CHAPTER 58: PERSONAL SECRETARY

When Raphael got engaged and then married, he would probably leave me alone, and then peace would settle within our family. I wouldn’t have to worry about keeping our secret from my mother and Bennett anymore. Even though this news was supposed to be for the better, I couldn’t stop the bitter and uncomfortable feeling that came over me at the thought of Raphael getting engaged.

Bennett continued talking about the arrangement that he had made with Rossabella’s father and how he pictured their upcoming meeting and also the engagement ceremony. It was clear that Bennett was ready to make a big thing out of his only son’s engagement and marriage, and I guess that only made sense. My mother laughed along, and I could tell that she was looking forward to another celebration that would add another member to our family. All the while, I felt so out of place, and I couldn’t wait to remove myself both mentally and physically from the conversation. When I finally found it in me to look his way, I found Raphael staring at me menacingly as if I had done something wrong.

"I’m very sorry, but I’m a little bit busy, so I’d like to excuse myself for tonight. Welcome back home. I’m glad that you enjoyed your trip," I said while making sure to maintain my pleasant smile.

"Oh, what are you busy with? Does it have to do with job hunting? Have you found a job that you’re interested in already?" my mother asked with keen interest.

Although I appreciated that she cared about me, what she was doing went against my plan because it seemed like she was starting another conversation that would tie me to the dining table.

"That’s right, you’re looking for a job. How is that going?" Bennett asked.

"I’ve suggested a couple of options for her already at our company. In fact, there is a recent opening that I think would suit her perfectly," Raphael replied even before I could say anything.

"Is that so? What role is that?" Bennett asked as my mother also turned her attention towards Raphael.

I remembered clearly that Raphael said that there were a couple of options that I should look through, but I didn’t recall him telling me of a specific opening that he wanted me to take over. I stared at him, and our eyes met as I wondered what exactly he was planning to tell our parents.

"I took her for a little tour around our office as well. There were a couple of roles I had in my mind, but I couldn’t help thinking that this one is perfect. After all, it would put her in a position to work closely with upper management and also expose her to our key business partners. On top of that, she’ll be close to the high-level strategy of the company where she can see how everything works," Raphael said, and I thought that he sounded so proud of himself and his proposal.

"Really? That sounds amazing," my mother said without hiding her excitement. "What role is that? It sounds great, and I can’t wait to have Abigail join our company," she beamed a smile my way.

It felt like whatever position he was going to offer, I couldn’t turn it down if I wanted to continue pleasing our parents. The look in their eyes both looked so hopeful, as if this wasn’t just about my career but also about them making sure that I establish my place both within the family and also the company.

"I thought that she would be a perfect fit to work as my personal secretary," Raphael said before showing our parents a sweet smile. It felt like he was a child begging for loving attention from our parents with the smile he had on his face, and I doubted that the two of them could turn him down even if there were good reasons to.

"Your personal secretary? But I thought that you never really liked anyone working in that position," Bennett said with clear surprise.

"I guess you’re right about that. None of them seem to last long in that position, but I feel that Abigail would do very well if she’s willing to give it a try," Raphael replied smoothly before passing the ball into my court.

Our parents’ attention turned to me as they waited for my response, and I felt like I was put right on the spot to provide the answer that they wanted.

"I’m not so sure. You see, I’m also exploring other companies," I said before trailing off.

"I guess that is understandable. This is an important decision, so I’m not going to blame you for taking your time to explore your options," Bennett replied with a nod of his head, and I felt thankful for how reasonable he was.

"I guess it won’t hurt for you to think about it, or is there also an option for trying it out? Wouldn’t that be great?" my mother asked before turning her attention to me.

"Of course, that is exactly what I had in mind. I think in order for Abigail to figure out what kind of job she wants, it won’t hurt for her to give it a try. Also, things are getting very busy at work right now, and I could really use her help," Raphael replied once again before I could say anything. He turned towards me and flashed me an angelic smile that I felt was a warning in disguise.

...

Perhaps it was my fault for not being able to come up with a great excuse to avoid trying out the role of Raphael’s secretary that I ended up going to the office to work with Raphael

“What have you done?” I complained darkly as I sat next to him in the car.

"Done what?" Raphael asked innocently before he flashed me a charming smile.

"You shouldn’t have suggested that I work as your secretary. Also, why didn’t you tell me this before? What do you have to bring this up in front of her parents?" I asked before rolling my eyes upwards to express my irritation.

–To be continued...