Chapter 1

• "Gisele!", a sharp voice called from the next room.
• I shook with a start and frowned in confusion. I was on break and didn't understand why Elaine was calling me. Still, I went to her office.
• I stood in front of Elaine's office and knocked timidly, then went in when I heard the muffled "Come in".
• "Yes, boss? You called", I said, opening the door and standing in front of her desk.
• "Sit, please", she said, making me raise my brows in confusion.
• Since I had started working here, Elaine had never been polite to me. Nevertheless, I pulled the only other chair in the room and sat cautiously, making sure not to let any expression cross my face.
• "How are you liking working here?", she asked, making me sit upright in my chair.
• Was she going to fire me? Was that why that why she called me into her office for the first time since the 5 months I had been working here?
• "Don't be alarmed", she chuckled, seeing my scared expression. "I'm not going to fire you"
• I relaxed visibly and smiled tightly, too tongue tied to speak.
• She laughed out loud, very creepily. I didn't understand why she was so nice all of a sudden.
• "Don't be scared", she continued, placing her hand on top of mine. I looked at our hands in bewilderment, not really understanding what was going on.
• "My dear Gisele", she started, making me look up at her. "I know this is strange. You've been working here for almost 6 months and today is the first day I'm calling you into my office".
• She chuckled and I smiled tightly again, wondering where the heck she was going at if she didn't want to fire me.
• "I've been watching you and I've noticed how hardworking you and how much you enjoy working here" – that was not true – "You impress me a lot Gisele. That's why I have a proposition for you", she paused again, making want to shout 'what the heck do you want?!!', but of course I couldn't. Even though the job didn't pay all that well, it still helped me a lot.
• "What proposition?", I asked,  before I lost my nerve.
• She smiled, then said,"Gisele, I would love to take care of you, if you let me", all the while caressing my hand in a very disturbing manner.
• "Take care of me, Mrs. George? I don't really understand what you mean by that". I had understood what she meant, but I just didn't want to accept it.
• "Gisele, don't be naïve. I know you have lots of boys running after you but I have so much more to offer if you give me a chance to show you", she explained, drawing weird random patterns on my hand.
• I withdrew my hand and kept it in my lap, making her press her lips together in annoyance.
• " Mrs. George", I started, "Aren't you married?", I asked. I was someone who believed that relationships were supposed to be sacred and completely monogamous.
• "Mr. George is not a problem. I can even convince him to join us", she said, smiling suggestively, making my insides turn over in disgust.
• "I'm sorry, Mrs. George. Not only is your proposition indecent and disgusting, it could also be considered as sexual harassment if taken to court. So, it is with deep regrets that I tell you that I cannot accept it"
• ***
• "She fired you?!", Lizzie screeched, shaking her head in wonder. I was currently at Lizzie's place and I had told her everything that had happened.
• "Yes, Lizzie. I've said like 120 times before", I answered, worn out. I loved Lizzie, but sometimes she was annoying, not going to lie.
• "It's just really surprising. And you don't want to sue. Are you out of your damn head?!", she exclaimed again, making me rub my forehead. I sensed a headache coming on.
• "Lizzie, no one would ever believe me. And how much will I get out of it anyway? It's not worth it", I answered.
• "Can I at least go and beat the crap out of her disgusting and ugly ass?", Lizzie asked, "You know I have a blue belt in Taekwen-something"
• I laughed, "Does blue belt even exist? But no, sweetheart. I know you would love to but I don't want want you to get into any trouble".
• "You're way too forgiving. Anyways, what do you say we go out tonight? You drown your sorrows in the club for awhile and maybe even find a hunky guy and drown your sorrows in a totally different way", she proposed, smiling hopefully.
• "Lizzie...", I sighed, "I can't right now. I'm too stressed out".
• "And going out will be the perfect way to relieve your stress. Come on, please", she said, making her most adorable face.
• "Lizzie–"
• "Say yes, please! S'il te plait, bébé, dit oui. Pleeeeaaaasssseeee", (please baby, say yes.)
• "D'accord, d'accord. T'as gagné. On y va.", I said tired of refusing. (Okay, okay. You've won. Let's go.)
• "Yaay! I promise you, we'll have the time of our lives", she said, dragging me to her bathroom. I was so going to regret this.
• ***
• "Talk to him! Go ahead!", said Lizzie, trying to push me into the lion's den. We had reached the club about an hour ago and she was pressuring me to go talk to a guy who had been looking at me for the past thirty minutes.
• "No. I'm sure he's in uni and what will you want us to talk about?", I asked, refusing to budge.
• "Party pooper", she grumbled.
• "That's what you get for forcing me here", I retorted, glaring at her. My head was spinning from all the noise and my legs were hurting in the incredibly high heels she had forced me to wear.
• "Ugh, Gisele, let's go back then", she said, making me smile broadly.
• "Fine with me", I said eager to get out of here.
• Soon enough, we were in a cab. I sighed and lay my head on the backrest of the seat.
• "Gisele, I'm sorry I forced you to come out here, but I thought it would be fun. I thought you'd enjoy it.", Lizzie said, looking at me with an apologetic look.
• "It's fine, bébé, I know you had nothing but the best intentions. It's not your fault I'm a party pooper", I joked, making both of us chuckle. "But now it's back to job searching. Ugh!!", I said, annoyed.
• "Don't worry, bébé, I'm going to help you", Lizzie said, hugging me tight. I was blessed to have a friend like her.