'I didn't believe in love at first sight. How was it even possible to look at a person and love him quickly? I laughed and laughed more. Then I saw you. Then I didn't move and I stare at you. From that time on, I actually forgot why was I laughing again.'
i...
Triple R Tower
Psyche Alexis Amandi-Ernestine Saavedra breath in heavily as if anytime at that hour would be her death. She's not overreacting. In fact, she felt like really fainting before she dies. With the coldest feet as her heart beats loudest against her collar bone, she shook her hands and arms as if eliminating any anxiety that started crawling from her chest, down to the pit of her stomach. Once again, she took her small mirror from her old bag that she owned for two years and examined her reflection. Good to go. She didn't put much of the make-up, because according to her last month's research, the CEO is not exactly impressed with women who wear heavy make-up. But she needed to impress the guy. It's a requirement to get the CEO's attention and shortlist her for the position. She needed this employment badly. She has been rehearsing her interview speech for months and had thoroughly investigated on what Ms. Natalie Diane Briones' job description, the CEO's most effective and efficient Executive Secretary, just to secure that she'll be replaced by someone who would be at par with the things that she did when she was rendering service to the CEO. Psyche will make sure that the billionaire will see her at par and exceeding. He needs to. Rafa Armand Montgomery Castro is her major key to access revenge. Vengeance. She waited for this for almost ten long years. She cannot fail now. It's now or never. She entered the Triple R Tower and approached the receptionist to get a temporary building pass.
" Do you have an appointment? "
The woman said who has a nameplate attached to her blue long sleeves as Janine. Psyche smiled and nodded. Grabbed the printed hard copy of her invitation interview from Spectrum Communications' Human Resources from her folder and handed it over to the receptionist. Janine scanned it and nodded. Grabbed the handset of the Avaya phone and dialed an extension.
" The CEO's office is expecting for an applicant today? Yes? Her name... Psy... Psyche? Psyche Alexis Amandi-Ernestine Saavedra... She's thirty minutes early... Yes, I'll do that. I'll send her in then... Thank you. "
Janine looked at her again and handed her a proximity card.
" Ms. Saavedra here's your I.D pass, and please proceed to the 22nd floor. Once you are there, kindly swipe the I.D to the biometrics to log in and key in the PINCODE which is written on the I.D pass that I handed you. From there, you will look for Mrs. Cassandra Elizabeth Hewitt, the Country Manager's Executive Secretary. She will arrange your interview with her boss-- "
" I am so sorry to interrupt, Ms. Janine, but I thought that the CEO is the one conducting my final interview today? "
Psyche has been nodding to all the instructions. She didn't expect that applying to Rainbow Inc will be as complicated as this. She waited for at least eight months to be interviewed. This was her first and last shot. She just thought that she will finally have a face-to-face encounter with the head of the strongest and most stable company in Asia. Psyche was quite disappointed. The receptionist smiled at her and spoke.
" The Country Manager and the CEO's wife is the same person. Her decision is as good as the CEO's. Her words are as valid as the head of this company. Whatever her verdict is, the CEO will always approve. Don't worry, she's a very nice woman. Her name is Mrs. Geneva Garcia Castro. "
Oh. The most celebrated woman in the country who married the playboy CEO and was declared as one of the twenty loveliest faces in the world, according to FORBES magazine, was the one who will conduct her final interview. Psyche didn't have a problem with that. She just didn't expect it because her speech was to impress the leader of the company, she studied everything about him and anything about his life. She bit her lower lip in frustration. This is not happening. Things are not happening according to her plan. What now? She didn't research anything about the CEO's wife. Psyche sighed. She needed to try. She couldn't back out now.
" Thank you. "
She smiled and grabbed the I.D pass from the receptionist and went directly to the elevator as her nervousness heightened.
ii...
The moment she had access to the operation floor, Psyche was approached by a teenager, who was wearing a white collared polo and jeans. Psyche can seriously tell that she had seen the young lady somewhere because she looked very familiar to her. There was no way in this world that a teenager as stunning as this kid, who owned long legs like a natural model, would only work for the Castros.
