Chapter 5: The Confidential Document

Ashley

I woke up and checked the time as usual.

Nothing is as usual.

I am definitely fired.

I suck.

I should die.

I think I should stop cursing myself and call him to apologize.

I took my phone and hastily dialed his number. I know he must be boiling in anger by now. Oh god, he is not even picking the phone. I am doomed. I AM TOTALLY DOOMED. It is fucking 9:17.

He picked it up but the line went silent.

“Um… sir,” I said in a low tone.

He didn’t reply for a moment but then exhaled loudly. “In my cabin in 10 minutes”

“Yes, sir” I replied and the call ended.

Woah. Just when I thought that everything was going amazing, suddenly I have to go through all this because of my stupid sleep.

I ran all the way to my bathroom and then changed my clothes. I barely combed my hair when I called a cab.

Which cabin, by the way?

Headquarters?

I called him but he didn’t pick up. I don’t know any other cabin of his anyway, so I went to the headquarters.

As I reached the reception, I saw Kate.

“Hey Kate,” I said to her.

“Um… hello Ashley. Are you alright?”

“Don’t I look alright…?” I glanced at myself.

“No, you are fine. But I don’t think boss is” she said and a shiver ran down my spine.

Damn.

I ran to his cabin and knocked. I entered and I saw him working on his laptop. As he saw me, he closed his laptop and looked at me completely. The look on his face told it all, I am done.

“Sir, I can explain—”

“You overslept?” he asked in a certain demanding tone.

“Yes sir” I confessed. “I don’t know, my alarm—”

“Didn’t ring?”

“Yes, sir…” I looked down.

“Sit down” he instructed and I took a seat across him.

“Are you my PA or someone else’s?”

“W-What do you mean, sir?” I suddenly didn’t like the way he talked.

“The TBCCD’s security was compromised,” he said and kept his elbow on the table as he leaned forward. “And you are suddenly late today”

“The Brown Company’s Confidential Document? It is… I-I have nothing to do with that, sir” I felt extremely bad at the allegations.

“Really, Ms. Ashley?” he leaned back. “You were and are the only one who saw it”

“Sir… I…” I didn’t know how to make him believe. “I… I swear I didn’t do anything”

“Swearing is a sin, Ms. Ashley” he stood up. “At least when you are lie-swearing”

Was he for real? Till yesterday everything was going just fine and now suddenly he is blaming me for a security breach in his confidential documents? I can’t believe this man! He was… I thought he trusted me. Like I did.

“I don’t know how to make you believe…” I scoffed and stood up too. “But one thing is for sure. I am not doing this job”

I turned around but as I neared the gate, it was locked. I turned around; he had locked it using his phone.

“Talk, Ash,” he whispered. “Friendly advice”

“I-I can’t believe this. Are you threatening me? Gosh,” I stood at my place.

“I am not, Ms. Ashley. But I just wanna know… who do you work for?”

I stood as I found myself scoffing. Work for?

“Isn’t it you who I work for?” I stated the obvious.

“See, Ash, do it the easy way”

“You know what, Mr. Brown?” I said as I again took the doorknob in my hand. “I really thought you trusted me. Like I did”

“It is difficult to trust people, Ms. Ashley, and I told you on the first day, you can’t trust anybody,” he said leaning against the table.

“I trusted you, sir, I did”

“But I couldn’t, okay? You can call them trust issues or whatever!” he almost yelled.

“And I also had those, you know?” I yelled at him back. “It is very difficult for me to trust someone after everyone left! Everyone just left! After I was harassed at my job! It was hell difficult to trust you!!”

I kept a hand on my mouth as I realized, I got too deep in my words. This was personal. I shouldn’t have spoken that.

I kept my hand on the knob and tried opening it, but apparently, it was still locked. I didn’t know, I was embarrassed and I wanted to run away. The room fell silent after he heard me and slowly, I heard the door open and I ran away.

I ran down to Kate. I want to resign. I ruined everything and moreover, he blamed me. He doesn’t trust me. I can’t be his PA if he doesn’t.

“Hey, you alright? Why are you crying?” she asked and I realized that I was really crying.

“N-Nothing, Kate. I wanna resign” I told and she looked taken aback.

“No, don’t, Ashley. I know he has a quite bad temper but you really shouldn’t—”

“Please” I cut her off. I can’t listen to all this.

“If that’s what you want, Ashley” she sadly took out one paper and I saw the title, Resignation Document. His signs were already there, only I had to fill the form.

I filled in my details and the date. I was about to sign when I heard him.

“Don’t sign it Ash, please” he said and I was shocked.

Was he really asking or rather ‘pleading’ me to not sign these documents? Even after he thought that I am betraying him? Why?

I heard footsteps approaching and he snatched the paper from my hand. He looked at me and then tore the papers.

“You work under me, Ash,” he said. “And I say you are not leaving”

“But…” I sobbed. “Why? You don’t trust me and moreover, you think I did that. I of all people?”

He looked down and threw the papers in the dustbin and came to me. He looked in my eyes.

“I apologize for that”