CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6 - Aria’s POV (FLASHBACK)

Back in the assistant’s area, I returned to my desk like nothing happened and resumed working. But thirty minutes later, Karen suddenly snapped her fingers in front of my face.  

"Hey, you've been staring at the same spreadsheet for five minutes,” she noticed.  

I blinked before forcing a smile. "Sorry."

She chuckled. "It's your first day. You'll get used to the workload."

"I hope so."

"Come on," she said, standing up from her chair. "Let's eat before the cafeteria gets crowded."

I nodded gratefully. "I would love that."

The executive cafeteria occupied the entire twenty-eighth floor. Unlike ordinary office cafeterias, this one resembled a high-end restaurant and I wondered if everyone had access to the cafeteria. 

“This building has three cafeterias to accommodate everyone,” Karen mentioned even if I didn’t ask yet. 

“Seriously? How much does Thompson’s make in a year to have this kind of service?” I couldn’t help but wonder. 

Karen just shrugged. “We don’t have access to the finance records, that’s not our job you know, but I’m sure they earn more than enough to sustain our free meals.”

Damn it!  My father couldn’t beat William Thompson when it came to employee benefits! 

"I wasn't expecting this," I admitted as we carried our lunch trays.

Karen laughed. "Welcome to Thompson Enterprises!”

We settled at an empty table near the window, and then for the first few minutes, we talked about work. She patiently explained the filing system, Richard's schedule, and the responsibilities of every executive assistant.

Then she suddenly smiled. "So..."

I looked up. "So?"

"I heard you were personally recruited by Chairman Thompson."

Word certainly traveled fast.  "I guess."

Karen whistled. "That's impressive!” 

"I didn't know it was a big deal."

She leaned closer. "It is! The Chairman rarely recruits people himself."

Before I could respond, hurried footsteps echoed through the cafeteria. Someone was running and I noticed one of the assistants earlier rushing inside, completely out of breath. Her cheeks were flushed as she searched the room with wide eyes.

"There you are!"

She hurried straight toward our table. 

Karen frowned. "What happened?” 

The woman grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. "There's... there's a commotion upstairs!” 

Karen immediately stood. "What kind of commotion?"

"It's Miss Natalia!" 

My heart skipped.

"What about her?" Karen asked.

The assistant lowered her voice, but everyone nearby was already listening. "She was fired."

Silence fell over our table and  Karen stared at her in disbelief.

"What?" she asked. 

"The Chairman dismissed her himself!”

My grip tightened around my fork. "No warning?"

The assistant shook her head. "No suspension either. She was fired on the spot."

I exchanged a glance with Karen. “Did you hear why she was fired?”

She whispered again. “I heard the chairman caught her being cozy with Richard Thompson!”

“Oh well, it’s about time,” Karen stated as if she had long waited for Natalia to be out of the picture. 

"Security escorted her out of the executive floor, and she didn’t like it. She threatened about pressing charges.” 

Someone at the next table gasped. "That's impossible! Natalia has worked here for years and she is practically irreplaceable!” 

As rumors spread faster than wildfire, Karen slowly sat back down. Like me, she couldn’t believe it either. Just a few hours ago, Natalia had been smiling while showing me around the office. 

A strange feeling settled in my chest because I knew the truth. If only I lied to Mr. William Thompson that Richard wasn’t in the office, then the old man would probably just leave. In that case, he would never see his grandson being inappropriate with the secretary. 

Before I could organize my thoughts, I saw Natalia storming into the cafeteria. Her eyes searched frantically for someone, and then they landed on me. For a split second, everything around us seemed to fall silent. 

Even Karen looked confused. "Natalia?" she called cautiously.

Natalia ignored her and then she marched straight toward our table, her heels striking the floor with sharp, angry clicks, and every step made my heart beat faster. Then, she stopped directly in front of me.  

"So..." she said, her voice trembling with rage. "You're happy now?"

I frowned. "I'm sorry?"

"You got what you wanted,” she claimed. 

I snapped my brows. "I don't understand."

