CHAPTER 4 – The Lesson

The next morning I woke up in my friend’s house. I touched my stomach instinctively; the divorce is done without drama, the baby is gone, and the marriage is over. “I will not go back," I told myself. "This is going to work; I will do everything that it takes."

Selena was my friend in high school; now she works at a high-end fashion boutique store.

There was a soft knock on my door, breaking me from my thoughts.

“Come in," I said while sitting up. We shared a long hug before finally pulling away.

‘Hope you slept well,' she asked

"Yes, I did. Thank you for allowing me to stay; I wouldn't know where to go without you.”

“Do not worry, Leah; I will always have your back. " We shared a warm moment, remembering sweet memories from high school, laughing, before she finally asked.

“What do you want to do now?” Selena asked

“I need to look for a job. Are there vacancies at your place of work?"

“There are no vacancies in my department, but I will work for another department when I get to work today, so for now I have some rest. I already made breakfast.”

“Alright, I will also check online for opportunities within the district.” Selena called me to tell me that there was a vacancy in the other department.

All through that afternoon, I spent it preparing for the interview, and the following morning I set to follow Selena to her office.

“Are you nervous?” she asked quietly.

“A little,” I admitted. “What’s the department like?”

“It’s actually a good team,” Selena said. “They’re busy most days, but the supervisor is fair. As long as you do your work and keep up with the pace, you’ll be fine.”

“That sounds manageable,” I said.

“Don’t worry too much,” she added. “Just be yourself in there. They mostly want someone reliable.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Thanks for putting in a word for me.”

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “I’ll check in on you during my break.”

I stayed in the waiting room for a while with a few other applicants before finally being called into the office for the interview.

By the end of the interview, the woman said, “Our department requires heavy lifting. Are you sure you can carry heavy-weight items multiple times a day?" the man asked

"Yes, I can," I replied

“You do not look like you have done this type of work before, have you?”

“Truth be told, I have not worked in this capacity before, but I learn fast and I am willing to put in the work to excel at what I do."

“I see, but I am sorry, Miss Leah, we might not be able to offer you this job at this capacity at this time, because it requires heavy lifting of goods, and adjusting for you might be a bit difficult, and it would slow down the team’s momentum. But if you are still interested in working with your organization, you could keep your eyes peeled for other departments that are better suited for you.” He said.

“I understand, thank you, Mr. Thomas. " I said as I shook his hands and walked out of the office. I waited for her till she was done with work.

“How was it?” she asked. “No luck, the department requires heavy lifting." I replied her

‘We will keep trying,' she finally said; that night we both spent it looking for vacancies.

I spent the following days looking for vacancies, preparing for interviews, and going for interviews. I was rejected for being underqualified for my second interview and discriminated against because of my marital status in one, but I refused to beg, and I kept pushing.

Until this day, I walked into a high-end corporate building for an assistant position. When I got to the reception, I was told that the interview was cancelled.

“Excuse me, ma'am, but I was called and asked to come by 9:00 am," I politely asked.

“Yes, but there has been some change of plans, and we had to cancel your interview," the receptionist said.

“Could you at least give me an opportunity to pitch myself since I am already here? " Okay, she called in the HR manager; he was a tall man in his middle age

“Miss Leah, we are no longer taking interviews for this role; having a pitch will be a waste of time. I think you should go home now," he said, sounding dismissive

"I could submit my credentials then just in case you change your mind." I asked

‘There would be no…’ As he was about to complete his statement, a man walked in from the elevator, the HR paused mid-track, and the air changed.

He is dressed slightly too relaxed for a corporate setting. I overheard two staff members whispering amongst themselves, "He's known as a playboy.”

He walked towards us. "She doesn’t have an appointment.” the receptionist told him

“I was told to come at nine.” I corrected her. The man studied me for a moment, then he turned to the receptionist. "Send her up."

When I got to the final floor, I saw that it was a boardroom; I expected to see the HR walk in the room; instead it was the man from the lobby who walked in, his expression relaxed. Two other executives followed him.

He flipped open the folder in front of him. “Miss Elena, you applied for an assistant position."

"Yes," I replied him

“But your background reads that you have worked in corporate planning before."

“I was," I said

“Why should I hire you?” Sliding a document from across the table, "Let's see what you are worth," he continued.

I looked at it; it was a proposal for a regional expansion project. I took my time to go through the documents for a few moments.

I looked up and told him, "This won't work," pointing at the document. An executive frowned at me. “Excuse me?”

"The numbers look impressive." I replied calmly, "But the market projection is inflated by at least 20%."

He leaned forward. "Explain," he asked

Pointing at the statistics line report on the document, I continued, “You are assuming consumer growth based on last year's incentives. Those incentives were caught two months ago."

“That hasn't been officially announced yet," the executive cut in.

Holding his gaze, “It was mentioned in the finance ministry briefing three weeks ago," I replied.

The man gave a slow smile. “Interesting, but even if you are right, the profit margin still holds.”

I shook my head "no."

“Why not?” he asked

“Because your supply chain partner can’t handle the scale you’re projecting.”

“How do you know that?” he asked me

I slid the document back toward him. “Because they’re already operating at ninety-two percent capacity. If you push them further, delivery delays will eat your profit margin within six months.”

The silence in the room felt heavy as the man studied me for a while longer. I expect anger. He closed the folder.

“Well,” he said calmly, “you’ve just dismantled a proposal my team spent three weeks preparing.” Leaning back on his chair, he said, “So let’s see if you can do better.” He slid a pen across the table.

I proposed a stronger strategy to the team. A faint smile crossed his lips. “You didn’t come here to be an assistant.” he said

“No, I came here to work,” I said.

“Good answer, executive strategy analyst,” he said. “Your trial period is one month."

The executives all looked shocked. “You’re hiring me?” I asked

He shrugged lightly. “Either you’re very good… or very confident.” His gaze sharpened. “I’ll know which one soon. ”.

Cole POV

Elena has not been home for a couple of weeks; she is probably pissed, but I know she will still come around when she's tired. She is probably seeking my attention. The house feels empty without her; the taste of the meals has not been the same since she left. But I don't intend to indulge in her tantrums; it's also a relief I don't have to deal with someone annoyingly running around my tail.

One evening Ana suggested, “We should announce our engagement soon.”

“There is no need to rush; we still have time."

“But…” she tried to protest

“We will wait. "I stood up and left for my study.

Leah POV

I finally got a job; I left the building with a feeling of relief and refreshment. I can’t wait to share this news with Selena. just then a call came in; I picked the call

A voice from the other end said, “Are you Leah?”

“Yes, I am."

“We’re calling regarding your hospital report from last month…”