Before I had the chance to enjoy myself, Nyra had already somehow found my location.
I sat in the company limousine directly opposite Nyra but I was looking at her, instead I was more focused on my reflection on the tinted mirrors. I look tired, unprofessional, a mess.
"How did you find me?" I break the tension between us.
"A secretary never shares their secrets," she brings her index finger vertically against her lips.
"Haha, very funny, Leona," I scoff. "Why'd you have to ruin my fun, anyways? I already told you I was fine with Blaire working under me. Why are you so worried?"
"It's not her I'm worried about."
I turn my neck to face her, a little unimpressed. "What's there to be worried about? I'm fine. I'm literally drowning in the money my husband left for me."
Nyra pursed her lips. "My point exactly. Since his death, you've been... unhinged... I mean, just look at yourself! You don't look like you anymore! You're not the noble and amazing Dr. Veinar anymore, you're the miserable widow, Mrs. Chong!"
Her words threw blows at all the right spots. I've been unhinged, irresponsible, and – as much as I don't want to admit it – miserable.
"This is why I'm worried about hiring Violette," she continues on. "She's an outsider. She may have insane tolerance, but how long do you think she'll last? Evie, the one you've known since kindergarten could never-
"EVIE WAS AFRAID!"
The atmosphere became even more tense than it was. Evie was scared. She never thought of joining me in the first place, she just didn't have a mind of her own. She died because she bit off more than she could chew.
The limousine stops in front of our office building. I've been told that our laboratory seemed more like a luxury hotel from the outside, and I have to admit, it was intentional. It was all Leighton's idea. He suggested that the atmosphere of the building shouldn't be intimidating and boring, rather welcoming and materialistic.
White walls which resemble marble were actually just white concrete. Thin laminated wooden panels were aligned on every face to resemble sound waves. In front of the turning doors were concrete steps which I had cried my eyes out on only a few months ago upon hearing the death of my husband, followed by a brick lined driveway which allowed easy pickups and dropoffs.
I follow behind Nyra up the steps, "Why are we back here?"
"To conduct the interview of course," Nyra giggles at my ignorance. "The Board of Management conducts the interviews which will be checked by me and transferred to you afterwards to have the final check."
"The interviews have already started? Wasn't it supposed to be tomorrow?"
"It is tomorrow, Dr. Veinar. Check your watch."
I halted my footsteps, took out my phone and checked the time.
01: 37 a.m.
"The first interviewee is already here?"
"We're actually interviewing the ninth candidate, Dr. Veinar. Do wash up and try to keep up. People might think an extinction-level event is coming with you looking like that."
Like someone who's acting like there's no tomorrow.
YOU ARE READING
Vein
Short StoryA story doesn't have to be long to be good. Dr. Veinar, a renowned biologist running a laboratory she and her co-founders built with their from pure ambition. She finds a special talent to take under her wing. Followed by the untimely death of her h...
