At that moment, Charlotte Hayes, the head of the marketing department, entered the restroom clutching a tissue. rumors swirled that she had a past entanglement with the former chairman. Otherwise, how could a woman have secured such a position? That said, women do possess certain advantages in marketing—everyone knows it. I silently weighed these thoughts in my mind.
As she stepped inside, the thick haze of smoke and acrid stench made her recoil immediately. She turned to leave in haste, but the floor, slick with toilet cleaner, betrayed her. Losing her footing, she nearly fell, only to have me, standing outside, instinctively catch her. In doing so, my hand lingered—firm, substantial, and undeniably gratifying to the touch. She steadied herself, glared at me, and snapped,"Let go of me."
Reluctantly, I released her."Minister Hayes, planning to use the restroom? It's temporarily unusable. You'd better head to the workshop."
She cast me another venomous glance."Why didn't you say so earlier?" she barked before rushing off, clearly in dire need. I wondered briefly if her urgency had already betrayed her.
Finally, I turned my attention back to the task at hand, gripping the hose and unleashing a torrent of water to clear the smoke. Once the haze dissipated, I ventured inside, broom in hand, scraping and scrubbing the surfaces. Me? Kneeling to clean for you all? Keep dreaming.
As I finished the worst of it, Sophie Summers appeared. Her gaze swept over the restroom, her finger immediately pointing out flaws."Here, here, and here—why is it still so filthy?"
Sophie's cold stare bore into me, disdain gleaming in her eyes. Her gaze was like a dagger, slicing through my composure, seeking out every imperfection. I sighed inwardly, resigning myself to the fact that Sophie was the epitome of someone who searched for faults in the most unlikely places.
"Sophie, isn't this much better than before? Surely there's no need to nitpick," I ventured cautiously, my tone deliberately humble.
A mocking smile curled her lips."Well, well, a brute like you using idioms? How quaint."
Annoyance flared within me, but I swallowed my irritation, muttering under my breath,"You of all people should know how'rough' I am."
She caught my murmur, her face darkening instantly."What did you say?" she demanded, fury evident in her voice."Clean it all again. Every inch." Arms crossed, she stationed herself like a warden, clearly intent on watching me toil.
Suppressing a wave of helplessness, I grabbed the broom once more and began re-cleaning every spot she criticized. She loomed nearby, an overseer brimming with disdain. With every sweep of the broom, I felt more like a clown performing for her amusement.
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"Over there. And there," she directed incessantly, finding new blemishes with unnerving precision.
Silently cursing her in my heart, I kept my frustration from showing. After all, she was the boss, the one signing the checks. Begrudgingly, I pressed on. Six bottles of toilet cleaner later, the restroom reeked of chemicals, and my broom had transformed into a shaggy, useless mess.
"Is that enough now?" I finally snapped, raising my head to glare at her, my patience frayed to its last thread.
"For now," she replied with a smug nod, finally turning to leave.
I felt grimy, my skin soaked in sweat and reeking of the restroom's vile odors, mingled with the sharp tang of cleaner. Heading to the sink, I turned on the tap and doused my head with cold water, hoping to rinse away the filth.
"Are you trying to catch a cold?" she remarked from the doorway, her tone laced with mock concern, though her smirk betrayed her amusement.
"Getting sick would be a blessing. At least I'd have an excuse for a day off," I retorted indifferently.
"You're dreaming. You want sick leave. Even if you're sick, you have to stay by my side to recover." She rolled her eyes at me, her tone full of dominance.
"Hmph." I turned and left, not wanting to care about her anymore.
"That's it for today. Go back and wash yourself. You stink too much." Her voice came from behind.
I was angry, wondering who made me stink so bad? But I had to admit that she was right. I really needed a good bath.
I really smelled. I couldn't stand it. I wanted to go home and take a bath right away. I didn't drive a car much these days, and I lost dozens of dollars a day. Today was considered an early shift. I had to drive a car to make some money in the evening anyway.
Just as I was about to leave, my phone rang, and the name of Elena Carter was displayed on the screen.
"Oh no, I actually forgot that she asked me to accompany her tonight." I was secretly annoyed. Looking at the order I just received on my phone, I picked up the phone helplessly:"Elena, I just received an order. I will pick you up after I deliver this customer."
Elena Carter's dissatisfied voice came from the other end of the phone:"No, you said you would accompany me tonight."
"I just received an order." I tried to explain in a calm tone.
"How much is an order? I'll compensate you." Elena Carter's tone was a little coquettish.
"It's not a matter of money." I sighed helplessly.
"I don't care. I want to see you within ten minutes. Otherwise, I will go to your company tomorrow and tell that woman that I am not your girlfriend!" Elena Carter's voice suddenly became firm.
"You threatened me." I was a little amused.
"Yes, for a scum like you who refuses to admit it after pulling up your pants, this is what you have to do." Elena Carter said unceremoniously.
I felt embarrassed. What do you mean by refusing to admit it after pulling up your pants? I haven't XX you."Okay, where are you?"
"I'm at The Golden Elm, come quickly."
"Okay." I hung up the phone helplessly, stepped on the accelerator, and rushed over as fast as I could. Although I tried my best, it still took me twenty minutes to get there.
Elena Carter looked at her watch with displeasure, and then looked at me with a reproachful look:"Ryan, you are really good, making me, a beautiful girl, wait here for twenty minutes. You must accompany me tonight."
"You talked for a long time, and the last sentence is what you want to say." I smiled helplessly.
"Ryan, I think you should accompany me." Elena Carter's tone suddenly became soft,"Think about it, since childhood we..."
"Stop, stop, stop, I'll accompany you." I interrupted her,"Don't mention the past life anymore."