Chapter 10

• I swallow hard before I finally responded politely, "But I really want to have my internship and work for a chemical company for the experience."
• "Of course, everyone wants that." He agrees with me and seems to understand my need for it even though I know that Olivia is going to get mad at me for even bringing that up. I exhale heavily as I listen to him continue, "Especially when you are a student like yourself, everyone wants that experience. That hunger and strife."
• "So you understand the essence of it?" I asked him curiously.
• He answered with a nod, "I do. Of course I do understand where you are coming from, absolutely. But as a man who has been through more in life compared to you, not bursting your bubble, I also understand that internship is not actually what you think or dreamed as it is it is."
• "Sorry?" I chirped with curiosity as I look at him.
• "You see, Miss Winchester, when you are an intern, regular employees would not ask for your help or opinion because you are just a merely intern." He tells me with serious eyes.
• His words sounded offensive but I try to analyze where he is coming from because he does have more experience than I do.
• My brows creased at his words of choice because never have I thought of that. In my head, an internship is having hands-on activities to hone and apply the things we studied in school.
• "Are you offended by what I said to you?" He questioned me.
• I shrug my shoulders, "I want to listen to the rest of what you were going to say."
• "Okay. You know, interns, they would mostly ask you to buy coffee or meals for most of the employees. The only thing you would basically get closer to hands-on experiences is by observing regular employees working." He explains to me as he sounded much more serious about a sad reality that I did not expect to happen because I really have always loved the thought of experiencing the internship.
• I remained silent as his words struck me because being an intern would possibly mean that you have the least position in the company. People would most definitely make use of the interns as their servants.
• "What did you expect for those little companies to do when they have far experienced employees?" He questions and I didn’t even know what to answer. "They would not want to trust interns over serious matters, Miss Winchester, not to break your bubble of expectations."
• I lower my head as his words sound so tempting but I have always wanted to have an internship for all the years that I have stepped into the university.
• "No matter how you claim to have experience in multitasking, you will not be able to divide your time. You are a human too, you would get tired eventually. You should not have applied as a full-time nanny and a tutor if that is so, Miss Winchester." He continued to say as he looks at me much more sternly and it makes me realize that he was actually right.
• Of course, he is right.
• Of course.
• He is absolutely right. He is a freaking CEO of such an enormous company who has had much experience in real life compared to me.
• "The first time I found out about the agency, the only thing in my mind was money," I confessed intently.
• "Then four thousand dollars a month isn’t enough for you?"
• "No, sir." I answered softly as I kept staring at my hands for a few seconds. "I did not mean it that way." I added it right away. "It is more than enough, to be honest. There is just something holding me back because of my need to have my internship."
• "Let me ask you something." His voice is strict and deep as his eyes are looking intently at me with seriousness. "Have you ever been greedy Miss Winchester?" He questions which brings me back to that time I asked him about starvation.
• I blinked my eyes for a couple of times before responding, "Excuse me?"
• "Greedy." He repeated.
• "All my life," I answered as I trail off while I look for the words to say. "I do not think I have ever been selfish, sir. Not to sound arrogant but I have never worried and thought about myself first in the past years. Knowing the fact that my sister is depending on me, I have to strive and work to earn, even though the pay won't be enough for us, I still have to work to save her."
• "That is pure selflessness." He chimed as he subtly tilts his head. "I respect you for that."
• I feel my cheeks blushing profusely but I try to stop myself from it, "Thank you." I answered happily after hearing that from him.
• "This sister that you are talking about. She is Zelda Winchester, right?" I nod to his question and I know for sure that he has read my personal profile. "Age eighteen?"
• I nod again to answer him, "Yes sir."
• "What college does she go to?" He questions inquisitively.
• "She does not go to school," I answer embarrassingly as I subtly lower my head. "She is…." I feel my voice shaking as I try to stop myself from crying. I exhale heavily, "She is...." I clear my throat subtly, "Aside from the fact that I cannot send her to school at the same time as me, she is actually autistic. She needs to go to a school where autism would not be a hindrance to other students and I can not afford that."
• I press my lips together as I stare at my fingers while I hear him asking, "What about your parents? Are they old enough to work?"
• "She is the only relative I have aside from our aunt." I forced a smile on my face. "I am sorry, but family is a very sensitive topic for me and I do not really want to talk much about it. I hope that is fine." I subtly smile at him before I look over my hands over my thighs.
