Chapter 12 The Cleaning Lady

Aviah's POV

The next day.

I received a call about a successful job application from Starlight Entertainment, one of the hottest entertainment companies in the industry right now.

I couldn't help but find it strange. All those small companies had rejected me, so why would Starlight Entertainment give me an offer directly?

Nevertheless, I decided to check it out. After all, I was literally too broke to afford food at this point.

Starlight Entertainment was a powerhouse in producing films, managing celebrity clients, and organizing major concerts. Any star signed with them was guaranteed to be A-list.

I felt hopeful about this opportunity, wishing I could secure a position with a satisfactory salary.

At Starlight Entertainment's recruitment department, I entered the meeting room and found it empty.

I was confused—wasn't this supposed to be a job interview? Where was everyone?

While I was puzzling over this, a young woman walked in and looked at me with what seemed like pity in her eyes. It made me feel strangely uncomfortable.

"Hello, are you here for the job interview?" she asked.

I nodded and responded, "Yes, I am."

"Well, our company currently needs someone to clean the restrooms, and you've been selected for the position."

When I heard this, my expression darkened.

"Excuse me? Are you saying that someone who graduated from Phantom Voice Academy is being hired to clean toilets at your company?"

I was born with a naturally beautiful voice and had always loved performing. At Phantom Voice Academy, I had excelled in music, drama, and dance. If not for that incident six years ago, I might have been a household name by now.

Yet here they were, asking me to clean bathrooms.

Despite my indignation, I maintained my basic courtesy and respect. My upbringing and past experiences had taught me to remain calm in difficult situations.

I could see the young woman also appeared uncomfortable with the situation. She explained, "The recruitment manager personally assigned this position to you. Your monthly salary would be twelve thousand dollars. The manager asked me to tell you that you can stay if you accept, or leave if you don't."

Hearing the salary figure, I fell silent. Even though cleaning bathrooms sounded humiliating, what janitor ever made twelve thousand dollars a month?

A battle raged in my mind—on one side was what little pride I had left, and on the other, the financial burden of supporting my family.

But I quickly came to terms with reality. In my current situation, I had no luxury of choice. If I didn't accept this job, we wouldn't make it through the month.

So I nodded, "Fine, I accept. Let's sign the contract."

The woman added, "I'm sorry, but the recruitment manager said you'll need a two-week probation period. If you choose to stay, you need to start cleaning right away. Someone will explain the standards to you."

I couldn't understand why the recruitment manager seemed to harbor such ill will toward me. Had I offended them somehow?

Nevertheless, having decided to stay, I followed the woman's directions to the restrooms.

The person who was supposed to explain the cleaning standards wasn't there, so I decided to grab a mop and start working.

I hung a "Cleaning in Progress" sign on the bathroom door to prevent anyone from entering.

Then, I stood by the entrance and quietly called out a couple of times, asking if anyone was inside.

Hearing no response, I walked in and began to clean.

As I opened one of the stall doors, I froze.

Before me was a handsome man with sharp, defined features that could belong to a movie star.

He probably was a celebrity—this was Starlight Entertainment, after all, where stars were common.

He stared at me blankly, seemingly caught off guard by the situation.

I was equally stunned. I swear I had no idea anyone was in there!

I had asked if anyone was inside, though admittedly not very loudly because I felt embarrassed shouting.

And seriously, who used a bathroom without locking the door?

My gaze inadvertently slid down from his face to his exposed lower half.

At that moment, the man finally reacted.

"Who let you in here?" he demanded.

Realizing my mistake, I quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, I'm new and this is my first day. I'm not familiar with the company protocols yet."

"Is that your excuse for opening the door?" he retorted.

Almost instinctively, I shot back, "Who uses a bathroom without locking the door?"

The man's face turned stony, and he said harshly, "Close the door! Get out!"

I complied immediately, though I silently cursed him as a bastard.

As I exited the bathroom, I noticed everyone who had been working outside now staring at me as if I were some kind of spectacle. Clearly, they had heard the commotion inside.

I found their reaction odd. Some people gave me thumbs up, and one woman approached me.

"That was brave of you. The man in there is the new manager of our administration department. Good luck with that."

What?

I stood there, on the verge of tears. I had only wanted to do well on my first day, and now this?

While I was still processing what had happened, the man emerged from the bathroom. His face was stony as he glanced at me.

The woman who had been speaking to me quickly scurried away, leaving me to hastily apologize, "I'm so sorry, sir. It wasn't intentional."

He maintained his stern expression, looking quite intimidating as he coldly asked, "New here today?"

I nodded quickly, "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm still learning the rules."

"Don't let it happen again."

Hearing this, I felt a wave of relief. He was letting me off just like that?

I breathed easier, my mood improving. Looking up at him, I found him increasingly attractive.

Just as I was about to compliment him, the sharp click of high heels against the floor echoed through the hallway. The previously noisy environment fell silent, followed by a chorus of greetings.

"Good morning, Ms. Chambers."

"Hello, Ms. Chambers."

"Ms. Chambers, you look even more beautiful today."

Curious about the newcomer, I turned to look.

What I saw nearly knocked me off my feet. The person was none other than Scarlett!

As our eyes met, she noticed me too, clearly surprised to see me in a janitor's uniform.

At that moment, another familiar voice rang out, "Ms. Chambers, here's the coffee you ordered."

I watched as Jeremy hurried around the corner and handed the coffee to Scarlett.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, accepted the coffee, and pointed at me questioningly, "She's the job applicant?"

Jeremy nodded.

Scarlett continued, "Who assigned her this position?"

Jeremy quickly responded, "Ms. Chambers, I arranged it. Our company needed someone to clean the restrooms, so I specially recruited her."

Hearing this, Scarlett could barely hide her smile. "Well done. The company needs dedicated employees like you who look out for management's interests."

Jeremy smiled obsequiously, "It's my duty to ease the burden on leadership."

"You'll be considered for a promotion this quarter," Scarlett promised.

Jeremy was overjoyed and quickly pledged his loyalty, then added, "Ms. Chambers, I noticed you needed a dedicated restroom cleaner. Perhaps she could serve in that capacity?"