The Social Climber Is Mr. CEO’s First Love

Meliza's POV

"Why didn't you eat dinner last night? Are you okay?" Ruby asked right after she entered my room and sat on the edge of my bed.

"I am fine. I overslept, and it was too late to eat dinner when I woke up." I responded as I combed my hair.

My best friend was wearing jeans and a halter sleeveless top, and she was wearing make-up. I looked at her with a quizzical look on my face.

"What's with the makeup, Ruby? Are you trying to get Vince's attention?" I asked, and her face blushed.

"Congratulations. Vince told me you will be our supervisor, " she replied, avoiding my question.

"I don't want to be a supervisor. I only came back because my mother forced me, and I wished summer would end soon so I could return home," I responded.

"I didn't wish for that, Iza. I wish to stay and enjoy my summer here, and you will do the same. You and I should have boyfriends this time of the year. You are turning eighteen soon, " she said excitedly, and I shook my head.

"I didn't come here to find a boyfriend and to enjoy. You knew I always come for the money." I muttered.

"I am sorry. I knew about that, but I am concerned about your happiness as your best friend. It would help if you also enjoyed your life, Iza. There is nothing wrong with being a good daughter, but you don't need to make yourself suffer, " she replied.

"I am not suffering, Ruby," I answered, avoiding her gaze; I didn't want Ruby to know how much I wanted to enjoy my life.

"Anyway, the management promoted you, so you don't have a choice; you earned it, Iza. It would help if you were happy you were promoted, and we should celebrate our first paycheck. It would be my treat. You don't need to spend a single cent, " my best friend stated, and I weakly smiled at her.

"You know why I don't want to be a supervisor, Ruby?" I replied, and she nodded her head.

"Ignore them, let them die in envy, Iza. Just think about the salary, it will be higher, which is what you want. Those girls couldn't do anything about your promotion." She answered, beaming at me.

"Now, let us go to the dining hall and eat breakfast," she added as she dragged me by the wrist.

I could hear the noise coming from the dining hall, and I didn't want to get inside since I knew what was waiting for me.

"Good morning, Iza!" Vince exclaimed, and I hated him for giving me extra attention. He pulled a chair for me, and I saw Ruby's face fall as she sat beside me.

"Thank you, Vince," I softly mumbled as I slowly sat on the dining chair.

"Oh, the bitch is here! What was she doing here? I thought she wouldn't be coming back." I heard one of them say.

"Well, what do you expect? A social climber will always be a social climber, and she will do everything she can to be on the top even if she will use her body." Nicole responded, and her friends laughed. My face darkened as I gripped the spoon.

I lowered my head to avoid their eyes and started eating my food. I felt glad Jonathan was sitting in front of me, and he talked to me as if he hadn't heard those girls.

"Watch your mouth, Nicole," Ruby said with anger in her voice.

"Why are you hurt for your best friend even if she didn't care about your feelings?" Nicole asked with sarcasm.

"Girls, you must eat your food in Silence. I want all of you to be friends with each other. No fighting, please, or I don't have a choice but to terminate your contract this summer, " the manager said as she stood up from her seat at the head of the table.

The rest of the girls fell silent, including Ruby, and I looked at my best friend and mouthed I was sorry.

"You don't need to say sorry to me. I don't care if I have to go home." She whispered.

"They are not worth it, Ruby," I whispered back.

"I hated her so much," she replied, and I nudged her elbow as we shared a smile.

We were almost finished eating when someone arrived, and the girls gasped, including Ruby; I didn't raise my head as I continued eating.

"You are late, Ethan," Nina said.

"I overslept," he responded, and my heart was beating so fast as I heard the same voice from last night. When I raised my head and looked at him, it seemed like my entire world stopped spinning as I stared at him with my mouth agape.

He is tall and the most handsome young man I have ever seen. His perfect face and hazel brown eyes made his gaze hypnotizing; no wonder all the girls around the table stopped eating and looked at him with longings on their faces.

"That is not how it works here, Mr. Vasquez; if you want to have your current job, be on time and don't ever come late again, or you can pack your bags and leave," Nina said.

Ethan's face darkened for a second, but suddenly, a beautiful smile appeared after he heard Vince clear his throat.

Ethan was wearing a plain black T-shirt and faded jeans. His sleek, short hair made him look more boyish, and his confident demeanor made me want to know him better.

"I am sorry, Nina, this will never happen again," he said, showing his deep dimples that made the girls giggle as they gape at him.

"Good; you may take your seat and eat your meal fast since we will have a morning briefing in fifteen minutes at Adriana's hall," Nina responded.

