The first time she received a job offer after her acting career ended, Ellen felt like she was in a dream. She even pinched her cheeks from the moment she woke up, hoping it wasn't all a dream. She desperately wanted to work as a narrative designer at her dream company, the company that created her favorite online game. She had always wondered who the game's creator was, but now she finally got to meet him in person.
Now she stood in front of the abstract studio building, dressed in a white work suit. As she walked into the building, which had a fairly spacious interior, everyone around her stared at her with cold stares. Ellen swallowed nervously, even though she was trying to act confident. Even though the scandal was just a hoax, why did everyone believe it so easily?
Eventually, she entered a meeting room on the top floor of the building to take the written test and interview. She sat alone in the room, gazing around the elite meeting room, like something out of a romantic drama about the love story between an architect and the employee. She began to wonder who the founder of this company was? Was it a woman or a man? Was she or he old or young? She simply wanted to meet the game's creator to thank him for successfully comforting her anxious heart.
After waiting for several minutes, a young man entered the meeting room with two women. Ellen immediately stood up straight and greeted the CEO's assistant with a warm smile, as did the two women. Although the CEO still didn't want to show himself, meeting the CEO's assistant in person was already an honor for her.
"Welcome, Ellen. I'm Alfonso Darrel, personal assistant to the former Fantasia Star Studio." Alfonso shook hands with the former actress enthusiastically, truly honoring her to meet his favorite actress in person.
"It's an honor to meet you, Alfonso. Thank you for emailing me last night," Ellen replied.
"The two women next to me are Clara and Lisa. Clara is the head of the Human Resources Department, while Lisa is her assistant."
Ellen immediately bowed her head respectfully to the two women. "I'm Ellen, nice to meet you."
Alfonso held out his right hand. "Shall we sit down first?"
Ellen sat across from Alfonso and the two women in the rather chilly meeting room. Alfonso briefly turned up the air conditioning to keep the former actress cool. His heart was filled with joy, as his wish had finally come true thanks to the CEO's enthusiasm for hiring the former actress to work for the company. He already knew how the CEO felt about the actress, who had been hanging out with her for so long, to the point where it seemed as if they were truly in love. However, for now, he had to fulfill his role according to the CEO's previous instructions.
Meanwhile, Ellen was still curious about why this company suddenly wanted to hire her, even though she was already in trouble. Was it really okay for her to work at this company?
"Can I ask you a question, Alfonso?" she hissed.
"Of course you can."
"Do you guys really mind hiring me as a game narrative designer while I'm in the middle of a scandal?"
Alfonso laughed so hard his face turned red. "Of course we don't mind. In fact, our CEO was interested in hiring you from the start. Even though the hot scandal about you is still circulating online, he doesn't mind."
Ellen's eyes widened. "Really?"
One of the women, Clara, the head of the human resources department, smiled warmly at her. "Actually, we're currently hiring specifically for this team. You'll have to take various tests first so we can assess your abilities. You can submit your resume to me first."
Ellen slid a folder containing her CV and other supporting documents, such as a portfolio, over to Clara. Clara then took out the CV and portfolio and placed them on the table.
"It's really unfortunate that you're involved in a scandal. Honestly, I still find it hard to believe. Especially considering your extensive experience in the entertainment industry," Clara hissed, reading the former actress's CV.
"Do you really believe that I am a good person?"
Alfonso's smile widened. "Of course. I've been a fan of yours for a long time. Even when the news of the scandal suddenly broke, I felt like you were being slandered. Even our CEO felt the same way."
"So you still want to recruit me without thinking twice?"
Clara and her coworker Lisa nodded.
Alfonso snapped his fingers. "Of course. But we still want to test you like any other employee. I want all employees to be treated the same."
"It's okay. In fact, I want the company to treat me like any other employee. I don't want special treatment."
Lisa read the questions displayed on the laptop screen. "Okay, then we'll begin the test now." After a moment, she took out a pen and opened the leather folder containing the candidate assessment forms. "What exactly made you interested in becoming a narrative designer at Fantasia Star Studio? After all, you have previous work experience as an actress."
Ellen smiled shyly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Because I want to be the creator of the game 'Era of the Jade Dawn.' That game actually saved my life. If I hadn't played that game, I wouldn't have met the person who saved my life."
Alfonso listened to the former actress's enthusiastic response. He kept asking the CEO indirectly, "Is the CEO monitoring them right now?" If the CEO were conducting the interview in person, his excitement would undoubtedly be even greater.
Lisa nodded as she jotted down the actress's answers on her laptop. "Even though this job isn't as easy as you think, are you determined to stick with it despite your lack of experience?"
Meanwhile, the CEO was observing his neighbor, who was conducting an interview with his assistant in front of the meeting room, as the window wasn't covered by curtains. His smile widened as he heard his neighbor's response, as if indirectly expressing his feelings for him.