CHAPTER 1: THE OFFER
The large windows allowed the warm light of the morning sun to peep into the room, painting the office with a kind of beauty. Right outside the window was the beautiful view of the bustling city. People went up and down, chattering and smiling as they went about their businesses.
All in all, it was a beautiful day outside. Yet, for Jazmine Roosevelt, it was yet another boring, long day at work. Except, today had come with a different gift.
Sitting before the brown mahogany desk, cautiously arranged, was her boss, Mr. Watson, a shrewd, short, bulky man in his fifties, with a pair of glasses he never needed on his forehead. Right across from him, Jazmine sat, fiddling with her pen underneath the table, away from his prying eyes.
"So... are you in for it, Miss Roosevelt?" Watson leaned on the table and intertwined his fingers.
"Think about it well, Jazmine," he urged with a very dramatic wave of the hand. "You won't find any like this anywhere."
Jazmine sighed, unable to decide. "Sir, may I ask?" She placed the pen on her thigh and sat up straight to face Watson. "Why?" She asked.
"Pardon?" Watson frowned at his red-haired employee; she asked too many questions. Sometimes he could not help but wonder how he had been able to work with her for three long years without losing his sanity.
Jazmine did not seem to find anything wrong with her question. After all, what he was asking her to do was - if not inhuman - illegal. Yet, she was tempted to say yes.
Jazmine readjusted her sitting posture and looked her boss straight in the eye. "Why would you want me to do something like this? I mean, who in the world is so jobless - no offense…"
"None taken."
"... To want to slander someone else's name? It is childish and unreasonable. Whoever it is, if they have a grudge against the other, why don't they settle it amicably?"
Jazmine felt a gush of wind over her tiny pink heart after asking the one question that was quickly starting to haunt her. As much as she tried, Jazmine could not really understand why someone - a human - would want to bring down someone else. It sounded childish to her.
"Ms. Roosevelt," Watson relaxed in his chair, still not breaking his gaze from hers. "I believe that doesn't concern you. Your job, as I have stated before, remains the same."
It was not a sentence; it was an order from him to her, to do just what she was supposed to do. Jazmine knew that, but everything Watson was asking her to do would go contrary to her faith and upbringing.
"Meet the man. A position would be secured for you once you accept this job so as to enable you to work with him every day. That gives you access to him and his daily life. It would also give him the time to grow softer and loosen his guard around you.
"When that is done, you find secrets - ones you know would be able to end his career and reputation in Chicago - and that's it! Your job is done." Watson said it like it was as easy as drinking water. In fact, he had said that time and time again; for the umpteenth time that day. It was barely noon, and Jazmine was sure that he did not mind going over the details of the contract a thousand times again. As long as she would agree to it, he did not mind at all.
Jazmine sighed. Her eyes shutting and opening to reveal her black obsidian pupils. Just when she opened her mouth to reject the job, Watson beat her to it, throwing in his last card.
"Your mother, I believe, needs the funds."
Those were the only words it took for Jazmine's indestructible surface to crumble.
Her mother…
Her eyes shut close as her mind drifted back to her poor mother who was lying down in the house now. Probably sleeping under the influence of the painkillers she had been taking for months now.
The poor woman had been diagnosed with a faulty kidney and needed a transplant. As unfortunate as the family couldn't afford the cost of treatment, there had been no donor. Maybe because they didn't have the funds now.
Jazmine bit her cherry-colored lower lip to push back a sniffle. Her demeanor always crumbled when her mother was mentioned. It was no lie that the poor woman had seen all sides of life ever since their father went AWOL thirteen years ago.
Could he even be called a father?
His presence was akin to his absence as he was just invincible even when he was with the family.
"Miss Roosevelt? Miss Roosevelt?" Watson called out to her, but it was as though she was no more in the room for she heard him not.
Watson sighed and banged his fist on the table loudly. "JAZMINE!!!"
Jazmine almost fell off the side of her chair. "Sir!"
Her hand flew to her chest in a bid to calm her racing heart, and her head hung in - was it shame for spacing out or self-pity for her predicament? Watson couldn't tell, neither could she.
"I'd take the job, sir."
It could barely pass off for a mutter as it came out as a whisper, but Watson heard. Yet, he leaned towards her and raised a brow.
Jazmine bit her lip and looked him in the eye.
"I'd take the job." She repeated. Something shone in her eyes - a glow of determination.
Taking this job was against everything she had ever known or believed in. But, who did morals help?
After all, her poor mother was writhing in pain with the passing of every second. She had kept her morals and didn't sell her body, yet, nothing changed, nothing happened.
Now, if she had to sell her soul to the devil to have her mother up on her feet, Jazmine would do it without batting an eyelid.
Watson smiled, pleased to hear her response. He'd always known that Jazmine was sensible and had the interests of others at heart - especially her family. It was why he had run an extensive research on her and had used her mother before she could reject the job.
"Nice choice, Miss Roosevelt. I knew you were not going to let me down," he praised, seemingly happy at her choice.
"You may return to your cubicle. The contract for the job would be sent to your desk before closing hours. I expect it on my desk by morning?"
Jazmine nodded. She pushed her chair backward and stood up to leave. But, one step away from the door, she stopped and turned to face Watson.
"What would happen once I sign the contract?" She asked, curious to know, although, she had her own high hopes.
Watson couldn't help smiling at the girl's curiosity. All the same, he did satisfy it.
"Once that is done, rest assured that your mother would be transferred to one of the best hospitals in LA. Also, you don't have to worry, your mother would be assigned a private nurse and residence in your name."
Jazmine bit her lips, feeling a little relieved at his reply. Without another word in replyto the scheming man she had called boss for the past three years, she walked out of his office.
Once in the comfort of her cubicle, Jazmine slumped into her chair and placed her head on the table.
She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. Right now, she was at a crossroads and needed to make a choice.
'Whoever you are,' she thought silently, 'when all this is done and over with, I hope you can forgive me.'