruders approaching. The sound of their footsteps grew louder and closer until they were right outside the door. Would everything end here? Would I get caught and be put behind the bars? 

  Oh no, Jesus! I didn't want this to happen.

  I held my breath, waiting for the intruder to leave from there, but as the moments ticked by, it became clear that the intruders weren't going anywhere. They happened to be the guard that watched over this store and now that they were here, I couldn't go out.

  Trapped and alone, I could only wait and hope that I wouldn't be discovered, I was already suffocating and sweating. But as the minutes turned to hours, I began to fear that they might be stuck in that closet forever or even die of heat. If I didn't go out as soon as possible, people would discover that I was missing and what would happen next?

   "Hazel!" My eyes flared upon hearing my name.