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"Miss Anderson, please step into my office," ordered Mr. Hanley. Hannah obeyed. Mr. Hanley's office walls were crowded with plaques honoring him for his sizable donations to various charitable organizations. Hannah grimly noted this as she sat down in the chair he offered. "Miss Anderson, I received a telephone from a Pastor Mark of 'First Hope Baptist Shelter.' He said you had been searching for a friend of yours, and mentioned in passing, that you were my secretary. That's how he knew to look up this number," explained Mr. Hanley. "This Pastor Mark expressed concern upon your wandering about from shelter to shelter, an opinion with which I agree." Hannah was mildly surprised by Mr. Hanley's show of concern for her safety. He lit another Cuban cigar and leaned back in his chair. "Just who is this friend of yours, that you would risk life and limb for?" The personal nature of the question angered Hannah.

"Mr. Hanley," she said getting up from the chair, "I do willingly answer any questions you have that are pertinent to my job here. Anything else, I refuse to answer," she replied evenly. Mr. Hanley's mouth formed a wide smile. He rolled his Cuban cigar between his fingers.

"Very well said, Miss Anderson. That's what I like about you. You don't take it from anyone, including me." The look on his face chilled Hannah to her very core.

"May I go now?" she asked.

"Not just yet, Miss Anderson. Don't worry, I will not molest your tender senses," he added with his usual voice of mock condescension. "I have a business proposition for you. As you know, our company has reinvented it's image. 'Family values' is our new motto. However, if I am to sell it, I must look the part. In short, I need a wife. You're good looking enough to fill the part and bold enough to stand beside me and hold your head up with Hanley pride! What do you say? Is it a deal?" Hannah stood riveted to the expensive carpet lining his office. "I know what you're thinking," he reasoned. "What's in it for me? Right? Well, that's easy. Not only will you be the most envied woman in America, you can also be one of the wealthiest. You've seen my financial situation. I'm one of the ten wealthiest men in America. You can have anything!" Mr. Hanley's voice resonated with greed. "Whatever you want, whenever you want, I always say!" He took another puff of his cigar. The sick smell emanating from his cigar nauseated Hannah. For a brief second, she knew how Jesus must have felt when Satan offered him the riches of the world, if only, He would bow down and worship him.

"Never," came her reply. Hannah quickly exited his office and gathered her belongings from her desk. Mr. Hanley stood in the doorway, livid with anger.

"How dare you refuse me!" he shouted. Jenny shrank back. "Do you know who I am? I know women who would KILL to have the opportunity that you so effortlessly rejected!"

"Then ask one of them, Mr. Hanley, for I shall not." Hannah turned to leave. "I'm sorry to leave you alone, Jenny, but I quit."

"You're fired!" screamed Mr. Hanley at the top of his lungs, unknowingly dropping ash from his expensive cigar onto his expensive carpet, and burning an expensive hole. Jenny was too timid to remain in the office alone with Mr. Hanley. She quickly grabbed her purse and ran after Hannah.

"Hannah! Please wait!" she called. Her friend looked up, surprised to see shy Jenny standing beside her. "I was going to quit when the baby was born anyway," she smiled. When they hugged, Jenny could feel Hannah tremble. "Poor thing," she whispered. Hannah and Jenny left Mr. Hanley's office building as quickly as they could. Even though the sun felt warm on her face, Hannah could not stop trembling.

"Oh, Jenny, I'm going home. I am so tired," she confided. Jenny glanced at her friend as they walked.

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