Learning to serve.

First Kate had to mop the rest floors under the gaze of Maria. She would see to it that the young, ambitious woman would fall from grace, for her own sake and the benefit of those who felt wronged by Kate's unfeeling rule. Maria was laughing inwardly as she pushed Kate to mop the floors. She couldn't believe her luck - to get even with Kate while doing something useful! Her plan was simple: make Kate work so hard that she'd lose focus on everything else, leaving her ****. And there was no better way than getting her hands dirty with menial tasks. Once the floor had dried Kate was told to clean the mirrors. She couldn't believe what was happening. She was a successful executive in the firm, yet now here she was, cleaning the mirrors with Maria looking down upon her. The bitterness in her heart grew stronger every minute spent under Maria's watchful eye. As Kate scrubbed away at the grime, her anger began to boil over. She thought about how she got to this point.

Her ambition, her relentless pursuit of success, had led her here. After cleaning the restrooms Maria took her to the offices and told her to see to the bins. Each bin needed to be emptied and wiped. There were countless bins and they were all full of trash. In front of every bin was a small recycle bin. The smell of the trash was almost overwhelming. It seemed like a daunting task. But Maria wasn't going to let her off easy. "Just do your job," Maria said, her tone was both harsh and dismissive. Kate's face turned red with anger. How could she allow herself to become reduced to this? Kate wondered desperately as she worked on emptying one bin after another. The smell from the garbage became increasingly pungent, causing her nostrils to burn. Each bin seemed to take forever to empty, and soon sweat was pouring down her brow. Yet Maria remained unfazed, standing guard over her, observing her efforts without a trace of sympathy. It just happened that Gillian the night security officer was making her rounds.

As she walked past the window, she saw Maria forcing Kate to clean the office bins. Curiosity piqued, she decided to check up on them. She knocked gently on the door. Maria, her face filled with a cruel triumph, opened the door and gestured for her to enter. Kate hid her face as Gillian Asked Maria if this was a new girl. "Yes Gill she is my apprentice she is from South America," replied Maria. Her eyes bore into Kate's, a silent warning not to challenge her authority. Kate lowered her head, feeling humiliated but unable to fight back. Kate nodded slightly, trying to maintain her composure. Inside, she was seething. How dare Maria tell such lies about her? Gillian nodded then left as Maria said it was time to vacuum the office. Kate's face flushed with shame as she grabbed the vacuum cleaner. She was determined to endure this indignity, knowing that it was only temporary. But how long would it last? Was there anything she could do to regain her power and dignity? Meanwhile, Maria continued to observe Kate's struggles with a sense of satisfaction.

Deep within her heart, she rejoiced at the thought of seeing Kate's once powerful world crumble around her. The vacuum cleaner roared to life, creating a loud rumbling sound throughout the office. Maria followed behind Kate, observing her every move with unwavering intensity. The air became thick with the scent of dust and the whirring sound of the machine. As Kate moved from one spot to another, her frustration grew along with the amount of debris she was collecting. Each step she took seemed heavier than the last, weighed down by the burden of her humiliation. "So Mrs. Holder do you enjoy being a cleaner," Maria asked. Her voice had an edge to it, as if testing Kate's resolve. Kate swallowed hard, fighting to maintain her composure. This was exactly the type of question she dreaded. "I don't consider myself a cleaner, I am currently assisting in maintaining the cleanliness of the office." Maria smiled sardonically. "And do you find it satisfying?" Kate's jaw clenched tightly. Then it was over and Kate dressed in her own clothes and went home exhausted.