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.”

in for you? The first thing he does when he returns from a business trip is chew you out?” Agnes hadn’t quite pulled herself together yet, her mind still reeling from what had just happened in the office.

his energy seemed to have doubled. She might

but there was nothing she could do.

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it easy. The internship is almost over. Just

management at Lakeside College; she was just here for a

a bit dazed.

too much about it. We’ll figure something out for you at the department dinner

back to reality, “Department dinner? Do I

But that’s not the point. The point is a lot of the senior staff from the secretarial office will be there, we interns can’t just blow it off.”

She went to the same college as Agnes but in different departments. Rumor had it she had connections and was

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