Chapter 5

POV Lisa.

Three years earlier... 

I come home and overhear my parents' conversation. 

"What's this about Frank?" My mother asks. 

"I lost everything, Anna. " 

"But how can that be? Everything was fine yesterday. " 

"I was tricked, cheated, like a common rookie. I placed all the shares and lost them. " 

"That's not a big deal, honey, we still have our personal property and my share of the inheritance. There's also the house.  " 

My father was silent for a moment. Then I heard the muffled sound of my mother. 

"No, Frank, you didn't! " my mother shouted.

"I thought I was going to get the double. " 

"Then you placed all of our belongings and even our daughters' belongings. How could you do such a stupid thing. " 

"I..." 

"What will become of us? " 

I opened the door to my parents' office and saw my mother collapsed on the floor. 

"Mom?" 

"Oh honey, you should be in college by now. " 

"I forgot one of my books so I came to get it.  What's going on? " 

"Nothing let's see what would you like to have happen? "She said, trying to wipe away her tears. 

"No Anna, she has the right to know, anyway, it will be in the papers tomorrow. " 

"Dad what's going on? " 

"I committed the idiocy of putting the assets in the stock market, I put all our assets and today we are ruined. We have nothing left. " 

"You mean we'll have to give up everything? " 

"Even the house," my mother said.

My father turned to the bar and poured himself a drink, I looked at the table and saw all the other bottles he had already downed.  My God! He's completely drunk. 

"Isn't there anything we can do? " 

"No Lisa, absolutely nothing. Tomorrow it will be in the papers and we will be the laughing stock of Sydney. " 

"Dad the most important thing now is to find a solution instead of thinking about that. " 

"You don't understand Lisa, I can't accept having my name ridiculed. I've lost everything I've fought for all these years. How can I go on living after this? " 

"You already did it once, which means you can do it again dad. " I said as I walked over to give him a hug. 

"You don't understand Lisa. I don't have the strength to do it anymore. I would rather die than see the contempt in these people's eyes. The world we live in is full of false pretenses, I learned that the hard way, I was betrayed by a person I thought was my friend. " 

I saw my father slowly reach down to open the trunk in front of him and pull out a gun. 

"Dad what are you doing? " I asked him as I stepped back. 

"Forgive me, I'm so sorry I have to do this to you! "

"So don't do it! You can't leave us like this Franck, think of your daughters for God's sake! " 

"Forgive me, you are my greatest pride. " 

After saying that, my father shot himself in the head, his blood splashed on my face. 

I wake up with a start when the alarm clock starts ringing. I stretch out on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I still have that nightmare, I always have it as the day of my father's death approaches. His memory and his last words come back to haunt me again and again. It was harder for Maddie, she had to read about our father's suicide in the papers because she was at a boarding school in England. 

It was even harder when we had to take her out of there and enroll her in a public school because we couldn't afford the boarding school. The one who had the hardest time was our mother, after that she was never the same. None of us were ever the same again. 

My alarm clock starts ringing again. I pick it up and look at the time. Seven o'clock. 

"Fuck! " 

I jump out of bed and run to the bathroom, I've picked up some bad habits from staying at Amelie's. How could I forget that I was going to start today? I was already recommended by Amélie's mother, these people will think I'm getting a big head.  I finish my bath in a hurry, then I open my closet to take out some clothes. My first choice is the clothes I used to wear when I worked at the hair salon, then Amélie's words come back to me. I have to live, I am twenty-six years old and it has been three years since I closed myself up and if I started to live again for real? 

So I close my closet and take out the clothes that Amélie gave me. I put them on the bed in search of the one I will be able to wear. My choice settles on a dress of office, blue and black pumps with a jacket. I put on my clothes and I go out, I hear noises in the kitchen it must be Maddie. 

"Aren't you supposed to be at school at this time? " I say as I walk in to pour myself a cup of coffee. 

"Yes I am but I wanted you to first... No God Lisa! "exclaims my sister. 

"I know what you're going to say, I've put on a few extra pounds, but with a little exercise I'm sure I'll get the figure back. " 

"What? But you're kidding! My God, you are sublime, you took colors says she while coming to touch it. This weight suits you much better and your hair? Did you cut it? This hairstyle suits you so much better and clears your forehead. " 

My sister starts touching me all over as if she was seeing me for the first time. 

"You are so beautiful. "She says, moved to tears.

