A Deal With The Devil by Sophie J Brain (best ereader for academics TXT) 📕

William nodded and waited while she got herself ready for lunch. She hoped that she would be able to grab something to eat after seeing Mr. Burton. She usually had fifteen minutes to spare, which gave her ample time to get something, but recently he had started to delay her, meaning she usually had to skip lunch.

They left the office and walked up the street. Jen felt her hands get sweaty and she realised that her heart was beating faster than usual. Something inside of her had awakened and she didn’t know how to act. William had spent time with Ryan and Sean so he was sure to know what she was like but she for some reason care.

They arrived at the café “this is the place” she smiled “try the ham and cheese, it’s amazing.”

He put his hand on her arm “won’t you stay and get something with me?”

“I wish I could Mr. Godfrey but I have a thing.”

“Call me Will” he murmured.

She blinked, his voice was laced with kindness and she felt something inside of her wobble. It had been a long time since someone, other than Caroline, had been kind to her. Maybe he was different to the other men she had met.

“Thank you Will, you can call me Jen.” She smiled “we will eat at another time I am sure but I have a meeting at my daughter’s school.”

His shock was visible straight away “I didn’t realise you were a mum, how old is she?” “Thirteen” Jen replied.

“I see.” He murmured but his face told her that he didn’t see. His eyes had glassed over and his mouth was twisted and she knew that he pitied her. The silence that descended over them was awkward and ugly, and all Jen could do was stare at the pity in his eyes. She moved her head away, in fear that he would read more in her than she wanted him to, and took a step back. “Well I had better be going to my appointment.”

“Jen” he started.

“No, it’s fine” she murmured, surprised by the catch in her voice. “I need to go.”

Before he could reply she had rushed off in the direction of Caroline’s school.

An hour later, Jen walked unsteadily back into the office. Burton had been rough with her and she had hurt her ankle in the process. As she got to her desk she saw that a takeaway bag had been placed on top of it. She blinked and looked at the note that had been taped on the bag.

Jen,

Sorry about before you just took me by surprise, I hope we can still be friends?

Will x

p.s. enjoy the Sandwich.

She looked inside the bag and saw one of the ham and cheese sandwiches from the café. She smiled to herself, as predicted she had not been able to grab food on her way back.

She looked over towards the sales team and saw him working at his desk; he looked up, smiled and mouthed “check your email.”

She quickly did as he asked and saw a message from him containing the weekly sales report. It was the first time in nine years that it had actually been sent to her on time.

She clicked to reply to the email and wrote:

To Will,

Thank you so much, for the report and the lunch.

Talk soon,

Jen

Chapter Eight

Jen has just turned twenty eight, Caroline continues to excel in school and Jen’s friendship with Will continues to blossom.

Jen smiled as she walked into the office. Since Will had started, six months prior, she no longer felt so nervous when going to work. He had become her friend and she knew that while he was there she would be all right. Mr. Matthews continued to be abusive to her but with Will to talk to it didn’t seem as bad.

She arrived earlier than usual so she had time to go over her holiday entitlement. Caroline was desperate to go on holiday over the Easter break but Jen knew that it wouldn’t be likely. Each year she got whatever days were left after everyone else had taken their holiday. She always gave her dates first but Mr. Matthew’s would pretend to lose them then blame her for the mistake.

Jen’s mum usually took Caroline away but now she was older, Caroline wanted Jen. Jen wouldn’t have minded a holiday herself, as she hadn’t been on one in over a decade, but she knew she had to do what she could to hold on to her job.

Out of curiosity, she began to look at holiday parks close by and the cost of them over the Easter break. As expected they were high in price but her savings were more than enough to cover it.

“Morning Jen.”

She looked up at the familiar voice and smiled “good morning Will, how are you doing?” “I’m fine thank you” he pointed to her computer screen “planning a holiday?”

She winced sheepishly “afraid not, I wouldn’t be able to get the time off even if I wanted to.”

“How come?” he asked “no one else has holiday for that week.”

“They don’t?” she asked “Mr. Matthews told me that they did.”

“Didn’t you double check the holiday calendar?”

“I don’t have access to it” she admitted “Mr. Matthews hasn’t given me the right permission for it or something like that.”

Will frowned, it hadn’t taken him long to see that Mr. Matthews was a sadistic boss who liked to abuse his power. Will had noticed that Matthews held some sort of power over Jen and he used it frequently. The whole office knew that she was sleeping with Matthews but Will wasn’t sure how much she enjoyed it. Each time she left his office she always rushed straight off to the loo and Will had seen bruises on her more than once.

