Chapter 233

The receptionists were taken aback. They hadn't expected Shirley to summon Mr. Gaston, let alone in such an arrogant tone. They exchanged nervous glances, and one nudged the one who had been leading the harassment. "Wait, is she also a Jones? Could she be related to Mr. Bennett's fiancée?"

Their expressions darkened; if so, they might be fired.

Claude watched Shirley's arrogant smile with a frown, then said in a businesslike tone, "I'm sorry, but as a secretary, I don't have the authority to determine employee status."

Shirley was upset, but remembered his usual demeanor from when she worked for him, so she didn't mind. "Well then, I'll just speak directly with Mr. Bennett," she retorted.

Claude remained unfazed. "Mr. Bennett is currently in a meeting, Ms. Jones. He wants you to go to the HR department for your onboarding procedures and begin your work soon."

Happy at the thought of starting immediately, Shirley assumed Jonathan was eager for her arrival. "Alright, I'll head to the HR department then," she said, shooting a glare at the receptionists. "Just wait and see."

The receptionists exchanged anxious glances.

Once in the elevator, Claude said, "Mr. Bennett has created a new department just for you—the Services Department—and you'll be the team leader."

Shirley's eyes widened. Does Jonathan value me this much? The name "Services Department" sounds impressive. She knew many service team members had affairs with upper management. Is that a signal? Actually, Jonathan doesn't need to hint; I know he wants to be closer. She could hardly wait to see Jonathan.

Claude led her to HR and left. Bryan Gomez, the HR manager, greeted her warmly with a pile of documents.

"You've been selected by Mr. Bennett as the team leader, Ms. Jones. Here are your employment contract and terms and conditions. Please review them carefully. If everything looks good, just sign them, and you can start immediately," he said.

Shirley glanced at the documents and signed without hesitation. Bryan kindly reminded her, "Ms. Jones, you may want to take a moment to review the terms and your salary."

Shirley didn't hesitate. She wasn't there for the paycheck; she was confident Jonathan, who valued her so much, wouldn't shortchange her. All she could think about was working with him.

After signing, Shirley asked, "Should I head to the CEO's office or the conference room?"

Bryan smiled. "Actually, Ms. Jones, you'll be going to the lounge to change into your uniform."

Shirley was surprised. A uniform? It must be one of those stylish, high-end office outfits. It turns out Jonathan doesn't seem as decent as he appears. I didn't expect him to be a fan of roleplay.

Bryan led her to a room, which turned out to be a cluttered, dusty storage closet. Shirley frowned. "Why is this place so small?"

Upon seeing the uniform, her expression stiffened. "Are you kidding me, Mr. Gomez? What is this uniform? It looks like something a janitor would wear!"

Bryan remained cheerful. "Your position is indeed a janitor, Ms. Jones."

"But I'm supposed to be in the Services Department," Shirley said.

Bryan explained, "Exactly. Your position is dual. Your services include cleaning and greeting visitors. You'll stand at the entrance of the BJ Building, greeting visitors with a deep bow. You'll greet visitors in the morning and clean in the afternoon. Your main responsibility will be cleaning the restrooms. Since our building is large, your duties can be demanding, and you might even need to work late."

Shirley was speechless. This can't be true! Absolutely not! I came here to be Jonathan's secretary, and now you want me to clean toilets, huh? Enraged, she threw the uniform on the floor. It must be Cynthia. She set this up! I'm going to kill that bitch! I need to see Jonathan. He wouldn't treat me like this!

She charged for the door, but Bryan blocked her, dropping his cheerful facade. "Mr. Bennett doesn't want to see you, Ms. Jones. This is all his decision."

Refusing to believe it, Shirley pushed past him and took the elevator to the CEO's office. She intended to barge in but bumped into Claude. "Where's Jonathan? I need to see him!"

Claude replied formally, "Mr. Bennett is not in his office." Right, he's in a meeting, Shirley thought, sprinting toward the large conference room.

Consumed by anger, she burst into the conference room. The room was filled with department heads; the meeting was being live-streamed. Shirley didn't care. She ran to Jonathan and exclaimed, "They're all bullying me, Jonathan!"

Everyone looked at her with confusion. Jonathan frowned. Claude hurried in, panicked. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bennett. I couldn't stop her."

Jonathan's expression darkened. "What are you doing here, Shirley?"

Shirley continued, "They're picking on me. I came here to be your secretary, but they're making me greet visitors in the morning and clean the office in the afternoon." She avoided mentioning "restrooms." "You used to fire them! They're disrespecting you by picking on me!"

Jonathan stared indifferently. "Are you really this foolish, or are you just pretending, Shirley?"

"What do you mean, Jonathan?" Shirley asked, hurt.

"You know exactly what I mean," Jonathan said sharply. "Get out!"

He turned to Claude. "If I see her again, you'll get a salary cut and demotion."

Claude nodded. "Understood, Mr. Bennett." He stepped in front of Shirley. "Please leave immediately, Ms. Jones."

Only then did Shirley understand.