"Oh, stop pretending!" she snapped and people from nearby tables had already stood up, eager to witness the unfolding drama. 

Karen quickly rose from her seat. "Natalia, calm down."

But Natalia wasn't listening and then she pointed an accusing finger at me. "This is all your fault!"

I stared at her, completely bewildered. "My fault?"

"If you hadn't walked into that office..." Her voice cracked. "...I wouldn't have lost everything!” 

I slowly stood from my chair. "Miss Natalia, I honestly don't know what you mean."

"Liar!"

Before I could react...she slapped me really hard! Her palm struck my cheek so hard that my head snapped to the side and the entire cafeteria gasped. The sting spread across my face almost instantly and for a moment, I couldn’t think properly. It’s my first time to be slapped in public! 

Karen hurried to my side. "Aria!"

Natalia was breathing heavily, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You ruined my life!" she cried. "I worked here for years and I gave everything to this company! But because of you, Mr. William fired me!” 

I slowly lifted a hand to my burning cheek. "I didn't..." My voice came out barely above a whisper. “Wait…why are you blaming me? I don't even know what happened!” 

"You expect me to believe that?" Natalia laughed bitterly.

The cafeteria had become eerily quiet and dozens of employees stared at us. Some looked shocked and others whispered among themselves. I had never felt so humiliated! Then, I noticed that everyone was already looking at me as though I’m the villain in her story. She was about to slap me again but then, a deep voice echoed across the room. 

"That's enough!” 

Every head turned toward the entrance and Richard Thompson stood there. His expression was cold enough to freeze the entire cafeteria. Behind him were two security officers then his sharp gaze moved from Natalia...and to the red mark forming on my cheek. 

"Natalia," he said evenly. "Come with me."

She shook her head. "No! I won't leave until she admits what she did!"

Richard's jaw tightened. "I said...come with me."

His voice wasn't loud but it carried the kind of authority that silenced an entire room. Natalia looked at him, her eyes filling with tears once more.

"So that's it?" she whispered. 

Richard didn't answer. He simply nodded toward the security officers. "Escort Miss Hart out of the building."

The officers approached cautiously but Natalia laughed through her tears. "I don't need anyone to drag me!” Then she looked at me one last time, her eyes were filled with resentment.  "I hope you're happy now, Aria."

I frowned in confusion and I needed some clarification but before I could say anything, Richard firmly held Natalia’s arm and guided her out of the cafeteria. 

The moment they disappeared through the doors...something inside me snapped. I did nothing to cause her misfortune, and if the old man found her being inappropriate with Richard, then it wasn’t my fault. It was solely her fault for not being able to control her libido! 

"No," I muttered under my breath.

Karen grabbed my wrist. "Aria, where are you going?"

I gently pulled away. "I'll be right back."

Without waiting for her response, I hurried after them and by the time I stepped into the executive lobby, Richard and Natalia were only a few meters away. Security had already opened the main doors for them.

"Natalia!” I called, totally dropping the formality. 

They stopped and then Natalia slowly turned around. When she saw me approaching, a mocking smile spread across her lips.

"What?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

I stopped right in front of her and looked directly into her eyes. "You know what? You don’t get to humiliate me, and walk away like I’m the one at fault!” 

She was taken aback when I dared to raise my voice at her but before she could reprimand me for being disrespectful, my palm landed squarely across her cheek. She staggered a step sideways, clutching her face in shock. She was really speechless! 

I lowered my hand slowly. "I just returned the favor.” 

Natalia glared at me, her eyes blazing with fury. "You..." she mumbled, starting toward me again. 

Richard immediately stepped between us. "Enough,” he warned while looking at Natalia, and then his gaze shifted to me. 

For a brief moment, our eyes met but I couldn't read his expression. Disappointment? Curiosity? Annoyance? Perhaps all three but I didn’t give a fuck about his opinion. 

"You," he said evenly. "Go back inside.”

“Gladly,” I replied, but then before totally leaving, I looked at him again. “Next time, be discreet with your affairs.”