“Hold up! Get out of the way, old man, seriously, move it!” The voice, sharp and entitled, sliced through the already tense atmosphere of the cramped elevator in the bustling Thompson Tower, right in the heart of downtown Chicago. “How dare you lay a hand on an elder?” a clear, steady voice cut back, surprising everyone. “The elevator’s already overloaded, and it happened the moment you stepped in. If anyone’s leaving, it should be you.”
The woman who’d spoken, a sharp-featured blonde in an expensive power suit, whirled around. “Who do you think you are to tell me to leave? Do you have any idea who I am? Or my direct connection to Michael Thompson, the Chairman himself?” Her eyes, narrowed to slits, scanned the newcomer with disdain. “I don’t care who you are. Apologize to him right now.”
A young woman, Emily Carter, blinked. Is this woman blind? To openly confront Sophia Reed, Thompson Enterprises’ star Senior Manager? Emily knew Sophia was notorious, and today was interview day for countless hopefuls, including herself. “She’s here for an interview,” a whispered comment from a nervous bystander reached Emily’s ears. “She’ll tank it for sure, after offending Sophia.”
Emily shook her head slightly. Not worth my breath, she thought, turning her attention to the older man who still seemed a bit shaken. “Sir, are you okay?” she asked, her voice gentle, eyes filled with genuine concern.
He offered a weak smile. “I’m fine, thank you, miss. Glad you’re all right, too.” He paused, looking at her warmly. “What’s your name, dear?”
“Emily Carter.”
“Do you work here, at Thompson Enterprises?” he inquired, his gaze lingering on her.
“No, sir. I’m actually here for an interview.” Emily offered a hopeful, if slightly nervous, smile.
He beamed. “Well, I believe in you, Emily. You’ll pass for sure.” His words, so simple, brought a surprising warmth to her chest.
“I appreciate that, sir,” she replied, just as the elevator chimed, its doors finally opening. The crowd surged out, leaving Emily and a couple of others heading for the HR floor. “Man, I wonder if I’ll actually meet Mr. Thompson today,” a voice muttered beside her.
“Why would he attend interviews for us ‘small fries’?” another scoffed. “Unless you make it to the executive office, you’ll barely get a chance to interact with Chairman Thompson.”
“Emily Carter?” A crisp voice called out from the reception area.
“That’s me,” Emily responded, stepping forward.
“Come in for your interview.”
Meanwhile, across town in a sleek, glass-walled penthouse office overlooking the sprawling expanse of Central Park in New York City, Michael Thompson, CEO of Thompson Enterprises, was deep in a phone call. “Mr. Johnson, our staff wasn’t at JFK to pick up Grandpa. Did you check his old brownstone in Brooklyn Heights? No sign there either.” He ran a hand through his hair, a hint of frustration in his voice. “You brat, Grandpa. Are you still recovering? Why on earth would you sneak back to the USA without telling anyone?”
A gruff voice boomed from the other end. “You have the nerve to ask me? It’s been a whole year, Michael! A whole year since you promised to bring me my granddaughter-in-law. Where is she? Did you even get married?”
Michael sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Grandpa, I showed you the marriage certificate.”
“Just the cover, boy! Do you think I’m senile? I don’t care about covers. I want to meet her. If I don’t see her, I swear, I’ll… I’ll end my life right here!” The old man’s theatrics were legendary.
“Fine, fine!” Michael capitulated, knowing resistance was futile. “If you promise to recover properly, I’ll take you to meet her. One month, okay? That’s all you get.” He heard his grandfather huff, but a grudging agreement came through.
Then, an unexpected addendum. “Oh, and a girl named Emily Carter interviewed at your company today. Hire her.”
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Grandpa, our company hires based on merit. You know that.”
“She made it to the interview, didn’t she? That shows capability right there. That Emily Carter girl… she’s kind and beautiful. I like her. A lot.” His grandfather’s tone left no room for debate.
Michael suppressed another sigh. “Alright, alright. I’ll hire her. Happy now?”
“Let’s go, Grandpa. I’ll take you home,” Michael said, changing the subject.
“No need,” his grandfather replied dismissively. “I’ll go alone. Emily Carter, huh…” he mumbled, the name seeming to bring a smile to his face.
