3: A Sociopath in the company

Daybreak.

Ann awoke to the sound of her ringing smartphone. She had fitfully dozed off earlier that morning, while in thoughts, without realising it.

She managed to get up on her feet to where she kept her smartphone, feeling tough after a restless night.

Ann received the call like usual, knowing fully well he's the one calling.

"Aren't you going to work already?"

This time, Ann didn't panic and in provocation chose to say nothing.

"You want me to come get you up there, right?"

She quickly moved to the window and peeked down the apartment, but saw no one.

"I'll be on my way soon,"

Her voice returned back calmly, as unusual as before, she definitely knew he would have noticed some oddity in her tone.

\*\*\*

Shortly after, Ann boarded a cab to work.

"Trish Ltd, please," She said to the driver from the passenger seat.

The car drove off to her destination.

Half an hour later, Ann arrived at her work place and entered into the massive building.

Then suddenly, employees began to glare at her, whispering to themselves.

What does she expect? Living as a human while looking like a walking corpse. Her weirdness made her infamous in the company too.

That morning, the look on her face was something too unpleasant, like she sobbed or had a sleepless night.

Ann couldn't do much about it. Looking into the mirror back in her apartment, she had applied light makeup to cover up her creepy appearance, but the expression on her face made it impossible to conceal the dark circles around her swallowed eyes. So, she let it be.

As she walked into her department office, her colleagues' attention was drawn to Ann's scary face, that they began to whisper like the other colleagues she had come across, down floor. Most even burst into laughter.

Obviously, in her department, no one likes her anymore, except from her taciturn desk mate. He always says good morning anytime Ann arrives in the office, coming to her desk, even though she never responded.

But this time, to his surprise…

"Morning John," Ann responded to John's greeting and sat down facing her system.

John gape for too long at Ann, making her uncomfortable as she senses his gaze.

Ann suddenly shifted her eyes at him.

"Any problem?" She curiously asked, her voice unusual, deeper.

John shook his head, "No. Nothing."

He quickly faces his computer being frightened by Ann's facial mean expression, with the combination of her creepy look.

Meanwhile, Ann replies to John's greetings, because she was trying to be a normal person again, not a sociopath everyone disesteem.

But, it seems she was used to it already, because her bitterness always controlled her expression, even when she tried to look Jocund. It had drastically transformed her jovial nature, into a scowling human.

For her work today, nothing much, than her usual duty, till the next day of a broad meeting. Although, mere employees aren't allowed at the broad meeting, it was their actual time of too much work.

Within a short period of time she arrived, unexpectedly, the President's secretary came to call her.

Everyone in her department was staring wide-eyed, when she followed the President secretary, including the departmental leader.

It was the very first time they've seen the President's secretary coming to a departmental office to call an employee, herself.

Perhaps, they thought she had done something wrong and was about to be fired right away that's why they were tittering and whispering.

But, it was not what they thought…

After just a few minutes, they arrived at the doorway of the President's office, his secretary knocked softly and a husky voice spoke.

"Come in,"

The President secretary opened the door gently and walked inside, bringing Ann along.

The President was backing the spacious office, with his hands in his trousers pocket, when they came in.

She bows her head slightly, "Sir. She's here,"

"You can leave," He said to his secretary without turning back.

He was looking at the view of the city, through the glazed walls in his office.

She quickly left the office. Leaving Ann and the President to discuss.

Then, he turns, taking a proper look at the young lady standing in front of him, without excessively obedient manners, nor was she afraid of his sight, like everyone else in the company.

"What's wrong with your face?"

He walked over to her at the sofa angle.

Actually, the friendly relationship between her and her superior boss was an acquaintance.

Was he someone she would somewhat call, a gentleman? But he was never gentle on anyone else, either than her. In the company, he tagged the finicky, cold blooded boss.

She had melted him 6 days ago, when she intentionally jumped into the bypass to end her life and luckily the car coming towards her directly held brake and it was his car.

His personal assistant came out to check whether she was hit and saw her unharmed, seated on the ground sobbing, her dark hair scattered around her face.

He had ordered his secretary to let her into the car and he took her home that day and made sure she was okay, that he even collected her phone number.

Then, 3 days ago, he found out that she was working in his company, so he wanted to buy her lunch that afternoon they melted for the second time, but she declined, afraid the shadow man might see her with him and she didn't want trouble.

Even now, he had asked to see her again. Ann was getting pissed off.

What if negative rumours began to spread, since he was trying to treat her differently?

In her mind, standing right before him, looking directly into his face, she was like,"???"

I don't know what he wants from me? Why is he trying to be nice to me?

If possible, it's what I'm thinking, I'm going to smash his…

"Don't get a wrong idea. I was only trying to compensate you for the incident, but you didn't accept my delighted offer." He said as though he had read Ann's thoughts and had to chin in.

Ann suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed, realising none of what she's thinking was going to happen. Her thoughts were just absurd.

How would she have jumped into conclusion, without hearing him first?

The atmosphere of the place seems to be filled with an abrupt awkwardness, that made it quite difficult for Ann to feel comfortable again.

