Chapter 3 You're Fired!

3. You are fired!

'...too late, I'm outside the company. You are coming right now...' Janet texted back.

She also recorded a WhatsApp message for her, in the background was loud music and Isaac singing to 'Anne Marie's - I Just Called'.

Pearla stepped out of the building to meet Janet and Isaac full of life in the car.

"I knew you'd find a reason to ditch us again, you need to loosen up girl" Janet screamed on top of her voice as the music continued to play.

"I got fired!" Pearla yelled out.

"That's my girl, let's go get some drinks" Isaac added.

"No, I am fired-fired, as in fired from the Montero Entertainment Industry." Janet turned off the song instantly, to see if Pearla was joking or totally being serious.

"What do you mean fired? What did you do Pearl?" Janet's eyes zeroed on her as Isaac also waited for an explanation.

After she explained her encounter with Simon, they both said in unison "Fuck shit!"

After a short silence, "He won't fire you just yet Pearla, you still have his flash drive to repair, remember?" Isaac reminded, trying to cheer her up.

"As if he won't still fire me and give it to someone else. Janet, you needed to see how he stared at me with those cold eyes".

"Cold eyes?" Janet asked confused.

"You've been admiring those eyes since you started to work he-r-e" Isaac playfully hit Janet on her shoulder before she zipped her mouth.

"You know what, take me back to my house. I think I now have a genuine reason to quit the Night out today" Pearla mumbled, as Janet turned on the car ignition again to drive.

Isaac sat behind in the car speechless, already feeling sorry for Pearla.

No one said a thing after!

★

Simon who had showered from the day's stressful work, pulled out the pizza in his microwave and began to eat. He pulled out a few documents that needed his signatures and review, and he began to sign them.

He came across a word "technology" when the thoughts of "tech-lady" found it's way into his mind.

Simon had no idea he had a lady as a technician, solely because he never visited the other floors except something important comes up.

He had gone to ease himself after Jaden left in search of the only technical team still logged in in the company's security system.

When he had come out of the bathroom, he met a girl who was aggressively pointing to his portrait on the wall, accusing him of ruining his Night out with whatever...

Pearla looked beautiful in her own way, the nerdy glasses she wore and her bunny hair tied to her back.

"Who does she think she is?" he hissed, pushing another slice of pizza into his mouth.

"I ruined her life? I am the fucking boss here. She is working for me! Me!" he declared to himself, his hands stamping the documents on the table with a pen in between his fingers. He stood up few seconds later as he got ready for bed.

★

The next day...

Pearla had woken up with big eye bags from the lack of sleep. She kept thinking about where she would start submitting her resumé.

She tried so hard to sleep at night but she couldn't, only for her body to give up to the nap she took around 6 am. When she woke up later, it was 7am already.

She quickly freshened up, picking up her bag and some extra welding appliances she will need to fix the flash drive. Pearla only prayed she won't be fired this month, the salary for the month could really help her.

Upon entering the office building where she worked with Janet, Isaac and few other colleagues.

"What in God's name happen to you, Pearla!" Janet screamed upon sighting her, drawing the attention of everyone else on the floor.

"What!?" she cowed, pulling Janet by her arm and moving her to side of the door.

"Your eyes!" she tried to whisper, even as her voice still shot out loudly.

"Get on with it already" impatient Pearla snapped at Janet.

"You have bags under your eyes. And they look so fvcking red! Were you able to sleep last night?" Janet being Janet, continued to throw her questions upon questions.

"Could you not scream like that next time?" Pearla begged "Please?"

"Common I didn't shout" Janet's eye's moved to scan the room when she noticed the eyes staring back at them. Some ladies at the corner whispering and hissing at the both of them.

"Maybe I did" she rolled her eyes.

"Why didn't you sleep?" she pressured.

"Did you forget our discussion yesterday night?" Pearla gave a quizzical look, Janet rolling her eyes to remember made Pearla angry.

"The firing thing...?" One part of her lips pulling up to make a twitch on her face.

"For the last time, Pearla. He won't fire you!" she reassured her.

"Since when did you become Simon?" Pearla shot back.

"Hey Isaac, Can I take this?" Pearla greeted Isaac as she pointed to his coffee.

"Sure. You need it more than I do" he replied, his eyes also fixed on Pearla's eye bags that looked very heavy even with her glasses on.

Pearla took the coffee and sipped it carefully, hoping that would lighten up her mood a bit. Right now, she looked like a Grand Ma.

"Are you Pearla?, Pearla Wilton?" the receptionist at the top floor of the building asked. Pearla had forgotten the lady's name but was sure they had met before, at the top floor.

