“Come in,” a deep voice called from inside.
Laura entered to find a balding man in his fifties sitting behind a large desk. He looked up as she walked in, his expression neutral
“Mr. Jackson? I’m Laura McKenna, the new secretary‘
Mr. Jackson nodded, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat, Ms. McKenna. We’ve got quite a bit to go through”
As Laura sat down, Mr. Jackson pulled out a thick folder and placed it on the desk between them. “First things first, we need to get all your paperwork in order. I’ve got your W–4, 1-9, direct deposit form, and a few other bits and pieces here for you to fill out.”
He pushed the stack of papers towards her, along with a pen. “Take your time with these. It’s important to get everything right.”
Laura nodded, starting to work her way through the forms. As she filled them out, Mr. Jackson began to explain some of the company policies.
“Now, Ms. McKenna, let me give you a quick rundown of how things work around here,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “We have a strict dress code – business professional at all times. No casual Fridays here.”
Laura nodded, mentally patting herself on the back for her outfit choice.
“Punctuality is crucial,” Mr. Jackson continued. “We expect all employees to be at their desks and ready to work by 8:30 AM sharp, Lunch is from 12:30 to 130, and the workday ends at 5:30 PM. Any overtime needs to be approved by your direct supervisor.”
He paused, making sure Laura was following along. “We have a zero–tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. If you experience or witness anything that makes you uncomfortable, report it to HR immediately.”
Laura felt a small sense of relief at that. At least there were some protections in place.
“As for sick days and vacation time,” Mr. Jackson went on, “you’ll accrue them based on your time with the company. For now, you have three sick days available. Use them wisely.”
He leaned forward, his expression serious. “One more thing, Ms. McKenna. We value discretion here. What happens in the warehouse stays in the warehouse. Got it?”
Laura nodded, feeling a bit uneasy at the intensity of his gaze. “Yes, sir. I understand.”
Mr. Jackson sat back, his demeanor relaxing slightly. “Good. Any questions so far?”
Laura hesitated for a moment before asking. “Could you tell me a bit more about the company culture? What should I expect in terms of team dynamics?
Mr. Jackson’s lips twitched in what might have been a suppressed smile. “Every department has its own… personality, Ms. McKenna. You’ll figure it out soon enough. Just keep your head down, do your work, and you’ll be fine.
As Laura finished the last of the forms, Mr. Jackson collected them, giving them a cursory glance. “Alright, looks like everything’s in order. Your desk is on the second floor, in the small office next to Mr. Simmons. He’s your direct supervisor.”
He stood up, signaling the end of the meeting “Welcome aboard, Ms. McKenna. Remember, discretion is key.”
With that ominous parting statement, Laura found herself back in the hallway, clutching her visitor’s badge and feeling more uncertain than ever about what she’d gotten herself into.
As Laura made her way to her new desk, she couldn’t help but notice the curious glances from her coworkers. Some seemed friendly, others indifferent, and a few downright hostile. She took a deep breath, rerninding herself of Jen’s words; she was capable and strong.
Her desk was tucked away in a small office adjacent to what she assumed was Mr. Simmons‘ office. She set down her purse and took a moment to familiarize herself with her new workspace.
A woman with curly red hair poked her lead into the office. “Hey there! You must be the new girl. I’m Saraya from accounting
Laura smiled, grateful for the friendly face. “Hi, Saraya. I’m Laura. It’s nice to meet you.”
Saraya leaned against the doorframe. “How’re you finding things so far? I remember my first day here- felt like I’d walked into a
beehive.”
“It’s a bit overwhelming.” Laura admitted. “But I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon.”
“You will,” Saraya assured her. “Just watch out for…”
She was cut off by a group of women walking past, all impeccably dressed and wearing matching disdainful expressions. One of them, a tall blonde, paused to give Laura a once–over.
So, you’re Mr. Simmons‘ new secretary?” she asked, her tone dripping with condescension.
Laura straightened her spine: “Yes, I’m Laura McKenna. And you are?
The blonde’s lips curled into a smirk. “Brittany Lawson, head of marketing Word of advice, newbie: don’t get too comfortable. Mr Simmons goes through secretaries like tissues.”
