The man who burst into the room was elegantly dressed in a formal suit and tie, his expression a mix of anger and incredulity. Without preamble, he strode towards Ernest, grabbing him roughly and yanking him away from me.
"What the hell do you think you're doing," he growled, pinning Ernest to the wall with a firm grip.
"Please, Mr. Dalton," Ernest protested, his voice pleading. "It's not what it looks like. I was just—"
Mr. Dalton cut him off with a glare, his expression like thunder. "Don't give me that, I saw everything. You were about to rape her."
"No, no, you have it all wrong," Ernest stammered, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "I was just... I was just... asking her if she was interested in a job."
Mr. Dalton's eyes narrowed, his disbelief evident. "A job, huh? Do you normally manhandle girls in job interviews?"
"I was just being friendly!" he protested, his voice becoming increasingly desperate. "You don't understand, she was giving me mixed signals. I thought she was interested!"
"Don't play innocent with me," he snapped. "I know all about your past. You've done this before - with other girls who applied for jobs here. I have proof of it all."
Mr. Dalton reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a slim file, tossing it onto the floor with a thump.
"This file contains documentation of your misconduct," he said, his voice cold. "Photos, reports from previous girls who you assaulted. Everything is in there."
Ernest protested, insisting that the evidence against him was falsified. But Mr. Dalton was having none of it.
"You're not getting away with anything this time," he said, signaling for security guards to step into the room. "They're going to take you to the police station."
Ernest's panicked protests were cut off as the security guards seized him, leading him out of the room in handcuffs.
After the guards had hustled Ernest out of the room, Mr. Dalton turned his attention towards me. His expression softened a bit as he observed my panicked state.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said quietly. "Are you alright?"
"I... I think I'm okay," I said, my voice slightly shaky. "It was just... unexpected. I didn't think he would do something like that."
"First of all, I want to apologize for what happened," he said, his voice sincere. "It's unacceptable for one of our employees to behave in such a way, and I'm truly sorry that you had to go through that."
I gave a small smile, appreciating the apology from Mr. Dalton.
"Thank you," I said simply, still recovering from the shock of what had just happened.
Mr. Dalton, who had been watching the exchange, spoke up once more. "Actually, I have a proposal for you. Since you were originally here for a job interview, how would you feel about taking over Ernest's position as the new HRD?"
"Me?" I echoed, my eyes widening in surprise. "You want me to be the HRD, sir?"
Mr. Dalton smiled and leaned back in his chair, his tone confident and encouraging. "Why not? You've got an MBA and some impressive portfolios. It's a perfect fit, wouldn't you say?"
I blinked, absorbing his words, still trying to process the enormity of being offered the position.
"Well, I... I suppose so," I managed, trying to sound composed. "But are you sure I'm the right person for the job?"
Mr. Dalton nodded, his confidence unwavering. "Absolutely, I have full faith in your ability to handle the job. You have the qualifications and experience we need, and after what happened today, I'm even more convinced that you're the right person for the position."
"Okay," I said with a firm nod. "I'll do it. I'll take the job as HRD."
Mr. Dalton extended his hand, and we shook on our agreement. "Then it's settled. You'll be our new HRD on a trial basis for the next month. I have no doubt that you'll prove to be an invaluable asset to our team."
On my first day at work, I tried to settle into the company routine. I began by interviewing new job candidates, conducted training sessions for new staff, and even led a consultation session to boost employee satisfaction.
Mr. Dalton approached me just after I finished leading a successful training session.
He noticed the necklace I was wearing, and a curious expression flickered across his face. "Excuse me," he said politely, "I couldn't help but notice your necklace. It's quite unique."
I couldn't help but smile as I touched the tulip pendant on my necklace. "It was a gift from my mom, kind of lucky charm."
Mr. Dalton, who had been studying the tulip pendant, suddenly seemed to recognize it. His eyebrows furrowed in thought, and he spoke in a quieter tone.
"No other purpose, hm?" he mused, his gaze still fixed on the pendant. "Are you certain of that? You see, I've seen that pendant before. It's quite familiar to me."
I was puzzled by Mr. Dalton's words. "Familiar? You've seen this pendant before?"
"I've seen it worn by someone else before, but with a different color," Mr. Dalton muttered under his breath, his words barely audible.
"Maybe my mom bought the same lucky charm as that person," I said, a small smile playing on my lips.
Mr. Dalton let out a soft chuckle, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"You're quite amusing," he said, before nodding in farewell and leaving the room.
After watching Mr. Dalton leave the room, I packed my things, still slightly puzzled by his words and behavior. However, a glance at the clock reminded me that it was time to go home.
As I stepped out of the room, I was so lost in thought that I didn't see the person coming towards me. We collided, the impact causing me to drop my bag onto the floor.
"Looks like we're destined to meet," a familiar voice said as I bent to pick up my fallen belongings.
I paused, looking up to see who had spoken.
"Y-you--"