She began to avoid his eyes as he went on.

"Will you at least accept a dinner offer?"

Ann's eyes widened.

What? A dinner? My God, I can't do that, by that hour of the night when I'm supposed to be home by then. What do l do? I can't accept this one too. But he's only trying to be nice to me. I can't turn him down.

Ann's thoughts were filled with contemplations as she pinched her fingers nervously.

"You don't want to?" His voice was getting so polite in tone that it was quite impossible for Ann to decline.

What if she disguised herself? A brilliant thought struck her, just as the moment she wanted to decline.

Just this once she was going to do it. And moreover, it's a brilliant idea, since she was planning on getting married.

Somehow this is how love stories always begin and it might likely be the same with her and her boss.

Though, in the eyes of others, it was something incredible to hear and she understood that too, because she is considered destitute in the sight of her boss.

But, Ann only wanted to make an attempt and see how it goes, but if possible, by chance she sees any means to make her boss fall quickly in love with her and get married to her, she would gladly do it.

"No. What I mean is-sure. I would be grateful to have dinner with you."

"By 8pm I'll come pick you up from work. Is it okay with you,"

"No." She sharply objected as though contemplating, "Perhaps, you should pick me up down the fashion house at the back of the company," Ann said sheepishly, so embarrassed.

Initially, she was working with the time of her scheduled plan of disguising herself, before going on dinner with him.

He chuckled as his look was fixed on her eyes.

Ann noticed it and was surprised. This was the first time she had seen the fussy boss smile. Not in a lifetime, he had dropped that serious face of his. It's something unbelievable not only just to her, but to anyone who sees it now. Even the entire public hasn't seen him smile.

"Do you tend to shop?"

"..." Words ceased to come out of her mouth, when she had given a second thought of her statement the other way round.

She melted his questioning look and began.

"Actually, I need to get a dress… for my- girlfriend's birthday party." Ann lied out of defence.

In situations like this, she can't let her pride down.

How was she going to tell him that the moment he had asked her to have dinner with him, was the moment when she wanted to get a dress? Doesn't that imply that she had no good clothes at home?

Her eyes lighten up as she looks up at him without embarrassment.

"Ok. You can leave now,"

He moved back to his large desk and swung into his seat, gathering some documents together.

Ann bows her head slightly and walks out of his office to the doorway.

As she paced slowly through the empty passageway, along the secretary's counter, she saw the secretary glaring maligning at her. Those rolling eyes of hers expose too much hatred.

Ann immediately averted her eyes and walked away from that place to the elevator.

When she got back into her department office, some arrogant, cheeky employees blocked her path to her desk. There were about three of them - the sassy pretty girls in the department, while the rest of the members of the department were just watching as well as paying attention. Except the departmental leader who was away.

And as usual, Ann tries to ignore them, but this time they push her backward by the shoulder, displaying an atom of incivility.

"Hey! I'm talking to you. What happened right there?" The senior of them, taller in height than Ann, spoke in a sneering jeering manner.

"Why did the President call for you? Are you finally fired? Just spit it out already."

"I told you this sociopath is of no use, let's let her be."

"Not today. I want to know why the President would invite trash like her into his office. So tell me…!"

The three haughty young ladies were all on her neck.

"Laura, how do you expect a freakish dummy to speak? For a long time now she's been dumb," Another lady at her desk sarcastically said as all the employees burst into laughter.

"I do expect her to speak. If she can't speak before, I will make her speak now."

Laura, the most cheeky and arrogant young lady, who seems to be the same age as Ann, felt it's her right to know everything concerning the company. So she was the most pissed off, among the three young ladies.

Precisely, the three young ladies were crazy big fans of the President, who never knew of their existence nor will even recognise them if they mistakenly run into him one day. But, they've always acted like he was so close to them, that most often they defend and hype him so much, one would think they had a big connection with the President.

On the other hand, those awful words that they used to address Ann made her head hot as she fumed up in anger.

Naturally, Ann was a huffy person that had been a very close friend with anger. Slight words do offend her, but in most cases she doesn't react or else the bad mouthing goes on and on, then…

"You're deaf right, those ears are still working right? Tell me, this instant!"

Laura pushed Ann on her shoulder again and by then Ann's anger had gotten to the stage where she couldn't tolerate anymore of their nonsense.

And her hand abruptly, unknowingly landed on Laura's face, giving her a heavy slap that was heard even from the distance of the door the Department leader stood dazed by the sudden drama.

She had entered later on, just when Ann smacked Laura.

Everyone gape in shock.

Likewise, Laura was outraged and wanted to retaliate, but the departmental leader's voice halted her. Afterwards, she fleetingly came over to them, as Laura began to sob, holding one part of her face with her hands, acting like the victim.

"I'm not a sociopath nor a trash. You all are sociopaths. You guys stink!" Ann said sarcastic, instead of apologising to Laura as she saw the departmental leader.

The atmosphere of the department office, lies in suspense as everyone in the department was expecting for their leader's reactions, either to start yelling at Ann like usual, but to their greatest surprise she went beyond.

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