Page 17 of The Secretary Volume II

I don’t remember why.

I justknow.

10

Lena

The first rule of Shergar is that no one tells you the rules.

Not directly, anyway.

They’ll hand you an orientation packet with motivational phrases printed in tasteful fonts.They’ll assign you an email, a login, and a desk.But they willnottell you the things that matter.

What time am I actually allowed to leave?How many mistakes before I become one?What exactly happened to my predecessor?

Andra doesn’t even look at me when she walks by my office.She just drops the words like a bomb: “Check your inbox.”

Then she’s gone.

Nogood morning.Nohow’s your second day going, Lena?Settling in okay?Justcheck your inboxand an expectation that I’ll understand exactly what the hell I’m supposed to be doing.

I open my email.

From: Andra

Subject: Onboarding - Week One

I skim it.A list of vague directives, a few attached files I don’t fully understand, and?—

A forwarded message.

From: Ellis Harrison

Subject: New Hire Review

I scroll.And stop.

He wrote this to her.

It’s a short email.Barely three sentences.It’sclinical.Professional.But something about it makes my skin crawl.

Proceed with standard integration.Should respond well to structured transition.Continues to demonstrate high adaptability.

Keep me updated.

No greeting.No sign-off.Just a quiet, surgical dissection ofme, like I’m a project being evaluated.

Should respond well.

Like a trial drug.Or a dog.

Before that one, there’s another email.

From: Ellis Harrison

To: Andra

Subject: Your new hire

---