Chapter 3

Amaka's POV;

Once I finished having my breakfast in the kitchen, I stepped out of the house and made my way outside the compound.

The house was a rented apartment, not one that Mrs. Ann owned.

Luckily, as I got outside and onto the busy road, I saw a bus and got in. I sat beside a man in a black suit, and he smiled at me.

I was too preoccupied to smile back. After what Joseph had done to me, I limited my smiles to anyone who was male. It was painful to think that Joseph would break up with me. He should have told me that he wanted only sex and not that he intended to marry me.

I was a very decent girl in my area, which was why I became a laughingstock among my peers who hadn't expected a good girl like me to become pregnant.

I wiped my tears away and kept my gaze focused on the road. The man beside me spoke, "Hi there. I have paid your fare."

"Huh!" I looked taken aback that a total stranger would help me clear my bill. As I looked at this man's face, I gulped. He was very fair like me, with short brown hair just like my son's. Although he wasn't Joseph Ericson, he was handsome and masculine.

"Thank you, but you shouldn't have done that. I don't need any favors from you," I said as the bus continued to drive toward our destination.

"I understand, but I can't help appreciating your beauty. Do you live around here, or where are you heading now?" he asked, and I grimaced.

Gross! I hated it whenever a guy poked his nose into my affairs.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot tell you anything about myself. These days, people can easily get kidnapped, and trusting a stranger is a risk," I said, lowering my voice so as not to embarrass him, considering we had other passengers seated behind us.

"Fine. I will keep that in mind," he said while I looked away.

"Industrial estate. Anyone getting down?" the driver of the yellow bus asked, and I responded, "Yes, sir."

I got off the bus, and the man in the suit got off too. My brows furrowed as I wondered if he didn't have a job at this early hour of the day.

I wanted to pay the bus conductor, but he told me, "Your husband has paid."

"Hmm, he's not my husband," I warned the conductor, who gasped, "Oh! Sorry, ma'am. But you two resemble each other."

"Whatever!" I turned and quickly made my way to the company I was heading to: J.E. Globals.

I didn't speak to the man who walked alongside me, believing that by the time I got into the company, he would find his way.

However, when I reached the gate, he checked in with his ID, and the security guard let him in. I was surprised that the man was already working there, but I wasn't allowed inside.

"What do you want, madam?" the security guard asked, and I replied, "I'm here for my interview." I showed him the email, and he finally allowed me into the company.

We had to wait for our interview with the boss, as the company was very strict, just as Maureen had told me. I hadn't researched this company, believing I would secure the job.

We were told to sit as we waited for the boss to arrive, and it was already 9 a.m. by the time he did.

I didn't raise my head to look at the boss who walked into the company. I heard whispers from the other candidates who had come for their interviews. I think we were up to ten candidates vying for this mouthwatering job opportunity.

Soon, the lady in charge of ushering us in came with her folder to introduce herself, as she had previously instructed us to sit and wait.

"Hi. Welcome to J.E. Global Enterprises. We do not tolerate cheating or breaches of contract. We expect our staff to uphold our company name to motivate other brands to partner with us and utilize our goods and services. We will proceed with a quick introduction. I am Anita Edward, your new coach. I will distribute this consent form to each of you. Once you sign it, it indicates that you agree with our company's policies. Then I will assign you to a partner who will mentor you on how our system operates. But before that, you will have to go in one by one for your interview with our boss. Once he approves of you and your reasons for wanting to work with us, you may sign this form. Agreed?" she asked, and I swallowed hard.

We sat in the lobby on the long guest chairs, waiting. We could see clients coming in and out of the building. I felt nervous, wondering who that man I had seen earlier was.

There was no way the boss of J.E. Globals would be taking the bus like I did. Although I had enough money to afford a small car, I didn't want to show off.

I was earning more money than Maureen, who had taught me how to blog. So if I purchased a car now, it would seem like I was trying to compete with her. I didn't know if that's how Maureen felt, but that's how I thought she might feel, so I limited my actions to avoid upsetting her.

She doesn’t get upset easily, but I didn’t want to show off.

"Amaka Richard, it's your turn to go in for your interview," Anita Edward said.

"Oh!" I quickly snapped out of my trance, rose from the guest chair, and adjusted my red top and black skirt.

"Ma'am, can I go in there with my handbag?" I asked, unsure if I could carry it in.

"Of course. Come with me," she ushered me to follow her and showed me a safe place where I could store my bag and keep the key until I returned to retrieve it.

"Thank you, ma'am," I told her, and she smiled.

"Hurry up and don’t keep our boss waiting," she said.

"Okay," I gulped and walked toward the boss's office.

I took a deep breath and entered the expansive office on the fifth floor, and my eyes landed on the man in the black suit seated behind the desk.

"What??!" I gasped, shocked to see Joseph Ericson as the boss of this new company. Why didn't I research him? How could I have forgotten to check about the new company I was coming to work for?

I tried to look away from him and leave his office. He appeared indifferent, as if he didn't know me.

"Are you Amaka Richard?" he asked, pretending not to recognize me.

Had I changed that much? How could he not recognize me just four years after our relationship?

My lips trembled as I attempted to respond to him. "Jo... Joseph. You own this company?" I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Excuse me, have we met before?" he asked. I shook my head; since he was pretending not to know me, I would pretend not to know him either. We had dated for three years—before he ran away. How couldn't he recognise me?