Back in Chicago, Emily walked into the interview room, a wave of nervous energy washing over her. “Good morning, panel,” she greeted, offering her resume.
Sophia Reed, seated at the head of the table, sneered as her eyes landed on Emily. “Ew. What a coincidence.” Emily’s heart sank. She recognized the look. I’m doomed.
“Get out,” Sophia snapped, waving a dismissive hand.
“You haven’t even looked at my resume,” Emily retorted, a flicker of defiance in her eyes.
“Don’t need to. Trash like you doesn’t belong here. Take your resume and scram.” Sophia’s voice dripped with venom.
Just then, the door opened and Michael Thompson himself walked in, looking every bit the formidable CEO, his presence instantly commanding the room. Oh my god, Mr. Thompson. He’s even more handsome in person, a panelist whispered, clearly star-struck.
Emily, however, was fuming. “You’re just retaliating because I offended you in the elevator, aren’t you?” she accused, looking directly at Sophia.
Sophia smirked. “So what if I am? You bullied an elder earlier. That was wrong.”
“And given another chance,” Emily shot back, her voice firm, “I’d do it again. With interviewers like you, I quit this process.” She tossed her resume onto the table.
Sophia shrugged. “Suit yourself. Who needs this anyway?”
Michael, who had been observing the exchange with a stony expression, finally spoke. His eyes, sharp and intelligent, met Emily’s. “Why do you look… familiar?” he mused aloud. “Who is Emily Carter?”
“That’s me,” Emily answered, a hint of surprise in her voice.
“Majored in design?” Michael continued, glancing at the abandoned resume. “Does our design department still need more people?”
A nervous design manager quickly interjected, “Mr. Thompson, our department is fully staffed now.”
“You can join secretarial as an intern,” Michael stated, then turned to his assistant. “Alex Johnson, handle her onboarding.”
“Yes, sir,” Alex replied, a hint of confusion on his face as he ushered Emily away.
As they left, Sophia glared daggers at Emily’s back. “This woman’s already hitting on Mr. Thompson. You’ll pay for this,” she muttered under her breath.
Later, in the bustling office, Emily was trying to find her footing when a loud voice cut through the air. “You’re the new office hottie, huh?” A man, Ryan Patel, Thompson Enterprises’ Head of Marketing, sauntered up to her, his gaze overtly appreciative. He reached out to touch her arm.
“What are you doing?” Emily recoiled, slapping his hand away.
Ryan looked shocked. “You dare hit me?!”
“You harassed me,” Emily stated, her jaw tight. “A slap was mercy.”
“Weren’t you just chasing Mr. Thompson?” Ryan scoffed, rubbing his hand. “What’s wrong with a little touch from me? Stop playing the innocent saint.”
“Mr. Thompson! Mark my words!” Sophia suddenly appeared, her voice echoing through the office. Michael Thompson emerged from his office, his brow furrowed.
“Don’t you move,” Emily warned Ryan, refusing to let him go.
“Let go of me!” Ryan struggled.
“What happened?” Michael demanded, his gaze sweeping over the scene.
“He harassed me!” Emily declared, her voice trembling slightly with indignation. “Touched me!”
Ryan immediately turned to Michael, feigning distress. “Mr. Thompson, I didn’t! She’s… she’s using me to climb up! Came on to me!” He put on a convincing act. “Who let this scheming woman into our company? Fire her immediately!”
“Mr. Thompson,” Emily interjected, her voice firm despite her anger. “You hired her.”
Michael paused, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.
Ryan, thinking he had won, started to gloat. “What the–”
“Mr. Thompson, I’m so sorry!” Alex Johnson rushed forward, looking mortified. “I spoke out of turn. I apologize, but you must believe me! She was the one hitting on me!”
“He’s lying!” Emily protested.
“Mr. Thompson,” Ryan pleaded, regaining his composure. “After all these years at the company, I’ve always been diligent. You have to trust me.”
Michael’s voice was cold, decisive. “Get out. You hear me? Get out.”
“It was clearly him harassing me! Why fire me instead?!” Emily exclaimed, utterly bewildered.
Michael sighed, rubbing his temples. “I meant him. Not you.”