"Yes, th-that's me" she stammered, as if she already knew her fate since yesterday.

"Your presence is required in the Chief's office" she informed, her legs still mounted on the floor as if waiting for a reply.

"You can go, I'll be there in f-five minutes"

"I'm sorry, that won't be possible. He wants you in his office right now!" the lady stated placidly.

"Maybe I should have died yesterday. All my sufferings would have ended" she thought to herself, picking up her bag to follow the lady, then into the elevator.

Pearla felt like shit, her ears was making this weird 'reeeeen' sound.

She stepped into Simon's office. Some days ago, Pearla would have felt her heart jump out of her chest for joy, of being recognized or seen, but now, it's the opposite; fear and unjoy.

"You're late!"he suddenly announced, as if he saw through the mirror door. His eyes on his new laptop, definitely a new one. Cool to be rich, she thought inwardly.

"I-uh, had an accident" she said, preparing herself for the one sentence she had been thinking through the night - 'You.Are.Fired!'.

"You look fine to me, any injury to support your claim?"

"Hunh?" she gave that puzzled look she had grown fond of these days.

"You heard me, Ms. Wilton" shocked Pearla looked at this man who already did a background check on her. She hadn't even given her name yesterday.

"Not all accidents come with injuries, Sir". replied Pearla.

"What type of accident was it then?"

"I spilled coffee on my dress?" She replied, even as it sounded more like a question to a reply.

"Get to work. Now!" he deadpanned, Simon looking at Pearla as to why he had not sacked her yet.

"O-okkay" she croaked a reply.

★

Jaden and Simon were seated. Jaden bringing up new business proposals for the Montero's to make up for the huge deal that could have made some huge money, which Simon lost due to his anger issues.

"I've been trying to set up a meeting with The Feathers clothing since yesterday, maybe you could model some of their new jackets they are about to release into the market, what's your take?" Jaden spoke.

Simon who was busy rolling a pen in his fingers was lost in his own thoughts.

"Are you even listening?"

"Of course, I am" replied Simon.

"So will you do it?" Jaden asked.

"Do what man, I'm sorry!" He dropped his pen and stared back at Jaden.

"Okay, let's start with this. What were you thinking?" he asked.

"It's not business related."

"I still want to hear it" Jaden affirmed.

"I want you to be fair, very fair in your response, okay?" He asked, eyes ogling at Jaden.

"Do I ruin people's lives?" He blurted out, his fingers intertwining themselves on his desk.

"What kind of people, poor people or your business partners?"

"People are people, Jaden. Do I ruin people's lives?" He repeated, as he listened carefully to expect either positivity or negative reply.

"With your anger, yes. I don't think you mingle too much except your business partners and employees. Numbers of people you have sacked, including the blonde hair assistant, fired!" Jaden explained, turning his head to roll the chair he was sitting on.

"Is that what you care about? The blonde hair girl whom I can't even remember?" Simon rolled his eyes.

"So who made you feel... uhhm, how do I say it...?" Jaden running his hand into his hair "uncomfortable?".

Simon scoffs "Uncomfortable? I'm just thinking about what someone said to me".

"When you are through with your thoughts, let's get back to business". Jaden announced with an eye roll, tilting his head on the chair with his eyes closed.

"Not as if you are ever wrong, you are always right. And heck, that pisses me off most times, Sime".

*

★

Later that day, Simon made a list of all the employees in the Montero Ent. Ind. from his Assistant's down to the janitor, he didn't miss that of Pearla Wilton.

Pearla looked beautiful in the picture without her glasses, only then did he notice her green eyes that the camera had captured perfectly.

"Uhmm, Jade?" Simon called out. Jaden who was already going through some other documents to solve their problems at hand, turned to Simon.

He gave Jaden a dumb look as if he was going to say something stupid.

"I think my phone is broken, can you call the tech-lady to come take a look at it for me?" he blurted out, taking his eyes off Jaden immediately. Jaden was also smart noticed his interest but turned his words the other way around.

"You can easily get a new one, Apple just launched their 14th series. Did you not know?" Jaden gave a skeptical look.

"No!"

"I want this one fixed, There are some few important files I still want to hold on to"

"Porn?" Jaden winked.

"That's gross man, I don't watch porn"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure, it was just a one time thing. Besides why do you care?" He tried to push out the topic of pornography.

"I still remember the look on your face when your mother and I stepped into your room to see you, doing the stuf-f"

Simon threw a paper to his face before he could finish his statement. He burst out into a loud echoing laughter.

"That's enough!" He playfully flipped his pen at Jaden. "Okay! Okay! I will ss-sstoooop!" He tried to control his laughter, making some weird sounds that made Simon laugh too.