"Stop it! I'm going to think I was really horrible. " 

"Forgive me for having to tell you this, but you were really becoming horrible, but now on the other hand you are rising in my esteem. " 

I shake my head and smile at my little sister. I finish the cup of coffee and pick up my bag. 

"But it's a Dior bag? "

"Amelie loves to spend. " 

"She can spend on me anytime she wants. " 

"She sent you some stuff, it's in the suitcase. I have to go or I'll be really late. "

I place a kiss on my sister's cheek and head out the door. Maybe I should have worn low shoes with these stairs. This apartment is the only thing I could offer us with my meager salary, it is in a rather bad district, but I managed to befriend Teddy one of the dealers of the corner Leo. Besides, he starts to whistle when he sees me leaving the building. 

" Wow Lisa, if I wasn't already in love with your sister, I would definitely hit on you. " 

"I don't doubt it for a second Leo. See you tonight! " 

"Take care of yourself beautiful. I can drop you off if you want. " 

"No, that's not necessary, I'd rather take a cab, you'll scare the employers with your british face. " 

He pouts like he's offended, but I know he knows I'm joking. Well, just a little. I eventually find my cab and give the address of the company. The journey takes us about one hour and a half. It will be complicated to come back here every night. But I will find a solution.  

I pay the cab and stop in front of the building where I will work. It's so tall that I don't have to put my hand in my visor to see the top. I walk without looking where I'm going, at least until I bump into someone. 

"Oh sorry. "A man's voice says to me. 

"No it's my turn to apologize, I wasn't looking where I was going. " 

I look up and meet beautiful blue eyes, windblown hair and the brightest smile. 

"Hi, my name is Ryan. " 

"Lisa Simon. " 

"Lisa? Won't you be the new girl everyone's looking forward to seeing? " 

I squint my eyes and look at him uncomprehendingly. What do you mean everyone is looking forward to seeing me? I hate being the center of attention, if it were up to me, I would have made myself so small. But it's not happening. 

"Why is everyone looking forward to seeing me? " 

"Probably because the person whose position you're going to fill now was liked by everyone here, so they're probably wondering if you'll do better than her. " 

"Hello pressure. " 

"Sorry to have to break it to you like this. " 

"No, at least now I know what to expect. " 

"Shall we go?"

I smile at him and he points to the large glass doors, I look at the direction he points and walk to the doors which open automatically. I let out a sigh before walking through the huge lobby. I stop in front of the receptionist, a tall, blue-eyed, beautiful blonde who greets me with a big smile. It seems like they all look like models here. 

"Hi, I'm Lisa Simon, I'm here for the executive assistant position. " 

"Oh sure, Ms. Simon we've been waiting for you. Take the elevator and head to room 756. This is the executive department. " 

"Thank you. " 

I then turn to Ryan to say thank you and head to the elevators. I take the elevator towards the seventh floor, literally shaking with stress. I really need to calm down and get my emotions back under control. This job is not only for me, it will allow me to offer a new life to my mother and my sister, I will also be able to pay off Maddie's student loan, so she can fully concentrate on her studies and stop working in this restaurant at night. It's very dangerous for her, even though Leo picks her up every night. 

The doors of the elevator open, taking me out of my thoughts. I get out of it and go where the secretary indicated me, after knocking two small discreet knocks, I hear a voice inside which asks me to enter. I push the door and I enter, on the other side of the office is a man, standing, the hands in the pockets of the pants of his navy blue suit, his chestnut hair is styled short a little like for a military man, he is very beautiful. He wipes his glasses before putting them back on his nose. He smiles at me with a friendly look.

"Hello, I am Mason Moore. You must be Lisa he says while holding out his hand to me. I'm sorry to be on first-name terms with you, but if we're going to work together, I'd rather be on first-name terms with you. " 

"To tell you the truth, I'm fine with that too. " 

"Great he said as he motioned for me to sit down, you were recommended by someone I hold in high regard, but I see from your resume that you have never held this position. " 

"Yes that's right, I did study accounting, but I had to stop for personal reasons. But I guarantee you that I can adapt very quickly. " 

"Well we'll see about that. Here is your contract. You'll have a two month trial period, your office is the one right before mine. "

I pick up the contract from the table and run my eyes over it. It's been years since I've seen so many zeros. And I can tell by Mason's smile that he must be very amused by my bewildered look. The perks of this job are more than plentiful and I could always come home early and take care of my sister. 

"So are you okay with that? "

"It's perfect! " 

I take the pen in front of me and sign the contract, fate is finally starting being on my side.