5. Chapter Five
From the slight opening of the door, all eyes turn to face us as they hear the commotion and it feels like a million little needles piercing my skin.
A lady standing at the head of the table seems to be the head of HR I had spoken to during my virtual interview. There are eleven other pairs of eyes seated and staring directly at me.
Next to the woman is a man holding the controller for the projector like he is giving a presentation—the CEO.
He doesn’t notice the distraction until he asks a question and barely gets responses. Then, he turns to the entrance.
Hot tears threaten to drop from my eyes and embarrass me further. My hands go up to wipe them away.
Proceeding to head out in my garment of embarrassment and that is when I hear the most ridiculous thing ever.
“She is my fiancée. Let her in.”
What?
“She was out running some errands for me, hence her lateness.”
Damien. The man standing and giving a presentation is Damien.
The CEO giving a presentation is Damien!
Did he just casually refer to me as his fiancée? How do I reconcile this information in my head?
My mind is hazy as I run through the conversations we had last night. He mentioned nothing about Selware.
The head of HR moves to say something as she opens her mouth, but Damien cuts her short.
He assumes the man beside me at the door is still stalling me from going into the conference room, so he says more authoritatively.
“Jack let her in.” He commands the man standing beside me.
I see him mouthing an “I’m sorry” as I stand there confused. This is ludicrous.
How did I go from having a job to running late to almost losing the job and now being the CEO’s fiancée?
None of this morning’s occurrences are normal to me, and I wonder what is happening.
Tiptoeing into the room, I find a seat at the back and wish it would fold and shield me from the eyes of everyone in this room.
Damien goes back to the presentation as if he had not dropped a bomb on everyone a few minutes ago. I can barely focus on his presentation as I go through what happened.
Was Kelvin aware of this? I recall he had mentioned Selware a couple of times, and he was even excited when I informed him about the new job. For once, he never mentioned that Damien is the CEO of Selware. Or had I skipped it when he mentioned it? I highly doubt it.
Oh my goodness! He was not just my neighbor and childhood friend now but my boss at the office too. This is one crazy roller coaster. How do I treat him as my brother’s best friend, next-door neighbor, and now my boss at the office?
It was still a guess earlier this morning, but now I’m sure that the universe is out to work against me today.
Some eyes still turn to look at me while he gives his presentation. I wonder what is going on in their heads.
“He gave his fiancée a job in his company?”
“She most likely got the job because she is his fiancée.”
“How can she be his fiancée?”
“Will she always ride on this privilege throughout her stay here?”
“How could you work in your fiancé‘s company?”
These thoughts made me feel so uncomfortable, and I could not wait to get out of there, curl into a ball in my bed, and cry my eyes out.
This statement will always connect every singular achievement I have here to my relationship with Damien.
My work will never go beyond “CEO’s Fiancee Privilege,” and I might even gather office enemies for this act.
Office politics is not new to me. I have heard many stories about circumstances like this, and they were not good.
My mind travels back to my previous job at the energy company and the rumors that spread like cancer there. Rumors circulated that a colleague of mine and the CEO were in a relationship. Although no one ever confirmed it, everyone never saw her in a different light.
Smirks and murmurs were always around her as she passed. People gossiped away and even elaborated the rumors beyond what they initially were.
Whenever she received rewards for good work, people tagged it as a gift resulting from her entanglement with the CEO.
These rumors became shadows that followed her everywhere, and they went on for months until she resigned. Funnily enough, the CEO never knew that these stories were being peddled.
If this was my case here, I would rather not be on the job at all. I will gladly hand in my resignation letter and depart, keeping whatever little dignity I have left in this place.
How does Damien plan to fix this mess? When would he tell them the truth? Will this not change their views about him?
I get agitated by the million and one thoughts going through my mind and the likely outcomes of each of the scenarios cooked up in my head.
His voice brings me out of my thoughts. I am nibbling on my lips, which is a gesture I exhibit when I get nervous. I am sure he can see it and understand.
“Selware is known globally for prioritizing our clients. We believe that providing the best products is not only based on our skills but also the needs of the consumers.”
“We have partnerships with two global brands and are determined to continually exceed the standards we have set for ourselves.”
