Episode Three--Work is war

Lauren stamped her feet in anger and stormed out. Jay turned to Selene and playfully smacked her on the face. "Can you ever stay out of trouble? I need to either get rid of you in this company or I'll lose my sanity," he said, rubbing his forehead.

He made her sit down, then grabbed a pack of ice and the first aid kit to treat her burn. He opened the kit and smiled at the sight of it. He cleaned the burn and placed the pack of ice on it. Her face was pale, and she looked like she was asleep.

She shifted on the couch, causing the duvet to fall off her. Glancing around and finding nobody, she checked the door only to discover it was locked. She yawned and stretched her arms before sitting in his chair, where she found a plate.

Selene opened it, and her eyes widened. Without a second thought, she dove into the food. Just then, the door swung open. "Sorry, I forgot you were here..." He paused, "Wait, you ate my dinner! You know what? I'm just going to leave." He cursed under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Sir! I didn't know..." she replied.

"Just leave!" he snapped.

Selene bowed her head and left, walking out of the elevator. She dashed outside, her heart racing. "It's very late!" she thought.

She reached for her phone in her pocket, threw her head back, and groaned, "Where are you now?" as she walked down the hallway.

Two men approached her and snatched her bag. One pushed her to the ground, and she screamed. But as a car pulled to a halt, the men ran away. Jay walked up to her and said, "Hey! Trouble," extending his arm to help her up.

She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She quickly got into the car, and he rolled his eyes, speeding off. The ride was silent until he came to a stop. As she was about to hop out of the car, he said, "Here's your phone," and held it out to her.

She snatched it from him and shot him a glare before exiting the car. Back in her apartment, she saw her best friend lying on the bed. After dropping her bag, she took a shower. Once she was refreshed, she walked to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she made some vegetable noodles and carried the plate to the dining table. As she set the plate down, her phone beeped—a message from an unknown number.

“Hi! I’m Lauren. I accept your apologies because it’s not always good to start on the wrong foot." Selene's eyes darted through the lines of the message.

"I apologize for today’s events. I hate it when people hurt my ego, but that’s beside the point." She quickly typed back, “Apology accepted.”

"So, Selene, that's your name, right? Are we friends now? Please don't reply with 'kind of' or 'not really.' It's a yes/no question."

“Yes,” she replied.

“I’d like to go out to lunch with you tomorrow with a few other friends. I'd like to introduce you to my wonderful group. Oh, and just so you know, the dress code is yellow." Lauren smiled to herself, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

The next day, as she walked into the reception area, everyone turned to stare at her. Her confidence swelled as she made her way to the elevator. People inside the elevator looked at her, but she smirked, chewing gum nonchalantly.

As she stepped out of the elevator, she thought, "Why is everyone dressed in black?" She shrugged it off and walked toward the door, flinging it open.

Jay emerged from his office, and their eyes locked. He frowned, his cheeks flushed and his nostrils flaring at the sight of her outfit.

She bowed her head and greeted him on her way to her office, but he had already left. She sat down at her desk, cleaned her computer, and began typing.

An email popped up: “Meet me at the office. The manager.” She closed her laptop, adjusted her dress, and walked to the manager’s office. After knocking, she swung the door open.

The entire board of executives sat around the desk. She walked in, her heart pounding. “Good morning, Sir,” she said as an envelope was pushed toward her.

She opened it. "Why suspension? What did I do?" she asked.

"We should be asking you that. What have you done in just a few hours, not even days?" the manager replied. She looked around, searching for a familiar face, and bit her lower lip.

"Please, there must be some mix-up," she pleaded.

"Look, it's just a suspension, but only your boss can lift the curfew on you," he said.

"My boss?" she echoed, bowing her head as she left. She hurried to his office, but it was empty. Desperately, she ran down the elevator and scanned the area for him, but he was nowhere to be found. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the cafeteria.

She dragged out a seat and closed her eyes. A young woman placed her order in front of her, and Selene stared blankly ahead, her mind racing. Suddenly, she felt a presence nearby. Not lifting her head, she continued to think.

"Get me a smoothie," she heard a voice say. She raised her head to see one of the men from the board of executives looking at her.

"So what did I do? What went wrong? I have attended to my duties effectively and professionally. Who reported me?" she demanded.

"Why the color yellow?" he asked. "You know you still have a chance to return if you can speak to Jay Blacks. He has the power to reinstate you. For now, don’t worry too much. It’s just a job."

He patted her shoulder before leaving, and she sat there, feeling a mix of confusion and frustration.

" Lauren!" She groaned with her lips shut.

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