Chapter 2. First Day at Work
Upon returning home, Eve immediately prepared herself for work at Vinestra Group. It was a large company in the heart of New York City where Eve had just been hired after a long process of interviews and competitive tests. Understandably, the reputable company attracted many fresh graduates, leading to tough competition.
Luckily, Eve managed to pass and received a job offer starting the next day, Monday, at the beginning of July. The only child of young parents, Mr. James Ravenwood and Mrs. Kate Ravenwood, successfully impressed the HRD department head, convincing him that she was ready to meet deadlines and work well within a team.
She had prepared everything she needed, from her work attire, which she ironed neatly after picking it up from the laundry to her work bag. It was filled with necessary stationery that she might need, and of course, she didn't forget to bring her wallet and makeup box. Yes, being a girl could be quite complicated.
"I'm leaving, Mom!" she called out from behind, kissing her mother's cheek as she stood by the sink, washing the family's breakfast dishes.
"Did you bring your packed lunch, Eve?" Mr. James asked, still sitting at the table, sipping his coffee.
"It's in my bag, Dad!" Eve replied, approaching her father and kissing him on the cheek as well. She then hurriedly ran out of the house towards her metallic blue automatic car, which had been her vehicle since her college days.
The clock showed 06:30, but Eve was in a rush to get to the office. At least on her first day, she couldn't afford to be late. It was better to be seen as a diligent employee from the beginning rather than being labeled as someone who was always late.
She drove at a moderate speed, and the morning traffic in New York City was surprisingly smooth. Mondays could be prone to heavy traffic, so Eve had taken precautions by leaving much earlier. However, there was only a slight congestion that quickly dissipated, allowing Eve to reach the office without significant obstacles. She continued humming her favorite song playing from the music player on her car's dashboard until she arrived at the grand and luxurious building where her office was located.
Following the other cars that entered the basement parking area, she searched for a partially empty parking spot. Many people hadn't arrived at that early hour. Finally, she entered through the main entrance of the building and headed to the elevator to go up to the 4th floor, where the staff office for marketing was located. Yes, she was accepted in the managerial marketing department, directly under the supervision of a marketing manager who was said to need an assistant. She hadn't met her yet, except for being informed that her name was Ms. Jenny.
"Miss Eve, the new assistant, right?" Ms. Jenny asked as she entered the room.
Eve immediately stood up from her chair and respectfully nodded, "Yes, I'm Eve, ma'am. Nice to meet you. I'm ready to assist you."
Ms. Jenny smiled slightly and placed a stack of files on Eve's desk.
"These are your tasks. Study and check everything related to the company's marketing strategies, as well as the daily, weekly, and monthly reports. All the summaries are in there. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask. Once you understand everything, I'll assign you to start preparing this month's summary." Ms. Jenny gave her instructions while flipping through the stack of files to ensure nothing was missing.
"Alright, ma'am. I will check and study them first," Eve replied, her eyes widening in surprise as she didn't expect to start working on her first day. Wasn't she supposed to have an internship first instead? Doesn't an internship usually involve receiving training first? Ah, well. She could only hope to be able to perform any tasks assigned by her superior without making any mistakes, so her difficulties during the interview wouldn't end up being in vain.
Hour after hour passed, and Eve was immersed in the stack of files that proved to be quite complex. The company conducted various types of marketing, and she had to quickly familiarize herself with all of them. Although her role was only as a manager's assistant, she might be asked to handle the marketing team in the future or something similar, so she had to study diligently. Oh my!
During the lunch break, Eve felt the weight on her shoulders instantly lifted. She wanted to go out and have lunch in the cafeteria to recharge her energy and alleviate the stress of her first day at work. She quickly went down to the ground floor and walked towards the cafeteria. However, from a distance, she spotted a man who seemed familiar.
"Oh my goodness! Is that...?" She unintentionally stared at the man dressed in a neat suit with wavy hair and a charming face as he walked past her. He was accompanied by two other men who were listening attentively to his instructions with serious expressions.
Perhaps due to the intensity of Eve's gaze, the man stopped and returned her gaze.
For a moment, silence filled the air as their eyes tried to recognize each other. Memories flashed back to a few nights ago when they accidentally met!
"Hey! You...?" The man also seemed to remember Eve's face.
And in an instant, Eve, who felt like she was in danger, quickly walked away while saying, "No, no, I mistook you for someone else! I'm sorry!"
She half-ran away from there because she didn't want to be recognized as the daring and crazy girl by someone who seemed to hold an important position at Vinestra. Oh my! Can the world be this small, dear God? She half-screamed to herself while continuing to walk towards the cafeteria.
Upon reaching the cafeteria, she ordered an iced lemon tea and opened her packed lunch, quickly taking bites. She then contacted one of her close friends who also participated in the beach event a few days ago.
"Cindy, you surely remember the guy I confessed to at the beach, right? Oh my goodness! Who would have thought he's also from Vinestra? My boss himself! Dear God!" Eve exclaimed into her phone as she heard the ringing tone from the other side.
"It turns out to be true!" A baritone voice startled Eve, who was concentrating on recounting the story to her friend. She instinctively turned around, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the man from earlier standing right behind her, eavesdropping on her conversation!
"I knew it! You impudent girl from the beach! What are you doing here, huh? Don't tell me you've been hired as a new employee in my company!" The man continued his words, which now left Eve dumbfounded and shocked.