With that, she sauntered off, her posse in tow, Saraya rolled her eyes. “And that’s Brittany. Resident mean girl and professional backstabber. Stay clear of her if you can.”
Laura nodded, feeling a knot form in her stomach. “Thanks for the heads up.”
As the morning progressed, Laura tried to introduce herself to inore of her coworkers. She met Tom from logistics, a jovial middle aged man who offered her a warm welcome and a dad joke that made her groan and laugh at the same time.
Then there was Marge from reception, who seemed more interested in pumping Laura for gossip than actually getting to know her.” So, sweetie, what brings you to our little corner of paradise?” Marge asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Running from a bad breakup? Looking for a rich husband?”
Laura forced a polite smile. “Just looking for a fresh start, that’s all.”
She managed to extricate herself from Marge’s clutches, only to run into Hank from shipping. He was a burly man with a leering grin that made Laura’s skin crawl.
Sete tite Laita was tollowing along. “We have a zero–tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. If you experience or HAPTER TWENTY–TWO–The Question bible at It to LR immediately.”
Well, hello there, beautiful,” Hapkdrewed, by Fase me some protections in place.
ere getting such a pretty new addition, I’d have cleaned up my act
tuur” Mr. Jacqum went on, “you’ll accrue them based on your time with the company. For now, you
It’s
mura took a step back, her voice cool T’s Laure And Pd appreciate it bet
ank held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey bestiales! Me McKerma. We value discretion here. What happens in the warehouse
she retreated to the safety of her desk, Laura couldn’t shake the fecing these med loaded with hidden meanings and potensialize. “Yes, sir, I understand.”
26
er thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a man seg at you questions so far?” id a perpetual frown
- “Could you tell the a bit more about the company culture? What should I expect in terms McKenna?” he barked, not bothering with pleasantries. “I need these tes organised by ciliam
have bem a suppressed smile. “Every department has its own personality, Ms. McKenna. efore Laura could respond, he dropped a towering stack of (ciderende ved you’ll be fine.” nell of stale cigarettes walled over her, making her stomach turn
collected then, giving them a cursory glance. “Alright, looks like everything’s in les, Mr. Simmons,” she managed to say. “I’ll get right on it to Me Summons, He’s your direct supervisor.”
e grunted in response and retreated to his office, leaving Laurs Collet Pemember, discretion is key”
the clock ticked towards lunchtime, Laura’s head was spinning fra bey deriving her visitor’s badge and feeling more
nd her attempts to decipher the outdated filing system were giving her a headache,
She
Then 12:30 finally rolled around, Laura breathed a sigh of rico pribed bebes from her coworkers. Some seemed friendly, oping for a moment of peace.
bending herself of Jen’s words; she was capable and strong.
office. She set down her purse and took a
he cafeteria was a bustling hive of activity, filled with the chatter of couch boking for a quiet spot to sit.
s she walked past a table of marketing employees, she couldn’t help but overheer spesiall Tie Stara from accounting”
Did you see how close Greg was standing to the new girl?” one woman whispered. “Ten backs says, the do
Please,” another scoffed. “With legs like that? She’ll be here until Grog’s wife linda out, Tidy here- felt like I walked into a
aura quickened her pace; her cheeks burning. She spotted an empty seat at a table where a man with
lone, engrossed in his phone.
Mind if I join you?” Laura asked.
be man looked up, startled. “Oh, uh, sure. Go aliead ”
viline
marting Wisdainful expressions. One of them,
s Laura sat down, he offered her a shy smile. “You’re the new secretary, right? I’m Todd from IT‘
Laura,” she replied, grateful for a normal interaction. “Nice to meet you, Todd.”
hey ate in companionable silence for a few moments before Todd spoke up again. “So, how’re you finding your first its
aura considered her words carefully. “It’s interesting. There’s a lot to take in.”
pohon duty test too comfocreble. Mr.
