Chapter 4 A New Job

The next morning, Ellen had a hangover as she rolled out of bed. "Oh my god! F**k," she cursed under her breath.

Ellen could hear the hustle and bustle of the city below; her apartment was situated on the third floor of the building. The sound of cars from the street below flowed in easily with the wind through her open window. She held her head with both hands as she stood to go use the restroom.

Her phone vibrated on the bedside table, and without looking at the screen, she picked it up.

Ellen, what was that about last night?" Luke said as soon as she picked up the call.

"Why in hell are you calling me?" Ellen groaned, holding her head as she made her way to the bathroom.

"You barged into a party you were not invited to and embarrassed me," Luke said almost in anger.

"You should have thought of that in the first place; you're the one who broke up with me and proposed to my best friend," Ellen told him.

"This is probably why you have always wanted to keep our relationship secret," Ellen accused him.

"All that bullshit about not wanting people to look down on me at work because you were my boss was just part of your lies," she added.

"I love her, Emily, and moreover, you seem to have moved on," Luke told her.

"Fuck you, Luke!" Ellen shouted and hung up the phone.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Ellen saw puffy eyes and tousled hair; she looked disheveled after having slept in her dress.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed and covered her lips with her right hands as she remembered the kiss.

"I won't see him again," Ellen told herself, trying to forget that moment.

She cleaned up nicely and changed into comfortable clothes. She stepped out of her room to check on her mom. Moving along the corridor, careful not to be too loud, she discovered her mom's door was closed.

Assuming she was still asleep, she turned to head to the living room when she heard "Young Lady."

"Oh my god," Mom! Don't do that! She exclaimed, both hands on her chest.

Mrs. Grater was seated at the table with a breakfast of sandwiches and coffee.

"You got home quite late last night," Mrs. Grater Lily said to her daughter.

Yes, Mom, I had my keys, so I let myself in," Ellen replied to her mom.

She sat on a stool opposite her mom at the kitchen table. Their home was typical: a small living room connected to a compact kitchen that also acts as the dining area. A narrow corridor from the dining area leads to the two bedrooms in the apartment.

"You said you were going to go visit Emily today; when would you be living?" Mrs. Grater asked her daughter.

She was oblivious to the events of the night before. The emotions that suddenly overshadowed Ellen's face was surprising to her.

"Ellen? Are you alright?" Mrs. Grater asked with concern.

She had only seen her daughter show this kind of pain twice in her life, when she lost her father, who was her husband. The other was when she had finished college and her father wasn't there to share in her joy. Mrs. Grater and Ellen shared both joy and sadness that day.

"Nothing, mom; I'm just not feeling too good," Ellen replied to her mom as she tried to quickly change the conversation.

"When are you having your next therapy?" Ellen asked her mom.

Mrs. Grater knew her daughter enough to not push her to open up; when she's ready, she'll open up. She decided to go along with the conversation.

"It's today," Mrs. Grater replied to her daughter.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ellen asked her mom.

"Oh no, baby, don't worry; I'll see you when I get back," Mrs. Grater told her as she finished her breakfast.

"Okay, mom, I made the payment yesterday," Ellen informed her mom.

Mrs. Grater was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. It had been a gloomy day for them, but they have weathered a lot of the obstacles together. Ellen has been focused on working to ensure she can pay the bills, including her mom's medical bill, rent, and upkeep. Ellen had used her last savings for the payment and was hoping her next paycheck would suffice for other things.

Ellen stood up and hugged her mom. "We'll get through this, mom; I need you to be strong for me," she said, her voice muffled by her mom's shoulder.

"Hey, baby, you're extra sensitive today; we'll be just fine," Mrs. Grater assured her, trying to be strong. She knew just how hard her daughter tried.

In the following week, Ellen was fired from her job. Her gut told her Luke had a hand in it. She hadn't expected him to stoop so low. He was a senior manager at the firm, and even though she had only handled administrative duties, he still had her fired.

"Hey there, little one," Mrs. Anderson called to her; she was a neighbor and has always loved to call her little one, despite how big she is now.

Hello, mama Anderson," Ellen said with a smile as she headed down the hall to her apartment on her way from getting groceries.

"Here, take this; I saw it on my way to the mall," she told Ellen, a friendly smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mama Anderson," Ellen said, taking the flier from her. Mrs. Anderson always does this; she would give her something she picked up simply because it reminded her of Ellen. Ellen was good with people and was loved by most.

The flier was a job advertisement. Well, at least this time around, I'm actually in need of a job," Ellen said to herself as she went into her apartment.

"It wouldn't hurt to try; it'll just be among the many I have applied to," she said to herself. Ellen had only informed her mother that she had been fired from work; she explained nothing about what led to it.

********

Walking into Leo's office, Alex presents the file he brought for his inspection.

"Mr. Warner, here is a list of the candidates who applied for the position.

"Alex, why do I have to look through the list?" Leo's voice asked him, giving him a piercing stare. Feeling he'd overstepped, Alex bowed his head and responded, "Forgive me, Mr. Warner; I assumed you'd want to have a look," wondering if he'd assumed wrongly.

Knowing his boss, he was certain of the fact that he had little affinity for ladies and was careful to work with only those he personally approved of.

"Now leave; I have a company to run; I do not have the time to sift through resumes for a secretary; that's why you're here, Alex." Raising his left brow in that menacing way of his, Leo pointed at the door for emphasis.

"Thank you, sir; I'll take my leave." Alex turned towards the door, only to be halted mid-step by Leo's commanding tone.

"One more thing," Leo said, waiting for Alex to face him.

"Ensure whoever is selected resumes as soon as possible."

Alright, sir," he responded to Leo and stepped out of the office.