Chapter 32

When was the decision to shortlist interns made and why were my candidates not among the ones picked?] A voice shouted through the phone at the Salvadorian Empire's Director of the Human resources department.

[Sir, nobody knew that was going to happen as we all just got to know about it this morning. The CEO suddenly took that decision on his own and...]

[Who made him CEO!?...] The voice angrily cut the director off mid-sentence. [He is just an interim, and he will be removed at the next board meeting.]

[Sir I still...]

[I don't care what you do and how you'll do it! I want the names of all my six candidates back among those shortlisted, otherwise, kiss your job goodbye.] The person shouted and ended the call abruptly.

The Director of Salvadorian Empire's Human resources department, Noah Taylor slumped back in his seat with exhaustion.

He closed his eyes and massaged his temple to get rid of the nagging headache that has now come to be part of his everyday life just few weeks after he started working at the Salvadorian Empire.

This job that he once loved and have high hopes for has now turned into something he dreads. Going to work is now becoming too unhealthy for him since he now loses sleep at night whenever he thinks about going to work the following day. Even though his family needed the money he's making from this job, maybe it's a good thing if he just quit on his own.

He no longer wants to be part of an organization where there's distrust and dishonesty among senior executive members. A world where people would laugh with you and act like they're your friend while they stab you in the back. A world where his ethics and values are being compromised.

At first, he taught compromising and cooperating with the man that got him his job was necessary for survival in the Empire. Now he realized that he is gradually chipping in his own quarter of wickedness that would weaken the solid foundation of the Empire and eventually bring it to its end.

'My parents are good Christians who brought me up in the way of the Lord. How could I descend this low? What happened to the rules, values, and morale that they had internalized in me while growing up? Where is my conscience!? God! They will be very disappointed in me! Heck! I am disappointed in myself'.

Director Noah Taylor, thought to himself as he silently cried.

***

Leo went straight to his office after he left the night owl the previous night. The thought of working all night on a file that needed his urgent attention was more appealing than going back home to meet his crazy sister and Claire her friend

The annoying scene of Samantha and Dave kissing in the parking lot was still in his head and he didn't think he would have the patience to deal with their nonsense right when his anger was at its boiling point. He didn't want to result to doing or saying what he would regret for the rest of his life if they tune his dial the wrong way.

While Samantha was walking towards the conference room on the executive floor where the interview would be held, Leo whose office was also on the executive floor was still going through the files from the previous night that his personal assistant, who was once his grandfather's trusted personal assistance left for him.

What he's read so far made him angry. The investigation of the project supervisor who claimed he was framed and unjustly dismissed that he asked his assistant to looked into was bigger than he thought.

It made him remember what his grandfather once said that there are so many unknown enemies who want to take down all the Salvador males before taking over the Empire.

His assistance found out that immediately after his grandfather's stroke, over the last three months, ten staff in total who were his grandfather's trusted people, mostly managers and project supervisors from different departments were sacked for gross misconduct of funds.

All the dismissed staff indeed looked guilty on paper as they all couldn't explain their way out of the stolen funds. When he asked his assistant to investigate the staff that complained to him of being framed, his assistant discovered that the rest were all framed as well and they didn't complain because they didn't want to risk any lawsuit brought against them since they had no evidence to prove their innocence.

Somebody was gradually replacing his grandfather's trusted men with people of lesser qualifications. Leo wondered how the human resources department could employ people that were not up to the Empire's standard unless they are in cohorts with the perpetrators.

Leo was pained and angry with himself.

"Dammit!..." He swore loudly and swept all the files that was on his desk to the floor in anger.

It's only been three months that his grandfather left him in charge of the Empire and in the space of that three months they've managed to replace almost all his father's trusted men right under his nose.

This was what made him change his mind about the interns. From now on, he would personally monitor the employment and dismissal of any staff of the Salvadorian Empire. His intercom buzz then and he picked it

[Yes!?...] He answered tersely

[Your uncle is here to see you, sir...] His secretary's voice said through the phone

[I thought I told you I don't want to be disturbed...]

[Yes sir, but...]

[No buts! I don't want to hear excuses about your incompetence. Tell him to wait if he could or schedule an appointment with him if he couldn't...]

[I'm so sorry sir]

[Where's Paul]

[He's addressing the interns that would be working directly with you sir]

[Alright tell him to come to my office at once]

[Alright sir!]

****

About five hours later, after all the interview processes have been completed. Only ten out of the twenty shorlisted interns were accepted. Five interns were posted to work on the executive floor while the rest were sent to other departments.

Samantha was among the five posted to the executive floor. Saying she was happy would be an understatement. She was exhilarated!

'I got a real job at the Salvadorian Empire!? I went for an internship interview but I got a real job instead!' She thought to herself unbelievably. It felt so unreal to her that she imagined the stony-faced man that conducted her interview would change his mind and say...

'We are very sorry! The offer was a mistake...' She wouldn't even be surprised if that were to happen because she felt she was not qualified enough to work for such a prestigious organization like the Salvadorian Empire.

She wanted to call her grandmother, Dr. Miller, and Abby, her personal supporters' club members to share the good news with them. They so much believed in her even when she didn't believe in herself. But she couldn't right then because she might not be able to act like a sane person out of her excitement.

The stony-faced man who had earlier introduced himself as Mr. Paul, the personal assistant to the CEO came to call her, and one other boy away from where the final five assigned to work on the executive floor were sitting.

They followed him down a long, wide passageway with doors on both sides of the wall. The passage smelt very nice. Apart from the occasional ringing of a phone and the whirling and wooshing sound of a printer somewhere inside the doors they passed, the place was cool and almost serene.

She felt relaxed walking through it until Mr. Paul opened one of the doors and they entered into another conference room. This one, much smaller than the one they first gathered for the interview. Mr. Paul sat at the head of the table before asking them to sit.