Chapter 2 2

It's been a year since my life got back on track, I'm grateful that things worked out well for me, I needed it, thinking about the son I lost and all the things I was leaving behind was completely consuming me, I spent a week not being able to focus on what really matters and those were one of my main problems.

"I'm sorry," a woman with jet black hair crashes into me and spills a couple of coffees, I automatically step back and look at her, her hair is dishevelled and her eyes are green.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm very sorry about what happened, let me get you a couple of wipes to clean you up."

"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about."

"I won't feel right letting him go like this," she looks upset and I laugh a little at her awkwardness.

"Are you in trouble? You seem to have more important things to do than clean my shirt."

"I should have taken the couple of coffees I spilled to my boss, but now I don't have time and if I get there without them he'll probably want to fire me."

"Well, let's buy some more," I suggest and she declines.

"I should go, I don't have time."

"Do you work here?"

She nods.

Wow, I didn't expect to get one of my future employees, I just bought this company, but I'd rather keep it to myself and continue with the game of being a simple person passing through the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Me too, I'm new."

"I wish you luck with our boss," he smiles and we both enter the company, a middle-aged man pulls his arm tightly and I frown defensively.

"Where are the coffees? You're useless, Melanie. I knew I had to fire you before today. And who is he?" asks the man sharply.

"My name is Newman, a pleasure."

"Get to work, the new owner should be here soon and if he complains I'll take it out on you."

I decided to go down to my car to get the new shirt I had left there last time, I don't plan to go upstairs dressed the same way. I already know who will be the first person to be fired, I didn't plan to find out that way, let alone end up infiltrating to realise that some employees pretend to be sweet sheep and end up being the wolves.

Maybe the world is more rotten than I expected.

"Has Newman Cash arrived at his new domain yet?" On the other end of the line is my best friend Adrik, we work together and we always tell each other everything that happens, partly because of him I knew that my old partner had miscarried.

"I'm in the car changing my shirt, but I've been watching a bit of the action."

"Anything interesting to highlight?"

"I know who I want to fire."

"Remember your mother asked you not to go crazy firing people and bringing in new people."

"I know, Adrik. It's not what I will do."

"You will know the decisions you make, I'm just warning you."

"Will you come?"

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, I think I can figure it out on my own."

"All right, call me when you're done, remember we have a meeting at six o'clock."

The call ends and I sigh, I feel the urge to light up a cigarette, but I restrain myself. I've wanted to quit smoking since last year but the situation has become complicated, smoking is the only thing that relaxes me lately.

I walk up the stairs and suddenly I'm in the same place, I stay out of the way so as not to disturb the staff and so that they don't notice me so much. I hear the man from the morning arguing with the girl I met more than three times, shouting at her and doing whatever he wants with her. I don't understand how she is able to stand it, as she would have left this job a long time ago.

I don't tolerate being shouted at, nor do I tolerate people talking to me in a tone that seems old-fashioned to me. The only person who speaks to me the way he wants to is Adrik, and only because our friendship has always been like that.

"Good morning Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm just passing through."

"Excuse me sir, but people can't just be passing through here, I must ask you to leave."

"I'll be leaving in a moment."

The man whose name I don't know approaches the girl who is talking to me and grabs her by the arm to drag her into his office. The office is silent for a long time so I decide it's time to intervene and not keep quiet.

I knock on the door, but nobody opens until I am more insistent.

-What the fuck do you want, can't you see I'm solving some problems with her?

"Can you tell me your name?" I ask calmly.

"Excuse me? What does that matter to you?"

"I need your name."

"Tomy."

"Excellent Tomy, as I told you downstairs, my name is Newman, I am the new owner of the company."

"Impossible, you're just an employee," he replies, his voice trembling.

"I am Newman Cash and I regret to inform you that you are dismissed, I cannot allow you to treat my employees in this way, let alone put your hands on them, I hope I can remove all your things in less than an hour."

"Mr. Cash, what you saw was a misunderstanding, I was just stressed by the situation, it's not something that happens every day, you should understand me, you must be under a lot of pressure too."

"Stress is not a valid reason to treat other employees badly, please pick up your things and leave."

Tomy clicks his tongue and tries to go back into his office, but I put one foot in the middle of the door, I'm not going to let this woman be left alone with that man in there again.

"Miss, get out of the office as well."

"Thank you very much," he whispers, leaving at a fast pace, I wait for Tomy to pick up everything and accompany him outside when the employees see us, I notice that the girl from the café is watching me, slowly and carefully.

Her eyes express curiosity, intrigue and I want to talk to her, I want her to be my secretary or at least work for me more closely.