“Nothing speaks the truth more of Selware than these two keywords: excellence and sustainability.”
Nothing tells a lie more than you saying I am your fiancée, Damien. You could have just let me go home as they dismissed me. Finding another job might be difficult, but at this rate, I would have to do it eventually with this statement said here today.
“You all have made an excellent choice to join Selware, and I am convinced you will enjoy your stay here. I will let Jenny continue with the presentations here, and I hope to see you all more often.”
He informs us about a staff party coming up in a few days to help us connect better. Proudly, he congratulates us on joining the company, and his eyes meet mine as he returns the controller to her.
Everyone in the room gives him a standing ovation while I hesitate for a while before I stand to do the same.
Clapping at the moment takes more energy than I have ever used before. My legs are wobbly and feel like they may fail me at any moment from now.
The head of HR addresses us, and I’m still lost in thoughts when I hear her say, “You have heard straight from our CEO’s mouth that you are in the best place. Congratulations!”
“We will take a 20-minute break now to grab lunch in the kitchenette by your right. You can also use this opportunity to get to know one another. When we come back, we will begin the tour around the company.”
Everyone walks out in pairs, but they do not pass without staring at me for a second.
I notice another door next to the conference room and Damien stands there to call my attention. Slowly, I walk towards him, but not without looking around to ensure no one sees me.
The door leads me to a smaller room that looks like a storeroom for construction gear. His familiar scent fills the air.
I did not consider how awkward and worse the situation would get if someone caught us inside here together.
“They need to get a room and keep pleasure away from the office.” The voices in my head are already screaming foul over this entire situation.
I express my dissatisfaction to him, pouring out my feelings. He needs to understand the gravity of what he has done, and I need to know how he plans to fix things.
He highlights my lack of gratitude for his initial help. I thank him grudgingly, and he teases me with his idea of telling Jenny how I drank a lot of wine and overslept.
“You wouldn’t dare say that.” I stare at him, and he chuckles.
I can not believe that he is the CEO of Selware. I wouldn’t be in this mess if Kelvin was kind enough to pass on the correct information.
He refers to the lady beside him during the presentation as Jenny. She is the head of HR.
She seemed like a tigress, with gentle looks but a fierce roar and dangerous claws, to rip apart any employee who was slacking.
“I’m also glad you got the job. I heard the process was a rigorous one. Congratulations, Lea!”
“Thank you, Damien.”
He keeps avoiding the crucial question, his solution to this mountain of lies for which we have laid a foundation.
Apparently, his only solution is to go with the flow and break up midway due to ’irreconcilable differences.’
He was talking about this so calmly like it was nothing. He’s the CEO, after all. No one would dare challenge his authority in his company.
Beads of sweat have lined themselves like foot soldiers on my forehead and neck.
What have I gotten myself into? Nervousness gets the best of me, and I cannot help but nibble my lips as a reflex.
“Let’s say we go through with this. Everyone in the office is going to look at me differently. They won’t let me be ‘me’ and will place me under your shadow. They will say I have ‘CEO Privileges’ and will not value the worth of the work I put in here.”
He assures me that no one will speak of me in that light or even think that way. However, I noticed a glitch in his confidence as he said that. He was not certain that people would let me be with this news.
I wish it was as easy as he was saying.
My phone buzzes with a text from Kelvin. Speak of the devil, and he appears.
The court has approved the documents, and we can now proceed to the next stage.
Phew! I heave a sigh of relief. Today’s activities have resulted in at least one good thing.
My brother and I would finally have access to my parents’ properties.
This has been a struggle for my brother and me, but thanks to his law degree, he understood what must be done.
Hopefully, the houses and other properties will be returned soon so we can preserve our parents’ legacy.
“Lea…” He says as he looks at his wrist-watch.
“I am already late for my next meeting, so I need to run off. Don’t be worried. There’s no lion here that is going to eat you up. Blend in with the other recruits and have a good time. Welcome to Selware, Lea!”
He holds me on both sides of my shoulders and smiles.
I try to fake a smile, but it comes out as a giggle. We both laugh.
This will be one hell of a job and one ride of a lifetime. I don’t think I’m ready for this.