Unexpected Encounter: Daniel's Glimpse

AUTHOR’S POV:

A FEW MONTHS LATER:

It was a great day for the new graduates as they prepared in the morning to attend their graduation and celebrate later.

"Get yourself together. You can overcome anything," Liya said to herself while looking at the mirror for the last time after getting ready. She no longer felt like herself after easily catching her boyfriend cheating on her. Nevertheless, she was a brave young woman ready to face life's challenges, given everything life had thrown her way so far.

"Congratulations on securing the highest marks in college, Liya," one of Liya’s teachers congratulated her while she stood behind the stage. Liya nodded and smiled, not wanting to disturb anyone else with her personal problems.

"Liya, there you are. I've been looking for you all these days," David said, spotting her and marching towards her.

"Leave me alone, David, before I report you to the police for harassing me," Liya replied, feeling disgusted at the sight of him. She began to walk away, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Listen to me, Liya. I feel guilty for cheating on you like that. Please give me a chance. I truly love you," he said, expressing his guilt. However, Liya had now seen his true face, and it was impossible to deceive her any longer.

"Stop trying to fool me, David. I've had enough of you. Just get it through your head; it's over between us," Liya replied angrily.

"But I love you, babe. Give me a chance. You know very well that no one even gets interested in a weird girl. It was me who chose you, even without caring about your background, and you should be thankful…" David began to blabber, thinking it would make her surrender. However, he was abruptly stopped after receiving a resounding slap from her, making him realize that he had lost his last chance.

"Go to hell, David," she said firmly and walked away, leaving behind a fuming and bewildered David. He was both angry and confused about what had just transpired because the Liya he used to know would have never treated him this way.

Liya sat inside her car, reflecting on her actions. Instead of regret, she felt a sense of pride for standing up for herself.

A few days later, Liya was busy applying for jobs in her field, eagerly waiting for a response. She was determined to become self-sufficient and not depend on anyone else. As she was checking her emails, she found a message from DG Corp. She opened it instantly and, after reading it, she had to double-check and pinch herself to confirm if she was awake or in a dream.

"Oh my God! I can't believe the biggest business corporation in the country has finally accepted me. Well, I do have the educational qualifications, but how could they hire an inexperienced nobody like me as their employee? Nevertheless, it's just an interview," she said, a mix of excitement and confusion in her voice as she pondered this unexpected turn of events.

"Don't get too sad or so happy, girl. We've got a bigger fish to catch," Liya told herself as she accepted the interview invitation. Her interview was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

In the meantime, she started searching for the best interview tips and exercises, practicing diligently. Finally, the big day arrived, and she felt a whirlwind of emotions. It was her first interview, especially with such a prestigious company.

"Ma'am, please wait here. Your name will be called when it's your turn," one of the HR department employees, who had been assigned to manage the interviewees, instructed her as they guided her to her seat before leaving.

"Ms. Liya, please enter the testing room for your interview," she heard her name called. Taking a deep breath and steadying herself, she entered the room, determined to give it her best shot.

Inside, she was surprised to find only one person there to conduct the interview. Typically, there were more interviewers to evaluate candidates, but she dismissed her concerns, thinking it might be a unique company practice.

"So, you're Miss Liya. You look even better in person, dear," the interviewer said, eyeing her up and down. She offered a polite smile, feeling a bit uneasy but attributing it to the standard evaluation process.

"By the way, I'm called Hendrick, but you can call me Henry," he added, smiling in a way that made Liya feel a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm okay with calling you Hendrick, sir," Liya replied, hoping to maintain a professional tone.

"Your education and grades seem quite promising. But as you can see, you have no work experience, so you'll need to impress me here if you want a chance to proceed," he stated, continuing to scrutinize her.

"How can I impress you, sir? I can assure you that I am willing to excel in any task related to my major," Liya responded confidently.

