CHAPTER ONE
TATIANA wakes up in the morning in her bedroom. She reaches for the bedside table and grabs her smartphone. With her other hand, she rubs her eyes and looks at the phone screen. Suddenly, her expression changes to one of hysterical astonishment.
TATIANA
Darn, it's dead even though it's plugged in.
She looks at the wall clock and stands up in horror. She bends down to the bedside table.
TATIANA
Ye gods! Overslept again… The boss will definitely fire me. I need to change the battery… Or maybe he'll just fine me?
TATIANA fiddles the plug of the adapter into the socket, which is lying on the bedside table, and stops when her smartphone emits the charging ringtone and the icon indicating that the device is charging appears. TATIANA slowly places the smartphone on the table and straightens up, but the smartphone emits the ringtone indicating that the charging has been disconnected.
TATIANA
What's going on?
TATIANA looks at the wall clock, sits on the edge of the bed, and tries again to plug in the charging device.
TATIANA
Will definitely get fired…
TATIANA rushes into the office and sits at her desk. An elderly woman approaches her.
MADONNA LOUISE
Late again?
TATIANA
Да у меня смартфон заглючил.
MADONNA LOUISE
And for what time is this? But, oh well, you will have to explain it to my husband… Go. He's already waiting for you.
TATIANA stands in the office of the boss, a small firm in New York City.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
(Strictly)
It looks like you have definitely made lateness a norm?!
TATIANA
No, BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER. My alarm simply didn't go off… The battery died.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
I am not going to listen to your false excuses. And you have also messed up again with purchasing materials for manufacturing our products in bulk.
TATIANA
What do you mean?
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
You mixed up debit with credit yesterday, withdrew cash from the company's credit card and paid for the order, and now my company is suffering losses due to the high interest rate.
TATIANA
But the client himself set such a condition that cash payment would suit him. Otherwise, our products would not have hit the store shelves.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Couldn't you have consulted with me or with my wife Glafira Akakievna and the company's chief accountant?.
TATIANA
So I turned to her. And she didn't inform me about what kind of card it was, and I thought it was a debit card… That's all. I asked, and she said it was as usual.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
I am not going to figure out who is to blame, but all the interest from the unauthorized transaction will be deducted from your salary.
TATIANA stands dejected.
TATIANA
Perhaps the reason is not at all what I did? And personal animosity is to blame?
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Perhaps so. All pretty blondes are dumb. And you shouldn't have turned down my invitation to a business lunch.
TATIANA
And what would Mars, your son, say? After all, we have already set a date for the engagement with him?!
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Stop making excuses. If you are guilty, admit it. Stop wriggling like a snake.
TATIANA
Moreover, you are married, and I didn't want to deal with the chief accountant's problems either.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Just so you know, we have a family business, and you haven't been fitting into it lately.
TATIANA
Alright, I agree to compensate for all the damage, but I would like to ask you to give me tomorrow off.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Why is that?
TATIANA
I have a birthday tomorrow. A milestone, 30 years.
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
Are you kidding? Absolutely not.
TATIANA
But why?
BOSS FREDDY KRUEGER
I have no one to replace you… But if you are so keen for the celebration, write on your own will… That's it… Go to your workplace.