Ethan looked around and smiled when he saw a vacant seat beside Jonathan. I lowered my head and felt conscious for the first time. I felt worried about what he would say about what I wore.

I was wearing my mom's floral dress and felt thankful I chose it for today's work. I love wearing jeans, but since Vince told me I was promoted, I opted to wear a dress for a change.

I didn't dare look up, but I could feel that someone was looking at me. When Ruby nudged me, I had no choice but to raise my head; my heart skipped a beat when I found the newly hired farmhand staring at me.

"I thought you were deaf," he spoke out. He looked at me, and the girls laughed as I scowled at him.

"I introduced myself to you and asked you what your name was, but you ignored my question." He said without taking his eyes off me. I could feel my body tremble with anxiousness as his intense gaze bore into me.

"I am Meliza," I replied, and his smile turned into a grimace as he looked at me with disgust.

He avoided my gaze and continued eating while the entire dining hall turned silent. I wondered what had gone wrong since I wished to speak with him and get to know him better, but he avoided looking in my direction again as he conversed with Jonathan and Ethan.

We followed Nina into Adriana's hall, and I could feel the loud beating of my heart. Why do I feel this way? I hadn't felt this kind of emotion before every time I think of a guy like Vince, but it feels so different with Ethan.

We all took our seats as Nina took the floor and started talking. And I hadn't listened to anything that she said since I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances at Ethan sitting in the front seat.

The girls couldn't stop whispering as they talked about Ethan.

"And now, I want to announce and congratulate Meliza Lizondra for attending the training last year and being chosen as the supervisor for this summer." Miss Nina declared.

All the boys hollered as they clapped their hands and chanted my name, except Ethan. He didn't even clap his hands like the girls, who only looked at me with contempt. The only women who clapped were Ruby and Nina.

My enemies' gestures were expected, but I still felt hurt, and I was more worried about myself for feeling something new.

What was wrong with me? Why do I even want Ethan to recognize my achievement? I only met him this morning, and why do I want him to feel proud of me when he was a stranger to me?

"Meliza, please come forward and say something, or you can give the newcomers a tip on how to be like you," Nina added with a smile as she turned her attention to me.

"Please, don't be shy; you looked perfect and beautiful as always, so why don't you come here to the front and flaunt your beauty." Our manager continued, and my face felt so warm as I stood up from my seat. I wasn't sure if I was blushing because of her compliments or because of Ethan.

"A round of applause, please," Nina declared, and my fellow part-timers clapped their hands.

"Thank you, Nina," I said, trying to keep my voice from trembling, and I almost lost my sense of thinking when I found Ethan looking at me without fluttering his eyes. I don't know why he looked amused and angry at the same time.

"It has been a pleasure for me to work here at Adriana's farm. I felt grateful for this opportunity, and I never expected to be chosen as a supervisor this summer." I added.

"I will do my best to work harder and encourage everyone to do the same. For the newcomers, just be yourselves and always remember to work with your heart. If you love your work, everything follows." I continued, and I heard Nicole curse, and Nina warned her.

"I started working here every summer since I was fourteen. I fell in love with this place, and I am thankful to the owner of this farm for giving students like us the chance to learn a lot of things from the training they gave us." I expressed, and the boys nodded their heads as they looked at me with fascination on their faces, especially Vince, who was looking at me with pride.

"Thank you so much, and see you around, guys!" I said before I returned to my seat.

"Thank you, Meliza; if you don't have a question, you may proceed to your assigned area except for you, Meliza. I need to have a word with you." Nina declared, and everybody stood up and walked out of the hall.

Nina brought me to her office on the second floor of the building on the right side of the farmhouse.

"Have a seat," she ordered as she settled on her swivel chair.

"Welcome back, my dear," she said.

"Thank you, Miss Nina," I responded.

"Drop the formality, and you can always call me by my first name." She answered with a wide smile.

"Now, here is your scoop of work, and you may read it now. If you have any questions, you can freely ask me," Nina added.

"Okay, Nina," I replied, taking the paper from her hand.

"Do I need to bring those who committed violations to your attention? "

"Yes, that is part of your job; aside from monitoring them, from the word supervisor, you supervise them; you don't need to follow them around. All you have to do is ensure they do their jobs well by inspecting their areas occasionally." She responded.

"And you must speak with Ethan later for your first assignment since he is also new. He got potential, but he is always late." Nina added, and my throat felt dry. I'd rather speak with my enemies than Ethan Vasquez.

"You may go now, Iza." She dismissed me, and I walked out of her office, confused about how to talk with Ethan about his behavior. I wouldn't say I liked the way he looked at me, and how could I speak with him when I felt like a foolish girl every time I looked at his handsome face?