บท 20: Unfair
"Why do I feel so awkward when I've been gone for just a day…" he thinks to himself while glancing around Belen's office, carefully grasping onto his thermal.
Just then, Belen and Noah enter the office as she sat down across from Everest, Noah stays beside her right, laying a contract on the table.
Belen glances at it, "now then Mr. Fox, I'd like to discuss not only the contract but your evaluation."
"Madam, there are urgent calls that need my attention" Noah interrupts when she gestures him to leave.
As he left, Belen continues, "Let me be frank. Your evaluation wasn't great or bad. Rather there is room for improvement. The contract I'm offering you is a seasonal position, meaning you'll only work during Spring that'll come to an end and Summer. We get understaffed during the summer season, and your position is only an assistant secretary. For example, Noah sometimes has to deal with troubling customers, or if it becomes out of his control, I step in. Or Noah has to be in two places at the same time, either helping with new products, managing the marketing, advertising and more. Most of the time, when we attend meetings, I need someone to stay at A Star, that'll either be you or Noah from time to time. Do you understand?"
"So I'll be an assistant to Noah. Will I learn? Because I want to work."
Belen sighs, crossing her arms, "Mr. Fox, I understand you want to rise quickly, but nothing is free in this industry. With time I know you'll gain experience you require through working for me."
"Y-Yes I-I agree b-but!"
Her sharp tone cuts his sentence, "But!?" she smirks coldly, glaring at his nervous eyes, "I realized after meeting your family that your eldest sister Leena Fox is the only one with exceptional experience. Simply exchanging a few greetings with her, I know how hard she tries for the sake of Fox theaters. Let me ask you a question, Everest, do you look up to your sister?"
Everest pauses to think about Leena as flashbacks play in his head like a movie, "…yes, I do…"
"Then you know better than I do that Leena's the one who's been holding the fort in your father's place as the Chairwoman of Fox Theaters."
He merely nods, slumping his head down, but Belen walks over and gently touches his chin lifting his head straight to meet her eyes. But as she did this, Everest's eyes widen in shock but unable to react when staring at Belen's deep brown eyes reflect his face. She smiles, "like this…when talking to someone and you feel as if you're losing your confidence, don't ever look down, not even out of respect. Just like this, stare at them, do not glare, simply stare at them."
She sits next to him, explaining the contract when she suddenly moves her hair to the side, revealing her smooth neckline — catching his attention. When Belen shouts, "Everest?! Are you listening?"
"Ah! Yes! Sorry I was thinking about the terms of the contract." But in reality, Everest was admiring her smell, clothes, hair, and neckline. For once, she's so close to him that he can't help but observe.
"What's wrong with me?" he thinks to himself as Belen continues to explain the contract.
"Do you understand, Everest Fox?"
"I have a question, why are you calling me by my first name? What happened to 'Mr.Fox.'"
She sighs, "once you officially become my employee, I use full names instead of last names…if you don't like it, then I'll go back to calling you."
"No! Please don't! Everest is fine."
She shrugs off his awkwardness, "well, do you have any more questions concerning the contract?"
"Can it ever be terminated?"
"what do you mean?" Belen's eyebrows twitch, "if you break any of the clauses here on the contract, then, of course, I reserve the right to terminate it."
He sighs, nodding, "oh…I see, but what if I."
"You're given two warnings, after your second warning you won't have another chance."
"Then, I'll sign it."
She hands over a pen to him as she walks over to her desk, "once you sign it, I'll send over a copy for you to keep."
As he did, he confidently walks up to her desk, laying down the contract signed when she smiles, extending her hand, "Welcome to A Star Mall, Everest Fox."
His face becomes flushed, seeing her genuine smile for once while shaking her hand, "Thank you, Miss Astares."
***
A week later.
"What is today's agenda, Everest?" Belen asks while glancing at the documents on her desk, confused when he steps up, unlocking his tablet, "You have a general meeting with the heads of the departments at 10 am. At 2 pm Lady Annalise will arrive at A Star Mall. And I've laid out three files that need your immediate attention. The first file is a report of Chanu perfume that is about to launch. The second is a contract that needs to be faxed to A Star in South Korea. And the third is a review of management contracts that need your signature. That is all."
She nods uninterested when she asks, "do you agree? Noah?"
"Yes, although I'm afraid he forgot to mention the need to review the advertisements that'll go up next week in billboards and on A Star Mall."
"hmm?" Everest swipes through his tablet, double-checking if he missed it but did not find it when Belen glances over at him, "fine, send them over with Everest."
"Yes, Madam President, then please excuse us."
But Everest asks, "Madam President, do you perhaps want a warm cup of tea?"
Noah's eyes sharpen, thinking, "what? Why would he offer?"
Belen nods, reading the files on her desk, "Yes," gesturing them to leave.
***
Noah comments, "she does not like to have tea when her desk is full, next time, don't offer."
"But she said yes, why does it matter whether she has stuff on her desk?"
Noah scoffs, "we'll see."
***
Later during the day, Everest's gotten used to his schedule working at A Star Mall.
"Noah, I'm done reviewing tomorrow's schedule for Miss Astares, is there anything else you'd like me to do?"
"Yes, walk around the mall on each floor and ask the heads of the departments they need to submit their inventory. Once you receive them from each of the departments, make sure to bring them to me ASAP."
"Gotcha!" he stops, "what if they don't have it? Should I wait? Or tell them to submit it by the end of the day?"
