Chapter 4

“You will be the personal secretary of Mr. Ethan Steinfield, the CEO of this company.”

Shocked to hear it from the Human Resource manager, Michelle could only gasp, still looking at the HR manager who briefed her about her position.

“Ms. Finley?”

She came back to her senses and blinked a few times. “Y-Yes?”

“Were you listening?”

“I am, I apologize,” she answered, trying to compose her thoughts.

Just when she thought she could get away from the man she didn’t want to cross paths with, fate brought her into a nerve wracking situation, again.

But what choice did she have? She needed this job more than anything else. Her pride could not provide for her.

“His office is located on the 78th floor. You can go up now and wait for the CEO to give you orders.”

She went out of the manager’s office and walked her way out of the Human Resource floor. Michelle walked past the group of employees who were having a conversation in one office cubicle.

“There she is. I heard she blacked out during the interview.”

“She’s not that qualified to be Mr. Steinfield’s secretary. I wonder what she did to get the position!”

Michelle felt a pang inside her chest when she heard those comments from the employees. She wondered how she got accepted too, let alone became the CEO's personal secretary.

When she finally reached the elevator, she pushed the button and composed herself. Michelle knew that she had more important things on her mind other than her co-workers' impression of her.

One of them was the CEO.

The elevator door opened. She was about to enter when she became aware of the presence of someone, specifically the CEO, who was inside of it. Leaning his back against the cold metallic wall with his hand slid into his pocket, he looked at her sternly.

Michelle gasped and lowered her gaze to avoid his intense stare.

“Are you going to get in or what?” His domineering voice made her heart panic.

She got in the elevator and pushed the close button, wincing as she stood in the right corner in front of the buttons. Why were they the only ones in the elevator, anyway?

“Aren’t you going to greet your boss?”

Without looking at him, she spoke, “Good morning, Sir…”

The man chuckled a bit. “I thought I wouldn’t see you after that night. You disappeared into thin air as if nothing happened.”

Michelle’s heart raced so fast. She swallowed so hard and licked her lower lip.

“Sir, c-can we please be professional w-while at work?" she stuttered and shut her eyes firmly.

She knew she wasn’t in the right position to ask for them to work professionally, but she still pushed her chance while she still had a little courage in her.

“I’m quite impressed you’re asking me that, Mika.”

Mika! That was the nickname she used at the club.

She then froze in place as she felt him step forward near enough for her to feel his cool, minty breath brushing against her neck.

“After that night we shared, aren’t we supposed to skip formalities,” he remarked. His voice sent shivers down her spine.

Michelle caught her breath when she felt his hand rubbing her shoulder. Panic went through her, to the point that she rushed out of the elevator as soon as it opened on the wrong floor.

***

“I-I apologize for my actions, Mr. Steinfield,” she said, mustering her courage to utter those words when she went to his office.

“How about you say that again while looking at me, Ms. Finley?” His menacing, deep voice made her hold her breath again,

She inhaled heavily and raised her head to meet his pair of marble gray eyes. “I apologize for what happened, Mr. Steinfield. I didn’t mean to run away like that.”

There she said it.

“You ran away twice; in the hotel and in the elevator. Which one were you apologizing for?”

Michelle’s whole body tensed but then she answered, “The one in the elevator, Mr. Steinfield.”

“Hmm, that’s upsetting. I can’t forget what happened that night.” He breathed hard as he leaned forward, settling his arms on the desk. “How we had a very good time on the bed; how you moan because of my kisses.”

“I didn’t come here to go down the memory lane of...” she trailed off, fisting her hand. “...of what happened that night. I can hardly remember it for I was drunk.”

Ethan stood up, walking towards her that made Michelle stiffen in her stance. She could only suck in a deep breath when she felt his warm hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her.

“I can make you remember.”

“No.” She moved away from him and glared at him. “Again, I... I didn’t come here for that.”

“You have no idea how your angst gives me a boner.” He wryly smiled. “I can offer you more if you submit to me.”

