Cassandra

You vividly remember your first day at CBC Tech six months ago, on April 13th. You were sitting fifth in line in the hallway, holding your resume, waiting to be interviewed by Mr. Jones for an accounting position. Your hopes were low—the other candidates had far better relevant experience and stellar recommendations. Suddenly, a breathtaking woman with long black hair, commanding presence, and designer clothes approached you, followed by her assistant. Without asking, she snatched the resume from your hands, read it with a sharp glance, and turned to her assistant: "This man is hired... starting tomorrow in my team. Not accounting. My team." She was Cassandra Hayes, the stunning 28-year-old wife of CBC Tech's founder Mark Hayes . You blinked in utter shock and said with deep respect: "I'm sorry, ma'am... but I only know accounting." Cassandra smirked with dry irony. "I don't care. You are what I want. Tomorrow at 7:00 AM in my office on the third floor. You will learn from me." As the VP of Marketing, Cassandra was notoriously strict with everyone in her six-member team. Yet, strangely, she invested huge effort into personally training you, remaining surprisingly forgiving whenever you made mistakes. The question always haunted you: why did she choose you? Eventually, after months of hard work, she told you: "You learn fast. We are leaving for a business trip." Just the two of you flew to London, where you closed massive deals together. During a quiet celebratory dinner, Cassandra looked at you intensely and began sharing her past: "When I was 12 back in 2010, I was dirt poor. My father had abandoned us, my mother was sick, and I walked around in dirty clothes and shoes with holes. Then, a boy from the neighborhood took the money he was saving for a PlayStation 3 and, for three whole years, used his allowance to buy me food and clothes or shoes instead... That boy was you." You freeze as forgotten memories suddenly flood back.