Chapter 3 3

Melanie Brand.

I wish my life was like other women's, with everything taken care of and a line of men wanting to be with me. I don't think I'm an ugly woman, just a single mother who has decided to live in a flat so as not to bother her parents. I lived with them for a while, things were going well at first, but one day they just stopped working, I knew I had to leave.

For me, having to leave home was the worst situation I could have been involved in.

"Good morning, Melanie.

"Good morning Willia, I didn't expect you to be here so early."

"I finished my chores at home earlier today and I thought I would want you to look after the child while she goes to work, you do so much for her, you shouldn't force yourself so much."

"I'm doing the best I can, my boss got fired yesterday and I met the new owner of the company, I don't know how things are going to be today over there, but I hope I don't get fired."

Willia looks at me with compassion, she knows what I've been through and I'm grateful that she's the only one helping me with the child while I work. There's a knock on the flat door and I go out to see who it is.

"Mrs Brand, I won't take up too many minutes of your time, I know you are a busy person" the owner of the residence is here with some papers in her hand, I have not been able to pay her what I owe her and I know that is why she has come.

"I'm sorry I haven't been answering your calls, I've been busy with work and I'm usually late and tired."

"I need you to pay me the two months' rent you owe me, I can't keep renting from you if you don't. I need you to pay me the two months' rent you owe me."

"Mrs. Merida, I don't have the money at the moment, if you could just give me a little more time," I beg.

"I've given you enough time to get all the money you owe me, but you haven't even had the decency to pay me the first month's rent, I need you to vacate the flat by tomorrow."

"Madam... please... I have a daughter..."

"My heart is racing, I don't know what I'm going to do about all the bills I have to pay, I need to get the money as soon as possible. A few tears threaten to come to my face, but I calm down, I wish I could get my money problems sorted out."

I'm homeless and I can't go back to my parents' house, I promised that if I left I wouldn't come back, I see Mrs. Willia coming down with my daughter in her arms and I say goodbye to her, I try to get out of that house as fast as possible because I need to gather my thoughts and I stop when I see Aegan get out of the car in front of the bakery in my building.

"Melanie?"

"Mr Cash"

He doesn't hide the surprise in his voice and I try not to sound like I've cried.

"I didn't expect to see you here, I wanted to look for you after seeing Tommy off."

"Don't worry, I thank you for what you have done for me."

"I would like to talk to you about some details of the company, I hope it is not too late for that or that you are not busy at the moment."

"Not at all," I quickly reply.

"Perfect, I'll buy you a coffee."

I sit with him for a moment and sigh, I don't want to look like a desperate girl or a woman with a million problems, I have learned throughout life that not reflecting your emotions is the best thing you can do to avoid people feeling sorry or pity for you.

"Excuse me, I would like to know why you wanted to meet me or if I have done something to upset you, I can correct it if that was the case."

I can't afford to lose my job, I have to pay the rent, the lady has been pressuring me to pay what I owe, but the previous boss of the company rarely paid us what he owed and when he did it went into all the debts I had on top, starting with the things my daughter needs, some time has passed and my daughter has been growing up, but she is still a little girl who requires a lot of care.

"I wanted to ask you to be my secretary, I have been inspecting the workers and I realised that you were the hardest working person in the company, not to mention that you were hardly ever paid what was due, I promise that as long as I am in charge things will not be like this."

I don't know how to respond, I feel astonished by his offer, but at the same time I want to accept it, it would be a good opportunity for me and my family, I have tried to get ahead on my own, but opportunities like this rarely come my way.

"You don't have to answer now," he says when he realises that I haven't answered and I don't really know what to say. "You have a week to think about it, I will organise the company and the jobs better, I need everything to work better."

"Thank you for the offer, I was a bit surprised because honestly it was not what I expected, if I may give my opinion I think the jobs are fine as they are, but you should talk to them and make them really do things right, you could even hire a supervisor."

"In which area do you specialise?"

"I'm a business administrator, I've taken courses in graphic design and I know a bit about marketing, but not much."

"All right, Melanie?" I nod when he says my name as a question and he smiles with pleasure. You're the perfect girl for me, I need you on my team, we can work out a good payment between the two of us.

"Would you like me to be a supervisor as well?"

He nods enthusiastically.

I never expected the man who bought the company to be so young and handsome, he is one of those guys who are not easy to forget, who wear good clothes, have a good face and always know what to say to please you.

"What do you think?"

I bite my lower lip and look at an undefined point in the room where I am.

"I accept, but I don't want to regret it, I would like you to understand that I have a daughter to look after and I really need a good job."

Newman's expression changes to a serious and distant one, suddenly, I feel like I've said something I shouldn't have said, but I've acted normal and I don't think I've said anything wrong, I've just been honest.

"How old is your daughter?"

"One year old, learning to walk."

"She must be a beautiful girl, I should have had a child too," he says and the coffee he was stirring patiently before now begins to be drunk slowly, sometimes he looks at it as if he is going to give her an answer. My ex-partner decided to abort the baby without consulting him, I argued with her that day, I wanted to have a child.

His voice cracks a little, but he tries to hide it.

I feel a bit sorry for him, losing a child must be one of the worst things that can happen to someone who wants to have a family, I was clinging to the idea that my ex-partner was going to stay with me, idealising things is something I vowed never to do again.

I'm very sorry, maybe your ex-partner had problems that he didn't know how to talk to you about or he just wasn't a good person, but I hope he was able to overcome that loss.

"A loss is never completely overcome, you just learn to live with it."

I look at him, without saying anything, and nod.

There is an awkward silence between the two of us, I have nothing to say, I want to leave and Newman remains sitting in his seat without saying anything, I am not good at comforting people nor am I good at giving advice, I didn't expect my boss to open up to me like that, maybe now he understands a little better that people with money don't always lead a good life.

"I think that's it for today, we should leave before you're too late for work. Would you like a lift?"

"Are you heading to the company too?" I ask and he nods, we get up and the tycoon pays the bill without even asking any questions, tips the employees and signals to one of his bodyguards that they should leave.

I've never liked to stay so long in the place where I work, I'm used to being on the road, I used to travel a lot, when I had my ex-partner we always went on trips, I took her to my business meetings and anywhere she wanted, but I know that this time it has to be different, I can't get lost for several days and pretend that everything is fine.

"Why not? You're the boss."

"I have to be responsible and it is a project to which I am devoting all my energy, so I would like to do things right."

Even though he is a young man he has all his goals clear, I have always admired men like him, knowing what they want is one of the first things a woman can see in a man, however, Newman seems a bit distracted by what happened in his life some time ago.