ESTHER

Chapter twenty

Mr Haman looked up, and smiled at me.

   "Good morning, Miss Esther! Come, Come. We were just getting started on the discussion". If the way he was talking to me was making me uncomfortable, I didn't pay attention to him but was busy paying attention to the two I had thought were my friends. The two of them looked fine. They were both in expensive dark coats, underneath an expensive black suit. As I did not want to give them the satisfaction of noticing them too much, I turned and looked at my boss and Mr Haman.

  "Mr Haman here would be in charge of the administrative duties." Jack Rhodes said with all the enthusiasm of him talking about the weather. My mind was still trying to process what he was saying when one of the twins -Gary- explained, not that it was needed.

    "He is second to Jack Rhodes in this company." I quickly turned my head to look at my boss - I couldn't afford to look anywhere else - for confirmation. He was just seated there, a look of bored annoyance on his face. I was wondering what had happened in the space of the few hours arriving to this moment. From my past experience with his relationship with his uncle, he should have been upstanding, shouting his lungs at his uncle. But he was just seated calmly, like he didn't really care.

   "So you report to me now." Mr Haman said. Before I could find my response, Jack Rhodes said -

   "No. She answers only to me." He looked at his uncle as if willing him to go against his wishes. Taking the cue, the uncle raised both his hands in mock surrender.

   "But of course."  After a while, he stood up.

   "Well, I'm going to check out my new office. See you later." He walked out proudly, with the twins behind him. When it seemed as if Kinsley wanted to talk with me, I quickly faced my boss, waiting for the trio to pass before I could resume my job.

As the door shit behind them, I looked at him expecting me to give me some kind of - something.  Apparently, as he looked at me and raised his brows, he didn't understand my need for the questioning look.

   "What?" He said, shrugging. "He is actually good at his job."

Days and weeks passed, and working with Jack Rhodes could be said the be fulfilling. But the same couldn't be said to the other employees who were under the tutelage of his Uncle, Mr Haman. Words had spread about his tyranny, how he had made the work place uncomfortable for most, especially those who were not of white decent. To be simply said, he was racist. And what kept baffling me was the fact that Jack Rhodes didn't know, or care to do anything about it.

Another thing that was never talked about was what happened between me and Jack Rhodes. There have been times I was tempted to talk about it, but I didn't want to come across as clingy, or as someone seeking to pursue a relationship with him. I had hoped he will bring it up, but it was as if he had forgotten about it, or what he just didn't care. That was my bad. So much for building a fantasy in my head.

I didn't expect much really. But as that was the first close encounter I had with a male of his caliber after a very long time of being single, one can't blame me for cooking up weird stuff in my head. I, who usually detest dressing up, went the extra mile for him to notice me, but all that proved nothing.

As expected, I grew tired of it, and forced my self to continue to work as the first day I had been hired. He had silently put me in my place. I learnt from it.

During my lunch hours, I sat in the cafeteria, on the only empty seat available. That was the seat I had always shared with Duke and kingsley before I found out about their plan. They where the only good friends I had. And apart from their suicidal attempt at trying to bring down Jack Rhodes, they were pretty cool to be with.

The cafeteria was empty, with just a few standing at order area, most asking for a cup of coffee.  Thinking about it I realized that I was possibly the only person in the whole company who ate well. Ever since Mr. Haman began his 'rule', most people seldom had time to eat. Not that he took away their lunch break no, he gave them so much work with a tight deadline that they couldn't afford to spent their time doing anything but working. It was times like these that make me both happy and guilty, because I work personally for Jack Rhodes.

I had saved enough money to travel back to my him land. There are still insurgencies that take place there, but it was not as bad as the times with my parents.  I looked forward to when the holidays where over so I and my uncle could travel.

Done with my lunch, I stood up and returned my tray. As I started to leave the cafeteria for my office, I saw a familiar face.

"Esther. It's really been long! And you haven't come to welcome us back." Duke, alongside his brother Kingsley, strolled easily into the cafeteria. Upon seeing them whoever remained in the cafeteria scurried back to their office.  I frown when I noticed that. Guess it wasn't only Mr Haman who had input fear into everybody.

"What do you want?" I asked straight to the point. I didn't want to be seen conversing with them. As much as I would like to admit that they hurt me - when I realized their reason for befriending me was to use me against Jack Rhodes - I wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"Oh come on. Why are you talking like that?" Duke said.

"What do you want?" I asked again.

"We just wanted to see you. And find out why you betrayed us." He replied.

"Betrayed you?!" I asked, incredulous.

"Don't act stupid, Esther. Do you think Jack Rhodes found out about our plan out of the blue?" Kingsley finally talked.  I remained silent for a while, trying to put reins on the emotions I was feeling.

"So it was true. You were just using me." I said, feeling my power drain out. It was one thing suspecting it, and another thing hearing it from the mouth of the people who caused it.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Esther. You are nice and all, but we have ambitions." Duke said after a while.