Chapter 8 The First Chaos

Cassandra’s POV

On my first day at work, I could feel the tense atmosphere when a man named Sergio arrived and showed me my desk right in front of the CEO’s office door—Christopher Drew Alexavier. The man himself hadn’t arrived yet, as it wasn’t office hours, but I decided to come early to make up for my mistake yesterday—arriving late for the interview, not to mention my blunder of barging into his office and seeing something I wasn’t supposed to see.

Well, I would always try to forget what I saw yesterday, just as I promised Mr Alexavier.

I saw nothing. That’s what I call privacy, and I wouldn’t say a word about it.

“All your tasks are listed in this document.” Sergio pointed to a thick folder placed on my desk. For the sake of politeness, I should address him by his last name. However, Sergio asked me not to do that since most people in the office call him by his first name directly. “There’s a work guide and details about what you need to do as a secretary. You can contact me if there’s anything you don’t understand or have questions about. My personal number is also included there, and you can call me anytime.”

I blinked. “Isn’t there any training period for me? I mean, like a probation period before I’m officially made the new secretary?”

“Nope. Mr Alexavier’s previous secretary resigned two days ago. If you face any difficulties while working, you can ask me.”

Alright, that was some shocking information.

I was a fresh graduate and landed the position of secretary to CEO Christopher Drew Alexavier.

Well, what should I do now?

“If you’re looking for a great career opportunity, this job will certainly secure your future. However, I understand you’re young and might find this job overwhelming. Mr Alexavier is not easy to deal with, and I’m warning you now so you won’t be caught off guard. I’ve been his personal assistant for five years, and I’ve lost count of how many secretaries he’s gone through in the last six months.”

I immediately shook my head upon hearing his words. “I need this job, and I can assure you I’m serious about my work. If you’re worried I’ll quit like the previous secretaries, don’t be. I won’t do that.”

Sergio looked at me for a moment before giving a brief nod. Of course, I could still see the doubt in his eyes.

Compared to me, he wasn’t much older. Maybe he was in his early thirties, but it was clear Sergio had significant professional experience.

“Sergio,” I called out just before he turned to leave. I gave him a quick smile and pulled something out of my bag. “I made cheesecake, and you should try it. It’s my first day, and you’ve already been so helpful to me. Thank you.”

Sergio stared at it, unblinking, as if amazed by my gesture.

I felt like the situation had become a bit awkward.

The elevator dinged, and the person we had been talking about just minutes ago appeared at the end of the hallway. Just as Sergio and I instinctively turned our attention toward him, the man glanced briefly in our direction.

“Thank you, Cassie,” said Sergio as he accepted the cake I offered. “Mr. Alexavier,” he quickly bowed respectfully as Christopher Drew Alexavier stopped in front of us.

“Mr. Alexavier,” I bowed my head in respect. “Good morning. I’m your new secretary. This is my first day, and as you mentioned yesterday, Sergio just explained my duties to me.”

Mr Alexavier stood silently before me, staring without saying a word. It made me blink awkwardly.

Earlier this morning, I had spoken to some employees I met in the lobby before I reached my desk. I introduced myself, and they were all surprised to learn I was the new secretary. Some chose to stay silent, but two women immediately warned me about the challenges of the job.

Well, Sergio had also given me a similar warning earlier.

So now, I was waiting to see Mr Alexavier’s reaction to my presence this morning. From what I remembered, he seemed friendly yesterday. How could people describe him as a ruthless boss? Or maybe I had misjudged him?

I hoped not. What kind of boss would hire a woman who had disrupted his day? If he were a ruthless boss, he would’ve kicked me out after yesterday’s incident instead of hiring me as his secretary.

“I’ll make sure Cassie—I mean, Miss Floyd—gets up to speed with her responsibilities quickly, Mr Alexavier,” Sergio broke the silence between us.

I nodded. “I understand I’m a fresh graduate, but I’ll do my best to learn the job thoroughly.”

“Cassandra,” Mr Alexavier said calmly.

I was slightly startled when he addressed me—by my first name.

Sergio also called me ‘Cassie’, just like my friends and family, but I had asked him to. The problem was I hadn’t said the same to Mr Alexavier.

“Yes, sir,” I replied immediately.

“Make sure you don’t make any mistakes.”

“Of course, Mr Alexavier.” I nodded quickly.

Who cared how he addressed me? What mattered most was that I got the job at ALX Group. Someone, please hit me on my head to remind me this wasn’t a dream.

“Mr. Alexavier,” I called out, rushing toward the door before he could enter his office and close the door. “I made cheesecake. It might taste good with a cup of coffee. Would you like me to make you some coffee?”

Mr Alexavier looked at me, visibly surprised.

“Cassie,” I vaguely heard Sergio mutter behind me as if he was worried about what might happen.

“Thank you for the cake, Cassandra.” Mr Alexavier accepted the cake, lifting it slightly as if inspecting its contents. “But I’m allergic to cheese. One bite, and I could have a severe reaction,” he said calmly before closing the door, leaving me standing there with wide eyes.

“Oh God,” I felt my knees go weak, and I immediately searched for something to lean on. Unfortunately, my hand grabbed a large vase that was placed next to the door.

Of course, the object couldn’t support my body weight. I fell, and the ceramic vase broke beside me, making a loud crashing sound.

I covered my mouth in shock when I saw what had happened.

A blue ceramic vase with golden carvings that had originally stood beautifully beside the door was now shattered and scattered all over the floor.

