Chapter 2: Chapter 2 “How is it working with you?”
I came to the office at 6 am, I'm always an hour early prior to appointments.
"Clair, haven't I told you to choose from the three and to choose the best?! How come you've chosen this guy?!?"
"Miss Ivy, I saw that he was from the same college you were in so I thought maybe you'd like it if you knew the person you'll be working with…"
"We just graduated from the same college, but I don't know this guy!!! Do you want me to fire you!?!"
"Miss Ivy I'm really sorry…"
*Knock*knock
"Leave this room, tell the one who's knocking that he may enter…"
"Miss Yin" it's Yuan
"Don't call me that, call me Miss Ivy"
"Miss Ivy…" he repeats
"I wasn't expecting that you'll be the new MD, your family's well off so I don't get why you're here"
"I'm not in contact with them"
"Well I don't care! I also don't want to listen to stories…"
"Miss Ivy, before anything else, I'm sorry I said bad things about you 5 years ago I really didn't know…"
"Perhaps you had just an awful habit of judging people, that's why I actually don't like you here in my company, but what can I do? My secretary who sucked at judging people's personality hired and signed you in… If it was me, you'd probably not be here…"
"Miss Ivy…"
"You said you're the new MD? I'll see your performance through this project, if you sucked at it, I'll use it as my ground to fire you…" I handed him a folder
The folder contains the information and the revised proposal for the opening of our new Hotel. I still don't like the revised proposal and it hasn't caught my fancy…
"I'm still not contented with that proposal, I don't care how you will do it, revise or do it all over again, I'm giving you 3 days to come with the best proposal…"
"Three days?"
"You can't do it? Then maybe you shouldn't have applied here!"
"No, I'll make it better"
We'll see…
"I'm not easy to please and I don't settle for 'Better' I want 'Best'!! You may leave…"
"Okay"
He then left my office…
Yuan's POV
"I'm not easy to please and I don't settle for 'Better' I want 'Best'!! You may leave…"
I excused myself from her office and her secretary showed up
"Sir shall I lead you to your office?"
"Yes please…"
"By the way I am Clair Mundo miss Ivy's secretary for 5 years but I'm with this company for 7 years."
"I see, I'm Yuan Mendez, stupid me perhaps you know my name from the resume I sent you"
"Its fine sir… anyway here's your office…" she said as she opened the door
"Ummmm… are you sure? this seems to be a storage room"
The room is at a terrible state, there were storage boxes on the floor, a simple working table and a normal chair, well, should I be thankful that at least there is an aircon in the room?
"ahhh… I'm really sorry sir, It's Miss Ivy who chose this room… I don't know why she pointed this one, when we even have better rooms…"
"oh... ummm… it's fine I'll just have to redecorate the room…"
Is this bullying? Is she having her revenge on me?
"If ever you have any concerns or questions feel free to ask me sir…"
"ummm, nothing, thank you…"
"Then I'll leave you now sir…"
"Ah… wait!!"
"Yes"
"Just one question… just out of my curiosity… has she always been… you know… ummmm…"
"Short tempered, diva, and has a bad attitude?"
"Woah!!" I chuckled and continued
"Well… yeah?! Sort of…"
"No, she wasn't…" she looked rather sad when she said that
"She sat as an acting CEO when she was 20. Even when she's young, she was wise, smart, and very kind. She was a law student, she was probably having a hard time doing two things simultaneously, but we never saw her tired and never acted out of character even though when things didn't go her way. But things changed after she sat as the owner and chairwoman/CEO of the company, she felt like a different person. There's no one in this office who dares to look at her directly in the eyes so as to defy her orders, she had that prettiest smile but she looks sad and discontented… we don't know the whole story why she changed…"
So, she wasn't like that at all, as far as I remembered her, she indeed has a soft personality when I met her five years ago, I thought it was just an act… but it wasn't… I also didn't know she was this rich back then… Ahhhhh!! I must've have offended her really bad…
"I see, thank you…"
*knock *knock
"Secretary Clair, Miss Ivy is looking for you…" a staff called
"Okay…"
"I should leave you now sir…"
"Yes, thank you…"
She wasn't brusque at all before. According to Clair's story she was like a model person and everyone looked up to her… what made her change?
I decided to clean up this room to make it look more like an office.
After an hour of cleaning I arranged my things, right after doing those things. I hovered over the files and started working. I only have 3 days. I have to impress her or else she'll definitely fire me…
Yin Ivy Lee's POV
"I was looking at the finance report and the company's profits just reached its peak I'm fairly satisfied with the results…"
"Miss, the Finance and strategy department demanded a 3 day leave in return of their hard work…"
"3 days…hmmmmm"
"Who do they expect to do their jobs when they're gone?!? Me!?!"