It wouldn’t have surprised him in the least if Matthews was holding back holiday information so she missed out.

“Let me log in” he murmured.

Although his order had been a gentle one, Will noticed that Jen jumped out of her seat extraordinarily quickly. Almost like she was afraid of what would happen if she didn’t obey fast enough

He quickly pulled up the joint holiday calendar that was shared by everyone in the office, except Jen, and glanced at her week of interest. As suspected the whole of the Easter break was free.

“You could take it if you wanted” he confirmed.

She shook her head “Matthews would never agree to let me have it.”

Will thought for a moment “after lunch we will ask him together.”

As arrange the two of them knocked on Matthew’s office door after lunch. Jen felt her stomach twist and she was sure that she would be sick at any moment. She tried to turn around but Will held firm, she looked at the determination on his face and found the courage she needed.

“Come in” came Matthews’ sharp order.

Slowly Jen opened the door and entered the office, Will following close behind, Matthews hadn’t looked up from his papers show she let out a small cough.

He gave her the smallest of glances “Yes, Miss Gilmore, what do you want?”

“Well sir” she began “I was wondering if I could request some holiday for Easter?”

“A bit late, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Well sir, I did give you my requests but I never heard anything back from you and-”

His fist hit the desk cutting her off. She let out an involuntary yelp and took a step back. She had had enough dealings with Matthews to know what would happen next.

“Are you or are you not late with your holiday request Miss Gilmore?” he roared.

She started to nod but then she heard Will’s voice ring out. “As she was trying to explain to your Mr. Matthews, she did make the request and didn’t hear back, I can see that the week she wants is clear on the holiday calendar, can we assume that is because Miss Gilmore’s request was authorised?”

Jen’s eyes widened, no one spoke to Mr. Matthews that way. She watched as Matthews rose from his seat “what brings you here Godfrey?”

“I offered to accompany Jen as I understand there has been some dispute in the past about what holiday she had asked for.”

Matthews raised his eyebrows “is that so?”

Will nodded. “Yes, I thought it would be wise for her to have a witness, just in case there is ever a need for clarification in the future. So is she able to take time of over the Easter break or not? As I said the whole two weeks is open on our calendar.”

Matthews sat speechless for a moment and then nodded “take whatever time off over Easter that you want Miss Gilmore.”

Jen blinked, it had worked. Will had helped her get the holiday that she wanted. She had worked for Matthews for nearly ten years and that had never happened before. “Thank you very much sir.”

They turned to leave but Matthews called her back, she should have known that it wouldn’t have been so easy. Of course he would need to have revenge for Will’s power trip.

Will looked at her questioningly but she told him to leave. She knew what would happen and if he stuck around then Matthews would punish him as well.

“Sir?” she asked once they were alone.

“He is a nice boy isn’t he?” Matthews murmured.

“Indeed sir” she replied curious about the choice of topic “I like him very much.”

Matthews stood and pushed her against the closed office door “don’t start getting any funny ideas my girl. He will never be interested in a dirty slut like you. I’m not sure what you have done to make him like you so much but once he sees the real you then he won’t be interested.”

Jen flinched at the harshness of his words. He was right, Will was better than her. Will was kind and caring and Jen knew that she didn’t deserve it.

She looked at Matthews hopefully, silently pleading with him to not get more violent with her. As expected her silent pleads were unanswered and he tossed her to the floor with a brutal laugh.

Jen looked at the corner of the ceiling and pretended that something else was happening.

Fifteen minutes later, Will watched as Jen rushed out of Matthews’ office and straight to the toilets. He stood and followed her. She was crying in the communal washing area and he noticed bruising around her eyes.

“I should have known” she sobbed.

“Should have known what?” he asked.

“That it wasn’t going to be easy, good things don’t happen to people like me.”

“What do you mean ‘people like you’?”

She sniffed “I’m dirty and awful and I don’t deserve good things. I know how you all look at me. I know what I said behind my back. I never used to be this way, or maybe I did. I don’t know.”

“You aren’t dirty” Will murmured, “you are beautiful.”

She shook her head “I was always supposed to turn out this way, that’s what Phil said.”

“Who’s Phil?” She was also so careful not to divulge any information about her past. Will was desperate to know what had made her turn to her current way in life. Was Phil the father of her daughter? Did