Chapter One
Being fresh out of college, I was lucky to land a position at Devonshire University. Typically, they require their people to be well-seasoned. While they hadn't asked my age, the application stated one of the firm requirements was that I need to be 30 or older. I had ignored it and landed the job regardless. It had always been my dream to be an English professor. Today, I will finally get to start the career of my dreams.
In front of the mirror, I looked over myself one last time. Mrs.Hawkes, Director of the English Program, had said until they could properly fit me for uniforms, that I could wear a navy top and a khaki skirt. While it wasn't my favorite attire, at least it was similar to what the others wore. I pressed the wrinkles in my skirt down and straightened my glasses. I wanted to be sure I was tidy before the onboarding process today.
"Ah, there you are!" Mrs.Hawkes waved me over. Several others stood by her. I made my way to her, and she linked her arm around mine like a prized possession. "Everyone, this is Miss.Darling. She is our new English Professor! Please ensure she feels welcome. I am taking her to see our Chancellor now."
Everyone greeted me before she whirled me off to the Chancellor's office. He was enamored with his laptop, typing away, but he was a stunning man. His hair was that of salt and pepper and he had a stern look about him. It was almost as if he were chiseled from stone. He sighed and looked up, finally noticing us.
"Miss.Darling..." he murmured.
"It is nice to meet you Mr.Everson!" I held out my hand to greet him, but he did not accept.
"Miss.Darling when you applied, did you read all of the necessary requirements for this position?"
"Yes, and I won't disappoint you."
"You already have. There is an age requirement for this position that you do not meet."
Panic washed over me. Did it really matter that much?
"There are two paths you can take. Either pack your bags and leave or be ready to accept whatever punishment is given. The choice is yours but note that this punishment will be carried out for a full year, and you will be placed under probation. This means, that after your year is up, you may be terminated regardless. Again, it is all up to you Miss.Darling."
Probation couldn't be so terrible, and they will probably give me all the work they don't want to do as punishment. I could handle that and change their minds within a year. What did I have to lose?
"I choose to stay, Mr.Everson."
"Very well. Mrs.Hawkes, please gather the required paperwork."
She handed him a stack of papers. I signed them readily as he went over the responsibilities of my role.
"Do you have any questions about what is expected of you?"
"None that I can think of."
"Good, now we can go over what punishment you will receive."
I nodded my head.
"Because you lied about your age, that has made it unfair to all current employees. I think it would be best for the employees here to have a full week to administer your punishment. I will create a sign-up sheet for those interested. There may be some weeks where you will be disciplined by multiple people. They may choose to utilize the full week or a day. They may use whatever means necessary and wherever. If I believe you were not properly punished or you were disobedient, your weekend will be spent being punished by myself personally. Do you understand?"
I nodded again, but I didn't understand why everyone needed to be involved.
