Chapter 4 Hired

• ANGELICA'S POV
• The day of the interview ~~~
• "Ahh, my head hurts. Do you think I still have a hangover?" I looked over my shoulder to Victoria, who was placing our breakfast on the table, and rolled her eyes.
• "I haven't heard about a hangover that stays for 36 hours. Why don't you blame those useless animation movies you kept watching all night?" Victoria's comment was harsh, and I scowled.
• "Hey, don't say that. Animation is life. Have you watched the latest series about sorcerers?"
• "I have, and I would be a fool if I believed any of that was real," Victoria added cunningly, knowing all too well what I was about to say.
• "Well, a girl can imagine, right? What harm is in imagining things like that?" I shrugged before walking to the table and stuffing my mouth with a big bite of sandwich.
• "By the way, are you going to cheer me up? How far is your department from my interview area? Will the results be announced on the same day? Does this attire look professional enough for a company that big?" I asked one by one, and she hummed.
• "You already look like an employee there. The fashion sense completely brings out your features, and these fake spectacles give you the perfect hot nerd look," Victoria said, and I rolled my eyes.
• "They are not fake. They are my screen glasses. I do have a little power. -0.15 on the left and -0.10 on the right," I reminded her.
• "And it doesn't require you to wear glasses," Victoria reminded me, and I huffed.
• "Just stuff your mouth already. I don't want to be late. Unlike you, I am not an employee yet. I want to go a few minutes earlier to get used to the environment," I said, and she placed her hand on my shoulders comfortingly.
• After reaching the company, I exited her car and looked at its grandeur, widening my eyes.
• Even after having such a crush on the company, I never once visited it. I even used to look away whenever we passed by near it.
• I had decided that the day I would be taking a proper look at this company would be the day I would come here for an interview. And today was that day.
• "You got it. Don't worry. This role is yours," Victoria whispered to me, and I smiled at her one last time before walking to the reception.
• "Hi, I am here for an interview for the assistant manager post. My name is Angelica Royal," I said, and she checked the register before smiling back at me.
• "You can go to the third floor for the interview. The lift is straight from the first left. Let the receptionist know your purpose and name, and someone will assist you," She said, and I nodded before walking to her given directions.
• I won't lie. I felt a little nervous seeing around 20 people waiting for their turn in the lounge.
• "Please, sit. We will call you," the girl pointed at the empty seat and left.
• "Fresher?" One of the girls asked me, and I nodded.
• "Do you think you will be able to make it? Most of the candidates here are experienced," she asked.
• I could see her nervousness seeping through her voice, and I smiled.
• "It's not about experience only. It's about skills," I reassured her with a confident smile, hoping to instill some of my own confidence in her.
• Despite my nerves, I was determined not to let anyone else know. The interviewing manager could be watching us from the cameras, for all I knew. I've heard of such things happening in big corporations, and I was not about to let it shake me.
• I have seen and heard such things happening in big corporations.
• "Arnold," the lady said, and the man walked inside for the interview.
• I saw the man who had gone earlier coming back, sweating, and I gulped slightly.
• They were roasting all the candidates. And why wouldn't they? It was not an easy position.
• This made me wonder if the CEOs of this company were here or not.
• There has never been any news about them. According to many people, only a few have seen them in real life. Their life was shrouded in mystery, adding to the allure of this company.
• They only make their appearance known when they want to sign a big deal or inaugurate a new branch.
• I kept watching the candidates go in confidently and come out with sweat and tears in their eyes, and couldn't help but grit my teeth.
• "Angelica Royal," The lady said, and I stood from my place.
• "Can I come in?" I stood straight at the entrance, and the four men behind the chairs looked up and nodded.
• I saw two more men walking inside the room from the other side, but what amazed me was the mask on their faces.
• Does that mean six people will interview me? Aren't gods too happy with me? I scoffed internally.
• "Sit," one of them said, and I sat in the empty chair, ready to get roasted like the other candidates.
• "Please keep your resume here," the man on the third left said, and I placed my file on the table that he immediately took.
