Page 41 of Vows In Corruption

Scholarship? I try to remember Charlie telling me that she applied to one but nothing comes to mind. We did talk about applying to them when she first got accepted to Saint Christopher, but since I got my job, we didn’t need to yet.

Did she apply to one without telling me? But why?

My response comes out a bit confused. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware that she had applied to a scholarship.”

“Yes, it looks like was one from the Lane Foundation.”

No way I heard her correctly.

“Did you say Lane Foundation?”

My question starts to get overfilled with questions.

“Yes. The foundation offers scholarships to some of students every school year and it looks like Charlotte was on of the lucky recipients.”

I truly want to believe that my sister was indeed lucky in getting this scholarship, but given who by boss is, I can’t. I highly doubt this is part of my employment benefits.

I’m trying really hard not to freak out, but it’s becoming hard. In order to keep myself calm, I try to get as much information as I can.

As the words come out of my mouth, I feel as if ants are crawling all over me. “Would you be able to tell me what the balance would be for next year so I can prepare?”

The lady sounds confused as to why I would even ask a question like that. “There isn’t a balance for next year.”

“I’m sorry?”

“The scholarship not only covered this years tuition but also the next two years as well. Actually not only tuition but room and board as well.”

I don’t know whether to scream out or cry at what she is telling me. Everything is covered, but at what cost to me. I’m already in debt and owe one person when it comes to Charlie, with this, I’m going to drown and never come up for air.

You’re jumping to conclusions. It’s possible Bennett had nothing to do with this.

It’s hard not to jump into conclusions.

I hear the lady on the other Lind shuffling around paperwork, telling me that I’ve probably taken up too much of her time and that she has other things to do.

I let out a sigh and place a smile on my face even though she can’t see it. “Thank you so much for your time. I greatly appreciate you helping me with all of this.”

With that, the call ends and for a few minutes after I put the phone back on its base, I stare into space trying to digest the last few minutes.

Charlie not only got a scholarship, but one that pays for everything until she graduates. Everything is covered, I don’t have to worry about her loosing her spot because I can’t make payments in time. I’m excited but at the same time pissed off at the possibility of her only getting that scholarship because of who I work for.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

It hard not to.

As soon as Bennett gets in, I’m going to ask him about it because this isn’t something to just avoid.

For the next thirty minutes or so, I concentrate on other things. Making sure the coffee machine is running, updating Bennett’s schedule, clean up the notes I took at a meeting he had on Friday, and scheduling a meeting with a Japanese car company that he apparently has been working with since his early twenties.

Every day I learn something new about Mr. Lane and yet he still seems like the biggest mystery in the world.

My morning tasks are enough to distract me and not think about anything but work. All that goes away though the second I hear the elevator ding and footsteps approaching the corner office. I don’t have to look up to know that it’s Bennett.

In the short amount of time that I have worked here, I’ve become somewhat attuned to the sounds that Bennett makes, the way his feet hit the floor when he walks is very much one of them. I noticed that when he wears certain shoes, his steps are more pronounced, like today, which tells me that he is wearing a pair of red bottoms.

Before this job, I’ve never seen a pair of the expensive shoes outside of a screen, and now I see them almost every single day.

When I look up from what I’m doing, I’m met with a sight I don’t think I would ever get tired of seeing. Bennett Lane in a suit that is made to fit him perfectly. My mouth waters a bit at the sight of him in a three piece suit and I have to reprimand myself for it. The man that is approaching is still very much my boss, no matter where he is on the hotness scale.

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