I knew I had to make a choice the first time I saw her. A woman paused by the side of the road, her hands shaking as she looked down at the flat tire on her automobile. The cars sped by, and people hardly looked at her.
She was clearly in over her head and having trouble figuring out what to do next. I was already late for my interview. The interview was my one chance to improve my life.
I should have kept going, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it because something inside me stopped me. I turned the handle of my bike sharply and skidded to a stop next to her.
Do
But then she let out a sigh. Yes, I believe so. I agreed and bent down next to the car, where my fingers were already working on the bolts.
Do you have a spare? She let out a sigh of relief. Yes, it’s in the trunk. I began to work right away, and my hands were working quickly.
Years of maintaining my old bike had made me speedy, and in no time at all, I had the car up and the flat tire off. Sweat ran down my forehead. But I continued going, even though I knew time was running out.
She walked back and forth next to me, looking at her watch every few seconds. I will be late. She said something beneath her breath.
I laughed a little. Yes, I agree. She looked at me, truly looked at me, and her face changed.
Hold
Oh. Oh no. I looked at my watch.
Ten minutes late. It hit me like a blow in the stomach when I realized it. I had messed up.
I made myself smile. It’s okay. It looked like she was trying to figure me out when her brows knitted together.
No, it isn’t. She took something out of her bag and handed it to me. A card for business.
She told me to call her. I only looked at it for a second before putting it in my pocket. I don’t need it.
She kept saying, “Just call me.” Then she got in her car and drove off without saying another word. I remained there for a bit and watched her leave.
Then I sighed and got on my bike and rode away, knowing that I had just lost my one chance at anything better. At least that’s what I believed. I got the email the next morning.
Thanks for applying. Sadly, we have chosen to go with other applicants. I looked at the rejection on my phone, and it felt like it was weighing on my chest.
A different door closed. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I had to look for another chance.
Quick. I saw something on my nightstand at that point. The card for the business.
I grabbed it up and turned it over in my hands. Eleanor Carter, CEO…
Carter Companies. My heart skipped a beat. Carter Enterprises? The Carter Companies? The business that had just turned me down? I couldn’t breathe when I looked at the name.
Why did you give me your card? I was so curious that I couldn’t stop myself from second-guessing myself. I called the number. On the second ring, she picked up.
She says you phoned. I cleared my throat, sounding almost relieved. Yeah, um, you gave me your card.
Did you get the job? I laughed without any humor. No. Not able to make the interview.
Be quiet. After that, come to my office. Right now.
I blinked. What? It wasn’t a request. And then she hung up.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing on my phone. What the hell was happening? It felt strange to go into Carter Enterprises. The building was huge, and the glass looked clean and shiny in the morning sun.
The foyer was more elegant than anything else I had ever seen. My old jacket and scuffed shoes made me feel very out of place. The squeaking of my shoes on the clean marble flooring made it worse. Mr. Carter is waiting for you.
The receptionist pointed to the elevator and barely looked at me. Mr. Carter? I was confused, so I went inside and punched the button for the top floor. When the doors opened, I saw a sleek, modern office.
And there she was, standing by the window with her arms crossed. Eleanor Carter. As I walked in, she turned and looked at me with a penetrating gaze.
You came. I let out a breath. Yes.
I still don’t know why. She pointed to the chair across from her desk. Sit down.
I did. She looked at me for a time before she spoke. You saved me yesterday.
You didn’t have to. But you did. I moved in my seat.
It was only a flat tire. Her face got firm. No.
It wasn’t. My job was on the line. She shook her head when I said I might have missed that meeting.
You don’t know how much you helped me. I made a face. What are you trying to say? She bent forward.
I’m saying. I owe you. My stomach turned.
Oh me. She smiled. There is a job opportunity at my company.
You’re going to take it. I blinked. Hold on.
You. You are giving me a job. Yes.
But I didn’t even get to talk to them. You did. When you decided to aid me instead of yourself.
I looked at her. Trying to understand what was going on. This was crazy.
Totally crazy. But I knew one thing for sure when she pushed the contract across the desk. Things were about to alter for me forever.
I looked at the contract in front of me, and my head was spinning. This wasn’t just any job. This was a golden ticket.
A chance to get a job at Carter Enterprises. The same corporation that had turned me down only a few hours earlier. And now…
The CEO herself was giving me a job. It didn’t add up. I looked up at Eleanor.
She was sitting across from me. Folded arms. Her emerald eyes were keen.
Not readable. What? I asked my hoarse voice. What would make you do this? She turned her head.
I told you already. You saved me. I laughed dryly.
