Heartstrings on Fire

Chapter 1

Agnes Pritchard was just five minutes late, but she was summoned to the boss’s office for a one–hour lecture.

When she emerged from the CEO’s office, Agnes looked like a ghost. Her face and eyes red and swollen. Clearly, she had been crying.

Everyone in the secretarial office felt bad for her.

Agnes was a new intern assigned to the secretarial office. Her job typically involved writing drafts and sorting out files.

For some reason, the CEO always seemed to have a bone to pick with her. He could always find a reason to summon her to his office for a dressing–down. And every time Agnes came out of the office, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

Agnes finally managed to slump back into her chair.

Anita, another intern, rolled her chair over and voiced her indignation, “The CEO is so mean to you just because you look like an easy target.”

piss off the CEO? Why’s he got it in for you? The first thing he does when he returns from a business trip is chew

trip for two days, but his energy seemed to have doubled. She might have been

but there was

1

the shoulder, “Agnes, take it easy.

was a junior majoring in news management at Lakeside College; she was just here for a month–long

looking a bit

sympathized even more, “Don’t worry too much about it. We’ll figure something out for you at the department dinner tonight.”

to reality, “Department dinner? Do

she’s got some special privileges. But that’s not the point. The point is a lot of the senior

but in different departments. Rumor had it she had connections and was assigned to the Tim

told her to go straight home after work. After an afternoon of contemplation, she decided to go