"M-miss…"
"One day… that's it… if they demand more tell them to hand me their resignation letters…"
"Y-yes miss…"
"You may leave…"
3 days?! Are they out of their mind? The sales peaked just once this year and they're easily satisfied? They're slouching off… tch!
I went to review documents that were pending when I was out of the country for a business conference. Because of these I left my office nearly at 1 am.
I was the only one remaining in the building, or so I thought….
I passed by the Business management department and saw the office I assigned to Yuan with the lights open. I saw him still working and yawning at the same time.
"tch! He won't last for long… he'll probably hand down his resignation soon…" is what I thought.
I went home, well it's not a home, it's just a house, it can't be called a home when there's no family residing at all. I'm all alone in this huge house. Oh right! I'm technically not alone I have the maids and the driver and the body guards…
I drank a glass of wine so I could sleep immediately, which always worked.
My alarm went on at exactly 6 am, I got ready and went to work at 7 of course I never got late, this has been my routine for years. The employees start their shift at 8 am. I always arrive first at the office and enjoy the calmness, without employees chatting around, without the keyboard's sound, the photocopying machine's noise and a lot more noises.
"Good morning miss!!"
That broke the serenity of my mind, I took a deep breath and turned around to see who ruined my day…
"Ummmm… do you want some coffee??" it was Yuan… he raised the steaming cup of coffee he was holding, gesturing he's offering some…
Wait did he slept here? That's what came to my mind when I was scanning him from head to foot. Right! He was wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday…
"Oh! I'm sorry I couldn't change my clothes, I slept here last--"
"No one asked…" I said, as I walked out from his sight…
I went inside my office and started working again. I'll be meeting a client later for my monthly pro bono service and I'm reviewing the case I have in hand.
*knock *knock
"Yes…"
"Miss they are your clients for the pro bono case this month"
"Good morning ma'am please have a seat, I'm Yin Ivy Lee"
"Thank you…" we shook hand and sat on the couch inside my office
"I've already reviewed your case, is she your daughter?"
"Yes ma'am…"
"Did she already consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist?"
I'm handling a rape case, the police caught the perpetrator but he doesn't admit that he raped the victim, instead he claims that they were in some kind of relationship.
"We haven't consulted yet we couldn't provide one"
"I'm a psychologist and I can give her free consultation"
"Thank you ma'am!! thank you…"
"Cleah… Cleah is your name, right?"
"Y-yes…"
"How old are you again?"
"19"
"Can I ask you some question?"
She nodded…
"Is the guy your boyfriend?"
The perpetrator was 23 years old I just have to make things clear that they're not in some kind of relationship
"No ma'am"
"Right…" I nodded and looked at her closely if she was telling the truth
"Is there anything you want to tell me?��
She became quiet for a while
"nothing?" I asked for the second time
"ummmm… he was my boyfriend…"
Just what I thought of, her mother was so shocked that she cried while hitting her daughter. I let her calm for a bit.
"But I never consented to have something happen between us…" she continued
"Are you sure? If there is something more to this story you have to tell me in order to defend you properly…"
"Yes ma'am, I am certain…"
"ok then, we will continue to file a rape case against the guy and the hearing will be next week I want you to be there on the court for questioning…"
"Yes ma'am" Cleah answered
"Ma'am we will meet at the court next week for the first hearing." I said
"Thank you very much for accepting this case ma'am we are very glad. We couldn't afford a lawyer that is why I thought that we can't have the justice for my daughter"
"No worries ma'am"
"I never thought that this company had a law office I thought this was just a business establishment…"
I smiled
"Oh…. Anyway, my secretary will escort you outside. I'll be seeing you next week ma'am…"
The mother and daughter went outside and I called the private investigator that is working for my company.
We talked inside the room about the case.
"Troy, you saw the two ladies just went outside of my office, right?"
"Yes miss"
"I'm pretty sure there'll be a foul play during the hearing"
"Why did you say so?"
"The man who raped the girl was a son of a business tycoon, he's the only heir of the family, they'll probably try to buy the decision of the judge, I want you to know who will be the judge so we can counter"
"Yes miss"
"You may leave…"
Tsk! Tsk! Poor girl she didn't know what she got into…
Evening came and all employees went home, I'm going to the pantry to eat dinner
"Oh! Good evening miss…"
"What are you still doing here!? All employees are out…"
"Ah! I'm finishing the project you assigned to me…"
"Ah…"
"Are you also here to eat? I made extra sandwich would you like them?"
