Chapter 1

“Ate Shaina!” her younger sibling shouted outside the bathroom door.

“Hey! You’ve been there for so long! Don’t you plan to come out?” the sibling added while she kept staring at the mirror.

She looked at her reflection again. Her outfit must be perfect. She spent the whole night just picking the right clothes. A white blouse ironed three times to make sure there were no wrinkles, a pencil skirt that hugged her waist—decent, but with a little style to look smart. She also wore heels, even if her toes felt like dying from the tight fit. But it was fine. As people say, beauty is pain for the future.

This will be my first job interview. It must be perfect.

“Ate Shaina! Come on! I need to poop here!” her sibling shouted again, doing nothing but ruining her day.

“Shut up! If I don’t get the job, I’ll ruin your future too. I’m fixing myself here, stop complaining!”

“It’s not about beauty, ‘te! It’s about brains,” the sibling teased again. Just because this sibling was smart and a little good-looking, they thought she couldn’t make it.

“Go to your room if you want to continue yelling. I really need to use the bathroom!”

No matter what was said, Shaina continued fixing herself. This was the only way she could fight for her future. And her future depended on it. It wasn’t just any interview—this was for a big and famous company.

If I get this job, I won’t come back to this boarding house.

She grabbed her phone from her shoulder bag to check the time. Exactly seven o’clock. Still early, she wouldn’t be late. After putting the phone back, she finally left the boarding house, shouting by the bathroom door to say goodbye to her sibling.

She thought she really had bad luck. It rained hard last night, and now the street was full of mud. She carefully avoided the puddles so her clothes would not get dirty.

Don’t think you’re unlucky, okay? You can do this. You need this job. If not, you might end up back in the province, she whispered to herself.

The company was only walking distance, so she didn’t bother to ride a jeep. She was about to keep walking when her phone rang. She stopped and quickly pulled it from her bag—just as a fancy car passed by.

It ran fast and went straight to the muddy side of the road. Before she could move, dirty water splashed all over her blouse.

“OH MY GOSH!” she almost screamed. She felt like someone threw dirty soup on her, only worse. She stomped her feet and shouted in frustration.

She looked at herself in the mirror of a small eatery nearby. Her blouse, the one she worked hard to prepare, was ruined. From “fresh look” she became “fresh from the mud” in seconds. People eating there looked at her, some even disgusted.

“Oh dear! Your blouse was so white,” said an old woman, sipping her soup.

Her anger rose, and she ran toward the car that had stopped, maybe to check if she was okay.

I am not okay! Stupid driver!

The tinted window rolled down. Inside, she saw the driver.

A man, maybe late twenties. Fair skin, sharp nose, the kind of face you see on a watch ad. He wore a dark gray suit that fit perfectly on his broad shoulders. Sunglasses too, even though it wasn’t sunny.

“Miss, are you okay?” he asked calmly, as if it wasn’t his fault she looked like she came from a sewer.

She gasped. “Okay?!” She pointed at her blouse dripping with mud. “Does this look okay to you? I have an interview, Sir, and because of your reckless driving, I now look like a Survivor contestant!”

He looked a bit surprised at her tone, but instead of getting mad, one corner of his lips lifted, amused. Which only made her angrier.

“I said I’m sorry,” he answered coldly. “I didn’t mean to. And… good luck on your interview.”

And then the car drove away, like nothing happened. She stood there, fuming.

Unbelievable!

She looked down at her blouse now full of mud, like abstract art.

“Arrogant man!” she snapped, rushing to still make it to the interview. “Whoever you are, I hope I never see you again!”

But of course, fate loved jokes.

When she reached the office, the receptionist announced, “The CEO will see you now.” She almost turned back.

Because when the door opened, there he was. Sitting on the swivel chair, relaxed like a king, staring straight at her.

The same man from the street.

Her future boss.

On the desk, the nameplate said: Lukas Vergara.

The devil in a luxury car.

Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard. If this were a movie, there would be a dramatic zoom-in and slow motion on the handsome CEO. Yes, he was handsome, but along with that came his awful attitude.

“Miss Dela Cruz?” Lukas asked, his voice cold but amused. His eyes went straight to her clothes, still stained with mud. She didn’t bother changing, afraid of being late. Maybe it was the right choice—at least he could see what he had done earlier.

Shaina held back a sigh. “Yes, sir. I’m the applicant for the secretary position.”

He raised his brow, almost surprised. “So it’s you.”

He didn’t explain if he meant the applicant—or the angry girl on the street.

It wasn’t her fault she shouted at him. He was also wrong, and he should take responsibility.

She looked him in the eye. “Sir, let’s just say… our first meeting wasn’t good.”

His brow furrowed slightly, and a teasing smile appeared. “That’s an understatement. You practically screamed at me in the street. That’s more than ‘not good.’”

She rolled her eyes, unable to stop herself. “Well, sorry. It’s not every day an applicant gets covered in mud before an interview.”

He gave a low chuckle that annoyed her even more. “You’re feisty.”

“Correction, sir,” she replied quickly. “I’m honest.”

Lukas paused, studying her words. Then he leaned back, fingers together, eyes still on her.

“You know, Miss Dela Cruz, most people would be scared to talk back to me like that. I like to scare my employees—it keeps them sharp.”

Shaina didn’t give in. “Congratulations then, sir. I wasn’t scared. Just pissed off.”

Silence fell for a moment, but there was amusement in his eyes. Finally, he gave a cold smile.

“Fine,” he said. “You’re hired.”

Her heart almost stopped. “Excuse me?”

“I said, you’re hired. Effective immediately.”

“That’s it?” She raised a brow. “No questions about my experience, skills, background—”

“No need,” he cut her off. “You’re bold enough to yell at me and crazy enough to argue with me. That’s rare. And entertaining.”

She crossed her arms, refusing to lose. “So you just want entertainment from your secretary?”

“No,” he said flatly. “But if you’re going to babysit me—which is basically what secretaries do—I need someone who won’t faint every time I raise my voice.”

She almost laughed. Babysit? Really?

“Babysit you? Sir, last time I checked, taking care of you is not part of the job description.”

Their eyes locked. Lukas, cold and arrogant. Shaina, brave but playful. Neither wanted to back down.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Miss Dela Cruz,” Lukas finally said, like it was final, before turning back to his laptop. For him, the talk was over.

Shaina walked out of the office with mixed feelings: shock, irritation, nervousness, and a little excitement she didn’t want to admit to anyone.

Starting tomorrow, she was officially a secretary.

And her boss? The very man she wished never to see again.