The corners of Matthew’s lips lifted slightly into a small smirk as he leaned on his bedframe again.
He did not call her back and thought of how the woman must be freaking out on the other end.
As expected, Clarissa grew frustrated after she ended the call.
It was not till the extent where she was in despair, but she still felt like someone had stabbed her heart with a knife. She rolled in bed, unable to calm down no matter how hard she tried.
The main issue now is why didn’t Matthew call me back?
He mentioned earlier that he would continue to call if I hung up, and he wanted to see my face until he falls asleep.
So why is he not calling me then?
Does he have so much to talk with that woman that he can’t be bothered to call me back?
Or, could they be…
Clarissa grabbed her hair and screamed in her head. You bastard, Matthew! Damn you!
Taking in a deep breath, she sat up from her bed with a cold glare that was burning with anger.
Hmph!
Why do I care so much? I have nothing to do with him anyway.
Clarissa, you should not think about anything else. I only need to fall asleep now. One sheep, two sheep…
She lay in bed, counting sheep, then, she started to hum a song after counting for a while. After a long while, she thought of the outline of her new article, with various scenarios playing in her mind.
After ten minutes, she sprung up to a sitting position in bed while tugging on her hair like a madwoman.
At that moment, her phone rang.
When she answered the phone, she immediately mocked Matthew, “Oh? Isn’t it a bit fast for you to be done with that pretty lady at your door? What’s wrong? Are you physically incapable or too weak?”
The smile that was originally on the man’s face disappeared as soon as he heard her words.
“Clarissa, do you know that a price has to be paid for challenging a man’s physical abilities?”
Instantly, Clarissa regretted what she said on a whim.
Feeling guilty, she immediately apologised, “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. Whether or not you are capable has nothing to do with me.”
After she said that, she realized that her words could be interpreted in another way.
Embarrassed, she turned to face elsewhere, wishing it could hide what she thought.
Obviously, it did not help.
Clarissa was too naive.
At that sight, Matthew smirked and narrowed his eyes.
“It’s only a matter of time that it will have something to do with you.”
Instantly, the woman’s face turned red.
Unsure of what to rebut, she stuttered, “N-No… it won’t”
“Hmm, let’s test it out then. Let’s see if you will have something to do with me in the end, and you can see for yourself if I’m physically capable or not,” Matthew challenged.
Clarissa’s lips twitched in response.
“Also, you will be the only person who knows whether I am capable or not,” Matthew added.
“You… Must you keep talking about this? If you have nothing else to say, I am hanging up!” Clarissa huffed.
Immediately, Matthew stated, “Oh, I do have something to say. You are jealous.”
“No, I’m not!” Clarissa denied it outright but it didn’t sound the least convincing.
Matthew’s eyes glinted, and he continued to stare at her without saying anything else like he was already convinced that she was jealous.
On the other hand, his stare made Clarissa feel awkward.
Without a word, she hung up.
However, the moment she cut the call, he called again. Every time she ended the call, he would dial for her number again.
Matthew did not plan to stop pestering Clarissa that night.
In the end, she had to turn off her phone. Finally, peace.
While she lay in bed, she had an angry expression on her face with her lips pursed together. Unlike earlier where she had to count sheep, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes this time.
In contrast, when Matthew closed his eyes, his mind was filled with images of the woman. In the end, he dreamt of her that night, tempting him in various ways which drove him crazy.
Recently, Clarissa was having writer’s block and was struggling to express whatever she intended to.
She was working on an article about a workplace. As the name suggests, it requires the writer to have some experience in the workplace. Unfortunately, she did not have it. Although she read books and combed through documents about it, cross-checking the facts and asking various questions about it, she still lacked personal experience.
When she told Ellie about it, the latter immediately slammed the table and hollered, “That’s easy! Just go to an office and experience it yourself.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to do so. After all, I just wanted the experience, It’s not like I’m doing it for the long term. I feel embarrassed to do that in someone’s company,” Clarissa whined.
Her best friend insisted, “That’s even more simple. I will help you get into Tyson Corporation. If you can’t do anything there, you can always be an errand girl. Besides, don’t underestimate this role, because you will be very well-informed about all the departments, second to only the cleaners. Within the industry, they have a status too.”
Clarissa sighed. Based on Ellie’s description, that role is no different from a cleaner’s.
“So, I can get into Tyson Corporation that easily? Should I be a cleaner instead and mix around with the people there first?” She cautiously asked.
“What are you afraid of? You have me.”
It did not take long before Ellie contacted people about it. Because Ellie was the one who recommended Clarissa, and the fact that the role was just to run errands, the HR manager thought it was alright. The process was efficient, and Clarissa was to report to the company the next day.
Of course, Ellie used this matter to get Clarissa to be her guest model when her shop conducts live broadcasts.
However, Clarissa had never done a live broadcast before. Although her readers and company did suggest her to do it, she always rejected them. Up till now, no one knew how she looked like.
