CHAPTER 5

She tried calling Emily again to see if she could help out but Emily told her that she was in school so she wouldn’t be able to help her out. She prayed for a miracle for the next five minutes before the meeting starts but nothing happened.

The meeting time finally came and they got to the meeting hall and found Chairman Holland, the owner of the Holland group in which Shellhouse is just a subsidiary sitting down there.

“You didn’t tell me that you will be here today” he said to his father as he took his seat

“Do I have to announce that I am coming to my own company? Start the meeting and do not mind me” Chairman Holland grunted.

All things needed were presented and the meeting was about to be drawn to a close when Chairman Holland suddenly requested for sales report.

“I forgot it at home and I couldn’t go back to retrieve it. If I get home, I will send it to you mail unfailingly sir” Amber quickly responded and bowed in apology

Chairman Holland slammed the table and thundered “Do you think I don’t know that you are covering up for his incompetent ass? He didn’t pay attention to something like this because of his nonchalant attitude! How can you not get the sales report ready by this time and make your secretary take the fall? If you cannot run the company properly then get out and let me hire a professional!”, making already tensed Amber shake to pieces.

She tried rushing to interrupt that she was the one at fault but Tom motioned for her to stop. He bowed “I am sorry father” but Chairman Holland slammed “Why are you calling me father? I am here as the Chairman!” and Tom bowed again with a soft “I am sorry Chairman Holland”

“I am giving you the last chance, don’t let me throw you out” Chairman Holland growled and left the meeting hall.

Amber was rushing to catch up with the footstep of her boss as they head back to the office. They entered the office and she rushed to follow him into his office so she could apologize once again

“I am really sorry for my silly mistake sir. I shouldn’t have made such a mistake” she pleaded and bowed

“You too know that it was a silly mistake right?” he shouted at her as he loosened his tie and she was taken aback. She quickly pleaded “I am sorry sir, this will never happen again” but he scoffed as he walked closer to her while fuming hard.

She kept walking back away from him but he didn’t stop walking closer till her back touched the wall. He placed his hand on the wall at the back to lean closer to her “It will not happen again? Yes it can never happen because as from tomorrow you are no longer an employee here anymore” he fired at her.

It took some seconds before what she heard him say to register in her head. She could not believe that she was getting fired just like that but come to think of it, the mistake didn’t seem to be a small one considering the way his father lashed at him back at the meeting room.

All her outstanding debts and fees flashed in her face in the split of a second and she knew that she was in a big trouble. She already quit at the club and was expecting a raise in few months’ time but now she’s being fired? How will she survive in Chicago?

She got down on her knees with immediate effect, letting go of all her pride as she rubbed her palms together in a pleading manner. She cried out “I am extremely sorry for everything that had happened. I made a silly mistake and made you go through such insults, I know there is nothing I can say to make you feel better but I am ready to do anything to calm your anger and make up for the incident” and he stopped to look at her

He crouched down to her level “You will do anything to calm my anger and make up for the incident?” he asked. The look in his eyes was scary to her, it was something she had never seen in her three years of working with him. It was as if he finally achieved his aim and that he was glad she was begging him like that but who cares? She wants her job back and that is all that matters.

She quickly replied with a sober tone “Yes sir! I will make sure to do everything so please tell me what you want” and he smirked before slowly raising his hand to stroke aside the stray hair on her face which made her dumfounded “You already gave your word, I hope it will not change so see you tomorrow Miss Amber” he said with a deep voice and rose to his feet.

She was still on her knees there looking at him as he went back to his desk because she could not understand what the statement, the smirk and the stroking of hair was all about.

“We need to step out in the next one hour so please prepare Miss Amber” he ordered from his desk and that jolted her back to reality

She quickly rose to her feet, cleaned her knees and straightened her skirt before bowing to him and walked out of the office. Different thoughts ran through her head as she sat down on her desk while trying to get other things done before he calls for their outing.

She was having a weird feeling but she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was. As she was getting her things done, her mind would wander around what exactly his requirement could be for a while but she tried her best to wave it away and focus on her job

“As long as I get to keep my job” she muttered as she started working away on her system.

They left the office, drove for close to thirty minutes and got to a building in one of the downtown houses. He parked the car somewhere and they both alighted from the car to walk down the sloppy road for up to five minutes.

He opened the gate to leading to the medium white house standing at the middle of the compound and they both walked in with him leading the way. He pressed in the passcode and the door opened to see a room so neat and well kept, every of the furniture there screamed money and his print was all over the house because everything there was well organized which was one of the things he loves.

He turned to her with a smirk and said “Welcome to another world Amber” which only made her nervous as her eyes landed on the same painting that was in his office hanging at the corner of the room.

Seeing how he called her by her name, she was not sure about what was going on anymore and the place was not even familiar to her. She gradually took some steps backward and tried to run out of the house but the door was locked by the time she got there. She turned back to see Tom dangling the key in his hands and he smiled.

“What have I gotten myself into?” she thought as her heart beat increased.