2 dl and professional
Do
odd nodded knowingly. “Yeah, it can be pretty overwhelming at first. Especially with all the office politics”
I’ve noticed,” Laura said dryly. “Is it always like this?”
odd leaned in, lowering his voice. “Look, I probably shouldn’t say this, but… watch your back, okay? Some departments here can be. retty cliquish. And Mr. Simmons… well, let’s just say be has a reputation.”
aura felt a chill run down her spine. “What kind of reputation?
odd opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the arrival of Brittany and her entourage.
pieties, savial middle
Well, well,” Brittany drawled. “Cozying up to IT already? Smart move, newbie You’ll need all the help you can get.”
aura forced a smile. “Just getting to know my coworkers, Brittany. You should try it sometime.”
rittany’s eyes narrowed, but before she could respond, the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of the break.
a touring erin:
Laura gathered her things, Todd whispered, “Nice one. But seriously, be careful.”
With those ominous words ringing in her ears, Laura headed back to her desk, bracing herself for whatever the afternoon might bring
Back at her desk, Laura found herself struggling with the outdated filing system. The categories seemed arbitrary, and half the files were mislabeled or missing crucial information. After spending twenty frustrating minutes trying to make sense of it all, she decided to ask Mr. Simmons for clarification.
She knocked on his office door, poking her bead in when she heard a grutt “What?”
“Mr. Simmons, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m having some trouble with the filing system. Could you explain-”
Mr. Simmons cut her off with a dismissive wave. “For Christ’s sake, McKenna, it’s not rocket science. If you can’t handle a simple filing job, maybe you’re not cut out for this.”
Laura felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and anger. “I’m just trying to do the job correctly, sir. If you could give me a few minutes of your time-
“Look,” Mr. Simmons snapped, finally looking up from his computer. “I don’t have time to hold your hand. Figure it out or clear out your desk. Got it?”
Swallowing her pride, Laura nodded and retreated to her desk. Determined to prove herself, she threw herself into the task, meticulously organizing each file and creating her own system when the existing one failed her. She worked through her afternoon break, ignoring the rumbling in her stomach and the ache in her back.
As the day wore on, Laura encountered more challenges. Hank from shipping stopped by her desk, ostensibly to drop off some paperwork
“Here you go, sweetheart,” he said, his eyes roving over her in a way that made her skin crawl. “You know, you’re much prettier than the last girl. How about we grab a drink after work? I could show you the ropes.”
Laura fixed him with a cold stare. “I’m not interested, Hank. And I’d appreciate it if you kept our interactions professional.”
Hank’s friendly demeanor vanished. “Stuck–up bitch,” he muttered as he walked away.
No sooner had Hank left than Marge from reception appeared, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“So, Laura,” Marge said, perching on the edge of Laura’s desk. “Spill the tea. Are you single? Married? Any juicy secrets you want to share?”
Laura sighed, trying to focus on her work “I’m just here to do my job, Marge. My personal life isn’t up for discussion.”
Marge clucked her tongue disapprovingly. “Now, now, don’t be like that. We’re all family here. Speaking of which, I couldn’t help but notice you don’t wear a wedding ring. Divorced?”
Laura felt a pang in her chest at the mention of marriage. “Marge, please. I have a lot of work to do.”
“Fine, fine,” Marge huffed, sliding off the desk. “But mark my words, I’ll figure you out sooner or later.”
As Marge waddled away, Laura let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. She glanced at the clock, dismayed to see there were still two hours left in the workday.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of paperwork and uncomfortable encounters. Mr. Simmons continued to pile on work, each time lingering a bit too long at her desk, his presence making Laura Increasingly uneasy.
As she was finishing up a report, Laura noticed a small error in the data. She quickly corrected it, but not before Mr. Simmons spotted
IL
“McKenna!” he bellowed, loud enough for the entire office to hear. “Get in here now!”
Laura’s stomach dropped as she walked into his office, aware of the curious stares from her coworkers
Mr. Simmons held up the report, his face red with anger. “What the hell is this? Can’t you even copy numbers correctly?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Laura began “I noticed the error and corrected it immediately-”
“I don’t want excuses!” Mr. Simmons shouted. “I want competence! If you can’t handle this job, there are plenty of other girls who can.
Humiliated and fighting back tears, Laura retreated to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to compose herself. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she wondered how her life had come to this point
CHAPTER TWENTY–THREE–The Deal They Shouldn’t Have Made
When 5:30 finally arrived, Laura was emotionally and physically drained. She gathered her belongings, noticing that most of her coworkers had already left without a word.
