Chapter 6 Leave

• The next day, I put in extra effort into dressing up before visiting Sunshine Media.
• A sharply dressed Julien was already waiting on a leather couch. One of his fingers circled the armrest lazily.
• He was so handsome that it unnerved me whenever I stared at him. Eventually, I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze as I waited for his question.
• A good two minutes of silence ensued. The silence was verging on extreme awkwardness, and I finally lifted my head to meet his gaze. I saw him scrutinizing my face before asking, “Are you mute? Aren't you going to say anything during your interview?”
• Blushing furiously, I replied, “You didn't ask me to say anything.”
• “If I didn't ask you to say anything, were you going to keep quiet forever? How can you find a job if you don't know how to be proactive?” he asked coldly.
• I lowered my head in shame as I uttered, “I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous.”
• “If you don't know how to be proactive, you can answer my questions. What did you do with the misappropriated funds?” His question came out of nowhere, throwing me for a loop.
• “You had me investigated?”
• He ignored my question and insisted, “Answer me.”
• I hesitated for a moment too long, and Julien grew impatient. Hardening his tone, he demanded, “Don't try to lie your way out of this. Spill.”
• I had no intention of lying to him in the first place. Anxiously, I explained myself, “I wasn't going to cook up a tale. A man tricked me into believing that he had a cash flow emergency, and he begged me to loan him a hundred thousand for two days. His so-called emergency turned out to be an engagement ring he needed to woo a rich heiress. I would've gone to jail if my mom hadn't borrowed money from a loan shark to help me return the funds. That man then had the gall to deny his involvement in the matter.”
• “Hmm.” He showed some response to my story.
• I believed he still had an ounce of pity in him for my predicament. I'm sure he'll hire me. As long as I remain in the Starcks' company, I'll be able to teach that sc*mbag Cary a lesson!
• “You're eliminated. You may leave,” he said with a wave of his hand.
• My brain screeched to a halt. He's not hiring me?
• Julien had already lowered his head to look at another resumé. “On your way out, please call the next interviewee in.”
• I was furious. Was this all a joke? He was the one who asked me to come for a second interview yesterday, and I truthfully explained the fund misappropriation matter to him. Why is he eliminating me now?
• “Why? Are you just fooling me? I explained everything clearly; why won't you hire me? I've already hit rock bottom. How could you destroy the last shred of my hope?” Too caught up in my frustrations, I slammed a palm on his table.
• He lifted his head and looked at me coolly. “I don't need a reason for eliminating you. Leave.”
• “You're a bully! A jerk!” Dejection flooded my soul. The profanities came streaming out of my mouth in a rush.
• “I'm always bullying others; you're not the first. If you refuse to leave, I'll have security escort you out of the building.”
• His threat pulled me up short. I drew the line at being dragged out of his office in front of a crowd of potential interviewees.
• Rather pettily, I stormed out of his office and slammed his door in retaliation.
• I had barely taken a step outside the office building when my phone began to ring. Julien was calling.
• Why call me if he's not going to hire me? Is he still trying to fool me? Does he think he has a right to play with the feelings of the poor? I rejected the call.
• He immediately called again. This time, I hesitated for a moment before ending it.
• Soon enough, I began to regret my decision. He has helped me in the past, and it's rude to keep rejecting his calls. What if he's calling because he has changed his mind about eliminating me? I swore to myself right then and there that I would answer his next call.
• My phone began ringing as if on cue, and I hurriedly answered the call without checking the caller ID. “Hello, Mr. Starck.”
• “My surname is Wratchford, not Starck. When are you going to cough up Hope's loan? Ignoring my calls? Do you want her to die or something?” To my horror, Frank the loan shark was calling.
• I ended the call immediately. These men could only be reasoned with if money was involved.
• My heart was pounding after I hung up on Frank. I had heard of loan sharks using violence to intimidate their debtors into paying up, and I was frightened that they would hunt my mom down. Still, I had no means of repaying them. Instead of cash, all I had was a truckload of anxiety.
• Just then, my phone started ringing again. This time, I made a point to check the caller ID before answering. It was Julien.