Chapter 17
His eyes fell on the food tray, and a look of disgust crossed his features. Without warning, he snatched it away and hurled it out of the study. “Get out right now! If this happens again, I'll kick you out of the Anderson family!”
Bang!
A deafening bang resounded through the hallway as the bowls and dishes shattered into a thousand pieces. The fragrant soup was now staining the once pristine carpet, mirroring the chaos in Ariana’s mind.
The study door was forcefully shut, leaving Ariana standing in the hallway with her emotions in disarray. Her eyes welled up with tears as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.
All she wanted was to make things right between her and Theodore, but his unkind and hostile attitude made her feel like a villain with devious intentions.
Judy, seeing the distress in Ariana’s eyes, placed a gentle hand on her back, offering words of comfort. “Madam, don’t fret. Mr. Anderson is just upset. The study is off-limits to outsiders, and perhaps he didn’t close the door after leaving, and you innocently wandered in.”
Though her eyes were red and puffy from crying, Ariana managed a small smile, grateful for Judy’s empathy. “Thank you, Judy. | get it,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
She squatted down and took the initiative to clean up the shards and stains, pretending as if the outburst of rage had never occurred.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
Judy joined her to lend a hand, and her voice lowered to share a tidbit of advice. “And, the room at the end of the fourth floor is also forbidden.” Ariana paused, absorbing the warning with a nod. “I know. | apologize for putting you in this situation.”
Judy, noticing Ariana’s sadness, felt the urge to lift her spirits. “It’s okay. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Mr. Anderson has strict rules, but if you abide by them, he’s not so bad. You're the first woman he’s allowed in his life, and your patience and care will eventually win him over.”
Ariana masked her dissent, hiding it behind a curt nod.
She sneered in her heart, for she knew that whoever was loved by such an insidious and unpredictable man was cursed with misfortune.
The cleanup was now over, and Judy made sure that everything was in place. Ariana bid Judy a polite goodbye and rushed back to her room. She turned on the computer and began browsing through job postings.
Theodore’s lousy behavior tonight sparked a sense of uncertainty in her. She dreaded the thought of being kicked out of this place. Thus, she needed to create a stable income source for herself before he did something erratic again.
Ariana’s path to a fulfilling career was fraught with obstacles. Despite her impressive academic credentials and experience in several international companies, she was faced with a heartbreaking choice when she received the news of her father’s serious illness just before her graduation oral defense.
She rushed back home, missing the oral defense and delaying her graduation, which prevented her from obtaining her graduation certificate.
To make matters worse, Ariana’s malicious stepmother, Glenda, froze all her bank cards and took away her identification. Glenda even applied for a suspension of Ariana’s studies.
With no graduation certificate, Ariana’s job search was complicated, to say the least. As she browsed through the recruitment websites, Ariana’s eyes widened as she stumbled upon a job opening that seemed almost tailor-made for her.
The advertisement was for an assistant at the BRD Group, the media juggernaut known for dominating nearly every aspect of daily life. Ariana’s heart quickened as she read the qualifications: overseas study experience, fluency in multiple foreign languages, a degree in management, and a driver’s license. The requirements seemed to match her skills perfectly.
With its subsidiaries spanning every industry worldwide, the BRD Group’s wealth and power were even greater than that of the Anderson Group.
Ariana couldn't believe her luck in finding an opening in such a prestigious and successful organization.
However, the application process wouldn't be easy, and she was determined to give it a try. With that in mind, she decided to apply to a few other companies as her backup plan.
The following morning, Ariana’s exhaustion from her job search caught up with her, and she almost overslept. Luckily, Judy was there to help wake her up. Ariana had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning scouring the Internet for job openings, leaving her feeling groggy and weak.