Chapter 10 Job Loss
Joanna approached at a leisurely pace and broke the silence. “Thank you.”
Owen arched an eyebrow, caught off guard. She was being oddly polite today.
He scrutinized Joanna’s face. “You don’t look very sincere.”
Joanna didn’t mean it. Sure, Owen had come through for her in the end, but she still blamed him. If he hadn’t pushed Coen
so hard, she wouldn’t have been on the verge of expulsion.
She forced a stiff grin. “Why would I lie? You kept me out of trouble. I ‘really appreciate it.”
Her acting was terrible.
Owen had no interest in arguing. He got straight to the point. “Why did you hit that girl?”
Joanna picked her words with care. “She said some things that were out of line.”
Owen’s eyes were sharp. “You’re with Rhys now. You shouldn’t waste time on people who no longer matter. Do you get
what I’m saying?”
Joanna froze for a split second before catching on.
Owen clearly thought she had lashed out at Norene because she was still clinging to Mathew. This was his way of telling
her to move on–and to keep his son happy.
“Yes, I understand.” Joanna’s obedient tone was convincing.
Owen studied her for a moment, then gave a slight nod. “Alright. You can go.”
He pulled the car door shut and drove off, vanishing from Joanna’s view within moments.
A strange mix of emotions settled in her chest. Owen’s devotion to Rhys ran so deep that as long as Rhys held onto her,
she would never be free of the Harvey family.
That meant one thing–she needed to start saving. Running away wouldn’t be cheap.
Later that afternoon, she submitted the paperwork HR had requested to finalize her employment.
But instead of a confirmation, her phone rang. It was a call from HR.
“Miss Powell, I’m very sorry,” the HR representative said, sounding regretful. “Due to an unexpected change in company
operations, the position we offered you has been withdrawn.”
Joanna couldn’t believe it. She was frozen for a few seconds, her anger barely under control. “We already signed a contract.
Pulling the position now is a breach of agreement.”
“We understand, and we’re truly sorry. To make up for it, we’ll give you three thousand dollars, as the contract states.”
Since they were offering compensation without her asking, Joanna realized there wasn’t much she could do.
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Chapter 10 Job Loss
“Fine,” she responded with a chill. “I just hope your company does a better job coordinating next time, so no one else’s time gets wasted.”
Once the call ended, HR quickly transferred the payment and blocked her number.
Joanna tried to stay positive–earning three thousand dollars for nothing wasn’t a complete waste.
In the afternoon, she went to more interviews.
The morning had been a success, but the companies she visited in the afternoon all told her to wait.
Two days passed, and not a single call came in.
With the job fair nearing its end, Joanna’s nerves started to get the best of her.
On the final day, she handed in her resume once more. But once again, the recruiters told her to wait for further notice.
She thanked them, pretended to walk away, and then ducked behind a corner.
Once they were sure she was gone, the HR staff tossed her resume straight into the trash.
Joanna felt like her heart had dropped to her stomach.
She knew she was qualified; there was no way she couldn’t at least make it past the first round.
The only explanation was that someone was out to get her.
Then, Norene came over with a grin.
Her face was almost fully healed, and she asked brightly, “Joanna, the job fair’s about to end. Have you found a job yet?”
Joanna tightened her grip on her resume, shooting Norene a cold glare. “You must already know whether I’ve found a job
or not, don’t you?”
Norene slapped her forehead in exaggerated surprise. “Oh, right! How could I forget? A few days ago, Dad had a meeting with some company big shots and brought me along. I accidentally let it slip about your… behavior! You know, how you flirt with men and slap me around. The bosses were pretty stunned when they heard that. Too bad you missed seeing their
reactions…”
In a split second, a rush of anger took over Joanna.
She grabbed Norene by the collar, her eyes burning with rage. “Norene! How can you be so cruel?”
Norene smirked. “Not as cruel as when you slapped me. Just so you know, this time I only let a few people see who you really are! If you ever cross me again, I’ll make sure everyone in Oakvale knows you’re just a shameless flirt who throws
herself at men!”
Joanna was so furious, she almost lost control and raised her hand to strike Norene. But before she could, a firm hand grabbed her wrist!
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