Dangerous Numbers

Chapter 1

ALEXANDRA

After three hours of sitting on my bottom on that uncomfortable chair, I decided it was a good time for a break. I sat up and stretch my arms all the way up until I'm standing on my toes. I can feel my bones fixing into their proper place. I touch the bridge of my nose and give a gentle squeeze. My eyes are starting to hurt after all those hours of going through various analyses and tables of numbers without getting any understanding.

God, I hate this time of the year, when I must visit this client for his annual audit. It's always chaos that I have to put in order. And the fees are peanuts considering the work I've done, as much as my salary. I feel like I'm drawn into a swamp. At first, I was so excited when I joined this company ten years ago. But now there is no motive, no development.

I had already prepared my resignation letter. It's been sitting on my desktop for the past one and a half years, so I can watch it every time I open my laptop. This letter was my motive now. To look for a better job and leave everything behind. I was having enough in here. All the difficult clients were on me. Do I draw them like a magnet? I don't think so.

My team leader once gave me a client from his difficult ones and since he saw that I can handle the work he spread the news to the whole firm. Soon, I had clients from almost all the teams in the office, and you guessed right, they were all shit. On the contrary, my salary remained stable with just a tiny bit of increase when I was finishing my sixth year in the office.

Sometimes, when the day was off and I was leaving the office, I could see people working in the nearby accounting offices and I was a bit jealous of them, to be honest. They seemed like they are some badass people, walking with their briefcases on hand, wearing chic dresses and suits and walking with confidence that would make all the others freeze where they stand.

Damn, a part of me craves for this. Maybe to satisfy my vanity, but generally, I was not a person to long for the luxurious lifestyle. However, my biggest dream was to work for one of the businesses near the City of London. Those buildings are spreading like the castles of the future, so impressive.

I enter the car, place my bag on the empty seat next to me and put the key into the ignition. After a couple of attempts, the engine roars to life and I let out a sigh of relief as I was in no mood to call for road assistance at this hour. On my way home, I'm thinking all the time that I desperately need to find a better job, or I don't know what. After almost a half-an-hour drive I see the familiar building appearing in the distance and drive through the gate to where my parking place is.

Once I enter the building, I see a familiar grey furball approaching me, its tail up. I could hear Mrs Collins's cat purring from distance. She stops near me and then starts rubbing herself on my feet as she walks between them. Her purr is so soothing, calming me down. After a couple of rounds around me, she sits in front of me meowing. Her eyes widen when she sees the small back with treats, I took out of my bag, shaking it into the air in front of her. I place some biscuits on her plate, outside Mrs Collins' door.

I take the stairs all the way up to the third floor. I open the door of my apartment, get inside and throw my coat and bag on a chair next to the door, while I push the door closed with the back of my foot. Something on the floor gets my attention. I look down, the title NOTICE was written with bold letters on the top of it and next, there is the sign of the administration committee of the building. I take it from the floor reluctantly and open it, unfolding the letter contained.

Dear Mrs Ravenwood, we'd like to inform you that from the next month there is going to be an increase in rent due to the increased maintenance expenses of the building.

Lovely.

I walk to the window; the sun had set long ago. I like this time of the day, when I sit on the couch with a hot drink at hand, reading a book or watching my favourite series and London is in the background, lighten up by millions of different signs, and colours. So full of life.