Chapter 4 The Unexpected Job

The conference room at Skyline Group headquarters was empty as I walked in.

I felt puzzled. Wasn't this supposed to be a job interview? Why was no one here?

While I was confused, a young woman walked in, looking at me with what could only be described as pity in her eyes. It made me feel oddly uncomfortable.

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

I nodded in response. "Yes, I am."

"Well, the thing is, our company currently needs a bathroom cleaner, and you've been hired for the position."

When I heard this, my expression darkened.

"Excuse me? Are you saying that I, a college graduate, am being hired to clean bathrooms at your company?"

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

I could see that the young woman also found the situation strange. She explained, "The Recruitment Manager personally selected this position for you. Your monthly salary will be eleven thousand dollars. The HR Manager asked me to tell you that you can stay if you accept, or leave if you don't."

Hearing the salary, I fell silent. Even though cleaning bathrooms was pretty humiliating for me, what cleaning job paid eleven thousand dollars a month?

My mind was in turmoil—on one side was what little pride I had left, and on the other, the weight of my family responsibilities.

But I quickly reconciled myself to the situation. In my current position, I no longer had the luxury of choice. If I turned this down, we wouldn't make it through the month.

"Alright, I accept. Let's sign the contract," I said with a nod.

The woman added, "I'm sorry, but the HR Manager said you'll need a two-week probation period. If you choose to stay, you need to start cleaning now. Someone in charge will explain the standards to you."

I couldn't understand why the Recruitment Manager seemed to harbor such animosity toward me.

Had I offended them somehow?

But since I'd decided to stay, I followed the woman's directions to the bathrooms.

The person who was supposed to explain the cleaning standards wasn't there, so I picked up a mop and started cleaning the floor.

There were three bathrooms—men's, women's, and a special one.

I wondered if it might be a bathroom for people with disabilities.

Out of curiosity, I walked into this special bathroom and was surprised by its layout. The decor was luxurious.

I'd never seen a small fountain in a bathroom before. If not for the urinal on the side, I would never have associated this place with a bathroom at all.

Curious about the toilet, I walked forward and opened the door. Then I froze.

Before me was a man with a cold face, staring at me in shock, as if he couldn't process what was happening.

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

Who didn't lock the bathroom door? Seriously, that was just weird.

My gaze inadvertently traveled down from the man's face and caught sight of his exposed parts.

At that moment, the man finally reacted.

"Who told you to come in?" he demanded.

Realizing my mistake, I quickly apologized.

"I'm so sorry. I'm new here, first day on the job, and I'm not familiar with the company rules."

"Is that your reason for opening the door?" he asked icily.

Almost instinctively, I retorted, "Who doesn't lock the door when using the bathroom?"

The man's face turned stony, his voice hardening. "Close the door! Get out!"

I complied immediately, but he was an uptight jerk.

As I walked out, everyone who'd been outside just turned and stared at me. The place got really quiet.

I found their reaction strange. One woman gave me a thumbs up, and another approached me.

"That was brave. I can't believe you went into that bathroom. Don't you know that's the private bathroom of Skyline Group's CEO?" she said.

I was momentarily confused, and the woman continued.

"Our CEO has a cleanliness obsession, and to accommodate his meetings on each floor, there are three bathrooms on every level, one of which is exclusively for him. No one is allowed in his bathroom, and it's cleaned by specific personnel. You actually went in while the CEO was inside—you're in big trouble."

"Will I be fired?" At that moment, my first concern was losing my job.

No job meant no income, and no income meant I couldn't support my children.

"Mr. Ravenscroft doesn't usually get angry with regular employees like us. But he'll definitely talk to your supervisor. In other words, your boss is going to be in hot water."

I understood her meaning—if the CEO made my boss uncomfortable, my boss would surely make my life miserable.

I began to regret my actions. I had wanted to make a good impression, but it had turned out like this. Talk about bad luck.

Soon, a partially balding middle-aged man came running over.

When I saw him, I froze. Suddenly I understood why I had been feeling such hostility.

If it was him, everything made sense.

The man was none other than Jeremy Crawford, who had once worked for my father's company. He had embezzled funds and used his position to sexually assault several young women.

When it all came to light, my father had fired him and threatened to ensure he never worked in Lakeview again.

But after my father died, Jeremy naturally returned.

It seemed he wanted revenge on me.

A chill spread through my heart.

At that moment, Griffin Ravenscroft walked out of the bathroom.

He glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Jeremy.

"You hired her?" he asked.

Jeremy nodded with apparent remorse. "Mr. Ravenscroft, I—"

Griffin raised his hand, cutting off Jeremy's words. He took two steps toward me and coldly asked, "Silent footsteps?"

I realized he was asking why he hadn't heard me approach.

I weakly explained, "Maybe the fountain's noise covered my footsteps?"

Griffin nodded and then turned to Jeremy. "Remove it."

Then he walked past me and left.

Jeremy looked at the others and snapped, "What are you all staring at? Got too much free time?"

Everyone immediately returned to work. Jeremy turned to me with a scowl. "Ms. Lynch, it's been eight years. You seem well."

I didn't know how to respond. I knew he wouldn't let this go easily.

"Follow me. Let's talk in my office."

In the office, Jeremy sat in his executive chair, crossed his legs, and said, "Aviah, first day on the job, and already causing trouble? What do you suggest we do about this?"

I clearly understood that he wouldn't miss this opportunity to make things difficult for me. With him around, I wouldn't have a peaceful day at this company.

Despite the tempting eleven thousand dollar monthly salary, I decided to leave.

Jeremy was vindictive. After how my father had treated him, he would never be kind to me.

"I understand. I'll leave the company now," I said.

As I turned to walk away, Jeremy calmly spoke, "Stop. If you leave, I'll make sure you can't find work anywhere in Lakeview. Once you walk out that door, I guarantee the only job you'll find in Lakeview is as a prostitute in some nightclub."