It was only a flat tire. No. She said it strongly.
Her eyes were locked on mine. It wasn’t. Something in my chest tightened when she uttered that.
I looked at the contract again. My hands were shaking a little. The pay was more than I had ever seen in my life.
But that wasn’t all there was to it. This was a real chance. A second chance.
A part of me wanted to say yes right away. But another part of me was unsure. I made fists.
I don’t want your pity. There was something illegible in her gaze. This isn’t sympathy.
There was a long silence between us. Then she crossed her legs and leaned back. She stated in a calm voice, “You have two choices.”
You can go now and go back to looking for work as you were before. You could also take a chance. My heart raced in my ears.
This seemed too wonderful to be true. But something told me that this woman wasn’t the kind to squander her time. I slowly grabbed for the pen.
And then I put my name down. The next morning, I went to work for Carter Enterprises. It still didn’t seem real.
The office was a place I didn’t fit in. The people wear custom-made suits. The floors have been polished.
The sound of high heels hitting marble. Everything seemed so strange. I didn’t fit in.
Mr. Walker? My thoughts were interrupted by a clear voice. I looked back and saw a woman in a slick black suit with a folder. My name is Ava, and I work as Ms. Carter’s executive assistant.
Come with me. I nodded and swallowed hard. She took me through a maze of offices with glass walls before halting in front of a door.
She pointed inside and said, “Your workspace.” I stepped inside and held my breath. It wasn’t a small room.
It wasn’t a little workstation in a busy room. It was an office just for me. I looked at Ava.
There was a mistake. I don’t think so. She answered quickly, “No mistake.”
Ms. Carter did all the planning herself. My stomach turned. Why was she doing this? Ava gave me a packet before I could ask her anything further.
What you have to do. Look them over. You begin right away.
Then she left, and I was left standing there with my heart racing. I had no idea what I had just gotten into. But there was one thing that was certain.
This wasn’t going to be just a job. I knew I wasn’t welcome the moment I walked into that office. People whispered behind me as I walked down the corridor.
Stares lasted longer than they should have. I could sense it. Anger.
Doubt. Wanting to know. Who is this guy? What does he do in his office? He doesn’t even have any experience.
I gritted my teeth and kept going, acting as if I didn’t hear. But they were right, and that’s the truth. I didn’t fit in here.
And the wolves that work here. They could sense fear. I had to show that I was good enough.
Quick. A few days later, the first big problem came up. Eleanor invited me into her office and slid a hefty file across the desk. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
She said, “I need you to make a presentation for the executive board.” They want a financial report on Friday. I could feel the blood leaving my face.
I didn’t have much expertise in the business world, and I definitely didn’t have much experience giving presentations to executives. I don’t know if I can. You can.
She spoke with a strong voice. And you will. I swallow hard.
This wasn’t a gift. This was a trial. I spent the next three days buried in financial reports, trying to figure out what the numbers meant. They seemed like a foreign language to me.
I hardly slept. I was running on coffee and nerves by the time Friday came. I walked into the boardroom and saw a table full of strong executives.
People of both sexes who had worked hard to build this business. As soon as I started talking, I could tell they didn’t believe me. But I kept going.
I pushed through the nerves. Through the looks. Through the uncertainty.
And when I was done. Be quiet. Then, one of the elder managers leaned back and nodded gently.
He said, “Well done.” I let out a breath. I had done well on the test.
For now. Eleanor called me into her office that night. I was ready for criticism.
A list of all the things I did wrong. Instead, she looked at me for a long time before she spoke. Why didn’t you just grab the cash? I blinked.
What? She said, “I could tell you didn’t want a handout when I gave you my card that day.” Most individuals would have grabbed the money and left. I made fists.
I don’t want to be given anything. Her lips turned into something that looked like a smile. Okay.
A break. Then she moved ahead. Do you know why I hired you? I shook my head.
Because you look like me. My heart stopped. She got up and walked to the window.
I started my business from scratch. I know what it’s like when things don’t go your way. She turned around and looked straight into my green eyes.
Do you want to show that you can do it? She said it. Then go ahead and do it. A problem.
A test. And I knew it then. This was just the start.
For the following few weeks, my life was a war zone. I was a newbie thrown into the deep end at Carter Enterprises, which was like a shark tank. People watched, thought about, and often condemned every action I took.
Eleanor didn’t treat me any differently. If anything, she was tougher on me than anyone else. “Your numbers are weak,” she stated one day, throwing my most recent report on the table.
I bit my lip. I’ll take care of it. You will get it fixed by tomorrow.
