Chapter 73 Lookout for a Son-in-Law
It was clear what Dovie intended. She was feeling out Finnegan's intentions, hoping to broker a marriage between their families. Dovie had been on the lookout for a suitable son-in-law for her daughter, and Finnegan seemed like the perfect match - someone who was indeed worthy of her daughter. Finnegan had been involved in very few scandals, and those who tried to climb into his bed were promptly handled by him. This was what Dovie found most satisfying. He was clean-living and loyal. Handing over her daughter to Finnegan, she would have peace of mind.
Even more crucially, Dovie's daughter was also quite taken with Finnegan. Finnegan's face showed little emotion as he responded in his rich voice, "I haven't considered it yet."
His rejection was blunt.
Dovie didn't press the issue, and Finnegan's response effectively killed any hope she might have had.
Dovie smiled kindly. "It's good that you're focused on work, young man, but settling down is also a part of life. Your grandmother would be delighted if you married early. How has she been feeling these days?"
Dovie wasn't forcefully pushing her daughter onto Finnegan. She had her eye on him as a son-in-law, but she wanted young people to be truly in love.
Anything less would make marriage a tough journey.
"Thank you, Aunt Dovie, for your concern. Grandmother's been in good health," Finnegan replied politely, steering the conversation elsewhere. "Anyway, about that new energy project, what are your thoughts?"
"It's a trend with a very promising outlook. Let's go to my office and talk about it."
The elevator door opened, and Dovie led Finnegan to her office.
Meanwhile, downstairs in the interview area, Ophelia had been waiting in line for quite some time before it was finally her turn.
The interview process was moving quickly. Some candidates were in and out in just a few minutes.
With her job experience, Ophelia grew nervous seeing the quick turnover. When it was her turn, she walked in, handed her resume to the interviewers, and said with confidence, "Good day, I am Ophelia..."
The interviewers, busy sifting through resumes, didn't even glance up at her.
One of the interviewers cut Ophelia off abruptly: "What was your last job? There's a gap here on the resume. Care to explain briefly?"
Ophelia had deliberately left off her stint at Abbott's Corporation from her resume. Her time there had been brief, and one simply couldn't list 'talking back to my boss and quitting on the spot' as a reason for leaving.
Now, as human resources had ways of swiftly digging up information, Ophelia worried they might find out about her tenure at Abbott's Corporation. Deciding to come clean, she admitted, "My last position was at Abbott's Corporation, in the secretarial department."
The mention of Abbott's Corporation made all four interviewers exchange looks of interest.
"Why would you leave such a renowned firm as Abbott's Corporation? Many people would do anything to get in there. What was your reason for leaving?" one interviewer probed.
Telling the truth in the job market often meant going home empty-handed.
With feigned sincerity, Ophelia fabricated a story: "Due to... family reasons. My parents took ill, and there was no one else to care for them, so I had to resign. However, they're better now. Parks Corporation has always been the company of my dreams, and I have the utmost admiration for Ms. Parks..."
First playing the sympathy card, then dishing out flattery, Ophelia lied through her teeth. She didn't even know who her biological parents were but silently whispered an apology in her heart.
With a glut of applicants, the interviewer didn't spend much time on Ophelia and simply ended the interview with, "We'll be in touch."
Then, placing her resume to the side, the unspoken message was clear – she wasn't being considered.
Feeling dejected, Ophelia exited the interview room and looked up to see Atticus waving at her from across the hallway.
She approached him, surprised, and asked, "Mr. Montgomery, what are you doing here?"
Atticus's presence here meant that Finnegan might be nearby as well.
Sure enough, Atticus said, "I'm here with Mr. Abbott for a meeting. Ophelia, you're not considering a return to Abbott's Corporation?"
Ophelia felt a tinge of embarrassment. She had just walked out of Abbott's Corporation and was immediately spotted interviewing at Parks Corporation by her former employer. How could she not feel awkward?
"Once you say something, it's out there, like spilled water," Ophelia said, expressing her gratitude. "I really appreciate everything that you’ve done for me."
Atticus smirked. "I haven't really done much. You're the first one to stand up to Mr. Abbott and still get a call from him to come back to work. That means you're important to him, Ophelia. Why don't you reconsider?"
Ophelia shook her head. "No, thank you for the kind offer though."
With the relationship between Seraphina and Finnegan being what it was, she had said she would not get involved with Finnegan again, and she intended to keep that promise.
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