Chapter Fifty-One

The air in the room was dense. 

No one said a single word, but the two eyes gazing at each other were intense.

One was cold and withdrawn, while the other filled with raging emotions. 

The two opposite emotions were destructive. 

The person with the cold eyes sat like the king of the world in the leather chair. His face was void of emotions, and his eyes were dark as tar. On the other hand, the other person was standing. Her hands balled into fists at the side of her body. She pursed her lips, and her eyes burned with anger. 

A single expensive oak desk separated them, the papers scattered on the desk and floor the information she had brought for him earlier. 

It was disastrous, the atmosphere in the room. 

The man wanted the mess written on the papers instantly fixed, while the woman wished he was six feet deep. 

Slowly, he leaned against the desk and formed a steeple with his fingers. 

"Do you think we have the time to give out favors, Ms. Kim?" 

His tone lacked empathy as he spoke. Business-like with a tint of nonchalant best described his voice. 

A slight twitch of an eyebrow was the only indication of the man's irritation and no more. It was like he was an ice king. His cold and emotionless attitude made him unapproachable and unfriendly. 

'Ice Lord,' the name everyone bravely whispered throughout every department, described this man. His eyes were like ice glaciers piercing her skull, but the woman did not waver or feel intimidated. 

On the contrary, she grew angrier.

Bravely, Rita stared into his eyes, and through gritted teeth, she spoke, her tone mild in comparison, but she was far from calm inside. 

"I do not understand what you mean, sir. I am simply doing the job you assigned to me. You told me to choose men and women with outstanding resumes, experiences, and work ethics who are qualified for the job." 

"Qualified?" 

Scoffing as if he found her words foolish and dull, Hector dubiously lifted a paper from the desk. He was inwardly cross, especially with how the young woman gazed at him. 

Rita raised an eyebrow at his sarcastic drawl. 

He did not sound impressed. 

Her face remained neutral, but her anger flared.

'Did my hard work not satisfy his ego yet again?' 

She pondered as she watched him shift through the papers as if he were searching for something more sufficient.

"I am not looking for qualified people, Ms. Kim, but individuals who can work without cracking. People who can handle responsibility."

As he spoke, he threw the papers onto the floor without sparing them a glance. 

Rita's anger increased, her patience running thin. 

She had gone through hundreds of applications in a week and three days, but none had reached Mr. Thomas's high expectations. 

'What else do you want?!"

She wished to scream those words into the daft man's face but refrained.

Losing her job over a conceited man was not part of her plan, not with the fact Yvonne had yet to call or return. If what Sharlene said was true about his parents' interference, then she had to prepare for the worst in their relationship.

Losing the job that brought her ample income for her and her unborn baby was impractical.

"So, are you saying those applications are not eligible?" 

'Again!'

She wanted to scream but curbed her tongue.

Gazing up at her after throwing another paper to the ground, Hector suddenly smiled. 

His smile sent shivers of dredge up her spine.

"Your work ethic is commendable, Miss. Kim, but the results are futile." 

Raising an eyebrow, Rita was confused. 

"What?" 

She voiced, stunned.

Standing after he had sent every single paper onto the ground, he fixed his creaseless suit. 

"In layman's terms, you are lacking, Miss. Kim. I will inquire with an HR manager from another branch to help me get those teams sorted."

Indifferently, he spoke, and Rita grew tongue-tied. 

'How can a man…after giving me work like a horse, I'm...lacking? No. That can't be. What does he mean by inquiring with an HR manager from another branch? Is he firing me?' 

Appalled, Rita hurriedly inputted, her eyes burning with rage. 

"You cannot do that, sir. I…" 

Raising a hand, Hector effortlessly interjected. 

"I am sorry, Miss. Kim. You may leave. Save the conversation for another time."

Half-heartedly, he spoke, and Rita had reached her limit.

"HOW DARE YOU, WITHOUT NO CAUSE OR REASON, FIRE ME LIKE THIS?!"

She barked, her voice echoing against the walls. 

Her hands were shaking, and tears burned her eyes. She also felt her heart grow heavy. Her rent was due. The paycheck she would receive before the month-end was the way to clear the bills. 

If she got fired, not only would she be kicked out of her apartment, but job-hunting would be forever challenging since being fired would place a big 'no, no' on her resume and CV. 

No other business would trust her work ethic.

The more she thought of those outcomes, the angrier she became.

Janice, his secretary who replaced his recent one who quit three days ago, had heard the commotion outside. Quickly, she stood and rushed towards the door in her tiny heels and flew the doors open.

"AFTER I WORKED THE HARDEST I'VE EVER WORKED AND THE EFFORT I TOOK TO BRING THIS INFORMATION TO YOU, I AM FIRED?!"

She heard Rita's bark.

Raised eyebrows, Hector was taken aback that his footstep faltered. 

Seeing his action, Rita seethed.

'Did he think I would take his words lying down?' 

"Miss. Kim, I would advise you to–" 

Speaking when he found his voice, Hector looked passive, but Rita quickly snapped. 

