Chapter 4 STRESS OR JEALOUSY

"Here, take this," William said, handing Hazel a bottle of water. Anyone could tell she was still struggling to pull herself together. "Are you not well?" William asked, genuinely concerned.

Hazel was silent for a moment. She had always been articulate with words but suddenly couldn't remember any. She gulped the water like she had only seconds to finish the bottle. "If you don't feel good, I can talk to Harold for you while you go home and rest." She choked on the water at the mention of Harold's name again.

'What? Does he think that rude man will even want to listen? Except for growing up teaching him to be polite, he's always acted like an elder brother to the devil. I'll just check elsewhere,' she grumbled inwardly.

"Thank you for your concern, William, but I don't think I can work here," she finally uttered, picking up her bag from the seat and standing up to leave.

"Did something happen?" he asked, trying to understand her sudden actions and mood swings. 'She looked really happy and energetic earlier,' he thought.

"Well, I just..." Before Hazel could finish, a voice interrupted. "Good morning, everyone. If you're here for the interview, kindly come with me."

"That's Emily, Harold's P.A.," William informed her. "You still haven't told me why you've decided not to work here before you even started," he added.

Hearing this, Hazel reconsidered her decision. 'What was I thinking about dropping this job? So, what if Harold is stubborn and rude? I'm a perfect match – I'll put him in his place even if he is the boss.' Hazel never ran from challenges; she faced them head-on. 'I can do this,' she assured herself.

"I'll do it," she replied, hastily following the P.A.

"I can't even understand her anymore," William muttered almost silently. 'There's still so much work waiting for me. I'll ask her how everything went later,' he thought, heading to his office.

As Hazel approached the interview room with the other interviewees and Emily, she couldn't help but stare at the P.A. Lost in thought, she fumed: 'I bet he has a reason for working directly with such a pretty girl. With how stunning she looks, Harold won't let her be. It's either they're already a couple, or he just hasn't made his intentions known to her yet. Wait, why do I even care? I'm never the type to get this way over people's looks.'

Hazel's thoughts were interrupted by Emily's announcement: "Mr. Johnson, you may come in now. Miss Hazel, get ready – you're next." Hazel snapped out of her thoughts, feeling tense again. She managed to calm herself down quickly this time by reminding herself who she was.

"Miss Hazel, please come in now," Emily instructed.