Page 2 of The Widower
I’ve never seen such a high salary attached to such an easy interview. Honestly, I want to ask a dozen questions, but I’m afraid of messing up something that seems to be going so right.This whole conversation feels… off.
If I can even call this an interview.
“Why is it so easy? Tell me.”
“I’ll put it this way—it’s easy because it’s hard. Simple as that. No one’s managed to last in this job, and I really hope you’ll be the exception.”
“I need to know anything personal about this Colin guy?”
Her expression shifted in an instant. It startled me—she suddenly looked at me with a kind of tender sympathy.
“Yes.” Her eyes dimmed with sadness. “He lost his wife and daughter in a car accident about a year ago.”
“My God.” My eyes flew wide, the weight of her words hitting hard.
“Colin doesn’t talk about it, and after the accident he shut down. He was always serious, charismatic, grounded… but now it’s like the best part of him is gone, and nothing makes sense anymore, except…”
“Except…?” I leaned in.
“Joshua.His son. He’ll be one of your responsibilities if you take the job.”
“I see.”
“Even so, Colin’s pulled away from him. Don’t try to understand him, Isabelle.”She paused for a breath, staring at nothing. “One rule: don’t ask about his past. If you want to keep the job, do your best to ignore Colin. Not a single one of the ten women I hired lasted even a month helping him. You came highly recommended—that’s why I’m trusting you mightbe different from the others. I just need you not to do anything reckless. Colin would fire you for a side-eye, and I’m tired of trying to find people for this job.”
“Why do you care so much about him?” I asked, because she didn’t sound like just some woman who worked at an agency. The way she talked about him was different; it caught my attention. I had no doubt about that.
“He’s my friend. He was. I’m not even sure how to say it now.” She dropped her gaze. “My husband and I were very close with Colin and Jennifer, his late wife. After he lost her… everything changed, and the only contact we’ve kept is this—finding women to look after his house.”
“I understand.”
A few seconds of silence settled over the tiny room, and for the first time I noticed she was uncomfortable. I stayed a little on edge, because I hadn’t imagined our conversation would take this turn.
“Let’s get to the point.” She laced her fingers and focused on me again. “In short, Colin will be insensitive, rude, moody, cruel, petty, and a bunch of other ‘lovely adjectives’ I’m forgetting.” She hesitated, reconsidering. “A tyrant, sweetheart. No… that’s too kind.”
I eyed Helena, unsettled. After everything I’d heard, she was doing the exact opposite of what I expected. Instead of praising her supposed friend, she seemed intent on tearing him down.
“Is that supposed to be encouraging?”
“I’m being realistic. Colin is a miserable man who barely cares about anything anymore. And believe it or not, he told me himself to spell out his ‘qualities’ to anyone applying for the job. At least he’s honest enough to admit he’s unbearable.”
I was intrigued and a little wary. Hearing all this was strange.
I’d thought it was a normal position, but clearly there was nothing normal about it—starting with a salary five times the market rate. Was that really just to compensate for his bad temper and everything that came with it?
It couldn’t be only that…
“There’s no way he’s that impossible,” I said carefully, and she leaned forward with a smile.
“Let’s just say the devil came up for a stroll on earth and decided to settle here. That’s Colin—straight from the worst corner of hell. And yet, I still call him my friend, for the record.”
“He’s really that difficult?” I let out a low, nervous laugh.
“Sweetheart, believe me when I say I’d rather meet Lucifer himself than Colin.” She twirled her pen, studying me. “So I’ll ask you again—are you really willing to take this job?”
My bills don’t pay themselves, and I’m in a tight spot. I didn’t hesitate.
“Yes, I’ll take it.”
