Chapter 3: We Are Hacked

Talia took a deep breath and picked up her mobile phone. Before she said a word, an angry voice grumbled, "Talia Whiteford! Get to the office, NOW!" It was her boss at the moderately large PR firm Feldstein Associates. She could understand his frustration, but she didn’t care. "Mr. Feldstein, I’m on vacation. I’m already halfway around..." "Ms. Whiteford! I know you are cooped up in your apartment. So... Get your ass here, right now!" he said, gritting his teeth. "Well, Joe... I can’t! I’m on vacation! Fire me!" *beep* Ta,lia with no care, threw the phone on her bed and stood up, smiling. She could imagine Joe’s face red with anger right now. But this week, she is not going out of her apartment, no matter what. Seeing the date on the digital clock, her smile disappeared, and she took a deep breath and pushed forward. She went to the bathroom, cleaned herself u, and went to the kitchen poured herself some cereal and milk. Sitting at the dining table, she just stared at the bowl, and she couldn’t eat even a single mouthful as she didn’t feel hungry at all. She retched as she tried to swallow, and in the end, she stopped struggling to eat, disposed of the cereal, popped in her medications, and went back to her bedroom and plopped on the bed. As she expected, her boss didn’t call her again, but some time later, it was her assistant Stacy calling her. "Tallie... Boss said he’s firing me for what happened last night. He refuses to give me severance pay and says I won’t be hired anywhere. What should I do?" Stacy spoke a lot, sniffing, and Talia knew what that boss of hers was thinking. Her boss is coercing her to go to the office now. ’Eh! He really cannot fire her like this. This is a free country, with laws, and firing her would be a lawsuit waiting to happen! He is no fool.’ Talia just rolled into her bed, wrapping the duvet around her, and closed her eyes. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard the doorbell ring. She walked up to the door and opened it, knowing who it would be. "Mrs. Johnson," Talia invited that grey-haired, plump grandma inside, but she handed over a flask, and after requesting her to drink the soup, she left. Talia locked the door and placed the flask on the kitchen counter. She might have crossed an ocean to get away from her country, but her grandfather sure has a wide reach. Even though Mrs. Johnson never stated openly, Talia knew she was arranged by her grandfather to take care of her. Mrs. Johnson is her neighbour, and she is living with her grandson, who is studying in a reputable private school for gifted children in the city. Mrs. Johnson has an accent familiar to Tal, and she, for no reason, provided her with breakfast and dinner if she returns early from work. Mrs. Johnson would say she made extra for her grandson and wanted to give some to her, but... Who is that charitable for no reason, right? The rent for her place is $5000 for a single bedroom, and for a double bedroom, it should be more. And private schools in this part of the city would be unaffordable for someone like Mrs. Johnson, who is a middle-class lady. But little Jimmy is gifted. He has a high IQ and is really good at maths and physics. Sometimes he’d come to her to clarify doubts. Talia could see he had a bright future and didn’t throw a fit to dismiss Mrs. Johnson. Her grandfather must have known it, and so he sent someone like Mrs. Johnson to take care of her. He, in his old age, is still the one who rules with an iron fist, having control over everything and everyone in his family. She never thought that her grandfather might have thought that he was helping little Johnny realise his dreams while taking care of his granddaughter at the same time by sending Mrs. Johnson here. She always was biased towards her grandfather and imagined the worst about him. Talia poured herself the soup, and oddly, she could drink that soup. It tasted good. Mrs.Johnson is a good cook.k She should agree. And sometimes Mrs. Johnson’s thoughtfulness made Talia a bit paranoid as she’d wonder if she was watching her or reading her mind. But it was nice to have someone take care of her. Plus, she is too lazy to cook for herself, and having her near her is only benefiting her and so she’d accept the surveillance arranged by her grandfather. After having her fill, Talia maintained the little peace lily pot she had near the window in a perfect spot where there is partial sunlight. That beautiful white flower that bloomed gave a little smile to her lips. By then, her phone rang again, and she saw it was Rebecca Brown, Cybersecurity Manager. She is also the wife of the CEO. ’That guy rants me there.’ Tali, with a smile, picked up the phone. "Tallie... We are being hacked... Come here ASAP!" Rebecca was stressed as she shifted, and Talia could hear the clacking noise of the keyboard. Talia could sense something was going o,n and especially today... Everything seemed odd, and her eyes focused with determination. " I’ll be there in twenty minutes," she said as she walked to the walk-in closet and pulled out a dark grey pantsuit with a white buttoned-up shirt. Ending the call after assuring Rebecca, she changed and frowned, looking at her messy hair. "Who told you to grow your hair down to your waist, dummy!" Talia mumbled as she made her hair into a bun and secured it with a hairpin. She applied a thin layer of foundation and hid the dark circles with a concealer. Applying a light pink lipstick that suited her fair skin, she picked up an LV purse and wore black ankle boots. Sand opened the door to leave her apartment. The pantsuit with a long coat complemented her long legs, and everything suited her perfectly, making her look more youthful and chic. She had a personal seamstress who stitched her suits and a personal shoemaker who made shoes exactly for her size. Those two aren’t normal people who can be afforded by just anyone. Also, they don’t agree to work for anyone, but Talia had access. "Ahhh! I almost forgot!!" She closed the door and got back in, and wore the contacts she kept in her vanity. Looking at the mirror that reflected her eyes with a brown shade, she pursed her lips and left her apartment. She did not need to wear makeup, but she always wore makeup before leaving home, and the contacts were a must for her. She’s been living here for more than five years, ars and everyone knew her as brown eyed. No one knew of her purple eyes. Walking for just ten minutes, she reached the office building. The entire eighteenth floor was deserted, and she entered. Everyone greeted Talia, and she returned a smile as she walked towards the CEO’s office. As she expected, there was a frenzy there. As a PR firm, they had access to a lot of sensitive information about their clients. Getting hacked is the worst thing that could happen to them. "Ah, Tallie... You are here," Rebecca stood up from the chair. There was a great relief in her eyes as if she had seen her saviour.