“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into” her father said when she received her confirmation letter from CES Consulting, one of the world’s most renowned private consultancy firms in the vast and rapidly expanding field of banking.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I am quite well aware of where I applied for a job” she said.
Mr. Jacques shrugged in response, giving her the typical ‘don’t tell me I didn’t warn you’ expression. She smiled knowingly, very well aware of his concerns regarding her new job. She was entering the mean corporate world. Young and inexperienced as she was, her intellect and highly logical mind made her competent enough to make herself a big name in this presently male-dominated profession. It wasn’t going to be an easy ride, and she knew that. But she had all that was needed to do the necessary deeds in order to reach the top, leaving all the men and their egoistic heads somewhere way down below where they were free to rot to death, after all they were soon going to wish that they were dead.
The next morning, she woke up with a smile, a cunning smile. Soon was going to begin a new era in the world of banking. She was going to make it happen. Keeping her target focused in her mind, she got up and began her day. Simple and classy as she was, she put on a knee-length black skirt, a crisp white shirt to go with it and a pair of well-polished black formal shoes. Tying her hair back into a neat and tight bun, she gulped down a quick breakfast and drove to her new office.
Getting a valet to park her sedan in the shade, she stepped out of the car and made her way into the squirming crowd of high-headed males. She curbed a smirk as she felt everyone’s eyes turn to her, as she went straight towards the clerks who were seated in a far corner of the marble-floored hall.
“Dominique Jacques?” one of the clerks asked when she approached him for direction, eyeing her carefully, taking in every detail that there was at first glance.
“My face is up here, and you shall always address me as Ms. Dominique” she snapped and she sensed a slight tremble pass through him, as he bowed down in respect, muttering a close to inaudible apology and led her straight to her cabin. Pleased with the first impression she had made, she seated herself comfortably, when she noticed a letter waiting for her on her desk. There was to be a meeting in an hour to welcome her and introduce her to her colleagues. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down, as she felt her pulse beat rapidly for a moment. This is what she had prepared for. This was her dream, her sole purpose in life. This was what the men deserved, and she would make sure they got it.
She reached her boss’s office sharp on time for the meeting. Most men didn’t even have the courtesy to at least show some decency for the first time. There they stood leaning against the wall, with their shirts unbuttoned at the top, their blazers hanging on their forearms, and their uncouth eyes darting about crudely. This sight didn’t disturb her one bit. She had been expecting this ever since she made the decision of working here. She was pleased to find that her boss, Mr. Fredrick Jean was also one of these impolite men, and that was going to make things easier for her.
A brief introduction took place, and she could bet that she heard a hoot and a whistle when she stood up to greet everyone. All the men introduced themselves too. The first few were bold, but her stare was cold enough to evoke a certain sense of diffidence in them, the others muttered their names quickly in order to end the discomforting session soon. In that one meeting she had the rest of her plan all figured out. She could easily identify which man was to be used for what purpose, and how she was going to take her first step. She had victimised three men, one was working at the same level as hers and was her only competition, one was her department head, and one was her boss himself.
During the lunch break that day she made her first move. In the cabin next to hers sat a certain Mr. Peter Houten who happened to be working on a certain task that he was due to submit in a week. She found out sufficient details about the task, and then approached Mr. Fredrick and asked whether she could do the same task separately too. Pleased to see her keen interest, he agreed. Things were too simple for her now. She produced a legitimate piece of work in two days time. And on the day of submission, she found a way to get certain pieces of her work in Peter’s. Once those documents reached her boss, she blamed Peter for intellectual theft at such a professional level of consultancy, and got him fired, out of her way. He got kicked out of the office to which he had contributed eleven long years of his life. He had a major share in getting the company to this level. And what did he get for that? A good kick out of the building, he was left on the road with nothing to his name other than a sign that clearly read ‘fraud’.
One out, two more to go.
In two weeks time she got her second chance. Her boss held a short meeting to ask for someone’s assistance that Mr. James Lancaster required for the project he was working on. This was her chance. She offered to help, and worked with him overtime till around one am. They walked out together and were about to head their own separate ways, when suddenly he did what she was hoping he would.
“Can I interest you in some coffee?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with a certain hunger. She knew where this was headed, and as unpleasant as it was, she knew she had to do it.
The next morning she presented her boss with adequate proof, accusing James of sexual abuse, making sure that he was out of her way. She made a convincing case. He was left shattered, jobless with a reputation that made certain that he would remain unemployed for the years to come, and with a divorce coming up for him soon. He lost his job, his entire career in fact, his wife, his children, his house, and all that he valued. He was left with nothing but a pathetic excuse to plead not guilty. He was done for good.
Two out, one more to go.
Her boss, her final victim. The last person that she had to take down before this entire branch was hers. And then soon, as time goes by, chances are the company would end up hers too. It wasn’t easy but she managed it with commendable efficiency. Playing a few cards at appropriate times, she filed a complaint to the region head of the company regarding how her boss was involved in bribery. Corruption wasn’t acceptable. Not in banking consultancy. For that matter, it wasn’t acceptable anywhere. Fredrick was out of her way too. He had no family, he had left them a few years back in order to pursue his dream of heading this company one day. He had devoted himself to his work, and what he received in return was a few years in prison with nothing and no one to fall back on.
Naturally, Dominique was recognised for her dedicated work in the company and officially got appointed as branch head after five days. That night she slept peacefully. Her mind at ease, her soul satisfied with her work, yet her hunger for power raged on. She wanted more, much more.