First Day
You can listen to these songs while reading this chapter to feel its full atmosphere. I hope you enjoy the story and have a great reading experience. Take care of yourself ??
The Night We Met — Lord Huron
You Should See Me in a Crown — Billie Eilish
My Tears Ricochet — Taylor Swift
Run — OneRepublicFalling — Harry Styles
Bloodstream — Ed Sheeran
----
First Day
Hazel’s POV
The email arrived at exactly 8:02 a.m.
I stared at the sender for several seconds before opening it.
Blackwood Corporation – Human Resources
My heartbeat echoed in my ears.
“Dear Ms. Hazel Brooks...”
I stopped reading.
I couldn’t do it.
Not yet.
What if it was another rejection?
What if yesterday had gone well only in my imagination?
“Hazel?”
Evelyn looked up from arranging a bouquet of white tulips.
“You’ve been staring at your phone for almost a minute.”
I swallowed.
“They answered.”
Her eyes widened.
“Open it.”
I slowly looked back at the screen.
Then, with trembling fingers, I continued reading.
We are pleased to offer you the position of Executive Assistant to Mr. Ethan Blackwood.
I read the sentence once.
Twice.
Three times.
It didn’t change.
The words remained exactly the same.
I had been hired.
A laugh escaped me before tears blurred my vision.
“Oh my God...”
Evelyn hurried around the counter.
“What happened?”
I looked at her, unable to stop smiling.
“I got the job.”
For a heartbeat she simply stared.
Then she wrapped me in the tightest hug I’d ever received.
“I knew they would see it.”
“I actually got the job,” I whispered, still unable to believe it.
“You did.”
She gently cupped my face.
“I’m so proud of you.”
I laughed through happy tears.
“I’m going to work for Blackwood Corporation.”
“You are.”
“And...”
I looked down at the email again.
“...I’ll be working directly for Ethan Blackwood.”
Evelyn grinned.
“The scary CEO?”
I nodded.
“The very one.”
She laughed.
“Well...”
She squeezed my shoulders.
“Try not to terrify him on your first day.”
I burst into laughter.
“I think it’ll be the other way around.”
----
Three days later...
I stood outside Blackwood Corporation once again.
This time...
I wasn’t carrying a visitor’s badge.
I was carrying an employee ID.
The realization sent butterflies through my stomach.
You did it.
You’re finally here.
The lobby felt different now.
Not because it had changed.
Because I had.
The receptionist smiled the moment she saw me.
“Good morning, Ms. Brooks.”
“Good morning.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
The elevator doors opened.
As they carried me toward the executive floor, I caught my reflection.
Navy blazer.
White blouse.
Simple pearl earrings.
My copper-red hair rested neatly over my shoulders.
I still looked like me.
Only now...
I looked like someone who finally belonged.
Or at least...
I hoped I did.
----
Claire greeted me with her usual warm smile.
“Welcome to Blackwood.”
“Thank you.”
“You ready?”
I laughed nervously.
“Ask me again in an hour.”
She chuckled.
“Come on.”
She showed me around the executive floor.
Meeting rooms.
Conference suites.
Executive lounge.
Private offices.
Everything was organized with military precision.
Almost...
Too organized.
“Mr. Blackwood likes structure.”
“I noticed.”
“He arrives at exactly seven-thirty every morning.”
“Every morning?”
“Every.”
She smiled knowingly.
“If a meeting starts at nine, he’s there by eight-fifty.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
“So punctuality matters.”
“It matters a lot.”
----
A few employees greeted me politely as we walked.
“Morning, Claire.”
“Who’s the new recruit?”
“This is Hazel Brooks.”
A brunette woman smiled warmly.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you.”
Everyone seemed kind.
Professional.
Busy.
No one wasted time.
No one raised their voice.
Everything moved with quiet efficiency.
It reminded me of something.
“The military.”
Claire looked surprised.
“What?”
“The atmosphere.”
She laughed.
“You’re not the first person to say that.”
Before I could ask another question...
She stopped in front of a large office.
The door was closed.
My heartbeat instantly sped up.
Claire smiled.
“He’s inside.”
I suddenly felt like it was interview day all over again.
She noticed immediately.
“Relax.”
“I’m trying.”
“No.”
She grinned.
“You’ve already got the job.”
I laughed.
“Good point.”
She knocked twice.
“Come in.”
A familiar deep voice answered.
Claire opened the door.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
He looked up from a stack of documents.
For the briefest moment...
Our eyes met.
Something about his expression changed.
Only slightly.
Almost too quickly to notice.
But I noticed.
“Good morning, Ms. Brooks.”
I smiled.
“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood.”
For the first time...
I wasn’t sitting across from him as a candidate.
I was standing in his office...
As his assistant.
And neither of us realized that this ordinary Monday morning would quietly become the beginning of something extraordinary.
----
Hazel’s POV
Claire quietly closed the office door behind me.
For a brief second, the room fell completely silent.
