Chapter 4: Saving Her Job 3

"I said, who are you?" The CEO asked again.

Grace immediately swung out of her reverie. What was wrong with him? How could he ask her who she was? Was he not the one who had sent for her?

"I am Grace Hamilton... A new employee working under the Finance department. Our director, Mr Sullivan, said that you want to see me." Grace said, quickly looking away.

Her hair - which she had failed to hold into a ponytail - fell across her face and she quickly tried to brush it away.

"Leave it that way." The CEO said quickly. "I don't want to see your face, anyways."

Grace was hurt. She knew that nobody - apart from her parents and junior brother - loved her. Who wanted to love a poor and dirty girl, anyways?

Meanwhile, the CEO stared hard at her. Why was she so beautiful? Why hadn't he met her until now? Who were her parents, and why was she looking so haggard?

"Miss Grace, you prepared the company's financial report for yesterday's stock exchange and bonds, isn't it?" The CEO asked at last.

"Yes sir, I did." Grace said, her eyes fixed on her shoes. They looked ugly all of a sudden.

The CEO nodded and coughed slightly.

"You did a nice job. I need such people in this company. I have been told that you are a newbie with no working experience. For you to do such a thing, it means that you really know what you read as a major. It is a feat and extremely commendable." He said.

Grace was shocked and she lifted up her head in a jerk. The cold CEO just commended her? Was she dreaming or what? Was he not going to fire her?

"But contrary to that, I want brush on the issue of the possible termination of your contract with KAD. Lateness is one song we do not sing in this company. Inasmuch as you have done tremendously well, I think the company will have to fire you." That was the CEO again.

Grace felled on her knees and put her palms together in supplication.

"Sir, please... You need to have mercy. My family depends on me... Until now, I have been working as a receptionist at a local newspaper firm. If you see me as a failure, I accept your judgement. But give me my very last chance... I won't fail you... Punish me any how you want... I can clean all the toilets for you." She said quickly, trying hard to restrain herself from crying.

Inasmuch as she tried, a few drops ran down her cheeks.

The CEO looked at her with a poker face. But he was heartbroken inwardly. Why was she crying? Did the job mean that much to her? But what caused her to be late? It couldn't be because of the traffic, definitely.

"Stand up and sit in one of the chairs." He said at last and added, "And crying won't help you to keep your job... It would only escalate the probability of you loosing it."

Grace quickly wiped away her tears and stood up.

As Grace stared at the CEO, she couldn't help but wonder how brutal and inhuman he was. Even after telling him that her family depended on her, why was he still so unmoved? Where was he when the Almighty was sharing conscience and love?

"I said you should... Sit down." The CEO said, maintaining his poker face.

Grace sat on the edge of the chair nearest to her, her palms still joined together in supplication.

"I think what you just said makes a little sense." That was the CEO.

Grace's face immediately brightened, her brows arched. Was he serious or was he just toying with her emotions?

"I will punish you. You punishment starts now and ends tomorrow morning, here in my office. From now till tomorrow morning, you are going to be personal assistant. If you don't want to, the door is some metres away; you can help yourself." The CEO said, picking up his phone.

'why is he so cruel? Does it cost a dime to be nice?' Grace thought inwardly.

She couldn't help but feel very bitter. She quickly stood up, clutching her bag.

"I accept, sir." She said quickly.

The CEO smiled for the very first time.

"I see... Until now, I have never had a personal assistant. What I have had is a personal secretary. Now, your work is to follow me around, do my biddings and other things."

Grace nodded readily as he said each word. The CEO was not that heartless, after all. She initially thought that perhaps, he would ask her to wash all the toilets at KAD. Even a superhero would not be able to do that. The toilets were over two thousand.

"Let's get started. I am going for an inspection on the ground floor. I need you to do everything. If I instruct you to do something or on how to do it, just start thinking of another company where you can go and submit your CV." The CEO said.

Grace instinctively collected his phone and walked ahead of him, keeping her handbag in the chair she had sat in, earlier.

The CEO smiled secretly. But what the hell was wrong with him? Why did he help her instead of firing her? He was not becoming soft like a bunch of ripe bananas, was he? He could feel that it was more than that... She was beautiful. But he had seen many beautiful women. What then, was special about her? She was not rich, she was very poor. What was the connection? He was not falling for her already, was he? But how could it even be possible? He hated women and saw them as a distraction. He thought of only money, his family and those in the charity homes.

"Sir?" Grace called out politely. She had opened the door ajar and was waiting for the CEO to pass.