The sound of 'tik and tok' from the clock echoed surround the silence of the room. It was awfully silent till I could hear my steady heartbeat.

Finally, my heartbeat was back normal.

I was sitting on a couch alone and waited for Miss Kelly, the HR in level 10. I was half an hour early to be here because I was overexcited and eagerly wanted to feel a working life.

I thought I could sleep well after the news, but everything was the opposite. I had been counting down to the day start working here.

However, Jessie asked me to stop dreaming because nothing same as what I thought. Nothing came as what I have watched in series or my imagination.

Well, whatever.

"You're early." I snapped back by a delighted voice as I turned my attention and smiled at the person.

Here she is. "Good morning Miss Kelly. You're early too." I greeted politely as I stood up.

Miss Kelly's smile grew wider with flashed her straight teeth, "You're lovely. Anyway, have a seat, and I'll call you when I'm ready."

I smiled with nodded my head, "Sure." with that, I sat back in the seat I had sat in earlier.

I pulled out my phone from my gray slacks pocket for my entertainment to kill time.

Before I was ready to scroll my social media, I decided to text Jessie "Where the hell are you, asshole? It's 8.15 am."

I saw her replied instantly with eyes rolled emoticon, "I'm on my way. Are you desperate to see Miss Hill?"

That's my turn to roll my eyes and texted her with a line of eyes rolled emoticon, "Pffff! No, I'm not. I'm desperate to see you instead of her."

I laughed when I saw she replied with the puke emoticon as I swiftly replied with the emoticon of the girl tipping her hand, "I knew you love it. Don't deny it." and winked.

I felt my phone vibrate again, and I burst out laughing after I read Jessie's replied, "Stop flattering yourself, asshole. You're gross!"

"Hensley?" Miss Kelly called as I hastily stood up, and flashed my polite smile at her, and entered her office.

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"So, I'll assign an SME assignment for you in a while, But first, I need you to assist me to vouch for the sales document.", said Allison my team leader.

I smiled with nodded my head sincerely, "Sure, thank you, Allison."

She smiled in genuine with bobbed her head as she placed a file on my table. "This is the first month of the sales. The rest of the documents are right here. She pointed to a box of the files next to my cubicle table.

Again as being polite, I nodded my head, "Okay, thank you."

Allison waved me off with her hand, "You don't have to be so polite. I'm cool with that. If anything you wanted to ask, you can ask Jessie, Daniel, or me."

I responded with a smile, "Sure, will do."

Allison is one of the team leaders in Miss Hill's department. After Miss Kelly briefly explained the company structure and brought me a tour around the places, I finally sat at my cubicle and was ready to work.

To my luck, I was on the same team as Jessie. Jessie, Daniel, and I were under Allison.

Allison seemed nice to us. Maybe today was my first day and she tried being nice to me for not freak me out.

A new piece of information for me is that this place got two managers. Brendon William, one of the managers, has plenty of great feedback from the staff. He was a great leader, nice to all of his subordinates, and he treated them like his buddies.

On other hand, Cadence Hill, my hot manager. The story of hers was opposite from Brendon's. She was an infamous devilish manager in this firm. She was lack of interaction with her staff, besides her job, no chit-chat nor bonding time.

Besides, Cadence was strict and demanding of her staff's performance. She would throw sarcasm notes to her staff when she's not happy with their jobs.

Some of the staff in her team will quit because they couldn't stand her bitchy attitude. That's also the reason her team's turnover is high. Nonetheless, she was well managing her work.

However, these two managers are close friends. They would hang out together sometimes along with their teams. I was thinking how could they tag along with each other, seems their behavior is like ice and fire.

Cadence would only bring her team to join Brendon's outing because Brendon kept pushing her to join. I'm pretty sure she was getting annoyed then agreed to join reluctantly.

If Brendon didn't eagerly invite or push Cadence, she would leave her team alone.

How could I know so much about these stories? Jessie told me, of course. I was getting worried because everyone was sticking their noses to the files while both of us were busy multitask chit chat and working.

"Are you sure that we're fine if we keep talking? It seems like only both of us talking. They could hear us." I whispered to Jessie.

Jessie chuckled and said in a chilly mood, "No worries, Allison is cool. She would join us to talk too whenever she's free. Right now, she's rushing her task."

"Don't you feel bad that we're enjoying, but our leader's busy with her task? She needs our help." I whispered

"Oh! I'm so glad to have you on my team, Hensley. If Jessie is thoughtful like you, I'll be much appreciated." Allison said with a hint of a smile.

Jessie disagreed in exclaimed, "Hey! Don't easily get trust on this lazy-ass. Today is her first day. You may change your mind after today."

Allison chuckled "We'll see. I believe Hensley will be our great teammate."

