“I’ll get it right away!”
Prescott instantly caught Jonathan’s meaning and darted off.
Niamh didn’t dare nap for too long. She set an alarm and woke up before lunch break was over.
When she opened her eyes, the only person left nearby was Prescott, already back at his desk, immersed in work.
That’s when Niamh noticed a blanket had been draped over her shoulders at some point–a thin, soft charcoal wool throw.
“Thank you!”
She handed the blanket back to Prescott with a grateful smile.
Prescott accepted the blanket but looked puzzled, not quite understanding what Niamh was thanking him for.
It was Niamh’s first day at The Thomas Group, and she ended up working late, not Heaving until ten that night.
For the next week, not once did she clock out on time.
Every evening, Lana called to check on her. The moment she heard about the overtime, she would rant about Jonathan being a heartless capitalist, deliberately making Niamh’s life miserable.
Niamh knew perfectly well Jonathan was doing it on purpose.
He wanted to push her back into being a housewife.
“Niamh, did you finish that price list I gave you?”
A woman named Jayne appeared beside Niamh’s desk.
She was from Administration, and Niamh knew she was close with Marina.
“Not yet.”
At that, Jayne’s face fell and she complained, “How come it’s not done yet? I gave it to you three days ago it’s due tomorrow!”
“I’ll have it ready tonight,” Niamh promised, though she had little choice.
The truth was, compiling price lists wasn’t even part of her job. She’d tried to refuse
7/2
20:06
when Jayne handed it off to her, but Marina had whispered in Jonathan’s ear, and so Jonathan had assigned it to her.
“What’s going on, Jayne?”
Marina walked over, immaculate as ever in a pink skirt suit, makeup flawless, jewelry sparkling–the picture of privileged elegance.
Everyone in the company knew Marina was Jonathan’s high school friend, and that the T&R Jewelry brand existed only because Jonathan had created it for her.
They’d never publicly announced their relationship, but anyone with eyes could see what was going on.
Many–including Jayne–regarded Marina as the de facto lady of The Thomas Group.
“Marina, it’s all Niamh’s fault. She still hasn’t finished the price list I gave her, and it’s due tomorrow. If I don’t turn it in…”
Marina patted Jayne’s shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t worry, you’ve got me if anything happens, okay?”
“Marina, you’re amazing,” Jayne said, nearly in tears.
“And don’t be too hard on Niamh,” Marina continued, her voice sugar–sweet. “It’s her first time handling something like this–it’s normal if she doesn’t get it right away. You, on the other hand, are a university graduate. She doesn’t even have credentials…”
Jayne looked blank for a moment. In The Thomas Group, her degree was practically at the bottom of the list–if Niamh had even less…
your
By the next day, the entire office knew Niamh only had a high school diploma.
Before, when she’d go to the cafeteria for lunch, at least a few colleagues would sometimes sit with her.
But ever since word got out that she hadn’t finished college, people started avoiding her–even at lunch, as if she had something contagious.
Niamh couldn’t go around explaining herself, nor could she grab a megaphone and announce to everyone that she hadn’t finished university because she’d married their boss.
Lunch lost all flavor. She finished quickly and went back to work. As she stepped out of the elevator, she ran straight into Jonathan.
20:06
He looked as sharp as ever: tailored suit, one hand in his pocket, exuding ari untouchable air of authority.
“Keep your mouth shut about anything that might put you at a disadvantage–in this company, you need to learn how to watch what you say.”
Jonathan tossed out the words as he stepped into the elevator. Niamh barely had time to open her mouth before the doors slid shut.
For a full month, Niamh worked late every single day, but no matter how much work they piled on, she always managed to finish it on time–and did it well.
Prescott’s opinion of her quickly shifted from surprise to genuine admiration.
He knew full well that a lot of the tasks dumped on Niamh weren’t even her responsibility, but since Jonathan had signed off on them, there wasn’t much Prescott could do. The only thing he could offer, quietly, was to give her a little extra credit in the monthly performance reviews.
