A False Sense of Peace

‎Mr. Moretti's calm voice replayed in my head every time I closed my eyes.

‎“You're hired."

‎I still couldn't decide whether he had seen potential in me...

‎or simply enjoyed watching me panic.

‎Either way, I'd somehow landed the job, and I had no intention of ruining my first day.

‎If yesterday's interview had taught me anything, it was that I couldn't afford to make another bad impression.

‎Taking a slow breath, I stepped through the revolving doors of Moretti Corporation.

‎The lobby was already buzzing with employees starting their workday.

‎“Good morning, Mr. Hart.”

‎I looked up to see the receptionist from yesterday smiling warmly at me.

‎“Congratulations on getting the job.”

‎A smile found its way onto my face. “Thank you.”

‎“Mr. Hart?”

‎I turned to see a neatly dressed man approaching with a tablet tucked beneath his arm.

‎“I'm from Human Resources,” he said, extending a hand.

‎"Welcome to Moretti Corporation."

‎I shook it politely.

‎“Come on,” he said with a friendly smile.

‎"Let me show you your office."

‎I nodded and followed beside him. As we walked through the hallways, it didn't take long to notice the stares.

‎A few employees glanced up from their desks before quickly looking away. Others openly watched me as I passed.

‎Quiet whispers drifted through the corridor.

‎"That's him."

‎"The one the CEO interviewed personally?"

‎"I heard Mr. Moretti hired him himself."

‎Some looked curious. Others looked surprised. A few looked openly envious.

‎I kept my gaze forward, pretending not to hear any of it. Whether they approved of me or not didn't matter. I was here to do my job.

‎The HR manager stopped in front of a modest office and pushed the door open.

‎"This will be your office from now on."

‎I stepped inside, taking in the neatly arranged desk, bookshelf, and large window overlooking the city.

‎Not bad.

‎I could definitely get used to this.

‎The HR manager walked to the desk and placed a thick folder in front of me.

‎Then another.

‎My smile slowly faded.

‎He placed yet another folder on top of the stack.

‎Then one more.

‎The stack had grown so high I was beginning to wonder if it was a practical joke.

‎I was stunned.

‎"...These are all mine?"

‎The HR manager smiled pleasantly.

‎"Only today's."

‎My smile froze.

‎Only today?

‎Is this company trying to kill me?

‎He gave my shoulder a reassuring pat.

‎"Mr. Moretti has very high standards."

‎He turned toward the door.

‎"Good luck."

‎The door clicked shut behind him.

‎I stared at the mountain of files occupying nearly half my desk.

‎Then slowly buried my face in my hands.

‎"I actually left my bed for this..."

‎A long, dramatic sigh escaped me.

‎"Congratulations, Elias," I muttered.

‎"You officially work for a workaholic."

‎With no one around to hear my complaints, I reluctantly pulled the first file toward me.

‎"So much for an easy first day."

‎---

‎By the time lunch finally arrived, my stomach had begun protesting louder than my thoughts.

‎I gladly pushed away the last file and stretched my aching shoulders.

‎"I deserve this break," I muttered.

‎The cafeteria buzzed with conversation as I grabbed a tray and tried to find a seat. 

‎"Hey! New guy!"

‎I looked up to see a cheerful woman waving me over.

‎"You can sit with us if you want.“

‎I smiled gratefully and carried my tray over.

‎"Thanks."

‎"I'm Sophia."

‎She gestured toward the man beside her.

‎"And this is Caleb.“

‎Caleb gave me an easy smile.

‎The others introduced themselves one after another, the conversation flowing so naturally that I barely had time to remember half their names.

‎"So..."

‎Caleb leaned forward with a grin. "You're the famous new secretary."

‎I nearly choked on my drink. "What?"

‎"News travels fast."

‎Sophia laughed.

‎"Trust me, you have no idea."

‎Before I could reply, a brunette woman seated across from us looked me up and down with obvious disdain.

‎"So...“

‎She folded her arms.

‎"You're Mr. Moretti's new secretary?"

‎I nodded.

‎"Yeah, I guess.“

‎A quiet scoff escaped her.

‎"Let's see how long that lasts."

‎An awkward silence settled over the table.

‎Sophia sighed.

‎"Marie...“

‎Marie ignored her, her eyes still fixed on me.

‎"Everyone knows you've only lasted this long because Mr. Moretti interviewed you himself.“

‎I smiled, albeit politely.

‎"Really?“

‎"I was hoping it was because I passed the interview.“

‎Caleb immediately looked away to hide his smile.

‎Marie's expression darkened.

‎"We'll see if you're still smiling next week.“

‎"Hopefully." I shrugged, unconcerned.

‎A few employees nearby snickered.

‎Marie shot everyone a glare before grabbing her tray.

‎"Don't get too comfortable.“

‎She stormed off.

‎Caleb finally burst out laughing.

‎"You really answered her back.“

‎Sophia shook her head.

‎"Nobody ever does.“

‎Sophia let out a tired sigh.