I looked up and saw that Sergio was also shocked by what had happened.

Oh God, it’s my first day at work. Why did I cause such a big mess?

I felt like I wanted to disappear right then and there.

***

Christopher Drew Alexavier had a very tight schedule, and my first job was to organize the entire schedule for the day.

Hell, I wanted to cry when I realized how complicated my job would be on my first day. But, I definitely preferred to get lost in the busy work rather than cry out of fear for making such a huge mistake by breaking my boss’s luxurious ceramic vase.

Well, no one scolded me. Sergio immediately helped me clean up the mess, and I apologized to Mr Alexavier when he left his office two hours later for a meeting. Mr Alexavier seemed completely uninterested in what had happened.

“Your next appointment is attending the yacht launch ceremony, which will be held virtually, Mr Alexavier. I will prepare your device; you don’t need to do anything. Sergio said that after that, your workday will be over.” I lifted my head from the iPad screen I had gotten as part of the facilities for my work.

It was truly a relief to get through the day successfully. The first day of work is always tough, but this is what happens. I won’t give up just because of the trouble I caused this morning. I promised myself I would fix everything, and that’s what I’m going to do.

“What about the welcoming party? I remember that the party was in New York.” Mr Alexavier didn’t look up from his laptop and kept typing when he asked.

I nodded. “The party is held outside of working hours, Mr Alexavier. I’ve already arranged everything so you can go with Sergio.”

“Working hours?” Mr Alexavier furrowed his brow. “I don’t know if Sergio explained this to you, but your job isn’t just organizing my schedule, Cassandra.”

“Yes, Mr Alexavier. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes,” Mr Alexavier lifted his head and looked at me.

The car we were riding in stopped because of a traffic light, and for a moment, I could feel my heart pounding hard. Well, I have to admit that Mr Alexavier has a commanding gaze—something that exudes power and authority.

“What can I do for you, Sir?” I tried to keep looking at him, but it was very difficult to maintain eye contact with Mr Alexavier’s dark eyes.

“Come to the party with me.”

“I’m sorry, Mr Alexavier. Did you mean I have to come with you to the party?” I knew I hadn’t heard wrong, but it was still hard to believe.

“Yes, you heard me, Cassandra. Come to the party with me. This is an order, not an offer.”

***

Once again, I have to emphasize that I don’t believe what’s happening in my life, which has changed so much since I stepped into the ALX skyscraper building. Today is my first day at work, and I’ve already gone through so much, including attending a party without any preparation at all.

Oh God, what will people say when they see me arriving at the party in a shirt and typical office pants?

Everyone here is in glamorous dresses and beautiful makeup, so different from me. I looked disheveled because I didn’t have time to shower and fix my makeup.

If it weren’t for the huge salary I’m getting, I would definitely be thinking about resigning on my first day.

“Who did you come here with, Miss?” A middle-aged man with a mustache and a pot-bellied stomach approached me and offered me a glass of wine.

I raised the glass in my hand to show that I already had a drink—politely refusing because I didn’t know who this man was or how influential he was at this party. After the mess this morning, of course, I didn’t want to cause another problem by saying something wrong to someone.

“I came with Mr Alexavier. Maybe you know him, Sir?” I tried to smile as friendly as I could, even though I was uncomfortable with his gaze.

“Are you his woman?”

“Excuse me?” I furrowed my brow. “I’m his secretary, Sir.”

“Secretary? Is Christopher now sleeping with his secretary, too?”

Oh God, I don’t like this one.

“I’m sorry, but I think I need to find Mr Alexavier. It was nice talking to you, Sir.”

“Don’t you want to have some wine with me? You should at least accept the drink I brought.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t drink alcohol.”

“What?” The man furrowed his brow, and I had to hold back my steps once again to avoid just walking away from him. “Then what do you drink, Miss? Are you joking with me?”

“It’s tea.” I exhaled deeply before offering a brief smile. “Excuse me, Sir. Thank you for your time.”

I felt relieved when I managed to walk away from the man.

It was more pleasant to be alone than with someone who made me uncomfortable.

“I didn’t know you liked alcohol, Cassandra. I hope you don’t cause a mess here.”

I jumped in shock when I heard a surprising sound from beside me. I almost choked when I swallowed the contents of my glass, which I had just refilled with the tea I found in the corner of the room. It was so hard to find a non-alcoholic drink at this party, and I was grateful that there was still tea available, even though I didn’t understand why they chose to provide tea instead of juice or other drinks.

“I’m sorry, Mr Alexavier.” I wiped my lips and quickly placed my glass down, “This isn’t alcohol, it’s tea. Would you like me to get some for you?”

“What?” Mr Alexavier furrowed his brow, “Are you sure that’s tea?”

“Yes, Sir.” I nodded quickly, “I can’t drink alcohol because the effects would be really bad for me. However, I could drink three glasses and still be fine right now.”

Mr Alexavier leaned towards me, glanced at my glass, and then snorted briefly, “That’s Long Island, Cassandra. That’s not tea; it’s a drink with a high alcohol content.”

I blinked my eyes quickly.

Oh God…

What’s going to happen to me?

The last time I drank alcohol, I ended up losing control.

I’m starting to feel panicked now, even though I was fine earlier.

“Mr. Alexavier, why are you spinning?” I looked up and found that the man in front of me was spinning. Not just my boss but everyone and everything I saw.

Oh my God, am I going to pass out?

If I really did drink alcohol, then passing out would be the best option rather than losing control here.

But who would take me home if I passed out here?