"Simply excelling in your tasks won't secure you the job, darling. You need to possess many other talents, especially the talent to keep your boss satisfied," he said, rising from his seat and sitting on the table, facing Liya.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by that," she replied, growing increasingly confused by his actions.

"Don't play hard to get, dear. I have many other candidates to choose from. You just need to make me happy, and the position will be yours," he stated, grabbing her shoulder and staring at her meaningfully.

"Are you out of your mind? How dare you insult me like this? You need professional employees, not graduates," Liya retorted, removing his hand angrily.

"You've lost your mind, haven't you? But it's okay. I like it when girls act hard to get. Trust me, I can satisfy you very well," he replied, grabbing her hand and placing it on his chest, attempting to guide it into his pants.

"See, I'm already hard..." Hendrick was saying, but Liya had finally reached her breaking point. She slapped him as hard as she could, feeling disgusted with herself for even letting the situation get this far. Without waiting for a single second, she grabbed her bag and ran outside, tears streaming down her face, but hidden from view.

Liya collided with someone outside, not bothering to look up as she quickly apologized and continued on her escape. She didn't see the person she had bumped into, but that individual watched her bewildered.

"Mi Amore. It's fate. But why was she crying?" the person wondered aloud. That person happened to be Daniel Green, who was in town to attend a business meeting at his company. He entered the building, where employees were gathered around, and one of them was angrily yelling.

"Good morning, sir. We will clean up the mess. I apologize for the inconvenience," Hendrick explained, seeing his boss and the CEO of the company.

"What happened here?" Mr. Daniel inquired with his characteristic cold tone, sending shivers through the employees.

"A crazy interviewee disrupted the peace here, sir. We will handle everything," Hendrick replied, attempting to downplay the situation. However, Daniel noticed a photograph on the ground that had caught his interest. He picked it up and read her name, realizing that she had left the premises in tears for a reason.

"Sam, in my office," Daniel ordered his assistant and headed straight to his office.

"What are you all looking at? Get back to work," Hendrick scolded the employees, although everyone was well aware of his inappropriate behaviour.

"I want the footage and every testimony regarding this incident," Daniel instructed his PA.

"Sir, I will take care of it. There's no need for you to bother with such a small matter," Sam replied, confused by his boss's sudden interest in this issue.

"Just do as I asked," Daniel retorted, his words laced with anger.

"Miss Liya, I've finally found you, and this time I won't let you escape," he muttered, staring at her resume that he had picked up earlier.

A few hours later, Hendrick received an unusual summons to the CEO's office, a departure from their typical communication.

"You called for me, sir," Hendrick asked, wearing a proud smirk as he entered the boss's office.

"You are fired for misusing your power and harassing a prospective employee," Daniel spoke through gritted teeth, his anger evident upon learning what had transpired.

"Sir, that woman tried..." Hendrick began to explain but made a grave error by referring to her disrespectfully. In an instant, he found himself lifted off the ground as Daniel grabbed him by the neck.

"You've sealed your fate by calling her that. You son of a gun," Daniel snarled, an evil grin on his face.

"We've sent the appointment letter to her, but the chances of her accepting our offer are slim, sir," Sam interjected upon returning to the office, noticing some missing furniture and sensing his boss's anger.

"If she declines, send our official team to apologize. I want her here as soon as possible," Daniel instructed, his anticipation of finally meeting her again evident.

"But, sir, you already have a personal assistant," Sam noted, confused by his boss's unusual orders for the day.

"Another one won't hurt," Daniel replied, gesturing for Sam to leave as he began gathering more personal information about Liya using his most professional tracker.

"See you soon, baby girl. I can't wait to have you back in my arms. I haven't slept a wink since we were together," he murmured, staring at her pictures with longing.

Liya, on the other hand, felt a sense of calm after taking a cold shower. She couldn't believe a company with such a high reputation had an employee like Hendrick. She checked her phone and found another email.

"Are they trying to play games with me again?" she muttered angrily, her frustration building.