"AFTER WORKING NIGHT AND DAY, SLAVING MYSELF TO GET THOSE PEOPLE FOR THAT STUPID UPCOMING EVENT, YOU ARE BRAZENLY BRUSHING MY EFFORTS LIKE THIS?! IS THAT THE THANKS I GET FOR WORKING FOUR YEARS IN THIS GODFORSAKEN COMPANY?!"

She growled, her chest rising and falling with every word, and if looks could kill, Hector would be ten feet underground. 

"Miss. Kim, if you would–" 

Again, he tried to mollify, but Rita ignored him. Catching her breath, Rita closed her eyes. 

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, and speaking barely over a whisper, she removed the company pass card from around her neck and slammed it upon his desk.

"If it is perfection you seek, Mr. Thomas," she spoke as if eating sand. "Then I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you are not going to find it anytime soon."

With that said, she swiftly turned away from the shocked Hector. Upon seeing wide-eyed Janice, tears flew down her cheeks like rain, and she did not bother to wipe them.

"Are you okay?" 

Janice worriedly asked, for her pent-up emotions were unpleasant for her baby.

Shaking her head, Rita side-stepped her person and went outside, but unable to take another step, she leaned against the wall a small distance from the door. 

Burying her head in her hands, she silently cried. Feeling her heart hurt, Janice was about to go towards her, but Hector's cold voice stopped her.

"Is there anything you need, Miss?"

Hector inquisitively asked after composing himself and sitting back down in his chair as if nothing occurred.

"No, sir." 

Squeaking out when his words registered in her brain, she went to close the door, but he stopped her. 

"Wait."

"Yes, sir?" 

"I want you to contact the branch in South America."

His voice carried an authority that she could not ignore.

Meticulous, Janice questioned, her lips forming a frown.

"May I ask why, sir?" 

Lifting his cold eyes to stare at her, he sighed.

"For a transfer of employees."

With that, he dismissed her. 

"You can leave."

Obediently, she nodded, closing the doors. But she did not hear his loud groan.

Turning around, she gasped, for Rita stood in front of her. 

She looked miserable, her eyeliner painting her cheeks from crying.

"Jan?"

Rita's lips wobbled when she called her name, her voice sounding croaky.

Confused, Janice answered with raised eyebrows. 

"Yes?" 

"I hate our boss."

With that, she burst into tears, and Janice quickly hugged her.

------

"Waaa! Waaa! Why is this happening to me?" 

Rita loudly sobbed while placing a spoon of chocolate ice cream into her mouth an hour later. 

Earlier, Janice had contacted Sharlene. 

Explaining everything as brief as possible, she had come as fast as her feet could carry her. Soon, Sharlene brought Rita to her home after their work had concluded.

Janice soon tagged along when she had finished contacting South America for the new employees per Hector's order.

They were now in Sharlene's bedroom, where Rita had animatedly explained her experience before bursting into tears.

It was Jan's first time coming to Sharlene's home, and she had felt nervous, but five minutes later, she was comfortable. Helping Rita dry her tears, she was her headrest.

With a large bucket of ice cream in her lap, which Sharlene had gone to buy earlier, Rita was a mess. 

"My fiance left me. My boss fired me, and now I crave ice cream. Why?" 

After shoving another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, she continued to sob pitifully.

"Oh, Riri. You poor thing."

Jan cooed while gently resting her head on her shoulders.

Blowing her nose in the tissue paper she had passed to her, Rita continued to bawl yet became silent when she placed another spoon into her mouth. 

After swallowing the yummy goodness, which she moaned at the thrilling taste, her sobbing continued. 

"This ice cream is so good."

She spoke in between sobs, her glistening eyes beaming with glee every time she placed a spoon into her mouth. 

"I'm glad you like it, but please stop crying, Riri."

Jan pleaded. 

"How can I?! I'm a failure!" 

Groaning, she shoved another spoon into her mouth. 

"Mmmh. Delicious. Do you want some, Shar?" 

Rita asked as her tears rained down her cheeks like rain. 

Sharlene shook her head, her pacing making Rita dizzy. 

With a hand underneath her chin, she was cross. 

"How dare he do that after everything you did, Riri?" 

That had been her mantra since Rita finished telling her unfair story. The point of the matter was so obscene that Sharlene could not wrap her head around it. 

'Who fires someone because they are lacking? Shouldn't a warning be enough?'

She pondered and, with a frown, groused.

"How can he? You worked so hard for the past couple of days and four years."

Nodding, Rita began to weep all over again. 

"I did, didn't I? Don't I deserve the best employee of the month or even year? My life is standing still now."

"There, there."

Jan whispered while rubbing her back. 

"So, he just dismissed you and thought of another perspective? I am cross. We have to do something about this."

Uttering, Sharlene folded her arms on her chest with a huff.

"What can we do about that? He is the boss. We are the underlines. We cannot jump from the gutter and into gold. There is a limit to the things we can do as mediocre individuals. And that's what makes this harder. Waaa! Waaa!"

Rita lamented as she placed another spoonful into her mouth.