Chapter 4

Amaka's POV:

"I'm sorry, sir. I was mistaken. I thought you were someone that I knew before," I said, seeing his deep blue eyes, as he looked at me.

"It's fine. Come forward for your interview. Why do you want to work here with us?" He asked, shifting his gaze away as he clicked on his open laptop, like he was going through my credentials.

I was affected seeing him again, but the fact that he acted like he didn't know me or recognize who I was, made me tremble.

"Hello?" He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, and I met his enchanting blue eyes that he used to deceive me into fallen in love with him before.

"I'm sorry, sir. I got carried away by my thoughts. I am a digital marketing student, and I graduated with distinction in marketing. I believe I will help your company in marketing their products and services online," I said, my gaze lowered, as I tried not to look at his handsome face.

Joseph had changed, and he looked more attractive, masculine that I felt uncomfortable meeting his eyes.

My son resembles him, only that Jason was fair-skinned like me.

"I see," Joseph mumbled, clicking on his laptop mouse.

"I only employ staff that are committed to their jobs and doesn't breach my company's agreement. If you dare to breach my company's agreement, you will have to pay a fine of five million for it. Do you agree?" He asked me calmly, his eyes watching me curiously.

"Yeah. I am an honest person, sir. And you don't have to worry about me breaching your company's contract," I said, lowering my gaze, and avoiding his eyes.

"Hmm," he hummed. "You can meet with Anita to sign up with her."

"Alright. Thank you, sir," I replied, standing up on my feet away from the guest chair, to leave his office, as I take a look at his face once more.

Joseph had returned his gaze back to his laptop, and I couldn't believe that he doesn't recognize me.

'Did I change too much?' My brown eyes welled up in tears, and he looked at me, his eyes locked with mine.

"Excuse me, Ma'am. What's the problem?" He asked, meeting my gaze, and I searched his dark, handsome face to see if he was affected by me. But there was none.

"Nothing, sir," I quickly replied, blinking my teardrops away, as I moved out of the guest chair.

I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked to the door, but I didn't look back at him, as I pulled the door to unlock and left his office.

I wanted to resign working here, but this was the first job that I would be getting after graduating.

'How could my child's father be the owner of this establishment? Was that really Joseph Ericson?'

I looked back at his office door that shut with an inscription, "CEO - JOSEPH ERICSON OFFICE."

"Mmm…" My brows furrowed upon realizing Joseph was truly the one. I looked away and met with Anita's curious gaze on me, and she asked me, "How did it go?"

"Oh!" I smiled, seeing the other newcomers looking at me. As they were fresh out graduates, and young men and women.

"It went well, Ma. I was just a bit emotional. Can I see the document?" I asked, and she replied, "Sure." She gave me the document to look at it. I quickly read the terms and conditions with working for them.

It was an exclusive agreement, meaning I wouldn't get to work for another company or to tarnish their group name.

I sighed and signed it, even though a part of me didn't want to.

I wanted to know if Joseph had a memory loss for failing to recognize me.

It had only been four years, and he was acting like he never knew who I was. 'Why was I so affected seeing him?'

I took my copy of the agreement and held it, while Anita informed me. "You will have to wait to meet with your new coach."

"Okay, ma'am," I replied and went to sit and wait. After a while, Anita came and said, "Come with me. You will be working under Simon Braxton. He's our marketing manager, so you can assist him with his job."

"Okay," I replied and followed her into Simon's office. The company is a four-story building, and I was surprised to see Simon was the same man who had paid my transport fare earlier in the morning. Unlike Joseph, Simon smiled and welcomed me, "Have a seat, pretty."

"Simon! You should know that such compliments aren't allowed here, except you want to lose your job," Anita warned him, but he laughed it off.

"Don't be jealous, Anita. I know her before, so move away. It's nice meeting you again, pretty. What's your name?" Simon asked me, ignoring Anita's threat. She grimaced, "Do not say that I didn't warn you."

She pulled Simon's office door open and left us, leaving me alone with him.

I braced myself forward to take a seat.

"Is everything alright, Miss? You don't look happy?" Simon asked, looking at me with concern. I was sure that my face had turned red.

"Yes, sir. I'm fine," I replied, taking out my white handkerchief from my skirt pocket and wiping my face.

"Oh, please do away with the 'sir.' Just call me Simon, okay? I am not that old, and the boss is older than me, if you ask," Simon flashed me his nice set of white teeth, and I was forced to smile at his words.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome, Miss. So we get to work today. How fate works," Simon grinned, and I smiled back.

"I will call the company's security man to come and set up your office here. You should know that we will be getting along, so that I can lecture you about your job, before you move to your personal space," Simon said, leaning against his black chair, and I looked around his vast office.

Just like Joseph's office, Simon's office was painted in white, and he had a large office desk with his laptop before him.

"Alright. So my work starts today," I asked him, and he replied, "Yes. Or do you want to go home?"

"No. I am fine," I replied, and he grinned.

"Alright. Let me call the security man now to come and set up your office. I think that will make our work easier," Simon picked up his telephone and placed a call, and a security man came in.

The security man wore a white top, black trousers and a pair of black boots.

"You sent for me, Simon?" he asked, looking at us, and Simon replied, "Yes. Get a new office chair, desk and a new laptop for my assistant." Simon gestured at me, and the security man peered at me and replied, "On it."

"Oh! I forgot my handbag. Let me go and get it," I said, standing up to leave Simon's office, and he smiled. "Feel free."

Once, I stepped out of the guest chair, I exited Simon's office office. His office was on the fifth floor, and likewise the boss's office.

Some staff work on the fourth and second floor. As the third floor is their meeting hall. As Anita had lectured me about their company's floors when I accepted the document and signed the contract with her.

I went back to the locker to take my black bag and kept the key.

As I turned to head back to Simon's office, Anita came out of the boss's office and smiled at me.

"Amaka, how's your work with Simon going? You shouldn't pay any heed to him, and know that the boss's office is just next to his. Most of the staff office has transparent glass walls, to keep watch of whatever is going on, except for the boss's office. And CCTV too," she said.

"Oh!" My cheeks flushed.

"You don't have to worry about all that. Simon and I just coincidentally met today in a bus, and I have not really known much about him," I said, and Anita gasped, "Oh! That's fine. You're free to reach out to me if you need further assistance. Take care, Amaka."

"Alright," I replied and watched Anita walk away to her transparent office on the fifth floor, too. I sighed and went back to Simon's office to join him.

I was consciously aware that the boss was watching us in his office. They had security cameras, and also, glass walls demarcating the offices from one another.

"Are you alright?" Simon asked, looking at me as I stepped into his office, to join him as the company's new digital marketer.

"Yeah," I smiled, and he smiled back.

"Here's your new chair and your small desk. It will keep you comfortable, alright." Simon gestured at the new set up in his vast office.

"Alright! Thank you," I smiled at him, and he rose from his chair, walking over to the new desk and chair to meet me.

"You shouldn't thank me, Amaka. We are like partners now, so my duty is to make your easy," Simon said, as he leaned beside me. Just as I sat on the new chair.

"Alright," I replied, and watched him turn up the laptop to test it.

I shifted my focus on the laptop screen loading and watched him set it up.

"You will have to fill in your name, password and register with us. Any further assistance, reach out to me," Simon said, as he rose from my new desk, once he was done setting up the laptop, and I smiled at him.

"Alright. Thank you," I replied and watched Simon move back to his chair, and I focused back on the laptop.

I looked around the office, and at the glass wall, wondering what Joseph was up to.

The glass was tinted, and I couldn't see the next office. But, I felt nervous, knowing that I was under surveillance.