Chapter 1 The Cold Office

Evelyn's POV

I grabbed my purse tightly as though it would protect me from the commotion of the day as I hurried through Austin Enterprises' glass doors. I looked at the clock on the far wall and saw that it was 8:57 AM, and my heart was racing. Almost on time. Once more.

"Evelyn, are you cutting it close?" The hum of the workplace was broken by Olivia's piercing voice.

I could tell she was grinning without even looking. She always had that arrogant tone in her speech, as if she was waiting for me to make a mistake.

I said softly, keeping my head down, "I'm not late," and made my way to my desk.

She whispered, "Not yet," loud enough for me to hear, along with the others. There were a few sneakers.

I choose to disregard them. I had become accustomed to the side-eyes and murmurs after years of this. But every time someone like Olivia reminded me of how insignificant I felt in this tall corporate world, my stomach turned.

I sat at my desk and started my old computer. Like every morning, the cumbersome machine took a very long time to start. I attempted to concentrate while my fingers lingered over the keyboard. However, I was unable to ignore the sinking sensation in my chest as I heard Olivia laughing behind me.

A flurry of phone calls, emails, and paperwork filled the morning. I ignored the grumble in my gut. I had barely made it through dinner last night, and I still had two days till payday, so lunch was out of the question today.

I tried to work quietly and keep my head down, but the office tension was too much to handle. Because of him, everyone spoke a little softly and moved a little more quickly.

Austin Peter.

The air in the room was sucked out by his presence as he walked in like a storm cloud. My heart raced at the sound of his shiny sneakers on the marble floor.

I hoped he wouldn't notice me, so I kept my eyes fixed on my screen.

"Mr. Wallace!" His voice, as cold and cutting as ice, echoed across the room.

I went cold. I looked up slowly from my desk. The marketing manager, Mr. Wallace, was standing next to the coffee station, holding a shaky cup.

"Yes, Mr. Austin?" Wallace's face went white as he stammered.

Peter's face was grim as he held up a file. "Is this what you consider to be appropriate work?"

"I-I don't comprehend"

"You spelled the client's name incorrectly. on each page.

The office fell silent.

Wallace opened and closed his mouth, but nothing came out.

Peter took a step forward, his tone lowering but not softening. "Are you aware of how embarrassing this is for the business? For me?

"I'll take care of it immediately"

"You've been fired."

It was a slap of words. Wallace looked at Peter in disbelief as his cup clattered to the ground.

Peter turned on his heel and said, "Pack your things." "You have until noon."

As he left, his eyes darting around the room like a blade, the place remained silent. I glanced back at my screen immediately, my hands shaking.

I was unable to make any mistakes. Not one.

The office was nearly deserted at the end of the day. The majority of my colleagues had departed, keen to get away from the oppressive stress that Peter Austin had brought with him. I wanted to go too, but there were still a ton of incomplete reports on my desk.

It was 7:10 PM when I looked at the clock. There weren't many of us left.

My phone rang just as I was ready to turn off my computer.

Mrs. Lane's voice broke over the receiver, "Miss Albert." Her tone made my stomach turn. She was the operations manager. "The quarterly report contains a serious error."

I responded tremblingly, "I-I didn't work on that report, ma'am."

"I'm not interested. Make it right. Right now. By 8:30 p.m., Mr. Austin needs it.

Before I could object, the line died.

Panic brewing in my chest, I gazed at my screen. I scanned the file after opening it. It was a complete jumble, with missing graphics, inconsistent numbers, and missed crucial portions.

This was not even intended for me to work on! However, what option did I have?

As I started editing, my hands were shaking. It seemed like a ticking time bomb every second.

My hands were clammy and my head was hammering by the time I pushed "Send." It was 8:25 PM when I looked at the clock.

I let out a sigh of relief. It was finished. I might be able to go home now.

I picked up my suitcase and got up to go.

"Miss Albert."

I was stopped in my tracks by the deep voice.

Peter Austin was standing behind me with his arms folded when I cautiously turned around. My heart almost stopped when his piercing grey eyes were fixed on me.

"S-Sir," I stumbled, gripping my bag very firmly.

"What keeps you here?" Although he spoke in a calm tone, I could feel the tension below it.

I hastily clarified, "The quarterly report had a problem." "I-uh-fixed it and forwarded it to your email."

His eyes never left mine as he took a step closer. "You fixed it?"

"Yes, sir."

He examined me with that unreadable gaze of his for a minute without saying anything.

"Please come to my office," he replied at last.

I felt sick to my stomach. "Now?"

"Yes, right now."

With my heart thumping so loudly that I was certain he could hear it, I silently followed him. What had I done incorrectly? Was something wrong?

Peter motioned me inside his modern office as he opened the door. The room was softly lighted, with a desk lamp casting a gentle glow on the polished surfaces.

He ordered, "Sit," and shut the door after me.

I sat tensely on the chair's edge and obeyed. As I waited for him to say something, my hands gripped the hem of my skirt.

Peter examined me while leaning on his desk and crossing his arms.

"Are you aware of the reason I called you here?" His tone was even as he asked.

With a dry throat, I swallowed hard. "N-No, sir."

He cocked his head slightly, making it hard to read his face.

"Let's discuss your performance."

My heart raced as I braced myself for what was coming next. Would this be the end of my job-or the start of something far worse?