Ember Hours Novels & Stories

As the junior analyst in the finance department, I was the one stuck with the grunt work, especially on a Friday night when everyone else had bolted for happy hour or home. My name is Emily, and at twenty-five, I'd convinced myself that this job at Sterling & Associates was a stepping stone. Climb the ladder, pay off student loans, maybe snag a promotion before thirty. But tonight, the ladder felt more like a treadmill. The boss, Mr. Williams, had dropped a last-minute bombshell: "Emily, we need those figures crunched by Monday. Stay late if you have to." His tone left no room for argument, and with my rent due, I couldn't afford to push back.

He came closer to me and said in a deep hoarse voice, "Jenny Gomez, what are you doing here?" OH MY GOD! HE KNOWS MY NAME! I AM SO HAPPY! I said, "Sir, I am working overtime. Actually, I couldn't finish my work due to family problems. But, I would definitely finish it in two days." He was just looking at my eyes. His eyes were deep and black like they were eager to eat me. I looked at him nervously. "Why is he not saying anything?" I was thinking. After a pause of one minute, he said in a deep yet hoarse voice, "Our Lotus Group isn't harsh to let employees work till 2 AM."

I snapped back, but Celie already hung up. Elise gasped. "Girl, you're sure you're in for it?" "This is a fourteen-hour-a-day job, no weekends off," Karmen said. I went to the counter and picked up Celie's ladle and shook it at her. "Just watch me, Miss. Kaverina." We laughed. I caught Clarice's eyes staring at me and she smiled.

"Dad usually comes home at six, doesn't he?" "Dad is the boss and he gets to get off work anytime he wants, but his employees can't do the same. There are two shifts here: from nine to five, and from ten to seven. The lights are still on inside because there are still a lot of employees working inside," Robert explained. Ivy followed Robert to the entrance of Sterling Group obediently. She had seen this building before when she was on a road trip with her family during her summer holidays.

The next thing she knew, he was yelling at everyone and asking that everything be made right. They'd set out for his mansion at about 7 pm. Emily reckoned that she'd be working overtime for two hours maximum. She hadn't mentioned to Edmund that she had other things to take care of but she hoped that two hours was more than enough time for them to patch things up and rest for the night.

Six years later… Beads of sweat broke along Emily’s hairline as she ran the busy streets of B city. She winced multiple times when she checked her wristwatch and tried not to bump into the people she passed by. She was late to pick up Nia again, all thanks to her boss, who forced her to extend her shift for another hour due to a bunch of employees from the company across from their restaurant that dined in the afternoon. The fast food she was working with was open 24/7, and her shift usually started at 3 a.m. and should end by twelve.

**Eumerriah’s Point of View** I woke up early because I needed to get ready at the office before heading to the main building of the Hernandez Group of Company. I had researched that this company is owned by Kristine and her husband. “Good morning,” I greeted various crew and staff in Manager Kim's agency building. “Where’s Manager Kim?” I asked since he wasn’t in his office. I went straight to my glam team. I didn’t hire a P.A. because I don’t accept jobs that consume too much of my time. I’m fine with commercials that only take eight to twelve hours. That way, I still have time to bond with the kids every day. The glam team is enough to handle my clothes, makeup, and shoes.

She looked up from the screen to see her. "Yes?" Mrs. Byrne looked at her with a smile. "Can you come with me for a moment? We need to discuss the days you requested off for the wedding and honeymoon." Emma nodded, got up from her chair, locked her screen with a password, and followed Mrs. Byrne into her office. She offered her a seat, and Emma sat down, waiting for her boss to say something. "Well, Emma, with the new merger with the Müller company, we'll have more work, and..." she paused, "There will be quite a workload once you return from your honeymoon."

“What about rest days? We’re not robots.” Bert’s smile didn’t budge. “It’s all-inclusive, Clara. Meals, housing, everything’s covered. You won’t need to worry about running to the store or anything.” Clara’s eyes narrowed. “Rest days aren’t just for grocery shopping, Bert.” He leaned back, still smug. “Seventy bucks an hour, Clara. Round the clock, even when you’re sleeping or eating. You want rest days that bad, I can give this gig to May instead.”

But because of Emma's enthusiasm, I decided to take a look. "Look at this, the pay is excellent, $100 per hour, and you just need to take care of a 6-year-old girl," she points at the screen, excited. "I see. Let me check the work hours, from 6 to 9 PM, Monday to Friday," I say, suddenly intrigued. "It perfectly fits your schedule, doesn't it?" "Yes, that's right," I can't hide my excitement. "Let me note down the email address." I immediately sent an email with my details. In half an hour, I received a reply with an address and an invitation to meet tonight.