It was early Monday morning when Michael came to work and didn't see Mary, so he asked the people at work if they had seen Mary anywhere and why she didn't come to work. But they all said no, they didn't know why she didn't come to work. He went to his office angrily, scattering everything on his table. His phone rang, and he picked it up. "Hi, Michael, I know you won't remember; I am the NRS who gave you her number at the hospital," she said. "Oh, oh, NRS Nkem, nice to meet you. I'm so sorry that I couldn't call you then; I was so busy. So how are you doing?" Michael replied to her. Michael couldn't concentrate on his work because Mary didn't show up at work. Michael picked up his phone and began to call Mary's mom. "Hello, ma. Please, why is your daughter not at work? Does she want me to sack her or stop sponsoring her education?" he said. "No, no, no, please don't say that. I am very sorry for anything that has happened, but I promise you she won't hesitate to come to work tomorrow," she replied. "Better for her; in fact, I need her at my office right now, and I don't want to hear any other story from both of you," Michael said. Mary's mother replied, "Okay, sir." It was around 11 when Mary arrived at the company and was asking her colleagues what happened when she heard that the CEO was seriously looking for her. "Hmm, you really need to see the movie that played here when you weren't around. In fact, if you see how the CEO was very mad at everybody at work just because you didn't come to work," one of her friends said. "Really, I didn't want to come to work today because I really needed to have some rest, but my mom had to force me all because of the CEO. And besides, I don't even have lectures today in school," she said with a tired face.
"Mary, Mary!" CEO Michael shouted her name as he was heading down the stairs. "Sir, please, I am very sorry. I came late because I wasn't feeling too well, and I wanted to take a break and rest at home since we don't have lectures," she said, looking down. "Oh, really? So you prioritize your life over your job? Do you know there are a lot of people looking for this kind of opportunity, but you are here lavishing and misusing the one you have? Do you want to lose your job or stop going to school?" he said, his face trembling and looking very serious, as if he could kill. "Sir, please don't ever talk to me in that manner again. Me keeping quiet doesn't mean I am a fool," she said angrily, with tears rolling down her cheeks. Michael slapped her, saying, "Never talk to me in that manner again. Don't you know I'm your boss?" "I don't care. I don't even know who you think you are. If you want to fire me, then do it because I'm tired and fed up with you," she replied. "Hey, Mary, please don't say that. He's your boss, okay?" said her best friend, Mirabel. "You see, she's now challenging me, her boss; in fact, you are fired!" Michael said, his voice trembling in fear because he didn't want to lose her. "Sir, please, I am very sorry. I promise you it won't happen again," she said, tears running down her cheeks. "Meet me in my office right now," he ordered, and she obeyed. In the office, Michael asked her to kneel down and use her tongue to clean his pair of shoes. She cried her eyes out but still cleaned the shoes with her tongue; she really cursed Michael in her mind. "Hmm, are you sure our boss doesn't like Mary? Because, hmm, what am I seeing?" said one of her friends. The second person then replied, "Maybe, because the way I see it is like he likes her, but I don't think so either; because if someone loves you, he will treat you well, not badly." "What kind of stupid like or love is that? Well, I trust myself; I can't even love that kind of man who treats me like trash." "See this one wey never love before, who wants to love you? Can't you see how old you look? Do you think a man in his right senses would approach you?" said the first person. They all laughed together. Mirabel came in and asked them to shut their mouths and focus on the work that brought them here. "Get yourself out from my office and go burn all the useless fabrics from the stores," Michael said. "Mary ran downstairs to the store and searched but couldn't find any fabric there, so she went back to his office to inform him that there were no leftover fabrics. Michael gave her another hot slap, knowing fully well that there were no fabrics left in there; rather, he just wanted to frustrate her. "Are you mad? I can see that you are a fool and blind from a poor background because tell me why I would send you on an errand and you would tell me it is not there. So tell me, what's your poverty-stricken family like? And mind you, you don't have the right to tell me what to do or not because I am the one sponsoring your education and your entire family because of your poverty-stricken parents that couldn't send you to school," Michael said angrily with his face frowned under the echoes of his voice. "Sir, please, I'm very sorry. I promise I won't do it again," she said with tears rolling down her cheeks. It was already 3 PM when they usually closed from work and went home, but Michael didn't allow her to go. Rather, he offered to take her home with his car, but she refused, saying she wanted to go with her friends. "Please get inside the car; I am really sorry for everything I did to you, and I promise it won't repeat itself again." "Mary, I mean it, I love you," he said. Mary laughed so hard and said, "Unbelievable! Sir, will you drive me home or not?" "Sorry about that. Please, get inside the car," he said.