Allison raised her hand to thumbs up at me, "Hensley, don't get me disappointed, please."

I laughed at them as I said loud enough for Allison to hear, "I won't disappoint you, Allison."

I heard Jessie snorted dully, "We'll see."

I flipped the documents, and I saw a mark that looks like an A or a 'cross'. It might be an initial marking after done the vouching by the person in charge.

Hmmm, that's cool.

I draw an H after I had done my vouching. Probably that's more like checking and post the report. It's fun.

I could feel the stress was wrapping around me. The room filled with sounds of murmurs and the ringing of the phones. Everyone was engaging their office phone, typing rapidly and jotting their works.

The room was huge enough to fit 20 people in Cadence's team. Her team had 5 team leaders with 3 juniors.

It's been close to noon, my light bladder was sending me a sweet announcement as I hurriedly went to the bathroom in no time.

There's no joke that this building was huge. I had to pass a few doors with scanned my employee card before reached the bathroom.

😼😼😼

I sighed with relief after I've done my business. Before I could leave the stall of the bathroom, here we go.

"Have you seen the new girl?"

"Oh, yea! She's cute."

"What's her name? Hayley or?"

"It's Hensley."

"Her name sort of unisex. I heard that she's a lesbian."

Another girl was snickering, "That face I knew it! So, are you move on from Miss Hill?"

"Miss Hill just for me to admire and she's hard to get. Maybe this new girl I can have a try."

I cringed when I heard that statement from this chick.

"Try? What do you mean by try? Are you a lesbian?"

"I don't know. I haven't dated any boys or girls. I like both of them. But, I just want to have a try with this girl because she's good-looking and a lesbian. No harm for me to take an experiment. Besides, I don't think they would mind about one night stand."

What the hell?! We are gay doesn't mean we're easy.

"You pervert. You just want to see her naked."

"You knew me well. I can't help. She's overdressed. I'm sort of curious how will she looks when she's naked. Does she have abs, toned arms, and legs?"

"Gross! You're horny. You should get a date."

"I'll. Now Hensley is my new target."

"Oh shit! Brendon just announced that we'll have a meeting."

Thankfully they left before talked any further. I shuddered at the desperate girl's topics. That's gross. Before I could out of my stall, I have to stay back again.

"That Bitch!"

"What do you think about this? Do you think whatever you've done is correct? Monkey see and the monkey does." the girl mocked as the other girl was laughing.

"You got to be chilled, Lena. Ignore her comment. We just need to work and get paid."

"You know what, she's a horrible bitch! I wish I could transfer to Brendon's team. Maybe I need to be a lesbian and my life will become better."

"What the hell?!"

"Miss Hill is a lesbian. She'll bias for the lesbian people. I heard that she loves to toy the girls. She would treat them well. But, she will treat them like trash when she's getting bored of them. That's the way she gets rid of her pets. I guess Hensley might be her new target. Why could she get hired that soon? Miss Hill is pretty demanding of her candidates. I guess Hensley get hired because she highly chance is gay. The way she dresses is pretty obvious."

"Calm down Lena. Well, whatever you've heard are rumors. You can't simply judge a person without knowing her further. Besides, she's just lecturing you. Did she do anything harmful to you?"

"Fine, you win Allison. Good luck to you. I'm gonna resigned."

"Lena, don't overthink. Just focus on your job, and Miss Hill is not that horrible. She's just strict on our jobs. Well, we as a leader, if our teammate has done a mistake, we have to be responsible to handle it."

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll see how." Lena groaned in annoyance.

I heard a cleared throat voice as the two of them quickly greeted in unison "G-good morning, Miss Hill."

I heard a light hummed from Miss Hill and the two of their footsteps were getting fading with the door shut.

Fuck! I got a bad feeling.

Oh gosh, when could I leave this place? I wish I could teleport to my cubicle before shit is happening.

"Do you think that's nice to eavesdrop on people's stories?" I was startled by that familiar cold voice.

That voice used to be music to my ears last few days, but I felt in horror with that voice now.

No shit Sherlock! I could sense deep shit is coming!

What a day? This is my first day. I just pee in the bathroom and everything is turning upside down.

I peered down the door of my stall, one of her black stilettoes was tapping the tips at a calm and steady pace.

I knew I had no other option. I sighed, straightened up my body, and opened the door.

I was stunned with my lips slightly parted when I saw the goddess right in front of me.

Her blonde hair was a slightly different style. She had set the locks of her blonde hair in light curl sprawled around her shoulders, light make-up with her trademark red hot pepper lipstick coated her luscious lips.

Today her style was different again. This was our third time seeing each other. She was wearing a knee-length wide round neck black dress that exposed her clean shoulder and collarbone.

The dress she wore was simple, yet looks stunning on her frame. My heartbeat pathetically accelerates again after checking this chick out.

