3 Eye to Eye

Rosalie stood in awe at the lobby of Carter Holdings as she tries to digest that starting today she will be a part of this empire. All the interviews and assessments she's been through has been worth the sacrifices.

The employment process was so stringent which made her imagine of being a spartan fighting tooth and nail just to see another day. She decided to take this opportunity to have a new lease in her life and be a better version of herself.

The start of her day might be sorrowful but she believed her perseverance will help her turn the tides. She felt giddy imagining people looking upon her in awe and amazement by what she could do. "I will be an indispensable employee in this company," Rose thought with conviction. Having set a new goal for her self, she smiled brightly.

While Rose was doing an internal pep talk, the employees in the lobby were eyeing her weirdly. Who wouldn't notice the girl who stood still like a statue in the middle of the floor when others were sauntering off in a rush to avoid being late? They also didn't miss the way she looked amazed on every single thing her eyes gazed upon like some giddy child in front of a candy store.

The emotions she feels were like a panorama vividly expressed on her face for every person to see. She looked like on the verge of tears a minute ago then became so ferocious in a blink of an eye. The workers dawdling around couldn't help but smile and be entertained while the others think she has a few loose screws.

A wide berth was given to her as people tried to avoid any contact thinking she was mental. Did the security let her in by mistake?

An onlooker informed a personnel completely believing that she was lost. The woman wore an ill fitting black suit making her look like a hanger. There were also thick glasses perched on her button nose that is not helping in concealing the redness of her eyes and makes them think she is intoxicated instead.

In Rosalie's defense, she did try to use make up on her face but her knowledge about it is so minimal resulting in her wearing fake glasses in order to substantially cover her puffy, reddened eyes from crying due to a broken heart. Every person at the lobby had taken interest in her in one way or another that they didn't notice a black maybach has stopped at the entrance.

Stephen was busy looking through some papers in his tablet that he didn't notice the car has stopped. He looked past the car window and observed something peculiar. The employees were watching a woman get dragged out of the building while crying and shouting at the guards. He frowned. Stephen has totally not experienced this type of scene.

Carter Holdings was equipped with tight security, so tight a scandalous scene should have been prevented from the get go. He prided himself in knowing that his company was never publicized with a distasteful scene but, of course, it was different behind closed doors. You should never air your dirty laundry.

Any distinctive occurence despite being so miniscule should have been noted and be extinguished, like a flame that sinks down hopelessly among the late decaying embers [1]. His enemies are all lying in wait hoping he would make a mistake and this could be used as an ammunition against him.

Stephen Carter is the man on top and he didn't get there by smiling and being good. He made lots of enemies and kept them leashed. The path of fame and power will always be bathed in crimson. It's a dog eat dog world. So ,how can this shocking scene came to be?

He got out of his car and started to walk towards the commotion. The woman was a little thing and barely reaches his shoulder even in her 3-inch black wedge heels. She was carried by two burly security guards, holding both her arms as she continued to flail and cry like someone who got her heart broken.

As he got nearer, the security noticed him and tried to be composed with a crying woman between them. Silence descended on the lobby. Every person was still and wary.

"Good morning, Sir." They greeted fearfully knowing the boss has little tolerance for slip ups like this.

"Explain," Stephen assessed the woman from head to toe.

Rosalie sensed something has changed. The air was heavier and the place has gone quiet.

All the bad things just added up. She remembered how he broke her heart and how demeaning it felt when they didn't even bother to check her identity card no matter how hard she tried to explain it. The dam just broke and she cried harder for all this miserable events that has unfolded like watching a train wreck.

"How can you do this to me?" She said tearfully. Rose did not know to whom was the question for but Stephen thought it was for him.

"What did they do?" he asked fully curious why she wailed like a child. He looked at her eyes and couldn't help but feel like being a bully.

She gazed at him with tears clouding her vision. "They hauled me out without a reason. I told them it was my first day but they didn't believe me. They haven't even checked my identity card!"

The onlookers couldn't help but feel like she was like a child tattling. They could see her face clearly now that her glasses were removed from her earlier reaction. She looked so adorable with her doe eyes that shone like a fine aged whiskey beneath the tears, cute button nose and puckered full lips which was cherry red. Could she be there trying to see her older brother?

"Which department are you going to work with?" Stephen inquired. He feels something was indeed not right.

"I'm a new hire for the programming department." She replied grumpily and harshly wiped her tear-stained eyes.

"I do have new hires for the programming department. Please tell me your name."

"Rosalie Williams. Are you perhaps my superior?"

"Yes. Ron, can you check the new hires we've got for the programming department?"

"Yes, president. I already checked her profile and she's one of the new hires" Assistant Ron promptly replied.

"Miss Williams, it's unfortunate that this left a bad impression on your first day of work here. I do apologise for the trouble they made." Stephen spoke consciously knowing his employees made a mistake.

"Do I have a really bad luck? I don't want to work here anymore!" Rosalie sniffed quietly trying to stop her tears from falling from both being humiliated and heartbroken.

"Let me make it up to you. I'll let you have a day off today and I will personally arrange a mentor to help you adjust with work tomorrow. Those who mishandled you will be dealt accordingly. I hope this will make you feel more at ease," Stephen makes a gesture to Ron which the latter quickly understood.

"Please, follow me Miss Williams. My name is Ron. A private lounge is around the corner to help you compose your self. You can go home after and report back tomorrow at the same time. Some teas and biscuits are inside. Please, do not hesitate to help yourself"

Assistant Ron efficiently guides Rosalie which the latter was grateful for. She doesn't want to attract any more attention.

Seeing that Ron and Rosalie are a distance away from him. Stephen asks the employees who handled Rosalie earlier.

"I can see a lot of you slacking off. All of you here needs a refresher on the company rules. Reflect on your actions and apologise to the lady afterwards."

The employees all collectively heaved a sigh of relief thinking it was all done and none of them were fired.

"Ah, I forgot. The receptionist, the one who reported and the two security personnel who had a hand in this fiasco shall be demoted. Report to the HR office for your new positions," Stephen added. He continued walking towards his private lift alone. It's still morning yet the day felt busier than the other days.

He became rueful and wondered if this is all his life will amount to. Neither of them know how big the change this encounter will take effect in their lives.

[1] a simile from Nathaniel Hawthorne