Ethan Blackwood stood behind his desk, reviewing a document before setting it neatly aside.
He looked exactly as he had during the interview.
Perfectly composed.
Perfectly organized.
Not a single unnecessary movement.
“Please,” he said, gesturing toward one of the chairs. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
I sat, placing my notebook on my lap.
He noticed.
“Ready to take notes already?”
I smiled.
“I’d rather be overprepared than underprepared.”
A faint glimmer of amusement crossed his face.
“That’s a good habit.”
He walked around his desk and sat across from me instead of behind it.
The gesture surprised me.
It felt less like a boss speaking to an employee...
And more like a mentor welcoming someone to the team.
“I’d like to start by saying congratulations.”
“Thank you, Mr. Blackwood.”
“You earned this position.”
Those four words meant more than he probably realized.
Not You were lucky.
Not We took a chance on you.
You earned this position.
I felt a tightness in my chest.
“I won’t disappoint you.”
“I know.”
His confidence caught me off guard.
“You know?”
“I don’t hire people I expect to fail.”
----
Ethan’s POV
She listened carefully.
Every instruction.
Every detail.
Every expectation.
Most new employees interrupted with questions before I had finished speaking.
Hazel waited.
She absorbed information first.
Then asked thoughtful questions afterward.
Another interesting observation.
I handed her a leather planner embossed with the Blackwood logo.
“This will help you during your first few weeks.”
She accepted it carefully.
“Thank you.”
“You’ll find meeting schedules, executive contacts, and ongoing projects.”
She opened the first page.
Everything was already color-coded.
I noticed the small smile that appeared on her face.
“You like organization.”
She looked up.
“I love organization.”
Good.
That would make things easier.
----
Hazel’s POV
After reviewing my schedule, Mr. Blackwood stood.
“I’ll show you your office.”
Office.
The word still felt unreal.
We stepped into the hallway.
Employees greeted him respectfully as we passed.
“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood.”
“Morning.”
No unnecessary conversation.
No small talk.
He acknowledged everyone politely without slowing his pace.
It reminded me of the articles I’d read.
Disciplined.
Focused.
Reserved.
But there was something the articles hadn’t mentioned.
Every employee smiled after he walked away.
Not because they were relieved.
Because they respected him.
There was a difference.
----
He stopped in front of a glass office connected to his own.
“This will be your workspace.”
My eyes widened.
It was beautiful.
A large desk faced the windows overlooking Manhattan.
Shelves lined one wall.
Fresh white orchids rested on a small cabinet.
A laptop, notebook, and neatly arranged office supplies waited on the desk.
I slowly stepped inside.
“This is...”
I looked around.
“...more than I expected.”
“You’ll spend a great deal of time here.”
He noticed me admiring the view.
“I thought natural light would be better than fluorescent lighting.”
I smiled.
“I agree.”
For the first time that morning...
His lips curved into the faintest smile.
It lasted barely a second.
But it changed his entire face.
So...
He does smile.
The thought almost made me laugh.
----
Ethan’s POV
She noticed everything.
The office.
The flowers.
The view.
Even the small details most people overlooked.
Good assistants observed before they reacted.
Excellent assistants anticipated needs before anyone spoke.
I wondered which category Hazel would eventually belong to.
Something told me...
She might surprise all of us.
----
The intercom buzzed.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
It was Claire.
“The executive board meeting begins in fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll be there.”
I turned toward Hazel.
“You’ll be attending as well.”
Her eyes widened.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“I thought I would spend the first week observing.”
“You will.”
He handed her a slim folder.
“But the best way to learn this company...”
He met her eyes.
“...is to see it in motion.”
She nodded, taking the folder.
“I’ll do my best.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
For a split second, something warm flickered in her expression.
Not pride.
Relief.
As though hearing those words mattered more than she wanted to admit.
I understood that feeling better than most people.
Sometimes...
Belief from one person could outweigh years of self-doubt.
----
Hazel’s POV
As we walked toward the boardroom, my heart beat faster with every step.
The hallway suddenly felt much longer than before.
“Mr. Blackwood?”
He glanced at me.
“Yes?”
I lowered my voice.
“What if I make a mistake?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he stopped walking.
The executives passing by continued down the hallway, giving us privacy without even realizing it.
Finally, he spoke.
“Do you know how many mistakes I made during my first month as CEO?”
I blinked.
“No.”
“So do I.”
I frowned.
“You don’t remember?”
“I lost count.”
I couldn’t help smiling.
He continued walking.
“The goal isn’t to avoid every mistake, Ms. Brooks.”
He looked ahead, his voice calm and steady.
“The goal is to learn quickly enough that you don’t make the same one twice.”
I felt the knot in my stomach loosen.
“Thank you.”
He gave a small nod.
“Welcome to Blackwood.”
As the doors to the executive boardroom opened, I took a quiet breath.
This was no longer a dream.
This was my new life.
And somehow...
I had a feeling it was only the beginning.
----
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