CHAPTER 9

Judith’s POV

I stood there, startled, as I watched him yell angrily and glare murderously at me as if I had wronged him in his previous life. Everything transpired in a blink of an eye, leaving me utterly dumbfounded and profoundly embarrassed by the attention he had garnered. Tears welled up in my eyes as he stormed into his office. "What an asshole,"  I thought bitterly.

Reflecting on how he had interacted with me during the interview, I could have sworn to everyone that they were wrong about him, but I guess he merely pitied me; that’s probably why I got the job so easily.

I blame myself for resuming work late. I lamented that had I been here earlier, I could have avoided all this mess by checking his preferences and making the coffee ahead of time.

"Oh goodness, I'm already getting into trouble on my first day," I muttered, smacking my head in frustration. I wiped away my tears and sat down, feeling dejected.

"Don't beat yourself too hard,"  I heard someone say in a whisper, which interrupted my thoughts. Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar face, and it was a nice-looking guy in front of me. He was smiling and exuding warmth, unlike my cold boss.

Extending his hand for a handshake, he introduced himself as John, the chauffeur. I took his hand and introduced myself as the new PA, even when I knew I might lose my job soon. 

He gave me a reassuring smile and said, "He’s a bully. He drains you physically, mentally, and emotionally. But don't worry, you'll get used to it and feel better when you see your fat paycheck," he laughed, while I wondered what was so funny.

I inquired on how long he has been working for him because I never knew how he would be able to keep his job and his surviving mechanism because all enthusiasm for working with him had already dashed away, and I doubted if I would last a week.

He affirms that he has been working for six months and assures me that I will be fine as long as I obey his instructions, emphasizing his being a perfectionist, whereas he lacks perfection himself.

I was quite surprised by the comment about Nathan's imperfection. Because, to me, aside from his nasty attitude, he seems perfect. Choosing not to press further, I thanked John.

He was headed towards the exit when he turned back and mentioned that he prefers his latte coffee—not too creamy, not too sugary, and not too hot, just somewhere in between.

"Okay, thanks so much, James,” I said again and heaved a sigh of relief, though not without wondering about his weird coffee preference. I bid him goodbye and watched him get into the elevator.

Once he left, I felt a bit better, thankful for the working tips I got from John. I went to the coffee maker and emptied a sachet of latte in it with 2 cubes of sugar and minimal hot water, carefully following James instructions.

In less than three minutes, I was done making the coffee. As I made my way to his office, my heart kept racing like a child who has offended her parents and will definitely get scolded by them. When I got to the door, I calmed myself down and knocked on the door. I was about to knock for the third time when I heard his cold and husky voice. "Come in”.

I entered his immaculate and opulently furnished office, nearly the size of my living room and smelling pleasantly. I couldn’t help but marvel at the luxury and cleanliness. Clearly, the cleaners had gone to great lengths to keep the place spotless to avoid his wrath.

"I would never understand rich people. What’s the use of a big office when it is just for one person—the rich and their ways, though?" I thought as I stood there. I felt my palms sweaty and my legs a little wobbly, but I managed to regain my balance and confidence.

Hearing him speak respectfully with someone over the phone with his back turned to me made me amazed. The person on the other end must be in higher authority for him to be so calm; I guess an asshole like him has someone who he respected massively.

He looked incredibly handsome in his brown suit. He dressed so simply yet elegantly. "If only he were as nice as he looks, he would have been the most perfect man on earth,"  I mused inwardly.

"Judith, what are you thinking about? You are here to work and earn a living, and work you  shall," I drew myself away from further assessing him.

"He can't be with me, even if he is perfect. I'm a single mother of two who has been broken and dejected. What would he do with me anyway?" I asked myself.

"Father, at least you should appreciate the effort I put in before throwing out the proposal outright, and I'm definitely not coming up with another one,"  I heard him say before finally ending the call.

"Sir, your coffee is ready," I said, moving closer to his table.

"And which type is it?" He demanded, curiously.

"It's a latte, sir." I replied as I placed the coffee on the table.

"Drop it, and please, next time use the phone, I don't appreciate strangers walking into my personal space unannounced," he said as he unbuttoned the first button on his shirt and sat down in the executive chair.

Running my eyes across him was unavoidable. I could see his neck and his upper abs. "Oh damn, how can a man be this sexy?" I thought. 

"Okay, sir,"  I said as I turned to leave.

"Let me know my schedule for today." 

"Okay, sir," I said, gently closing the door. 

I sat down in my office, just noticing how luxurious and well furnished it was—something I had failed to notice earlier. I instantly fell in love with the interior design; it looked like it was designed according to my preference.

"Oh, Judith. You now have a personal office too," my mind teased, and I smiled gratefully. I never had a personal office; even when I worked at the bank, I shared the office with two others.

I heard the phone ring, interrupting my thoughts. "Come here,"  he said angrily.

"Okay."  I was about to respond when he hung up abruptly.

Another bad attitude was detected. He gave orders without even waiting for a response, but he sounded really angry again.

What have I done this time? I queried myself, caught between curiosity and fear.

My first day at work is really going bad, and it’s draining me already. I wish I could just leave, but I needed the job to cater for myself and my babies.

"Well, let's go find out," I said to myself as I stood up reluctantly.