"What is this?! It's a bunch of crap!!!" Jake shouted at me and the papers came flying all over the floor. "You only have one thing, one thing to do, Claire, and you can't even do it right! What are you, four?! You can't even use a copying machine properly?"
"I-I'm sorry. The machine was jammed and-"
"And what? I needed this job, Claire. I am next in line for promotion as an office manager, and here you are, ruining everything I have worked for," he said angrily, then he crossed his arms. "I guess, you won't understand that because you are a princess. Well, guess what, Ms. Adams, you need to get out from your damn castle and do your job!"
Blood boiled inside my head as I walked towards his desk. I had it. This is the last straw. If he thought I will just stand here and take it all in, I won't give him that. He didn't know how desperate I am to have this job. That I needed it to regain my dignity, to once again prove to my dad that I could do it on my own.
Five years ago, after the break up, my father learned what happened and was too disappointed with me that he took everything from me. He cut all my credit cards, took my car and kicked me out of the house.
"You're on your own now, Claire!" my dad told me as he closed the door on me.
I have no one. My so-called friends closed their doors on me. I was forced to sell some of my expensive stuff such as my favorite Louis Vitton bag and my mink fur coat that costs hundreds of dollars. I just sold them not even half of its amount so I can have money to start my own life.
It took me two years to land a decent job in a small office as an office assistant to Mrs. Jones. I was earning pretty well, and was able to obtain a small studio apartment of my own. I worked with them for three years, until recently they filed for bankruptcy because of Mrs. Jones' son, Louis, embezzling all of the company's money. I was laid off.
Then I found out that Crawford Industries, this company, was looking for a new administrative assistant. So, I tried my luck, only to find out that Jake will be working alongside me. I am his trainee. He needed someone to train before he get promoted to become an office manager which was supposed to be at the end of the month, and now he thinks I was sabotaging his career.
"What do you mean by that, Jake?!" I said as I placed my hands on the desk and leaned towards him. If I could breathe fire, he would have been burnt by now. "Everybody knows that I have been working my ass off to keep up with you. Maybe if you have been much nicer-"
"Nicer?! Look, who's talking?" and he leaned closer to me, arms still crossed. I could see his jaws tensed up as his eyes mocked me. "You want me to be nicer?! Why don't you tell yourself that!"
"So, this is all personal for you, isn't it? Is that why you make everything so difficult for me?"
He smirked. "It's a job, Claire. Nothing personal."
"Oh yeah?! Explain it to me then. For the past three weeks, I made coffee for you even if that is not part of my job as I am not your personal secretary. I answered your calls in the middle of the night, sending emails to clients till three o' clock in the morning, and filing all these damn papers until midnight in the office so I won't disappoint you because I wanted to keep this job."
"I did it all for you so Mr. Crawford would somehow find me fit for this job and yet, you are still this ungrateful jerk. You could've given me at least an ounce of pity but no, you chose to be an asshole that made my life a living hell!"
He now placed his hands on top of his desk, his eyes glaring at me and I could see how mad he was. He leaned closer to me, his breathe on my face. We are only an inch apart and I tried not to hide my nervousness as his breath tingles my face, bringing a shock to my body.
"I'm glad you felt that way, Claire. Now you know how it feels like to be manipulated. To make you feel used after all the efforts you made for the one person you cared about. The one person... who you thought would make you feel important only to find out you were just one of her damn experiments."
I could feel the pain in his eyes. Those blue eyes that had stared at me five years ago... I wanted to wipe away the hurt that he felt... I wanted him to know how much I regretted that night... that I have always wondered what could have been if I never made that mistake. That maybe, if I was honest enough, if I fought for him, we will still be together until now... that maybe, we still love each other. Don't we?
"Well, I'm not that nerd anymore, Claire. The wheels have turned and things have changed. Now, you are my slave and I am your damn master!" he yelled and moved away from his desk. He sat in his swiveling chair, as his fingers entertwined on top of his lap and looked at me with a wicked smile.
"Now, do your job if you don't want to lose it," he added and went on to his computer as if to dismiss me.
I slammed my hand on his desk so hard it hurt, but I don't care since I got his attention once again.
"You can find someone else to taunt as I quit," I told him and turned on my heel.
"So that's it? You're quitting because I was hard on you? I knew it. You never changed. You're still a quitter."
I clenched my jaw as I stopped and turned towards him.
"I didn't quit on you. You did," I blurted out angrily.