Chapter 4

Tristan drove them to her apartment and went in with her.

"Babe, I can't believe you landed a new job in such a huge place! I'm so proud of you girl." He praised her and Carly blushed softly.

"Thank you. Jasmine was the push." She replied humbly.

"Well then, I gotta thank her as well. Man, I'm so happy for you." He kissed her cheek and Carly giggled.

She changed into more comfortable clothes and lay with her head on his lap.

"You seem so tired though, is it that stressful?"

"Kinda. But it's just for this first week. After this, Boss says the workload will be reduced." She responds, stiffing a yawn.

"Alright, go to sleep. I'll stay till Jas returns." He said.

Carly nodded, and within five minutes, she was off to Dreamland. She slept so deeply that she didn't know when Tristan left, nor how her new tablet which she just received from LanTech disappeared as well.

When she awoke, it was already morning. She was almost late for work. She hurried to dress and that's when she noticed her tablet was missing.

"Jas… Jas!" She shook the girl awake.

"Oh Carly, what's the matter?"

"Jas, did you see any LanTech tablet anywhere? I can't find it!" She panicked.

"No girl. Where did you keep it?"

"Right with... oh my God! My savings box is empty?!" Carly began to cry softly. Jasmine woke up fully at that.

"Woah, girl! Did you have anyone here with you last night?" She asked.

"Yeah. Tristan was here, didn't you meet him? He said he was going to stay till you returned." Carly said.

"Well, I didn't meet him. I met you on the bed, so I assumed you got the job and were really tired from working. Come to think of it, the box was broken when I got in."

Carly groaned angrily. She picked up her phone and dialed his number, but it wasn't reachable.

"I'm sure there's an explanation. Oh, shit! I'm running late. I have to go already."

"Let me drop you then. I can always resume my rest. Today is an off-work day for me." Jasmine suggested.

"Thanks sis."

Jasmine drove pretty quickly so that Carly could get to work on time. At least, something bad was avoided that day. Carly's entire mood was south that day. She was so troubled and disturbed, and unfocused as well. She didn't know how to tell the manager that she had misplaced the new tablet she was given! And that she suspected her roguish boyfriend. She groaned mildly again.

Currently, she was in the company's cafeteria. Every day, they could get free food from the cafeteria with a special card. But, by the end of the month, whatever the total amount of the food was taken from their salary before they're paid. It was a nice setup, at least she knew she wasn't spending so much by eating a burger and smoothie every day. Just about 10$ a day.

Occasionally she would check her phone to see if he had replied to her texts, or returned her call. She had only taken two bites from her burger, and a sip from her smoothie when her phone rang. Without checking the caller, she picked up.

"Tristan, I've been calling you all day! Where have you been?" She shouted angrily into the phone.

"Woah, it's Jasmine. And I wanted to know if he had called but I take it that he hasn't." She chuckled slowly. "You gotta calm down girl. Don't go about lashing people today. You are also at fault, okay?"

"Jas…" Carly whined. "I don't know what to do!"

"Well, I do. And it's not to get angry. You know what happens when you get angry. Try to be alone, okay?"

"Oh, alright."

"And, perhaps you can track it down... or ask the manager or anyone about it. But, let's just keep calling him for today. Okay?"

"Okay, Jas. Thank you so much!"

"Anytime."

Carly dropped the call. She packed her burger in a cellophane bag and carried her smoothie cup. She was about to return to her office. A worker bumped into her, hitting her smoothie and causing it to fall out of her hand.

"Hey, watch it!" The man scolded. Carly pulled the man back and twisted his hand so forcefully that it dislocated with a loud crack sound. The man yelped in pain, but Carly kept her grip tight.

"Apologize!"

"I'm sorry!" He screamed in pain. She still squeezed his wrist the more.

"What's going on here?" Landon's voice resounded throughout the entire cafeteria. Everyone gave way for him to come. Carly slowly dropped the man's arm.

"My office, now!" Landon ordered. Carly glared behind him and followed him to his office.

"What the heck is wrong with you?! Does this place look like a bar? Where you can do whatever you like and go away with it? Are you that reckless or you're plain stupid?!" Landon screamed. "Look at what you did to a worker, my worker! Can you afford to pay for his hospital bill?!"

"Sir-"

"Oh, shut up! Do you think this is a place for lowly people? Don't you dare carry your stupid waitress character into a big and dignified company? Especially not as my secretary. Now, get out!"

Carly could feel her heart break with each word he spoke to her. Slowly, she turned and left his office, to hers. Which was just outside his office.