TO GET THE JOB

CALI

“Desperate enough,” I said quietly.

The moment the words left my mouth, I wished I could take them back.

Not because they weren’t true… but because of the way he looked at me after.

Like he had been waiting for that exact answer.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Too quiet.

Too tight.

He leaned back in his chair slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, and for the first time since I walked in, I felt like I had stepped into something I didn’t fully understand.

“How desperate?” he asked.

My breath caught slightly.

There it was again.

That question.

But this time, it felt heavier… like it meant more than just words.

I frowned, my fingers tightening against my bag.

“I already answered that,” I said carefully.

“I want to hear it again.”

His voice was calm, but firm. The kind that didn’t need to be loud to carry weight.

Something about it made my chest tighten.

I swallowed.

Very badly.

That was the truth.

But the way he was asking… it didn’t feel right.

“I need the job,” I said instead, choosing my words slowly.

His lips curved just slightly.

Not a smile.

Something else.

“That’s not what I asked.”

A flicker of irritation rose in my chest.

I held his gaze this time.

“You want me to beg?” I asked.

The words came out sharper than I intended.

But I didn’t take them back.

For a second, neither of us spoke.

Then

“To work here,” he said slowly, “you’ll have to prove something first.”

My brows pulled together.

“Prove what?”

“Your loyalty.”

The word dropped heavily between us.

And just like that, everything shifted.

My stomach turned.

Loyalty?

To who?

To him?

I straightened in my seat, my discomfort no longer something I could ignore.

“I don’t understand,” I said.

He didn’t explain.

He didn’t even try.

He just kept looking at me like he was waiting for me to figure it out on my own.

That silence…

It said more than any explanation could.

And I didn’t like what it was saying.

Something inside me snapped.

I stood up.

“What exactly are you implying?” I asked, my voice no longer calm.

Still nothing.

That was it.

“Who do you think you are?” I snapped.

My heart was pounding now, but I didn’t care.

“If I said I need this job, that doesn’t mean you get to disrespect me,” I continued, grabbing my bag. “And it definitely doesn’t mean I’ll accept anything just to get it.”

He didn’t react.

Not even a blink.

That calm expression stayed on his face like none of my words touched him.

That only made it worse.

“If this is your idea of an interview,” I added, my voice tight, “then you can keep the job.”

I turned and walked straight to the door, my hand gripping the handle tightly.

Not again.

Why did it always come to this?

Why couldn’t anything just be normal for once?

“Resume work tomorrow. Eight a.m.”

I froze.

My fingers tightened around the doorknob as his words sank in.

Slowly…

I turned back.

“You’re hired,” he said.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

No smile.

No explanation.

Nothing.

Just that.

I let go of the door slowly, turning fully to face him.

For a second, I couldn’t even process it.

I walked in here desperate for a chance…

And now—

I had the job?

“Are you serious?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

“Yes.”

That was all he said.

And somehow, that was enough to make it real.

Relief hit me so suddenly it almost made me dizzy.

I got the job.

After everything… I actually got it.

“Oh…” I breathed out, more to myself than to him.

“Thank you,” I added quickly, nodding.

My hands still felt a little unsteady as I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

“Wait.”

I paused again.

He picked up his phone like nothing unusual had just happened.

“Cancel the remaining interviews,” he said into it. “I’ve made my decision.”

A short pause.

“Yes. Inform them they can leave.”

He ended the call and dropped the phone back on the desk.

Just like that.

He chose me.

Out of everyone.

I didn’t even understand why.

“You can go,” he said.

I nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

I stepped out of the office, closing the door behind me gently.

The hallway felt different.

Lighter.

I exhaled slowly, a small smile slipping onto my face before I could stop it.

I got the job.

I actually got it.

A quiet laugh left me as I started walking.

“What just happened?” I muttered under my breath.

Nothing about that interview made sense.

The questions.

The silence.

The way he watched me.

And then… just like that, I was hired.

I shook my head slightly as I stepped out of the building, the sunlight hitting my face.

It didn’t make sense.

But it worked.

And right now…

That was enough.

Still…

As I walked away, one thought stayed quietly in my mind.

This didn’t feel simple.

And somehow…

I had a feeling this was only the beginning.