Five in the morning, I woke up, did some yoga, and prepared myself to face the new day with the best energy I could


    muster.


    By six, I had washed up, changed, and was getting ready to make breakfast when my phone buzzed.


    It was a message from Josh. [Breakfast is on the table, the key is hanging on your door.]


    I stared at the message for a few minutes before opening the door. Sure enough, the key was hanging there, and when I opened Josh’s door, there was breakfast waiting for me.


    I couldn’t resist his foodst night, so I ended up helping him with whatever it was he needed. But today? Was he really going to act like some kind of free live-in maid for me?


    While the idea of someone feeding me right after I woke up sounded nice, I wasn’tfortable just letting it happen without questioning it.


    So I shot him a message: [What does this mean? Josh, are you trying to take on a side job?]


    Josh: [Yeah, just give me a little something for the trouble.]


    Of course, he’d try to take advantage of the situation.


    I knew that wasn’t his real meaning, though, so I thought for a moment before replying: [Josh, you’ve crossed a line. We’re just pretending to date, remember?]


    Josh: [Even though the rtionship is fake, I’m still responsible for your well-being during it. If I didn’t look after you, I’d be a terrible fake boyfriend.]


    I hadn’t asked him to look after me. So I texted back. [You’re overthinking this. You’re only responsible for ying the role of a boyfriend. What happens outside of that is none of your business. And as for cooking-this is thest time. If you try again, I won’t eat it.]


    It wasn’t that I was cold or ungrateful. I just knew I couldn’t give him what he wanted, and I didn’t want to enjoy his care and affection if it wasn’t going anywhere. I needed him to understand that it was all just an act.


    I ate the breakfast, and it was delicious, giving me all the energy I needed for work.


    But as I walked to the office, I thought for a moment. Thepany hadn’t called to fire me, so perhaps they were nning to do it face-to-face.


    The thought immediately soured my mood, but I still made my way to the office.


    “Wee, Zoe,” Bryson was the first to appear, greeting me warmly with a handshake.


    He didn’t seem like someone who was about to fire me. So I decided to cut to the chase. “Mr. Skinner, I heard that my former employer tried to interfere with my hiring. Is that true?”


    Bryson smiled and didn’t seem at all surprised. He answered openly, “Yes, it is.”


    I looked at him, noting how friendly and sincere he looked, and said, “But you don’t seem to have any intention of letting me go.”


    “Why would I fire you?” Bryson asked, genuinely puzzled.


    Because Alvin had pressured them. I didn’t say that out loud, though. Instead, Bryson’s smile faded, and his expression turned more professional. “We at Bixing don’t depend on anyone, nor are we afraid of anyone. We rise on our own merit, and if anyone has a problem with that, they can challenge us with their own strength. We’re untouchable by petty methods.”


    His words struck a chord deep in me. They were like a rush of adrenaline, and suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of purpose. “Mr. Skinner, I won’t let you down.”


    “Don’t worry about it,” he said with a grin. “Even if you do let us down, it won’t matter. Just go ahead and do your best.”


    While he sounded like he valued talent and would treat it generously, Bryson’s words left me uncertain about the situation.


    He showed me around thepany, introducing me to the marketing department and specifically instructing the deputy director and manager to work with me.


    They say that new hires have to go through trials by fire before they can truly prove themselves, but I didn’t feel that at all. It almost felt like I was being treated like royalty-like I was being parachuted in as a princess.


    B


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