1 Work Stress

As the sun's rays crept into the room, Calantha’s eyes fluttered open. “I’m late?” She groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes, and yawned. The horns of street cars and the chatter of pedestrians outside her window told her it was morning. She sprang out of bed, her heart racing with excitement. “Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been accepted.” She reached out for her phone and scrolled through her email, hoping to see an email from the company she had an interview with. “It was just a dream. Again.” Calantha sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. She didn’t need to be reminded what was next; she prepared for work. She showered, dressed, and grabbed her bag. Calantha hailed a taxi outside and slid into the back seat. "Morning, beautiful," the driver said, eyeing her in the rearview mirror. Her walnut hair cascaded down her back like a rich, dark waterfall, framing her heart-shaped face and piercing green eyes that seemed to gleam with mischief. Her bold, red lips curved into a perpetual smile. "Hey," Calantha replied, still a bit sleepy. "Can you take me to the offices of WhiteOrca?" The driver nodded and hit the gas. Calantha gazed out the window, her mind already at work. “Another day, another dollar.” But her thoughts kept drifting back to her not having a love life. Maybe things would be better if she had a lover. As the taxi pulled up to the WhiteOrca building, Calantha paid the driver and stepped out into the busy streets. She took a deep breath and headed into the office, ready to face another day. Inside, the building was just as impressive as the outside, with polished marble floors and a soaring atrium that let in a flood of natural light. Calantha stared at her wristwatch as she always did whenever she arrived at a place. The first thing she noticed was the big hallway that led to the reception desk, multiple transparent elevators, and a grand staircase that was stationed in opposite corners of the building. Calantha greeted the receptionists before walking up to the nearby elevator. She pressed the elevator button, getting ready to be picked on by his supervisors. The elevator doors slid open, and Calantha went into her work section, which was on the top floor. She was just a trainee, and because of this, those higher than her made her do their work or fetch coffee. “You’re too tender; you need more road-walks. Why don’t you… fetch me some coffee!” Suddenly, one of Calantha’s Supervisors stormed out of her office, her face red with anger. “Calantha, get me a dozen doughnuts and two coffees from that new shop down the street! Now!” She barked, not even looking at Calantha. It was a normal thing when those higher than her ordered her around; she’d find those in a lower position to pick on. Calantha felt a surge of frustration but bit her tongue. She needed this job, no matter how demeaning it got. “Yes, ma,” she muttered, grabbing her card and heading out the door. As she rushed down the hallway, she heard the sound of papers shuffling and chairs scraping behind her. Calantha turned to see some coworkers messing up the conference room, papers scattered everywhere. “Hey, Calantha, can you clean this up too?” One of them called out, not even looking up from his phone. He must be texting a lady the way he smiled and moved his fingers on the screen. Calantha gritted her teeth, feeling like she was their personal servant. “Sure,” she said through clenched teeth, adding it to her never-ending list of tasks. As Calantha sprinted down the street, she couldn't help but feel like the universe was playing a cruel joke on her. From being a trainee to being treated like a personal errand runner, it seemed like her dignity was constantly being tested. The sweat dripped down her face, and she burst through the coffee shop door, out of breath. “A dozen doughnuts and two large coffees, please!” Calantha exclaimed, her eyes scanning the busy shop. The barista, in her twenties, with a warm smile, raised an eyebrow. “A lot of coffee and doughnuts, huh? Office party or something?” she asked, her tone friendly. Calantha forced a laugh, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. “Something like that.” She hesitated, her pride smarting. “Actually, it's for my bosses. They're...ah...really particular about their coffee.” The barista nodded sympathetically. “Well, I hope they appreciate it.” She rang up the order and handed her the total. $12.50. Calantha winced, handing over her hard-earned cash. Soon, the order was ready, and she rushed to the counter to grab it. On her way out, she noticed someone staring at his screen in frustration. Calantha quickly recognized the code on the screen; all that was needed was to decrypt the encrypted data with a key. In her years of job-seeking, she learned many things, one of which was programming. “the inverse of the Euler's totient function applied to the prime factors of 527! You need to decrypt the hash using the modulo inverse of 347!" "Wow, thanks!" The man exclaimed, his fingers flying across the keyboard to implement the fix. Calantha couldn’t look at his face properly because she was thinking about what would happen to her to keep her bosses waiting. She ran with the coffee and doughnut, finally stopping to catch her breath. Just as Calantha was about to relax, something bumped her onto the curb. She landed on her rear end with a thud, her dignity bruised once more. The coffee spilled, and she groaned in frustration. "No! No-no-no!" As Calantha turned to face the culprit, her anger turned to disbelief. A sleek limousine had reversed into her! She leaped up, pounding on the tinted window. "Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can hit people! Show your f-" The glass slid down, and her anger melted into a puddle of swoon. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that," he said with a disarming smile. "I'm so sorry... for my eyes, which can't stop staring at you." Calantha rolled her eyes, but her heart skipped a beat. This was not her day, but maybe, just maybe, her luck was about to change. A man with a chiseled face, piercing whiskey eyes, and a strong jawline that seemed carved by the gods. His dark blonde hair was perfectly messy, framing his features like a work of art. Full pink lips curled into a radiant smile, revealing a hint of dimples. "Hello? Are you all right?" Freiherr asked, his voice filled with concern. Calantha felt a lump form in her throat. Her boss! "S-Sir, I'm so sorry, Sir!" She bent her head in apology, her mind racing. What was he doing here? If he discovered she was a worker at his company, she'd be fired on the spot. The CEO's expression changed from surprise to curiosity. Did she know who he was? Was she one of his employees? He had never seen her before. "Uh, have you... seen her at the office?" He turned to his chauffeur, who seemed equally perplexed. "My clothes are covered in doughnut glaze, and now my skirt is dusty. I was supposed to deliver this in a few minutes!" "Okay, let's calm down. Get in; I'll make sure you get the order on time." She flashed him a skeptical look. "You might be my boss, but you shouldn’t be flirting with me while I'm standing here in ruins?" He held up his hands, a calming gesture. "No, no, I'm just trying to help. Please, get in. We'll figure it out." What was up with her constant change of attitude? She hesitated, her anger slowly giving way to desperation. Calantha glanced at her watch, then back at the limo. It was an insanely hot ride. "Woah, how many years of work do I need to afford this car? It's so expensive!" He smirked, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It’s a family heirloom. Get in!” Calantha stood there, her mind racing with doubts and questions. Could she really trust this stranger? Was she desperate enough to take a chance?