" Good morning! My name is Rainbow Lee and I am an Intern here. An Apprentice to the Country Manager's office. I believe you are here to see her? "
Psyche froze and she just couldn't believe it. The person she was talking to was the heiress to the Castro throne and the Frontpage cover magazine model was by then working... as an apprentice? Someone like the non-regular employee. Then she remembered. Rafa Armand Castro started as a construction worker for Rainbow Inc.
" Yes. Uh... I... I'm here for an interview. Is the Country Manager available?"
Psyche stammered and she hated herself for that. Rainbow Lee is the true definition of what beautiful means. She had a copy of Rainbow Lee Castro as a print ad model and saw the young lady from afar. Yet Psyche didn't expect that the youngest Castro would look better without the glimmer and the technicalities of make-up.
" Yes, she is! Mrs. Geneva Castro will see you today. I just need a copy of your resume so that I could photocopy it and hand it over to her Secretary? "
The little Miss Heiress said as she grabbed her resume. She wondered why Rainbow Lee didn't introduce herself as a Castro.
" Thank you! Kindly wait for a few minutes and you will speak soon to Ms. Elizabeth. In the meantime, please follow me so that I could have you register online. I believe you already took the written and oral exam eight months ago? "
" Yes, Miss. "
Psyche stood and was amazed by the entire wall to wall carpet office and she wondered if she was able to dress properly for the occasion. She was wearing her navy blue, corporate attire that she bought a few months ago as a preparation for this day. Rainbow directed her to a room that has stations with personal computers in it. She opened an application and then she instructed her to fill in personal information about herself.
" Mrs. Hewitt will attend to you soon. After you are done here, please proceed to the waiting area and she will meet you there. Good luck. "
Rainbow Lee exited the room with folders on her arms. Psyche was quite impressed. The owner's youngest kid working for her own company. She likes that.
iii...
Geneva's eyes were focused on her laptop. She had a deadline to meet and she needed to finish this before two p.m. Rafa Armand insisted that she stays at home in Villa Diamante. But she cannot help herself. Not now that Nadia, his Executive Secretary for more than five years, requested a leave of absence for three months because of a family emergency in the U.S.
After six months of being married to Rafa Armand, she has come to an understanding that being a wife to a CEO was not easy just because her husband was a normal workaholic. The man needs assistance. She's bored and she insisted to help. Staying at home felt very unproductive, with Harper spending her vacation with her grandmommy Olivia Jean in Hong Kong, where Disneyland could be found. The child needs to forget and be out of her trauma from her biological mother who did a lot of emotional and physical injury to the child.
Currently, Geneva is six months pregnant and her hips have widened a lot. But it doesn't matter, she loves every second of being a prego mother to twins. Her Obgyne said that she'll be giving birth to a healthy boy and girl. She's so excited, she wanted to see them asap. Most of the time, she's having a hard time moving fast and she's experiencing hip cramps that hindered her from doing a lot of things. In the end, Rafa Armand won the argument of allowing her to work after this month. She didn't protest because she knew her husband was right about making her rest on the last month where she should already be expecting.
Geneva was finishing a report because, in ten minutes, she will need to talk to the board about a proposal, when she heard a knock.
" Come in please, doors open! "
She yelled. Elizabeth entered.
" Sissy, the applicant to temporarily replace Nadz is here. She's here for an interview. "
Elizabeth entered and smiled like sunshine to a bright new day while wearing her new shortest hair cut that emphasizes her eyes and jaw.
" Thanks, Sissy. Go ahead and tell Rafa Armand that he needs to interview an applicant. "
Geneva replied while her eyes were still focused on her laptop. Multi-tasking at its best.
" CEO unavailable. He's out with the Canadian investors. He'll be back by lunch. You forgot? "
Elizabeth said while she finger-scan the next page of her tablet to check if there was a sign that the CEO was already back. Geneva frowned as she suddenly remembered her husband's whereabouts. She looked at Elizabeth while her hands were still typing.