Miss Hill's ice-blue eyes were penetrating mine which looks more like glaring at me, and a smirk played on her lips.

With her and my expression, I just look like a deer caught in headlights.

Well, it's not really a mistake. It's just a misunderstanding.

I remained not to comment anything for avoiding the elephant in this room. Still, I had to greet my manager, "Good morning Miss Hill."

Her smirk grew wider, "So, you have spent more than 15 minutes engaging to the other's stories instead of working."

She clicked her tongue and added, "You've disappointed me, Hensley. I was thinking you might be busy in another department while I was calling you out in the last 15 minutes."

Every single word rolled out from her tongue was coated with sarcasm. I knew I have to deal with this shit.

With no other option, I smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, my stomach was a little upset today. So, I've spent my time a little longer in the bathroom."

I admit I half-lie, but I think I should polish my explanation for avoiding things to turn worst.

I hate to lie, and I felt my mouth was getting dry. I chuckled awkwardly, "Besides, I think they're engaged on their assignment discussion, and I didn't mean to eavesdrop on them."

She stared at me in skepticism, but she decided to drop it, "This time is an exception. If I find out you spend more than 5 minutes in the bathroom again, I'll send a warning letter to you."

I gasped with my eyes widened as she said in a monotone, "Get back to work now." I stammered "S-sure" and dashed to the basin to wash my hands before back to my cubicle.

"Wait for my call, and you have to see me later." The threatening of her voice sends a shiver down my spine, I quickly brushed off the feeling and left the bathroom immediately.

😼😼😼

"What do you think you're doing?" I flinched from Miss Hill's sharp tone.

They're right. Miss Hill looks intimidated when she was getting frustrated.

Her gorgeous face looks like a lion prepared to roar and chomped me down in her throat.

She scowled as she landed the opened file on her desk, I saw a big circle on my letter 'H'.

Holy shit! Was I making a mistake?

I gulped and replied hesitantly, "That's a marking after I've vouched for the document."

She pinched her nose, her icy-blue eyes daggered at mine, and scoffed, "Seriously Hensley?! Didn't you know that our marking has been standardized? I've been put the notes on all of your cubicles."

I stood still, remained silent, and waiting for her to continue, "Why don't you pay much attention to your job instead of listening to the talks from the others?"

That's it! This time she was hitting my nerve. I clenched my jaw and tightened my grips in anger.

I usually didn't give a damn of the nonsense. I had no idea why this woman will make me care so much.

I tried to see anywhere but her. I worry I would outburst and I may lose this job. I tried to breathed and relax my tension to cool down.

It seems didn't work. Anger took over me as I stared at her in bold and responded as calmly as possible. But, I knew I was failing to do so.

I said in the hints of annoyance, "I beg your pardon, Miss Hill. I've explained to you that my stomach is not feeling well. I didn't have my intention for listening to the others talking."

Oh geez. What the hell was wrong with me?!

She slammed one of her slender hands firm on her desk as I stay still without any flinch.

I stood on my ground for not letting her think that I was intimidated by her like a pathetic weak moron.

Great Hensley, you finally grew your backbone.

"So, pay more attention to your job in the future, and prove to me that I was wrong." She finished without leaving her cold stare at me, used one of her delicate hands to shut the file, and handed it to me.

That's so bitchy! But, still beautiful as fuck. I hate it!

I wanted to snatch the file away from her so badly, but I took it back. I claimed the file from her with both of my hands politely and waited for her to speak again.

"Are you expecting me to escort you back to your place?" she said in sarcasm as she arched one of her eyebrows. This woman! I gave her a light bow and left her room.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jessie rests her hand on my shoulder because she saw my face full of annoyance.

I flipped the file to her which show the mark with a huge circle from Miss Hill.

She laughed out loud, "Oh my god! Seriously Hensley? Our marking has standardized."

Jessie pointed to the note which stuck on the cubicle wall as I snorted in irritation, "Pffff! Who the fuck could see this little piece of shit!"

She laughed hysterically, "I'm sorry about that. I didn't tell you about this. We've been on autopilot of our job and didn't notice a small detail about that." Jessie patted my shoulder as I rolled my eyes at her.

"Besides, I just followed exactly the marking. I've no idea why you're being so creative!" Jessie said as she laughed again.

I groaned and pulled out my hair in frustration, "Don't you think that looks like an A?"

Jessie tried to stop laughing and pressed her lips together with raised one of her hands to signal me to wait.

She exhaled lightly, and I could see she was trying hard to hold her laughter as I said dully, "Yea, go on."

She burst out laughing again as she said, "I didn't see it's like an A."

I shrugged casually as I tried to used the liquid paper to clear my 'H' and replaced it with the 'A' which was shown exactly like the sample show from the little-piece-of-shit notes.