Michelle was quite hurt. She didn’t expect to hear such a vulgar offer from the CEO himself. Did he really see her as a cheap woman?

“I apologize, Sir, but I want to work professionally. If it’s not too much to ask, let’s forget what happened that night.” She inhaled sharply. “It was a drunken mistake.”

The man’s expression turned grim, which made her legs wobble. However, seconds later, he spoke once again.

“Interesting.” He licked his lower lip. “Since you asked that we keep being professional, I’ll try to pretend that that night didn’t happen.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed, and then he pointed his index finger to the right side of his desk, where there were piled-up documents. “Read all of those reports for me and create a summary report. I need it done before five o’clock.”

Michelle frowned. It’s a thick pile of documents!

“O-Okay, Mr. Steinfield…” were the only thing she said before she walked near his desk and took all the documents and left his office.

It was a good thing that her desk was located outside his office. She huffed out loud and started reading those business proposals and reports, and it took her hours before she was able to come up with a summary she could submit.

It was nearly time to go home when she rose to her feet and submitted her initial task.

“Is this all what you can give me?”

“S-Sir?” Michelle looked confused.

“I am not satisfied with this. Revise it, Ms. Finley. I need it polished by tomorrow afternoon!” Ethan’s voice boomed inside the office. The man exhaled and offered him a displeased stare. “Take it home with you and do not disappoint me tomorrow!”

***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud bang on the door had woken up Michelle. Fear struck her chest instantly as she heard the familiar unruly voice of an old man from the outside of their apartment. That woke up Megan too, and both of them looked at each other worriedly.

“That’s your dad,” Megan said, swallowing hard.

“I will get it.” Michelle gestured her to stay on the bed.

Michelle could feel her palms sweating as she walked to the door. When she tried to open it, she saw her father, who looked like a mess; too wasted and smelled of reek alcohol.

“Dad? You’re drunk. What are you doing—”

He immediately grabbed her arms. Michelle flinched as she felt the pain in his grip.

“Dad, let go of me!”

“Goddammit, I owed a fucking a hundred thousand dollars. Give me some money now! I’m going to pay him! Come on!” he yelled at her.

“What? But I don’t have that much of money, Dad!”

“I can tell you’re hiding money from me again!” He slapped her so hard that she fell to the floor. “Give me some money now!”

Her eyes went teary. It wasn’t that long ago when she paid off his debt from the loan shark, and here he was, drunk and asking her for some money again!

“Michelle!” Megan rushed towards her.

Some of the people in the apartment building went out. Michelle felt more embarrassed as her father made a fuss in her supposed safest haven in the middle of the night.

“Dad, please! Don’t make a scene here! I’m begging you!”

But his father only looked at her angrily and even tried to throw her a punch if not for Megan who covered her.

“I’m going to call the cops if you don’t leave, Sir!” Megan shouted.

But her father didn’t flinch a bit. “Didn’t you hear me, Mich? I said, I fucking owe someone money. You have to give me some! Do you want your father to get killed?”

To her surprise, he shoved Megan aside. He grabbed Michelle by the collar of her pyjama top.

“Dad, no! Please, don’t do this!” She gasped with pain, trying to remove his hands off her but he only gripped her tighter.

“Again! Give me some fucking money!” he screamed out loud.

Humiliated when the crowd started whispering about them, she had no choice but to nod in the end.

“I’ll help you, Dad! B-But give me two days. I’ll find a way to get the money you need.” She sobbed. “I promise.”

Her father grinned from ear to ear.

“Just two days, Mich! I’m warning you. You have to give me the money or else I’ll disown you!” he yelled and then shoved her to the wall. “What a fucking useless child!” He then walked away.

Michelle sucked in a breath, unable to stop her tears from falling.

“Mich!” Megan held her immediately, engulfing her in a hug.

Panic went through her, thinking that she agreed to give him a huge amount of money. “What should I do now, Meg? He needs a lot of money!”