That being said, she did not have to reveal her identity in Ellie’s live broadcast. She only had to model for the clothes.
Since she decided to go to work the next day, Clarissa made some preparations and even bought a set of professional wear. She thought that even if she did not do a good job, she would at least look the part.
To her dismay, she realized that she was overdressed upon arriving at the company. Her outfit looked too professional and old-fashioned. In addition, she even wore black-rimmed glasses on purpose. Anyone on the street would have assumed that she was a school principal.
Although her dressing was dull, it still did not hide her beauty.
As soon as she arrived at the company, the male colleagues rushed to help her with her job. Unfortunately, the kind gestures toward her only aroused jealousy from others.
“Hey, you there, get me a bento from this shop. After that, head to this store and get some desserts and coffee. Oh yes, on the way, help me with this delivery…”
Clarissa continued to get more of such demanding requests. Whenever the male colleagues tried to help her, the female colleagues would then put more burden on her. It was only her first day of work, but she already experienced some unspoken rules in the workplace.
Pretty ladies would get protected and bullied at the same time. Meanwhile, a rookie in a workplace was the most oppressed role there.
Unfortunately, being both the beauty and the rookie, Clarissa was being attacked from all sides. Within a day, other than ordering food deliveries, bracing the sun to carry out errands outside, handling documents, printing and running around the office, she was also framed and scolded by the manager. It was a very eventful day.
As she was so busy, she did not have the opportunity to make friends other than the male colleagues who were falling at her feet.
Of course, none of them was serious about her. She reckoned that it was because she was merely an errand girl and had few opportunities to progress. The men these days were realistic. They would want to marry a woman who would work for another twenty years and could share the burden of paying for a mortgage with them. Therefore, they would not want someone like her, and she was only a target for them to flirt with.
When night fell, she had dinner with Ellie where she complained about everything that happened, together with her thoughts about them.
In response, Ellie chuckled, “This is the reality! Besides, the competition in Tyson Corporation is fierce. Everyone is the cream of the crop and has a set goal in life. Today, you only encountered a small group of them. Most of the others would not have the time to play with you and would much rather use the time to work and produce better results. Only by doing so will they get a better chance to move up the ladder.”
“That’s true. It was only my first day there. I guess I’ll draw my conclusions once I’m settled in there.”
It was a long and busy day for Clarissa. Upon returning home, she wrote down all the information and thoughts she gathered. Later, when she fell asleep, she dreamt of being scolded and working until she was aching all over.
Having learned her lesson, Clarissa wore a smart casual outfit to work the next day. She was dressed in a white blouse, jeans, and a pair of heels. Wearing her black-rimmed glasses, she was ready to face the day.
When she arrived, she noticed that the atmosphere at work seemed tense.
Clarissa got acquainted with Mrs. Wallace from the cleaning department on her first day of work. Taking the opportunity while they were in the bathroom together, Mrs. Wallace told her what happened.
“Lisa, who works in the marketing department, was reported for having a meal with the manager of the rival company. Previously, there was a leak in sensitive information from the company. Therefore, they are suspecting that she is responsible for it. I heard that they are planning to call the police to report her.In addition, a vice president on the ninth floor has a mistress. His wife found out and came to the company, causing a ruckus. Now everyone knows about it. Currently, his wife is upstairs, so you might want to stay away from her when you are there.
There is also Xander, who’s in the logistics department. He is about to marry the director from the design department. I heard she came from a wealthy family. I was the first to find out about their relationship when I saw them in the parking lot making out…
”
Wow, she really knows everything!
Clarissa was impressed and seized the opportunity to ask for more gossip, forgetting her purpose of coming here.
In the end, the two of them stayed in the bathroom chatting as more and more shocking news was revealed.
“This person is the second generation of a wealthy family. However, he keeps a low profile. This other person came in by connections. Oh, and this person bought a house recently. There’s also this other guy who has a mistress. This one stole from…” Mrs. Wallace droned on.
“By the way, Mrs. Zeller is the head of our cleaning department. Only she is allowed to clean the president’s office.”
Matthew?
Clarissa smirked. “Did Mrs. Zeller say anything about the president’s special hobbies? Or, does she know any secrets of his?”
“No… Our president is not close to any woman. After working here for so many years, the only woman I’ve seen him interact with are those for work. Mrs. Zeller thinks that he is gay for sure.”
Hearing that, the corners of Clarissa’s mouth twitched. Well, I know for sure that this piece of news is unreliable.
She chuckled lightly before she probed, “How is she so sure about that?”
“Well, since Mrs. Zeller thinks so, I don’t think she is wrong. No one in Tyson Corporation dares to question her position. I will introduce you to her one day. She has many connections, so who knows, maybe she could help you out someday. She might even be able to introduce a reliable man to you, then you’ll be able to live the rest of your life as a rich housewife.”
“Haha… No thanks,” Clarissa awkwardly rejected.
