"W..what?" Ariana asked, looking at her boss who sat on his seat with a stern look on his face. It was obvious that he was not joking with what he just said to her. No, she's sure she heard wrong.
Instead of proving the young lady wrong, as her heart test increased at the possibility of his early words, being her reality, had Ariana clenching her hand tightly at the edge of her apron, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Due to the sudden fall and bad loss in the business in the past three months, I'm afraid to tell you that i won't be needing your service anymore, as I'm cutting down on my employees."Mr.Brooks said, confirming Ariana's fear.
Loss?
When exactly had his booming business faced any loss?
There was this slight smirk edged at the corner of his face, which Ariana didn't want to think more about the reason why he's doing this. Why fire her? She's the most diligent among his other workers, everyone knew that. She knew that, and had anticipated that him calling her over this early morning, was to give her the good news about her promotion to senior staff.
Everything was going at such a fast pace that she couldn't entirely know what the problem could be, aside from her brains putting two and two together for her to know that this might have been because of her failure to sleep with him.
Mr. Brooms was a hardcore casanova, yet he was a great boss who didn't joke about his business. But it was very obvious and clear to her that he was thinking through his pants this morning, because what exactly has she done to deserve this kind of treatment on a Monday morning?
When she had expected her life to start being normal, bad things always happen and seem to reassure her that she's still stuck in the same place with bad luck.
It wasn't a secret anymore that Mr.Brooks is sleeping with half of his staff, yet he's a married man and she didn't take it within herself to tell his wife about his promiscuous lifestyle. If anything, she had expected after rejecting him the first time that he approached with malicious intent, that she would get the courage to tell his wife about it.
But no! She couldn't do it, not at the risk of her job.
This job was the only paying job that covered all of her living expenses, without it, she would be living on the street. The other night shifts, that she takes at the convenience store near her house was to pay off her student and bank loans. So, why is this happening to her at this point where she needs money desperately?
She couldn't help but to fall to her knees with her hands rubbing each other to beg him. "The..there has ..to be some kind of mistake, sir." Ariana said, urging him to check a second time, even if he wanted her to fire some of his staff she wasn't supposed to be among them. There was a whole lot of them that were barely diligent in their work, the only thing they are good at was drag who was next to sleep with him.
It was obvious that the girls here had forgotten what dignity was all about, the least of them always seem to antagonize her for not doing what they are doing to keep this job. That's why she had always come early and be the last person to go with the manager, to show how worthy she considers working for him.
So, it has to be that her name got mixed up with that of those girls, right?
"Please, check once again sir. There has to be some kind of mistake, why am i getting fired?!" She raised her voice slightly at him as a result of frustration. It doesn't make any sense. "Please, sir. I need this job."
She saw Mr. Brooks stand up from his seat, at that moment she felt bad for raising her voice at him which was only making her situation worse. He came around to stop at where she was kneeling down and tilt her head up for her eyes to stay on him.
"I acknowledge the fact that you have been a good worker around here, and would do anything to keep your job." He said.
"Yes sir, I will do.." Ariana said hastily, but paused when she realized the intensity of what her words might cause her if she goes ahead to finish it.
She looked up to see that he was looking at her body from head to toe, giving her the obvious information of what she needed to know if she was to keep her job.
Men.
Until when will their madness to chase any skirt they see stop?
At this point she didn't wait for him to tell her what he needed her to do, nor did she waste her time and energy begging him. It was clear to her that her time here is over, all the young lady did was lose her apron as Mrs.Brook took that as a sign that she was finally giving in to his whims.
"As expected i knew that you would.." Mr. Brook said, only to be cut short of his statement when she flinged the useless apron at his face.
"You can go to hell with your stupid offer, asshole." She said, spitting on the floor of his office before storming her way out, but not without hearing his loud voice cursing her.
The moment she opened the door of his office, she saw the other girls trying to act like they hadn't been eavesdropping on their conversation. She pushed her way through them as they started gossiping about her. She went to her locker, changed her clothes, took her purse and phone before she left the restaurant without looking back.
Tears brimmed at her eyes instantly at the realization that she's now unemployed, she could still remember how long she had searched around for a job before she got this one, now she's back at the same stage again?
But she wiped her tears, not seeing the need to shed her precious tears for someone like Mr.Brooks. Just like Andrew, karma will catch up to each of them one after the other.
The young lady felt goosebumps crawl up her skin, she felt like she's being watched, and it wasn't the good type. She looked around but didn't find anyone suspicious apart from people going about their daily job.
Ariana thought about calling Grace, but she knew that she would be too busy at work. Unlike her, Grace is quite lucky with life. She's a secretary working in a house hunting company. They lease the building early to interested buyers, who secure their spots before it's fully furnished.
Without thinking twice of what to do, the young lady boarded a taxi ride back home. As if it wasn't enough that her life has gone down the hill the last two days, after Andrew broke up with her, to being kidnapped and suggested with the idea of marrying some rich old dude, now she's unemployed all because she refused to stoop down low to sleep with a married man.
Ariana was tired, really tired of her life, she just couldn't wait for the good part, even though it's obvious that it's going to take a while before her life starts to get any better.
She paid the driver off, and walked into the street of her apartment building with her head hung low, in thoughts of which way next to go with her life, before she heard the commotion that dragged the young lady out of her thoughts.
"Pay back our money, you swindler!" A loud voice said, before the sound of a slap was heard.
Ariana looked up to see Grace in the middle of a brawl with a lot of angry women, who didn't look like they were here to joke.
"It's not enough that we worked our asses off to get that apartment, but your boss disappeared with our money after the government claimed the land. Give me back my money." A woman spat, raising her hand out to slap Grace but Ariana rushed just in time to hold her back.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?!"