• "Tell us something about yourself," The bald man in the middle asked.
• I told them everything professionally, ensuring I didn’t repeat things or stutter.
• "You have excellent grades here. Why do you want to work for our company?" The man asked, and I looked at them sternly.
• "Why would anyone want to work in this company? The Marino Empire cooperation is the leading company in the country dealing with -"
• I cunningly gave them all the company's positive points, and I could see they were happy with my answer.
• "So you have a stepdad?" One of the masked men asked, and I didn't know why, but I felt his voice strangely familiar.
• "Yes,"
• "What kind of relations do you have with him?" The other masked man asked, and I didn't know how to take this question.
• I looked at the other interviewers, and they had the same confused expression as mine, but they quickly masked it.
• "The one we are supposed to have with our father. It was a bit difficult to adapt to the new environment and the presence of another man, but there's nothing that can't be handled," I tried to keep the answer as diplomatic as possible.
• I seriously don't know what else I was supposed to answer.
• My biological father died when I was only four years old, and my stepfather was the one who took in and married my mom. He was more than my biological father to me.
• However, the details required the names of all family members, and my mother has always insisted that I keep my biological father's name since, that way, we'll be keeping him alive in my life.
• "Your stepfather runs a business in San Francisco. How much do you know about it?" The masked man asked seriously, and I froze slightly.
• What kind of business does my father run? I don't know if it was worth telling. And even if it was worth it, the answer might get me kicked out of this interview room immediately.
• "He is into the real estate business," my answer was curt and short, and I know that my voice must have given off my stiffness regarding the matter.
• "You don't look too happy about it. Reasons?"
• I didn't know why this was becoming an interview about my life.
• "It's personal. I am sure it won't affect my work," I squared my jaws, and the masked man looking at my file raised his head and looked at me.
• "It won't affect the company, but it might affect us. Your position will be assisting the manager, but you will be working directly under us as our secretary as a test case. We don't want any candidate with a messed up life," the masked man was brutally honest, and I had this sudden urge to stand and punch him.
• I took a deep breath and answered everything—everything, except what my stepfather really does and how I took after him as my side gig.
• After another half an hour, the interviewers said, "Okay. You can leave," and I nodded at them before leaving the room.
• "Hey, wait," I saw a girl running towards me.
• "Congratulations. I heard you got hired. We will be working on the same floor," She said, and I felt the vibration of my phone.
• I looked down at the congratulatory email from the company, and my heartbeat started drumming in excitement.
• "Thank you," I smiled at the girl.
• "Right. Since you are hired now, go to the 17th floor. It's where you will meet your bosses and sign a contract," the girl said, and I gave her a small smile before turning around.
• I bit my lips before entering the lift and exiting on the seventeenth floor like the girl had said.
• "Hi, I am Angelica Royal. I got hired today, and someone sent me here to sign the contract," I told the receptionist, who clapped her hands and looked at me with big eyes.
• "Sure. Let me take you to the cabin, hun," she said, and I followed her to another corridor that almost looked abandoned.
• "You can go inside," she knocked on the door, and I heard the familiar voice of the interviewer who had roasted me a few minutes earlier.
• "Come in,"
• I opened the door and walked inside.
• As soon as I looked at the man behind the desk, who had turned around when I arrived, my pupils dilated in surprise.
• Why does he look so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time? He...where have I seen him before? I tried to rack my brains.
• "We have met before," I blurted out the first sentence that came to my head.
• "We met a few minutes before," his voice was cold, and a shiver ran down my spine.
• No. I am damn sure I have seen him.
• But that person had blue eyes and -
• "If you are done gawking, I would appreciate it if we got started," his voice said, bringing me out of my thoughts.
• I muttered a quick apology.
• His lower face was still covered behind a mask, but his upper face was visible now. And I know I have seen this face with different eyes and hair color before.
• Or was it just my illusion?
• I sat in the empty chair, flipping the pages of the agreement, trying to steal a look at the man.
• Was I seriously that drunk that night? I was sure the eyes were blue. Was he wearing some kind of contact lens?