"I just lost my appetite…"
I don't feel eating at all after seeing him there…
That's why I went back to my office to work again. I guess I'll be spending my whole night here at the office. There's too much things to work on.
I wanted to take a break that's why I stood up and stretched and saw a sandwich and coffee at the table near the couch…
"When did this thing got here"
I already told him I don't have an appetite, is he trying to please me? Then this won't work. I sat down again leaving the food untouched and continued working.
I fell asleep at my working chair unknowingly and when I woke up it's already 5 am, I went to the bathroom in my office to take a bath and freshen myself. I always had my extra clothes and toiletries in the office in case I couldn't go home because of work.
Yuan Mendez's POV
"Secretary Clair!" I called her in a half shouting half whispering voice so no one could notice
"What?"
"Who are those people at Miss Ivy's office?"
"Ahh! They are her pro bono clients"
"Pro bono?"
"Yes, there's only two types of service she offers a pro bono or a special one, when you say special one those are of her business partners that needed some legal advices, well she accepts difficult cases for other high-class persons but she does ask for a good price."
"Does she do illegal things?"
"Crazy!! of course not!!"
"Well, you said high class persons…"
"If she sees that the person is really at fault, she declines them even the offer is too high"
"ohhh… but I thought she focused on running the business?"
"Do you think she'd ever leave her first love?"
"First love? You mean being an attorney?"
"Yes… well you see she never gets irritated and she becomes a different person when she��s with a client, you can see that she's dignified and stunning as she is, anyway I have to photocopy some papers…"
"Okay…"
I peeked on her office through the glass she indeed looks soft hearted
I kept on working for the project proposal. I need to rush the deadline will be tomorrow.
As I was so focused on my work, I didn't notice that all employees left… I went to the pantry to look for something to eat.
"I can make a sandwich, nice!"
I heard someone enter the room, oh?! It's Miss Yin, oh right I shouldn't call her Yin
"Oh! Good evening miss…"
She cut me off and said
"What are you still doing here? All employees are out…"
"Ah! I'm finishing the project you assigned to me…"
"Ah…"
she's pretty cold… no emotions at all…
"Are you also here to eat? I made extra sandwich would you like them?" I offered some she might be hungry I haven't seen her outside her office to eat lunch.
"I just lost my appetite…"
She walked out of the room and went back to her office. Does she hate me that much? Is it because of what I did 5 years ago? Was that really too much?
I went back to my office to finish my work. I spent 5 hours working and I can feel my back is aching. I haven't been out of the office for 2 days straight so I went outside to stretch and I saw Miss Yin's office with the lights on.
"She hasn't gone home yet?"
I peeked into her office she was busy reading some papers. I bet she hasn't eaten yet.
I went to the pantry to make her a sandwich and some hot chocolate. I kept on knocking but she doesn't notice, so I entered her office and put the sandwich and hot choco on the table near the couch.
I went out and I was thinking to go home as I have finished my work and I only have to present it tomorrow. But she'd be alone in the office, I think It's not right to leave a woman alone in the office. So, I went back and decided to sleep in my office. I'll just go home early tomorrow morning to take a bath and change my clothes.
Around 5 am I took a peek at her office she hasn't touched the food I left. Did she know that it was me who left the food? What have I done for her to hate me this much? Was it really because of what I did 5 years ago?
I went home so I could freshen up.
Yin Ivy Lee's POV
"Clair, tell Mr. Mendez to report in my office with his proposal ASAP" I said through the intercom
"Yes ma'am"
*knock *knock
"yes!"
"Miss Y- I mean Miss Ivy this is the proposal"
I scanned through the proposal he gave me, I thought he was gonna fail, I belittled him too much. I think it was fair enough that he was a cum laude when he graduated college. This proposal is just to my liking and it would be perfect for my new hotel.
"I thought I could fire you today, but I won't be stupid to risk my hotel's future by refusing this proposal. Impressive! Your proposal just caught my fancy."
I looked at him and he was smiling brightly. Ha! He must be happy he's not getting fired.
"stop that!"
"Miss?"
"Stop smiling, you look stupid… anyway I'm going to call a conference to get this proposal into action. Come with me at the conference room" I stood up and went outside my office
"Clair, call the Business management team and the Hospitality management team to the conference room, within 5 minutes. Tell them not to be late."
