Chapter 4 Her Realization

Friday morning, 8:54 a.m

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Camille stepped into the sidewalk and closed the door of the taxi before she stood there in silence and watched the cab go. Slowly, she turned herself to face the whole building and looked up at the logo of the Glamuri Luxe. She was about to enter the building when her phone rang inside her pocket. She picked it up and answered Stacy's call on the fourth ring.

"Yes, Stacy?"

"I don't know what happened, Camille," Stacy snapped from the other line. "But David kept on vomiting, what did he eat this morning or last night? He was now looking for you!"

"What!" Camille raised her voice that made some of the people from the crowd turn to look at her. "What are you saying, he was just asleep when I left the house."

"Yes," her sister answered. "What should I do? Mom's not here yet!"

"Damn, I have an interview!" Camille was about to cry. "Please send David to the hospital right now, Stacy. Tell me what hospital and I will be there in a second. Please, go to the nearest hospital!"

"Yes, I wi- Mom!"

Camille just stood on the sidewalk, dumbfound about what she was hearing. David is sick and she didn't know the cause. She's the mother, she has to kno what happened to her son!

She heard some babbles from the other line but she couldn't understand since the worry and anxiety clouded her thoughts. She have to attend the interview but somehow, if she'll decline on the last minute, they might not accept her application.

Yet she have to be there to take care of David. She's the mom, for Pete's sake!

"Camille?" The voice of her sister shot her back into reality, out of her thoughts. She blinked many times before she could manage to speak. She's almost trembling now.

"Y-yes. . ."

"Mom is here, we will take David to the hospital right."

Camille held the strap of her sling bag and took steps into the waiting shed. "I will be there. What hospital, Stacy?" she asked, trying to maintain her voice out from stammering.

"Don't worry about us," Stacy answered. "Please focus on your interview, if you will fail we have to look for another source of income so we could pay the hospital bills of David."

Camille frowned her forehead. "Huh. . ."

"You heard me," Stacy uttered. "Camille, stay focus." That was the moment, Stacy ended the call. Camille stood there, still overwhelmed with what she just learned about her son. She felt like her knees were weaken and didn't have the spirit to face the CEO today.

But she have to. She glanced around again to face the entrance and on the back of her head, something was pushing her to come inside. She took a deep breath and walked into the main door. "This is for your son, Camille," she whispered to herself. "You got this."

"Good morning," the security guard greeted her.

She forced a smile. "Morning. ." She didn't have the energy to match the jolliness of the guard. She just walked pass him and saw Miss Ollah talking with a teller. She moved to Ollah's direction and waited for her to finish her conversation.

"Hello. . ."

Rita Ollah glanced and saw her. "Oh, there you are. It's. . ." Her eyes widened. "Gosh, you're seven minutes late!"

Camille's jaw dropped as she looked at her own watch. That was the moment she realized her watch was dead. She looked up at the hiring manager with a frown. "Oh my, what should I do now-"

"Go ahead! Fix yourself and face the boss," the good manager pulled her arms gently. "Don't waste time, darling. Go ahead now!"

Without any hesitation, Camille went into the elevator, pushed the waiting button and stood there for the cab to come. The movement of the panels have hissing sound and a ting. Camille came inside the cab and punched her number floor. Minutes passed, she found herself walking through the hallway. This is the top floor of the building. There are only one or two people she found on the hallway and both of them are in full suit. She looked down at her outfit. This is the combination she wore the day she faced Miss Ollah. She had washed this yesterday and thought that there are lucked being stitched on this clothing. She scratched her brow as she looked up on the names of offices.

"Accountance. . . Management. . ." she whispered on the air as she scanned through the offices. "Where was the. . ."

"How can I help you?"

Camille turned her full body to see who just spoke. She a lady in an elegant looking dress with some glitter on it. The woman looked as if she was attending a bridal shower or a wedding. She was smiling and her lips were curved as if they were trained to be like that. She looked so sophisticated.

"Uh,"Camille uttered and made her lips into a thin line for a second. "May I know where is the office of the chief executive ?" she asked slowly.

"Oh, the chief is really busy by now," she replied. "May I know if you have an appointment, Miss. . ?"

"Miss Laurier," Camille answered. "Camille Laurier."

"I'm Cynthia Ferrell," the lady said and raised her brow gently as if she was waiting for an answer of her question.

"I," Camille said as she glanced around before looking back at Cynthia with an awkward smile. "I have an interview with the CEO."

"Oh, the secretary position?"

"Yes. ."

Cynthia nodded. "Please go on that way and on the last office was his. Good luck." There's a small smile before she turned herself away from Camille.

The heels has a sound that made Camille remembered some suspenseful thriller movies that has a femme fatale as the main antagonist. She blinked many times as she remembered the time. She was late but she was also wasting her own time. She ran towards the office still thinking about that woman named Cynthia.

Is she the girlfriend of the CEO? Why does she look so gentle? Camille thought that elegant businesswomen or leaders are unapproachable to some commoner like her. But that Cynthia has really the warmth that everyone would love.

She looked up at the sign of the office. It was the CEO's room and she have to enter it now. She didn't know if she have to knock or what but she saw a little button on the jamb of the door. She bit her lower lip as she pressed it in. It rang softly and slowly, the door opened.

"Come in."

The voice was deep and in a hard tone that sounds very intimidating to hear. Camille closed her eyes tightly and blew a lungful breath before inhaling again. She came inside and looked up to see the face of the CEO.

Their eyes met.

But she wished they never met ever again.

The CEO was the one she bumped into on her first day in the building! The alleged employee was the one who managed all of the departments! Her jaw dropped and felt like the coldness of the room has been stuck in her hands and feet. She suddenly got a mild sense of hypothermia when she realized who was she facing onto.

"So you are Camille Laurier. . ."

Camille made her lips a thin line again and nodded slowly while trying to ignore the urge to scratch her nape. She never had a very embarrassing moment until now. She suddenly wanted to run through the glass and jumped out from the building because of the great wave of embarrassment shot through her veins and muscles.

"The woman who screamed out, making everyone on the hallway hear her about the accusation of one night stand. Isn't that interesting?"

The sarcasm was screeching into her bones and she just stood there, frozen on her feet. This time she was already trembling, especially on the way the CEO look at her.

"I. ." Camille murmured. "I am sorr-"

"Have a seat, Miss Laurier."

In a second, Camille rushed onto the chair and sat on it. She couldn't look directly at the boss. She gritted her teeth slightly, trying to avoid her intrusive thoughts.

As she gained the courage, she paid a little swift glance on his direction and realized that he kept on staring at her. She gulped an imaginary lump on her throat.

Xymon snapped the paper against the table as he sank himself on his own swivel chair. "Alright, woman. Let's start."