Ten

10

The next morning, Anna woke up with a sense of resolve. She dressed carefully, her face set with determination. The pain of the previous day still lingered, but she refused to let it defeat her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she took a deep breath. She wouldn't let Sophie or anyone else dictate her life.

She was done with hospitals for now. It was time to find a new path, a new beginning. And she would do it on her own terms.

She got to the first company whom she searched online before getting the update that they needed employees to work in their company. Anna sat down waiting for the queue to reduce before it could reach her turn.

"Miss Anna!" The receptionist called. Anna heaved a sigh of relief and took her bag, she got to the Manager's office and it was a very plumpy lady in her late 30's. 

"Good morning ma'am. My name is A…." She tried to say but the lady cut her off with a hand sign in the air.

"Your resume and qualifications please?" she said. Anna clumped down hard. Honestly, her resume and qualifications are not complete because she doesn't work in a company and she only got to work in the company 2 years as part time worker after school.

"Your resume and qualifications MISS?" The lady yelled hitting the table causing a tense atmosphere. Anna jotted from her thoughts, she quickly handed her the portfolio she was holding. Her palms became sweaty as she faced downwards.

The lady scanned her eyes through the files and let out a soft chuckle. She shook her head negatively, Anna waited for the feedback nervously.

"Hmmm…no..a joke. So, Miss Anna. I'm sorry but our entry level jobs require ten years of experience, which is something you clearly don't have!" The manager said in disgust. "Eww! Take this 2 years old resume and qualifications out of my office!" She barked, Anna took her file and ran out of the office.

Next, she sat down in another office with the manager of that office. The woman just looked at her files and smiled broadly. The smile alone melted Anna's heart immediately and gave her that convincing mindset that she accepted.

"Oh! Thank you so much Miss Anna. I have been waiting for a resume like yours!" The lady smiled. Anna chuckled lightly, "Thank you so much ma'am." She responded with a blush.

"Now I have seen something to try out on the new paper shredder I bought!" She said and fixed one of the papers on the machine. Anna's high hopes fail.

"But ma'am…" she tried to plead. "Absolutely not! No housewives…get back to me when you have a good degree." The lady said.

"I have a BNC degree in nursing maa." Anna said bravely.

"Haha! Is this company looking like some type of hospital? This is a company for crying out loud and your degree is useless! Go to the hospital and apply for a job. Get the hell out of my office!" Anna tried to plead but she denied.

 "Now!" The lady shouted. Her eyes became teary. She took her files and left the office.

"God please, I'm getting fucking tired!" Anna screamed immediately as she left the office. She was about to leave but she mistakenly tripped over and fell but someone caught her immediately.

"Xavier?" Anna called surprised. He held her waist as they stared at each other.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, he cleared his throat and left her waist in nervousness.

"I umm..I should be asking you the same thing. This is one of my companies." Xavier responded. Oops!

"Well, it also happened to be the eighth company that Rejected me today." She breathed out and tried to put on a smiling face. "Apparently nobody wants a BNC degree nurse in a company right? Like it's crazy, going to a company with my degree. Lol" she added and chuckled.

"What if I offer you a job again, like, for the second time." Xavier asked and Anna stared at him a bit stunned. She rejected his offer at home which should trigger him to deny offering him another chance.

"Ummm…I don't know, you're already letting me live with you and according to Michael, I'm useless and you probably wouldn't want that anyway in your company." She said pitifully. Xavier placed a finger on her lips to shush her. He held her hands and looked straight into her eyes.

"Hey Anna, Fuck whatever Michael thinks and what I need you to do now is to believe on yourself." He assured her. Anna smiled and stared at his hands gripping her tightly. He immediately removed his hands and maintained his steeze.

"Okay! So, what would you want me to do?" She asked politely.

"Nothing hard, just be my personal assistant. Just for a start!" Xavier suggested fixing his both hands into his pockets.

"Okay. I'll give it a try." She rubbed her sweaty palms on her black skirts and took a deep breath. She is so nervous. "I..I just don't want to let you down. You've been so kind and caring to me." She added. Xavier took a few steps closer to her, their both faces are just a few inches closer to each other. "Anna, you can never let me down. Come on, let's have lunch together." He said Anna nodded and they left the company with his Rolls-Royce.

****

Morning.

Everyone in the office stared steadily at Xavier as he walked in majestically and charismatically after dropping off from his Lamborghini, that's apparently his second car. His employees have long known him as someone who doesn't put a smile on his face whenever he is at work but today it seems different which causes the stares. 

Xavier smiled broadly and in his hand was a purple lunch box. Huh!? Is that Mr Xavier? Everyone was shocked at his sudden change of personality. Dan, one of his employees, rushed to him in excitement.

"Boss, what's up with the lunch box?" Dan asked with a surprised look.

"Oh this? Umm…I just felt like changing it up a little." Xavier responded and walked away, his face plastered with smiles. A female employee Mara nudged Dan softly as their eyes were still fixed on Xavier walking into his office.

"Dan, look at that! Why is he in such a good mood today? Something's definitely going on with him." Mara said and folded her arms. Dan nodded in agreement.

***

Xavier sat in his office and arranged a few files and business papers on his desk. He signed up some and finally sat down to eat breakfast prepared by Anna and guess what? Anna bought him the lunch box.

He opened the box and it was contained and filled with sliced apples, a few grapes and a cake molded into a love face shape with flowers on top. She smiled at himself.

"I love you Anna." He murmured and made to eat when his door opened. Maureen walked in with a tray of noodles, coffee and banana.

"Mr Xavier, I need to have a word with you. What the hell is that food!? Ewww!" Maureen whined in disgust and laughter.

"Here, eat this instead." Maureen said and placed the food tray in front of him, shifting the lunch box behind. "These are private dishes from three McDonald's restaurants which are much better than that cheap garbage that you brought." She said, Xavier burned in range and pushed her food tray in front of her harshly. She stared at him in shock. Like, she has been the one buying him breakfasts ever since.

"Thank you Maureen for your kind gestures. But, I'm happy with what I bought." He said and ate his food. 

"Eww! Well, whatever!" She said and grabbed his hand. "Xavier, why haven't we had lunch in such a long time now?" She pouted her lips. Xavier rolled his eyes.

"For crying out loud Maureen, you can't just barge in here anytime you want. This is my office." He said, trying not to get angry.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry…you see I was confused and it's not like you have an assistant who can easily schedule time with you..will you blame me?" Maureen asked seductively. Xavier shifted her hands from his.

"Actually, I do. And Anna is my new assistant!" Xavier smiled. Her eyes widened in shock, mouth agape as the breath caught in her throat, unable to comprehend what she just heard.

"Excuse me!?" Those were the only words she muttered.