Chapter 7: Distinction Call
The notification sound cut through the steady hum of the mall like a sharp knife. Laura's phone, tucked away in her back pocket, buzzed insistently as she finished scanning the last item for an elderly gentleman buying groceries for what looked like a week's worth of meals.
"That'll be forty-two sixty, sir," Laura said automatically, her fingers moving across the register keys with practiced ease.
The man fumbled with his wallet, counting out exact change with the careful precision of someone living on a fixed income. Laura waited patiently, though part of her mind was already focused on the phone notification. It was probably just another spam message or maybe Maryann sending her a funny meme to cheer her up after their conversation earlier.
"Here you go, dear," the elderly man said, placing the exact amount on the counter. "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, have a wonderful day," Laura replied with a genuine smile. Despite everything that had happened, she still found comfort in these small interactions with customers who treated her with basic kindness and respect.
As the man gathered his bags and shuffled away, Laura finally pulled out her phone. The notification was from her email app, showing a new message from Conti Corporation. Her heart immediately began racing, and she glanced around quickly to make sure no other customers were approaching her register.
The subject line read: "Interview Results - Executive Assistant Position."
Laura's hands trembled slightly as she unlocked her phone and opened the email. The corporate logo at the top of the message looked stark and official against the white background. She took a deep breath and began reading:
Dear Ms. Robin,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for the Executive Assistant position at Conti Corporation. Your interview performance and qualifications have met our standards, and we would like to extend this offer of employment to you.
Your start date is Monday, October 15th at 8:00 AM. Please report to Human Resources on the 15th floor for orientation and processing of your employment paperwork.
Your starting salary will be $45,000 annually, with benefits including health insurance, dental coverage, and paid vacation time as outlined in the attached employee handbook.
Please confirm your acceptance of this position by replying to this email no later than Friday, October 12th at 5:00 PM.
Welcome to the Conti Corporation team.
Sincerely,
Patricia Patterson
Director of Human Resources
Laura stared at the screen, reading the email twice, then a third time to make sure she hadn't misunderstood. The words seemed to blur together as her brain struggled to process what she was seeing.
She got the job.
After everything that had happened in that interview room, after Leonard's cold cruelty and obvious hatred, after his threat in the hallway, somehow she had still gotten the job.
Laura stood frozen behind her register, the phone clutched in her hands, as a dozen conflicting emotions crashed over her like waves. Relief, confusion, fear, excitement, dread… they all mixed together in a swirling mess that left her feeling dizzy and disoriented.
Forty-five thousand dollars a year. That was more money than she'd ever imagined making, especially right out of college with her limited work experience. It was enough to pay off her student loans, help her family, maybe even save up for a decent apartment instead of the cramped studio she currently called home.
But then Leonard's voice echoed in her mind, as clear as if he were standing right beside her: ‘"Here's my advice... leave this company now... or stay and face my wrath."’
The memory sent a chill down her spine. She could still see his cold green eyes, could still feel the menace radiating from him as he'd trapped her against the bathroom door. This wasn't mercy or forgiveness… this was something else entirely. But what?
"Laura? Laura, honey, are you okay?"
Maryann's concerned voice broke through Laura's racing thoughts. Her colleague was standing beside the register, having approached while Laura was lost in her phone, and she was studying Laura's face with obvious worry.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Maryann continued. "What's wrong?"
Laura looked up from her phone, meeting Maryann's kind brown eyes. "I... I got the job."
"What?" Maryann's expression immediately shifted to one of surprise and confusion. "The job at that corporate place? With your ex-boyfriend?"
Laura nodded numbly, holding up her phone so Maryann could see the email. "They want me to start Monday."
Maryann quickly scanned the message, her eyebrows rising as she read the salary figure. "Laura, this is incredible! This is exactly what you've been working toward. You should be celebrating!"
"Should I?" Laura's voice came out flat and uncertain. "After what happened in that interview? After what he said to me?"
"Maybe he changed his mind," Maryann suggested hopefully. "Maybe he realized that mixing personal feelings with business was unprofessional, and he decided to judge you fairly on your qualifications."
Laura wanted to believe that. She desperately wanted to think that Leonard had experienced some moment of clarity, some return of the decent person she'd once known and loved. But the memory of his face in that hallway, the pure hatred she'd seen there, made it impossible to accept such an optimistic explanation.
"Or maybe," Laura said quietly, "this is exactly what he wants. Me trapped in his company, under his control, where he can make good on his threat."
The two women stood in silence for a moment, both considering the implications. Around them, the mall continued its usual afternoon rhythm… shoppers browsing, children laughing, the distant sound of music from the food court. Everything seemed so normal, so ordinary, while Laura's entire world balanced on the edge of a decision that could change everything.
"What are you going to do?" Maryann asked finally.
Laura stared at her phone screen, at the email that represented both her dreams and her nightmares. Forty-five thousand dollars a year. Professional experience. A chance to build the career she'd always wanted. But at what cost?
She thought about her tiny apartment, her part-time job scanning groceries, the stack of bills on her kitchen table that seemed to grow larger every month. She thought about her family, who were struggling just as much as she was, and how this job could help all of them.
Then she thought about Leonard's promise: ‘"Face my wrath."’
"I don't know," Laura whispered, her finger hovering over the reply button. "I honestly don't know."
But even as she said it, deep down, Laura knew she was going to accept the position. She had to. This opportunity might never come again, and despite the danger Leonard represented, she couldn't bring herself to walk away from the chance at a better life.
The question wasn't whether she would take the job.
The question was whether she would survive it.
Her phone buzzed again with another notification, startling her out of her thoughts. This time it was a text message from an unknown number:
‘Looking forward to working with you, Laura. Don't disappoint me. - L.C.’
Laura's blood turned to ice as she realized Leonard already knew about her acceptance before she'd even replied to the email. Somehow, he'd been expecting this moment, planning for it.
She was walking straight into his trap, and they both knew it.