Selene's Pov
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"If you think I'd let you have your way with me in exchange for a job, then you must be more desperate than I am."
He blinked, caught between shock and whatever slimy fantasy he had built in his head. I didn't flinch. I held his gaze firmly, even when his eyes dragged over my blouse like it owed him. Even when his trembling hand froze in the air.
There was no doubt I was desperate for a job. In fact, desperate was an understatement.
Joblessness was not going to put food on my table, and it sure wasn't going to cover my brother's medical expenses. But even with that hanging over my head, I would rather eat shit than sell my body for a paycheck.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Miss Yang? I thought you needed the job urgently."
Mr. James, the middle-aged man, glared at me with a frown so deep it looked like it was carved into his flesh. His skin flushed red, and for a second, he reminded me of a pig in heat.
It took everything in me not to laugh right in his face.
"Yes, I do, Mr. James. But I also recall that this was not the arrangement we had. You told me I had been approved for the job and asked me to come to your office for the final paperworks."
"You should be aware there is no free lunch in this world, Miss Yang. You applied for the company's financial analyst position and I must agree you meet our requirements in almost every aspect."
The office was sleek and modern, with dark wood furniture and a large glass desk. The walls were adorned with a few expensive paintings, and the room smelled faintly of leather. A tall bookshelf lined one side, filled with business books and awards.
I couldn't help but stiffen when his gaze shamelessly moved down my cleavage and then back to my face.
"Miss Yang, I do not have all day. I am a busy man. Take off your clothes and let's get this over with."
His voice had dropped into a low, impatient growl. I could almost smell the filth dripping off his words.
I grabbed my bag from the table and rose to my feet, keeping my face blank even though my stomach twisted in disgust.
"I am not interested, Mr. James. I might as well take my leave."
I turned on my heel, heart pounding. I was almost at the door when his voice made me halt.
"Miss Yang, do you realize you are about to throw away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? What if I made you the senior financial analyst with triple the salary? All you have to do is spread your legs for me. Hmm?"
I froze. My hand hovered just inches away from the doorknob.
Senior financial analyst. Triple the pay.
I clenched my fists and shut my eyes for a second. Jeltech—his company—was one of the biggest tech companies around, and their regular salary alone could clear most of my debts.
Triple the pay could solve everything. Liam's surgery. Rent. Bills.
I felt the temptation coil in my chest, hot and bitter.
Just one yes. Just one moment of weakness and it could all go away.
But then again—
No. I couldn't. I would never forgive myself. There had to be another way. There had to be.
And besides, there was no way I was going to cheat on my boyfriend, Brian.
"Shove your offer up your ass, Mr. James. I'd rather starve with my dignity intact than fuck you for a paycheck."
I didn't wait for his reply. I turned on my heel and strode out with my head held high, refusing to let him see the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
Streams of withheld tears trickled down my face when I stepped out of the building.
I couldn't hold it in anymore.
I couldn't pretend to be unaffected by the whole ordeal.
The interview with Mr. James made it the seventh failed interview I had showed up for in the space of one month.
For months now, most of my interviews had ended in the same pattern. Mr. James was no different from the other men I had encountered—men who used their positions of power to exploit those beneath them.
Though my expectations had not been high from the start, the sting of rejection—especially under such disgusting circumstances—still hit me hard.
Perverted old piece of shit.
At this point, I was tired of repeating this same cycle over and over again.
Perhaps I should have just given in to Mr. James's offer. After all, it wasn't uncommon that most women fucked their way into positions.
Did I make a mistake by rejecting the offer?
No.
I shook my head as if to assure myself that I was not wrong. That I hadn't made a mistake. That I had not let my pride get in the way of my supposed financial freedom and my brother's well-being.
"Get yourself together, Selene. Jeltech isn't worth your tears. You'll get a better job with good pay, and Liam will be alright."
The slight regret I had been feeling slowly began to dissipate when I began considering the bright side of the situation.
"Everything is perfectly fine. At least you didn't get to sleep with that perverted old man who probably has had his way with every single one of his employees."
"Including the male employees?"
I erupted into laughter at my very own ridiculous thoughts.
My stomach hurt, my eyes watered, and I nearly tripped over, laughing hysterically like I'd completely lost it.
But as the laughter slowly died down and the ache in my belly faded, I looked up, only to freeze.
Holy crap.
"Could this day get any worse?"
I was standing at the side of the road. Cars were slowing down. People were staring. A woman holding a tray of snacks blinked at me like she wasn't sure if she should run or call for help.
My eyes were red, face streaked with dried tears, and I had just spent the past two minutes cackling like a madwoman in public.
"Is she okay?"
"What's wrong with her?"
The embarrassment hit me like a slap.
I clutched my bag tighter and walked toward the taxi stop, trying to act unfazed.
When I arrived at the taxi stop, I pulled out a rumpled white handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the nearly dried tears from my eyes.
I was about to stop a taxi when suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled out my phone, ruined with deep cracks. The moment I saw the caller ID, my lips curved into a small smile.
Mayleen.