Page 1 of Cruel Fate

CHAPTER ONE

Stella

“What’s she going to do next? Follow the janitor around and scrub toilets? Why can’t she go shopping and leave the real work to us?”

I frown at my cubbymate, Connie, who’s peering over the grey divider, her upper lip curled in disgust.

Zarah Maddox, daughter of the late founder of Maddox Industries, is standing in the doorway of the payroll department gazing over the sea of people who are too intimidated to make eye contact with her.

She’s beautiful, her black hair shining under the shitty lights. Even her complexion doesn’t take a beating.

Not like mine does. Under the fluorescent bulbs, I look like I have the plague. I can’t afford the kind of makeup Zarah can, or the weekly facials. Zarah’s lifestyle is, unfortunately, out of my grasp, and I’ve known that for a long time.

“Give her a break,” I say, nudging Connie’s pasty arm. “She won’t bother us all the way over here.”

The words have barely left my mouth when an internal chat message brightens my monitor.Stella, can you come to my office?

Crap.

“Simon wants to see me.”

Connie smirks, unhappy grooves digging into her face, her foundation flaking. “Not going to bother us, huh?”

Sighing, I save my work and push away from my computer. I weave around the cubbies dotting the floor and enter Simon’s small office. Zarah Maddox is elegantly sitting in a seat in front of his desk, her slim legs crossed. She seems older than our twenty years. I know a little about her from the rag mags I flip through waiting in line at the grocery store. We share the same birthday, November twenty-fifth, even the same year, but she possesses an air of maturity I don’t.

Money can buy everything, I guess.

“There you are, Stella. I’d like you to meet Zarah Maddox. She’s been trying her hand at the different departments in the company, and this is her last stop,” Simon explains, beckoning me to step farther into the office.

It figures payroll is her last stop.

Last resort.

Payroll is located in the basement of Maddox Industries, though everyone prefers the classier term “garden level.” Zarah’s already shadowed someone on the other twenty-five floors, and payroll is her last stop, indeed. Unless Connie is correct after all, and she shadows old Elmer who cleans the john, a cigarette hanging from between his lips.

I reach my hand out, and Zarah grips it, peering at me with interest. Not that I’m very interesting. I’m as short as she is, and we’re the same build, though my boobs are bigger. This morning I pinned my hair into a bun, and studs that aren’t diamonds shine in my ears.

Her suit looks brand new.

Mine was, too, ten years ago. I bought it at a Goodwill a couple of weeks back, liking the cut of the skirt and the fact the jacket didn’t have any stains. Trying to dress professionally on a nonexistent budget sucks and is nearly impossible.

“Nice to meet you,” I say, knowing where this is going. Zarah will be shadowing me.

The last thing I need is to lose this job. The pay is horrible, but there is so much room to grow. I’ve worked here for only six months, but Simon’s already giving me an increased workload, and discreet, but important, accolades in my personnel file. At first I thought he wanted to get up my skirt, but it turns out he’s happily married and only wants me to feel valued, which I do. My first week on the job, he said I caught a major SNAFU, and ever since then, Simon has had my back.

No doubt he thinks asking me to keep Zarah company is a big compliment.

I call it a pain in the ass.

“And you,” Zarah says, years of inbreeding, I mean,breeding, lacing her words.

“Stella will be more than happy to show you around and explain what she does as an entry-level payroll clerk.” Simon volunteers my time like I don’t have an inbox full of projects to complete before the weekend.

“That will be great,” Zarah says, sounding like she means it.

I hold in a sigh, and as I leave Simon’s office trailing behind Zarah, I glower at him over my shoulder. He winks in return. He truly thinks he’s doing me a favor.

Outside Simon’s office, Zarah waits for me. She doesn’t know where anything is, but why would she? She’s never been down here before and after she sees how dull payroll is, she won’t be back.

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