Since this was my first real job, I couldn''t help but feel a bit nervous yet eager. I nced at the stack of documents in my hands. "Mr. Hastings, do you want me to turn these into reports?"


    "No. I want you to memorize them," Alex said, swiveling in his chair slightly.


    "M-Memorize them? Mr. Hastings, a-are you... serious?" I stammered, staring at the thick pile of papers in disbelief.


    "Do I look like I''m joking? These documents contain details about Hastings Group''s business partners. My assistant needs to be intimately familiar with each one to ensure there are no errors in our operations." His eyes glinted with amusement, but his tone was entirely serious.


    I blinked at him, still processing the absurd request. Regardless, I nodded. "Understood."


    "Good. Get started. I''ll test you in a week," Alex said, his fingers tapping on his keyboard.


    I thought I had left the days of memorizing behind back in school. Apparently not. Here I was, a working adult, still stuck with daily study sessions.


    As I walked out with the documents, feeling a little defeated, Jolene approached me with a curious look on her face.


    "Are you... a friend of Mr. Hastings? Or maybe you''ve known him for a while?"


    Looking at her curious eyes, I forced an awkwardugh. "Haha! Do I look like someone who''d know him?"


    "Honestly? No," Jolene said, nodding thoughtfully.


    Her tone shifted from curious to disdainful in an instant. "I really don''t understand why thepany hired someone like you. And why would Mr. Hastings personally assign you tasks?"


    I could feel the subtle hostility in her words and the two-faced undertone in her actions, so I chose to remain silent.


    Jolene hovered for a while, muttering passive-aggressively, but when I didn''t respond, she huffed in annoyance and walked off. "What a bore," she said under her breath.


    I watched her retreating figure, then nced at Alex''s office door. Something clicked in my mind.


    ...


    I ran into Elena again after work.


    It was a coincidence that I saw Elena and David standing just outside Hastings Group.


    "You''re useless. You couldn''t even handle such a small task," Elena said with a sneer. She was dressed in an expensive outfit, and her arms were crossed over her chest as she looked down at him.


    "I could say the same about you. Weren''t you the one who said Serena was easy


    to manipte? Now, I''ve been fired because of you," David shot back, looking haggard.


    David''s frustration boiled over as he continued, "I''m out of a job, but I still have a family to support. Those clothes, bags, and jewelry I bought you? Give them all back."


    He adjusted his sses, avoiding looking at Elena.


    "What did you just say? You want me to return the gifts you gave me? What kind


    of man are you?" Elena looked at him in disbelief.


    "I don''t have a choice. I''ve got a mortgage to pay," David said with a helpless shrug.


    The heated exchange drew a small crowd of onlookers. Elena lowered her head in embarrassment.


    "Are you giving them back or not? If you don''t, I''ll take this to your university and make sure everyone knows who you really are," David demanded, stepping closer with an air of intimidation.


    Elena''s face paled. "Y-You''re turning against me?"


    David chuckled bitterly. "Weren''t you the one using me as a stepping stone? Your ipetence broke that stepping stone, and now, you expect to walk away without any consequences?"