Trapped By Tainted Love

Chapter 35: Just Luck 

"What did you say?"

A wide–eyed Alice snatched the examination paper from the interviewer‘s hand, looked at the marks at the top in disbelief.

"That‘s impossible.You must be mistaken! Full marks?" she muttered more to herself than the man across her.

"Miss Jenkins, these are Mr.Sullivan‘s answers.We have checked many times.These here are exactly the same with Miss Bennet‘s answers." The interviewer looked dumbfounded too, but the truth could not be denied.

Alice‘s eyes squinted in hatred.She couldn‘t help clenching the paper in her hand, wanting nothing more than to tear the damned thing in pieces.How could this be? Not one single person had managed to answer even one of these questions in the past five years.How could a stupid girl like Rachel get them all right? This was unheard of! Rachel turned to the interviewers.

"Is my interview over now?" she asked with a smirk.

The people before her were still in a daze, but Rachel‘s voice snapped them out of it.

"Yes, it‘s over," they said in unison, nodding.

"Did I pass?"

Rachel was still smiling as she looked at the interviewers with raised eyebrows.

"Well...yes, Miss Bennet.You did," one of the interviewers answered after swallowing hard.

"You need to come by tomorrow to sign the paperwork," he added.

"Great.I will see you tomorrow then,"

Rachel stood up with a smile glancing sideways at Alice.She started walking towards the door, but when she passed by Alice, she stopped and turned to look at her.

"Alice, it‘s not over between us.I will get revenge, even if it takes a long, long time."

Alice looked up ready to retort, but when she saw Rachel‘s smiling face, so in contrast with her cold, dark eyes, she seemed at a loss for words.

Under that piercing gaze, she felt a shiver run down her spine.

Trying to look braver than she felt, she finally managed a retort.

"Oh, Rachel, don’t be so smug! So what if you are now an employee of the Sullivan Group? You may get yourself in, but it is still in my power to kick you out with a snap of my fingers."

Rachel rolled her eyes and chuckled.

Alice‘s smile was wiped clean off her face, as she couldn‘t help but feel a sense of dread at her opponent‘s carefree attitude.

Rachel had changed so much that Alice didn‘t know what she may try next.

Rachel nodded to the interviewers, ignoring Alice altogether, and left the Sullivan Group‘s building.

Meanwhile, in a luxurious penthouse suite, Ivan hung up the phone and walked into the study with a serious expression on his usually expressionless face.

Seeing that look, Victor‘s forehead creased.

"What‘s the matter?"

"Mr.Sullivan, I just received the results from Miss Bennet‘s interview."

Ivan paused for a while as if he didn‘t know how to break the news.

"Rachel‘s interview?"

Victor snorted, "I am pretty sure that I know already.It must be a disaster."

Ivan looked a bit apprehensive as he started to mutter something.

"But..."

"Come on, Ivan.One might think that you are actually concerned about Rachel," Victor said, raising his eyes to look searchingly at Ivan.

"You are right, Mr.Sullivan.I crossed a line there.My apologies," Ivan answered and lowered his eyes to the floor.

Victor didn‘t look convinced, but still he went on like nothing had happened.

"Did you book my airplane ticket for tomorrow?"

"Yes, sir," Ivan replied, still looking a little chastised. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Around the same time, in the Bennet family‘s house back in Apliaria, the atmosphere was merry.

"Cheers!"

Andy cried as he stood up and clinked glasses with Abby.

Still sitting on her chair, Rachel simply raised her glass.

She didn‘t feel as excited as her company did.

Andy and Abby, already used to Rachel‘s lack of enthusiasm for almost everything, simply raised their glasses at her and kept clinking their own.

"What a pity that our toast tonight must be with just water, Miss Bennet! But since you have to go to the Sullivan Group and report for duty tomorrow, there will be no wine today.Anyway, I’d like to congratulate you! By passing that interview, you saved the Bennet Group from ruin!"

Andy paused and downed all the water in his glass.

"Oh, Miss Bennet.You did absolutely wonderfully! Bravo!" Abby said and drank up her water smiling broadly.

Rachel looked fondly at both of them.

"Thank you."

Abby stood up hastily and said, "I‘ve baked some of the bread you like so much.Let me just check if it‘s ready."

She briskly walked into the kitchen, leaving Rachel alone with Andy.

He poured himself another glass of water and looked up at Rachel.

"I have been meaning to ask you a question these days," he said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Is it about how I got the information about that mysterious project manager?"

Rachel seemed to guess what was on Andy‘s mind.

He nodded.He had be thinking about it for several days, but he didn‘t want to bother Rachel just in case it affected her upcoming interview.

So he had held his doubt secret, until that very moment.

"It is.You don‘t have to tell me, though.Not unless you want to, Miss Bennet," Andy said hastily.

"Well, I do want to,"

Rachel shot back and took a sip of water before she continued.

"I just got lucky actually.A friend of mine happens to know the manager."

"That‘s all?"

Andy was stunned by the simplicity of her answer.

She raised her eyebrows and nodded.She drummed her fingers on the table and replied matter–of– factly.

"Yes, that‘s about it.If my friend wasn‘t acquainted with the project manager, I wouldn‘t have had the chance to save the Bennet Group.You should know by now that I‘m really no good all by myself, am I right?"

"Right,"

Andy muttered in a low voice.

He suddenly realized that he had spoken out loud and he quickly shook his head, trying to patch things up.

"I meant, no, Miss Bennet.In fact, you are a very capable person.I mean, your mother was a strong woman, with a good head for business.Her daughter can‘t be that different, right? Don‘t underestimate yourself."

Rachel smiled but said nothing.

The next morning, she put on a beige business suit and left for the Sullivan Group.

Ivan and Victor were in the CEO‘s office going over that week‘s schedule, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Victor, who was busy signing his name on far too many papers, called out without even raising his head, "Come in."

The door opened, revealing the head of the HR department.The man took a look at Ivan first and then at Victor and he walked in quietly.

"Mr.Sullivan, your new secretary is here.Would you like me to send her in?" he asked in a low voice.

"New secretary?" Victor asked looking baffled.

"Why the hell would I need a new secretary?"

The HR manager looked stunned for a while.

"Didn‘t you give the order to hire a new secretary?"

"What‘s going on here, Ivan?"

Victor turned to his assistant, frowning in suspicion.

Ivan tapped on the iPad he was holding and showed Victor a photo.

It was the examination paper set by Victor himself.

But there were answers on it, densely packed and in a neat, graceful handwriting.

It seemed that the person who wrote them was confident in answering the questions that so many before them considered impossible.

Ivan handed the tablet to Victor.

"You see, sir, you came up with this set of questions five years ago and you declared quite publicly that the person that would answer them all correctly would be hired for the post of your secretary immediately."

After a small pause, Ivan added, "Yesterday...Someone answered your questions during their interview.And that person was Miss Bennet, sir."

Victor was familiar with the answers to the questions he had designed.

One glance at the paper and he would know whether she had aced the test or not.

To his surprise, all the answers were flawless! Victor‘s face darkened as anger started boiling in his belly.

He threw the tablet away and, as it crashed on the table, he barked to the HR manager, "Well, what are you waiting for? Bring her in here!"