• "Of course." He answers seriously. "So let me point something out if you have been doing these sacrifices for your younger sister for the past years, then would not four thousand dollars a month be so much of help?"
• He points out something that has been bothering me the most and of course, I know that the money is a great help. Money’s always and only the reason why I keep on working without a single rest, not even buying things for myself just to send them to my aunt for my sister’s medical needs.
• He chuckles softly and it sounds like classical piano music, "I do not mean to be rude to you and to your decisions, but can your internship help you put food on your table?" He uses my own words against me and I am shocked that he is good at it.
• I exhale heavily. "I have heard about some companies are offering paid internships."
• "There are. I am not saying there are not." He tilts his head to the side. "National average salary for paid interns is about twelve dollars and eighty-eight cents per hour but depending on the industry and geographic location." He explains to me and how amazed I am that even he knows much about this too. "During the school year, interns usually commit between 10 to 20 hours a week so that’s a total of two hundred fifty-seven dollars and sixty cents which gives you a thousand and thirty dollars and forty cents a month but practicums have requirements of only two hundred and forty hours total."
• Not bad. Not bad at all. I think to myself.
• "Not bad for a starter, right?" He spoke and it is as if he has read my mind as his inquisitive eyes glued on me. "Many would think the same thing, but the only problem is that not all companies give such amount of money to someone who is just an intern. Most interns get paid more or less seven dollars per hour. Industries where aspiring interns can find paid internships include banking, accounting, advertising, public relations, IT, government, and fashion."
• Embarrassingly, I did not know much about that to be honest because I have never actually really done thorough research about internships. He is opening my eyes to the real world that I have not seen before and these words are actually coming from one of America’s best CEOs.
• "As for your status, it counts as an academic credit toward graduation. Graduating chemical engineering students from the University of Wilsherton, mostly send their students to accredited companies who have a clear connection between the intern’s educational program and job responsibilities."
• I am silenced by his words.
• "Clearly you have not done your research that well for the said matter, Miss Winchester?" He questions.
• I embarrassingly shake my head, "Not yet. I was planning to start my internship in the summer."
• "I am not forcing you to choose the job that I am offering you because I can find someone as soon as possible the moment you decline my offer now. I do not have any problem with you declining because Carol will provide me with lists of their best employees in a matter of seconds."
• It feels like I am walking on a tightrope as his words confuse me. He sounds very convincing about how he has broadened my insight and knowledge regarding internships. He would definitely know much about it since he runs insanely huge companies that probably have the best internships for students who are qualified for their standard of experience.
• "I just want you to know that you are turning away such an amount of money that could help you financially for your autistic sister over an unpaid internship." He adds.
• I bite my lower lip.
• "So let me ask you again Miss Winchester," His voice is stricter. "Have you ever been selfish for once in your life?" He questions in a more serious tone.
• I stare at him as his storied eyes are never looking away.
• "Because right now, you are." He continues.
• As I was about to open my mouth to answer, an insane amount of vibration shocks the living hell out of me. "Oh!" I moaned without being able to stop myself from doing so as I clench my fist tight because the vibration was coming from my underwear and the vibration was much stronger than earlier.
• I look over to Kieran as he is looking at me worriedly, "Is there something wrong Miss Winchester?"
• I shake my head sideways as the vibration is still continuous while I try to hold in a moan that’s going to escape my lips. "Holy shit," I muttered in agony. "I… I have never been better." I choke a moan.
• Why in hell is that on?
• I grabbed my bag quickly and tried to look for the remote.
• "Is there something wrong?" He questions intently.
• "I… I am." I squirm inwardly, panting and battling the urge to moan in front of him.
• I begin to search for that little evil thing that is causing me this insane vibration and humiliating myself again in front of him. But God, I begin to feel my legs involuntarily moving on their own while I constantly look over to Kieran who’s probably thinking that there is something wrong with me.
• Well, shit there is something wrong.
• There’s so much vibration.
• "Ah." A moan finally escapes my lips before I could bite it back while my eyes are looking over at Kieran who is looking intently at me.
• I continued to look for the remote in my bag but I cannot seem to find it even though the bag is so small. I clench my hand tight on my bag as I feel the vibration not stopping now. Jesus Christ, why now?
• Where in hell is that gift from God?!