Chapter 4 I do it for love

Helena looked at the email with one eye, expecting the worst.

But what she read left her dumbfounded.

Miss Helena Deluna Please report to the Human Resources Area for an interview.

Signature:

INDUSTRIAS ALLER S.A.

The young woman read and reread the message without being able to believe what she was seeing. Were they really going to give her a chance?

She couldn't help but jump for joy making a fuss, causing the employees passing by to look at her like a freak and to "Shh" her.

-Sorry- she said and smiled to herself.

But then she thought about it one more time.

What if she walked into the human resources office and found Aller's ogre setting her up?

Helena opened her wallet and found the crime bills, she had to get the wallet back and explain the misunderstanding, if she returned it in time maybe they would let her leave without any punishment.

In a hurry she went up to the elevator and looked at the large number of floor numbers that were there.

-Shit shit shit," she said with a trembling hand.

She couldn't remember which one she had gone down to throw her wallet on. He pressed the one he thought it might be and waited, moving inside the elevator like a caged animal.

The elevator opened and he lunged for the trash can, but it was empty. The bag had been changed.

-It can't be!" she exclaimed in bewilderment.

Resigned, she stepped back into the elevator and pressed the button for the human resources floor.

Helena walked down the hallway nervously looking around.

She dreaded opening the office door to find that diabolical man grinning maliciously, the very thought of imagining the punishment she would receive made her hair stand on end.

He knocked on the door and looked out.

-Excuse me," she said with a trembling voice, she looked inside, there was the same man who had thrown her out, but to her relief there was no trace of Mr. Aller. - They sent me an e-mail for an interview

The man looked up from the papers on his desk and looked her up and down. Then he sighed wearily and Helena felt bad for bothering him.

-Yes, come in," he said reluctantly.

The young woman came in and sat down in the chair in front of him. She couldn't stop shaking her leg nervously and biting her lip as the man reached for his paper from among so many he had. She felt the sweat running down her forehead and she clutched her purse tightly, hiding the evidence of the crime.

-Here you are," he said pulling out the dirty paper.

Helena smiled at him uncomfortably and embarrassed.

-You really don't have any experience in the area and it would be a problem for us to hire you, since you have to be trained from scratch.

-I know, but I'm a fast learner!

-I have other offers that are really more in line, they have years of experience and even university degrees.

Helena lowered her head in shame, she had never been able to be a professional, her father had been seriously ill since she finished high school. From that moment on, at only 18 years old, she dedicated almost one hundred percent of her time to taking care of him, the other part of the time she worked from what she could get. She knew she was not the perfect candidate.

-Sir, if you hire me you won't regret it," she exclaimed confidently.

The man looked at her with scrutiny and sighed in defeat.

-I insist that you won't..." He said dryly, "But you're still hired...".

-Really?

-Mr. Aller has insisted on hiring you, I have no idea why, but what he says goes..." He said dryly.

The wide smile that Helena had on her face was erased when she heard the name of the person who had made her day impossible.

Would he really be able to hire her just to torture her for the rest of her life?

-It starts on Monday," said the man.

Helena said nothing more, nodded her thanks and left the office in anguish. She never thought that being hired in a good position would have her like this.

She shuffled home and when she opened the door she ran into David.

-David," she said in panic, "Is everything all right?

-Actually I was about to call you, Lucas is flying in fever, I tried to bring her down, but I couldn't.

The young woman ran to her brother's room, put her hand on the little boy's forehead and took it off in alarm when she confirmed that it was boiling.

-We must get him to the hospital as soon as possible.

After several hours of waiting, the doctors finally managed to lower his fever and discharged him, with the condition that he take the prescribed medication every eight hours. Helena knew they would be expensive, but with her brother's health she could not negotiate.

-Take Lucas to the car while I finish the paperwork," she asked her friend, "Thank you David, I'm really taking up all your time with this.

The young man smiled sympathetically.

-Don't worry, in fact, I'll cook today if you don't mind, you really need to rest".

Helena smiled at him as best she could, it was true, she was exhausted, it had been a hard day.

She approached the reception desk and read the bill. About $1500 had been added to her total debt.

Shit, when am I going to be able to pay this? She should be thankful the doctors still understood Lucas, because they could refuse with such a debt, it was already coming to 20,000 total.

Then she looked down at her purse, remembering the money

No Helena, you are a woman of principle with a good upbringing, you are going to go and return the money, even if anonymously. She chided herself.

But your boss has a lot of money, for him it's just change, but for you it could be the relief you need. Said another little voice in her head.

She took the money out of her purse and fearfully counted it.

There was about 12,000 dollars, with that she could pay off a part of it and they would give her more time for the rest.

Without a second thought he placed the wad of bills on the desk.

-I'm going to pay the bills," she said to the receptionist.

When the woman took the money Helena closed her eyes tightly, feeling like the worst person in the world. She was now a criminal and she had stolen not from just anyone, but from her own boss.

The next day Helena woke up early and was relieved to see that her brother was feeling better.

-Little boy, breakfast, then you stay with Mrs. Rosa while I go out, okay?

The boy, already used to staying with the neighbor while Helena looked for a job, did not squeal at this.

While the little boy ate breakfast with a glass of hot milk watching the cartoons, the young woman grabbed the envelopes she had in the mailbox.

"Second eviction notice" "Electricity debt" "Gas debt" "Hospital bill".

She hadn't paid her rent for several months now, the janitor had been patient with her since her father's death, but had warned her that she was running out of time.

-Hele, are there any cookies? - Said the little boy snapping her out of her thoughts.

Helena walked to the kitchen and opened the shelf, it was almost empty, there was only a package of rice and a powdered milk left.

-I'm sorry honey, I forgot to buy some," she lied, "You eat at Rosa's house, right?

The little boy nodded obediently and continued watching TV.

Helena had to turn her back on him and cover her face in shame, her eyes filled with tears, she didn't even have enough money to fill the fridge and she intended to pay the rent.

She left the apartment with the child and knocked on the next door, from inside came out a disheveled woman

-Hi Rosa, I know I didn't let you know in advance, but I really need him to stay with you for a few hours," she begged.

-Girl, you haven't paid me for three months to take care of the child.

The woman stepped aside and the little boy came in.

-Be good Lu" -She smiled barely- "Listen Rosa, I'm going to bring you the money as soon as possible".

-This is the last time I'll take care of him unless you pay," said the woman closing the door.

As Helena walked through the streets of the city, leaving her resume at the places, she knew that she had to make the right decision

I'm going to have to take the job of presidential secretary, even if I have to put up with my boss's mistreatment, otherwise I'm going to sink into debt.

She threw all the resumes in the trash. She opened her old, tattered wallet and counted the bills she had left.

A few dollars.

She went into a thrift store and bought a nice inexpensive outfit to look a little more decent on her first day. As she looked at herself in the mirror she brushed away her tears of anger.

-Don't forget you're doing this for Luquitas.