Tomorrow? That couldn’t have happened. Eleanor, on the other hand, never accepted excuses. I remained up all night going over the numbers to make sure everything was just right.
When I turned in the final report, I could barely keep my eyes open. She looked at the document, nodded once, and then gave it back. Better.
That was all. No compliments. No smile.
Simply better. But that one word meant everything. I understood that not everyone loved me, but I didn’t think they would try to hurt me.
I got into a meeting one afternoon and saw that half of the data in my presentation had been changed. My stomach dropped. Someone had planned this for me.
The executives looked at one another, their features rigid with anger. I rushed to explain the mistakes, but it was too late. Eleanor didn’t say a word the whole time, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking.
Then she pulled me into her office. You let your guard down. She said it in a stern voice.
I made my fists tight. I didn’t think. No.
She cut in. You didn’t. I turned aside, humiliated.
She just said, “Fix it.” No compassion. No second chances.
Just do it. For the next week, I worked on repairing my reputation. I worked harder than ever, staying late and going over every report again.
I found out who was trying to hurt me, followed their trail, and told the board about it. The rumors stopped when the person who was responsible was sacked. After that, no one thought less of me.
Eleanor even looked impressed. She didn’t say it out loud, but I could see that she liked it. That was enough.
Eleanor did something surprising one night. She asked me to go to a charity gala. She said, “This isn’t just a party.”
It’s work. I took a deep breath. I don’t really have a tuxedo.
She smiled. Now you do. The next day, a custom suit came to my office.
I looked at it for a long time. This was a whole new world. A world I had never been a part of.
But I was going to go inside. And I wasn’t going to lose. The gala was out of this world.
Wealth, power, and luxury. It was all out in the open. Eleanor walked through the gathering as if she owned the place.
And in a way, she did. People came up to her, wanting her to pay attention to them. But she didn’t ignore me.
She introduced me instead. Like I was important. For the first time, I wasn’t just an outsider.
I was a person. But things changed when a man with a sinister look on his face came up to Eleanor. He snarled, “You made a mistake, Carter.”
I got tense. Eleanor’s jaw got tight. I never make mistakes.
We’ll see what happens. The man left in a hurry, leaving behind an awkward stillness. I looked at Eleanor.
Who was that? She let out a slow breath. A former foe. I had a feeling this wasn’t over.
The threat came two days later. A notice from the law. A lawsuit against Carter Enterprises.
Eleanor hardly reacted. They’re attempting to make me scared. I frowned.
Is it working? She gave me a stern glance. No. But her eyes spoke a different story.
I wasn’t just seeing a fight between businesses. I was witnessing her history come back to get her. And for the first time, I understood.
Even big people have flaws. Eleanor fought back. Difficult.
She was brutal in meetings, shutting off charges and threatening to sue back. But I could see the tiredness behind closed doors. One night, I saw her in her office with her head in her hands.
I thought about it for a moment, then moved forward. Do you need help? I asked in a quiet voice. She looked up, surprised.
For a second, it looked like she was about to push me away. After that, she didn’t. Eleanor Carter let someone else carry the weight for the first time…
The litigation hit its peak. There was a lot of tension. Investors were unsure.
The media jumped on it. Then Eleanor unleashed a surprise. She showed proof of deception.
Evidence that showed the people who were trying to kill her. The case fell apart. Carter Enterprises made it through.
And what about Eleanor? She was taller than ever. But I could see it in her eyes. She had cuts and bruises from this fight.
And for some reason, I wanted to be the one to keep her safe next time. Eleanor called me into her office once the fight was ended. She remarked you did a good job.
I blinked. I didn’t do much. She smiled.
You did more than you realize. A break. Then she bent over.
Walker, what do you want? I didn’t think the question would hit me so deeply. I had longed to live for a long time. But now I wanted more.
I didn’t know what that meant yet. Everything changed in the next few months. I was no longer merely an employee.
I was Eleanor’s right-hand man. I was next to her in meetings. Went on business travels with her.
People saw. And they talked in whispers. But what about Eleanor? She never talked about it.
Until one night. After a long trip by plane. She looked at me.
She said, “You’re not the same man who came to this company.” I looked her in the eye. You aren’t either.
There was something between us. Something that can’t be denied. But we both kept quiet.
Not yet. One night, I was standing outside a building I knew well. I had missed the job interview months ago.
I thought about the youthful man I used to be. The one who had been in need. Gone.
Scared. And then I thought about who I am now. More powerful.
More wise. Respected. Because of Eleanor.
Because of that one option on the way. I never got that job. I got something better.
I acquired a new life. And as I turned away and walked into the city lights, I knew. This was only the start.