‎"Don't mind her.“

‎"She... has some sort of crush on Mr. Moretti.“

‎Caleb nodded.

‎"She thinks every new employee is competition.“

‎That only made me more confused.

‎"Competition.“

‎I blinked.

‎"Competition for what?“

‎Sophia laughed at my confused expression.

‎"You'll get used to her.“

‎The conversation gradually shifted, and before long they were telling me how things worked around Moretti Corporation.

‎---

‎Lunch  had barely ended when another silence swept across the office.

‎The conversations around us stopped almost instantly.

‎Chairs scraped lightly against the floor as several employees straightened.

‎My brows knit together.

‎"What's going on?“

‎Sophia immediately lowered her voice.

‎"Don't make it so obvious.“

‎Naturally...

‎I looked up.

‎Three men strode through the cafeteria.

‎Mr. Moretti was in the middle, his expression as unreadable as ever.

‎Walking a step behind him was the man I'd seen yesterday after my interview.

‎The one who had entered Mr. Moretti's office.

‎Behind them was a larger man dressed in a dark suit, his sharp gaze sweeping across the office.

‎Nobody spoke.

‎None of them even seemed willing to breathe.

‎The three of them walked past without sparing anyone a glance.

‎It wasn't until they disappeared around the corner that the cafeteria slowly came back to life.

‎I looked at Sophia.

‎"Who's the man beside Mr. Moretti?"

‎Sophia glanced toward the hallway before lowering her voice.

‎"That's Mr. Romano."

‎"He works closely with Mr. Moretti."

‎Caleb leaned in.

‎"Nobody really knows much about him."

‎"But everyone knows he's important."

‎The rest of lunch passed in surprisingly easy conversation. 

‎Caleb talked enough for three people, Sophia occasionally teased him for exaggerating his stories, and before I knew it, my lunch break was over. 

‎The afternoon disappeared beneath a mountain of paperwork and enough emails to make my eyes ache. 

‎By the time I finally shut down my computer, I felt as though I'd aged five years. 

‎I stretched my stiff shoulders and let out a tired sigh. 

‎"So this is what working for a workaholic feels like." 

‎A quiet laugh escaped me as I grabbed my bag. 

‎By the time I left Moretti Corporation, the evening sun had dipped low, painting the city in shades of gold and orange. 

‎I let out a long breath as I stepped onto the sidewalk. 

‎I'd survived my first day. 

‎It hadn't been easy, but I still had a job. 

‎A small smile tugged at my lips. 

‎As I walked toward the bus stop, I stopped at a fruit stall along the roadside. 

‎"Mum likes oranges," I murmured, picking out a few before adding two apples to the bag. 

‎The old woman behind the stall smiled as she handed it to me. 

‎"Thank you." 

‎I adjusted the bag in my hand and continued walking.  My thoughts drifted to the hospital.

‎ The doctor had said Mum would need to stay for a few more days. 

‎There were still hospital bills to pay. 

‎Medicine. 

‎Rent.

‎Bus fare. 

‎I mentally added the numbers together, already calculating how much of my first salary would disappear before I even received it. 

‎Even so... 

‎For the first time in months, I felt hopeful. 

‎Maybe things would finally get better. 

‎I decided to stop by the apartment before heading to the hospital. 

‎Mum had asked me to bring a fresh set of clothes. 

‎Besides... 

‎I wanted to check on the money I'd hidden beneath the loose floorboard. 

‎Every penny mattered now. 

‎By the time I reached the apartment building, the hallway was unusually quiet. I climbed the stairs and reached our door. 

‎Then I froze. The front door was slightly ajar.

‎A frown creased my forehead. 

‎I was certain I'd locked it that morning. 

‎Slowly, I pushed the door open. 

‎The smell hit me first. 

‎Cigarettes. 

‎Cheap alcohol. 

‎The television was on. 

‎An empty bottle rolled across the floor. 

‎Ash scattered over the table. 

‎One of the dining chairs lay on its side. 

‎A drawer hung open. 

‎A cold feeling settled in my stomach. 

‎Something wasn't right.  I stepped farther inside. 

‎My breath caught. 

‎Cabinets stood wide open. 

‎Clothes scattered across the floor. 

‎Picture frames lay shattered. 

‎Every room looked as though someone had turned the apartment upside down.

‎The bag of fruit slipped from my hand. 

‎Oranges rolled across the floor. 

‎"No..." 

‎I ran to my bedroom. 

‎The drawers had been emptied. My mattress had been shoved aside. 

‎My heart pounded violently as I dropped to my knees. 

‎My trembling fingers pulled back the loose floorboard beneath the bed. 

‎It was already lifted. 

‎The hollow space underneath stared back at me. 

‎Empty. 

‎Years of savings. 

‎Every penny I'd scraped together for Mum's treatment... 

‎Gone.

‎The room fell silent. 

‎Only one person knew where I'd hidden all that money. 

‎My lips trembled. 

‎"...Dad." 

‎

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