Laura is typing away on the computer in her office when the desk phone beside her on the table rings loudly, but she has a good mind not to pick it up. She knows it’s the boss calling. But after a few rings, she decides that she has no choice but to answer it.
"Hello," she says faintly.
"Hello darling, what are you working on right now?", asks the boss, Mike Phillips.
"The report you asked me to prepare, sir."
"Umm... You know what? Just put that on hold and come to my office right now."
"Oh. I... is there a problem, sir?"
"I'll explain when you get here."
"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."
The line clicks off and Laura is already scared. Her hands are sweaty and clammy. What exactly can be wrong now? She can't afford to lose this job, not now. She leaves her office, hurries over to the stairs and starts taking them two at a time.
In a minute, she's at Mr. Phillips' office. She takes a few seconds to compose herself and calm her breathing before knocking softly on the door. Immediately, Mr. Phillips' loud and arrogant voice greets her ears. "Come in!"
Laura turns the knob and stumbles into the office, closing the door behind her. The boss asks her to sit on the comfortable sofa directly opposite his large mahogany table. She does as she is told, expecting any moment to be told to gather her personal effects and clear out. Up until now, she thought her late comings have been unnoticed. An authoritative question from the boss almost makes her jump out of her skin.
"Miss Mills, where are the 3rd quarter reports?"
"The... They are at my house, sir."
"And why is that?"
"I took them home to get them finished. I'm still working on them."
"Then let's go get them."
She can hardly believe her ears, perhaps she is imagining things? "Sir?"
"You heard me, Miss Mills. Take me to your home to see the reports."
Laura is surprised and dumbfounded. Another authoritative command from the boss is needed to jog her into action. "Now, please!"
"Umm.. ye.. yes, sir."
"We'll take my car. Let's go. After you."
Laura leads the way to the parking lot and all the while, she can't stop thinking why the boss would suddenly want to see the reports in her home of all places. Why not let her go home to bring the reports to the office instead? She had come to his office expecting to be sacked, but now, it all seems to be moving too fast in a totally different direction and she is wondering what it could possibly lead to.
The boss gets into the driver's seat of his car and glances questioningly at Laura who is standing just close to the door of the passenger side with a confused look on her face. She soon notices the is-there-a-problem look on her boss' face and climbs into the car hurriedly. With a sigh, Mr. Phillips kick starts the engine and slowly drives out of the parking lot into the midday traffic.

With directions from Laura, they soon arrive at her home which is just a few miles from the office. It is a small but neat bungalow situated in a quiet neighborhood. Laura steps out of the car, walks to her door and opens it. She then hurries to her study to pick up the reports. Few seconds later, she walks out into the sitting room and she finds the boss making himself comfortable on her leather sofa. "Are those the reports?"
"Yes sir."
"Let me have them."
Laura thought she saw his tongue quickly flick over his lower lip but she brushes it off from her mind. Walking up to Mr. Phillips, she handed him the reports, but to her surprise, he grips her wrist instead and pulls her towards him, making her lose her balance and she falls beside him on the sofa.
"Are we alone?", his voice husky is barely audible.
"Sir, you're hurting me! Please let me go."
She tries to pull away from him, but he tightens his grip and pulls her closer. She rises to her feet and he's forced to do the same, further tightening the grip on her hand. Suddenly, he tries to go for her other hand, but she thrashes it about, so he settles for wrapping his hand around her waist and unconsciously loosens the grip on her hand.
Laura sees her opportunity and pushes him hard onto the sofa. She starts to run toward the door, but before she takes two steps, he roughly pulls her back and she slips, falling to the ground and hitting her head on the hard tiled floor.
Mr. Phillips spends some seconds cursing the figure of his secretary lying on the ground at his feet, but she doesn't move a muscle and that's when reality hit him. He bends over her, checks her pulse and listens to her heart. Nothing. She's dead. He stares at the prone figure with shock and disbelief written all over his features. As a result, he doesn't notice Laura's seven year old daughter, Lisa, who has just come home from school. The child had heard her mother's voice raised in panic and alarm, so she peeped in through the slightly open door and saw the latter part of the event unfold. She is shocked, but she has enough presence of mind to know that right now, she has to hurry and hide somewhere to avoid being seen by her mother's attacker.
She quickly chooses the huge empty freezer carton at the far end of the narrow corridor and tiptoes to hide behind it. Peeping from behind the carton, she watches as Mr. Phillips quickly composes himself and straightens his clothes. He looks furtively around to assure himself that no one is watching him and then rushes out to his car and drives off as fast as he can.