"Yes miss"
I walked towards the conference room and sat on my chair.
"What are you doing?"
"huh?"
"Prepare for your presentation! Don't tell me you don't have your PPT prepared?!"
"of course, I have"
He looked surprised on how fast I do things in the company
"We have always been this fast on getting things done, you should get used to it."
"Noted miss"
I nodded
5 minutes later the teams are already here and we started the meeting…
"So, I've been thinking instead of promotional fliers we should do a TV ad and get the most influential artist to do the promotion, we---" Yuan was cut off
13 minutes right after the meeting officially started someone entered the room
"As I was saying aside from the TV ad we should---"
"Stop…" I said
"Miss?" Yuan looked rather confused
"Who was that?"
"Miss Ivy?"
"The one who entered the conference late, stand up!!!"
"Miss Ivy…" she stood up and looking at the ground
"From what department are you?"
"Hospitality management miss…"
"Ummm Miss Ivy she's a trainee for 15 days now she'll be a regular member of the team starting tomorrow." The team leader spoke
"What's your name?"
"Pia, miss Ivy…"
"Were you informed during the recruitment that this company doesn't tolerate slouching and late employees?"
"Yes, miss…"
"Fair enough… One more question. Miss Pia as a trainee how much do you get as a salary?"
"15 thousand miss"
"How about a regular employee how much would you earn?"
"30 thousand miss"
"Ummm" I nodded
"Twice as the salary of a trainee… do you think you deserve that pay?"
"Miss?"
I smirked
"Because I think you don't deserve it. You're just a trainee and you dare to be late?!?! upon recruitment you were well informed that we don't tolerate tardiness here, right?!? All of your bosses were on time and you're late?!! I don't want to waste money on someone who's tardy!!! The company compensates the employees accordingly so they will perform well, these senior of yours weren't late even a minute since they got here in my company, yes! I always check their attendance because I'm obsessed with those who are late, I despise them!! If you'll be a regular employee is this what am I going to expect from you? I don't want delays in my company!! Do you understand?!!"
She didn't answer maybe she didn't understand at all…
"DO! YOU! UNDERSTAND!??!"
"Y-yes miss"
I can see the girl on the verge of crying, if I'm not going to scold her, she'll probably do it again, then I'll probably end up firing her instead. It's better to tell her now so she won't do it again then she'll have a chance, I'm not that heartless anyway…
"As a consequence of being 13 minutes late… Hospitality management team leader!"
"Yes miss?"
"I want you to cancel her contract signing tomorrow and extend her training for a month, check her daily logs every day and make sure she doesn't get late…"
"but miss…"
"At least I didn't fire her…" I raised an eyebrow at her
"Noted miss Ivy"
"So, let us continue?" I looked at Yuan and he seemed shocked…
Fair enough, at least I wouldn't have to tell him about being late, I bet he got a good example today. He wouldn't dare if he needs this job. He wouldn't dare to be late just like 5 years ago…
"So I want you people to work hand in hand with this project, I want full details about the development and the problems you will encounter, I'm putting Mr. Mendez here as the in charge, in the first place it was his proposal, better let him do it."
"As for you Mr. Mendez, you're going to report to me every detail regarding this project, not a single detail should be left out, do you follow?"
"Yes miss"
"Meeting adjourned!"
The employees went out and I just sat at the chair for a while because I feel drained
"Miss Ivy…"
"You have more questions Mr. Mendez?"
"None… ummm…"
"Then what is it!?"
"Miss aren't you too hard on the trainee earlier?"
This ring something in my brain and I got so irritated
"It's my company's policy, even I, the chairwoman of this company never gets late! So, if I were you, you better not be late even a single minute…"
I stood up and walked out of the conference room…
We were all busy for the whole week and it went by so fast. As the opening of my new hotel will be 2 weeks from now it became more hectic.
"Attorney Lee?"
"Yes?"
"The hearing will start in a short while."
I'm on court for my pro bono case. The judge entered and we saw the assailant's party on the other side, as expected they hired a good lawyer. We'll see how good he'll be… I've never lost a case since I became a lawyer, though I only accept few cases since I'm busy, but my cases aren't easy to deal with anyway.
We've been answering questions, throwing facts, providing evidences, questioning witnesses, the victims, and the assailant for the past 2 hours.
"I think the court will be able to give a verdict today" I told my clients
"would it be in favor to us"
"The evidences we provided are firm enough, we will win…" I reassured them…
"The court will take a 10-minute break and the judge shall give his verdict after the recess…"
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