Noah coldly answers, "tell them I am asking for their report on the inventory. They are to have it ready. There is no such thing as waiting for them. If a problem occurs, call me down immediately…understood?"
"Yes, then excuse me," Everest shutters walking out of Noah's office.
***
Though while Everest is walking around A Star comfortably, not that many customers stop to stare at him anymore compared to the first few weeks. During that time, he's grown close to the employees by greeting them and helping when he can to deal with sensitive customers.
To the employees, Everest is like their knight in shining armor, and their superhero. Very likable and easy to converse with, let's not forget handsome with beautiful crystal blue eyes.
Though as Everest gained almost everyone's favor within A Star, he's also vulnerable, especially when dealing with the heads of the departments. In his mind, Everest knows that he is but a lowly employee humbling himself to his superiors. However, in other eyes, he is Belen Astares's fiancé. Thinking that he is learning the ropes of A Star because he'll soon have ownership of it as well.
"Hi! Everest! What brings you here?" an employee greets him, he leans on the counter, "hmm I'm looking for Miss Rona, there is something I need to collect, do you happen to know where she is?"
"Let me call her for you."
"What she say?"
"She'll be here in 5 minutes."
"thank you."
Minutes later, Miss Rona hands Everest the document Noah asks for when he goes on to meet the rest of the heads of the departments.
He sighs tiredly, "that's 7 out of 8, I only have one more left. Man, why are they taking so long with handing these in? Are they that difficult to finish? I wonder if Noah will scold me for being late, ah fuck!" he clicks his tongue, feeling irritated. But his expression quickly changes as he walks over to the last head of the department, asking, "Hey Mr. Neil, how's everything going?"
"Ah! I'm a little busy right now, hahaha! Why are you here?"
"I'm here to collect the," but before he can finish his sentence, Mr. Neil clicks his tongue, shocking Everest to look back at him.
"Ah! My bad, I know what you're here for, hmmm, I left it in the managing office. And well, I'm busy right now."
Everest tries to be understanding when he explains, "yeah…I see, but if you don't hand it in right now. Noah won't let me hear the end of it."
Mr. Neil furiously nods, "yeah yeah, I get it! it's not your fault," he whispers under his breath loud enough for Everest to hear, "that crazy dog, tche!"
Everest turns away, trying to control his anger within, "what the fuck is his problem? You're not even that busy. Honestly, she's hired some lazy ass."
But Everest is taken aback when Mr. Neil suddenly hands him a pair of keys, "umm, sir, what should I?"
"you said he needs it right now, correct?"
Everest nods with a surprised look in his face.
Mr. Neil smirks, "can you do me the favor of getting it for me? It's on my desk. You can't miss it."
Everest blankly nods, walking away into the manager's office. But as he entered he notices no one around and walks through trying to find Mr. Neil's desk when the sound of the door opens, thinking it must be Mr. Neil. But as he turned around, the documents he's holding in his hands fall to the ground as his eyes widen in fear, slightly shaking.
"N-Noah?"
Noah walks to pick up the documents on the ground, "what are you doing in here? Everest Fox?" he glares, making him twitch.
"u-uh…"
"you're not allowed entry into the manager's office, or do you not remember who you're working for?"
Just then, Mr. Neil walks in on them, taken aback when he tries to sweet-talk Noah, "ah! What a surprise Secretary Noah! What brings you here?"
Noah coldly asks, "I sent Everest to collect your reports, yet it's been over thirty minutes when it usually takes me 10. Would you care to explain why is Mr. Fox here? Mr. Neil?"
Mr. Neil nervously stutters, "I kindly asked Everest if he could get it for me, please forgive me, Secretary Noah. I take full responsibility."
But Noah does not listen to him when he scoffs, "and your headset? Why is it on your desk other than on your ear? Will you take responsibility for that as well?"
Mr. Neil bows apologizing to him, though Noah turns away, disappointed, "If you're sorry, then make sure it does not happen again!"
"Yes sir!" he quickly rushes out cowering like a dog with its tail between its legs.
Though as he left, Noah shakes his head, "ha! Sorry? Yet he forgot his headset again." He gestures Everest to hand him the headset that is on the desk, but as Everest was about to give it to him, he accidentally turns up the volume as they both hear the heads of the departments talking, "What's going on in your end Miss Rona?"
"I saw Everest is collecting the inventory this time?"
"Yeah, what about you, Max?"
"What about you, Neil?"
"Neil?"
"oh snap, they probably got him!"
"who?"
"who else the dog-killer!"
"ah! You mean the Madam's loyal dog-killer!"
"yep! Most likely, secretary Noah…the dog-killer!"
Everest silently stares at Noah's dark complexion as he turns off the set, making the cold silence unbearable.
But Noah breaks the silence with an unmoved complexion, "take this to Mr. Neil, afterward feel free to take your break."
***
After giving Mr. Neil the communicator set, Everest thinks, "Eh! Ima take my break at the café across the street."
Soon Everest is lost in a daze drinking his ice americano thinking about, "dog-killer? Why do they call Noah, the dog-killer? Did he kill a dog? Nah, they can't mean that in a literal sense. I wonder, do the heads of the department not like him?"
Meanwhile, as Noah was on his way upstairs, he overhears the employee's conversation in the lounge.
"do you think Everest had his break already?"
"He's not here today…bummer."
"he's so easy to talk to."
"remember that one time, he almost slipped during the morning inspection?"
"Ah! You mean when that dog-killer scolded him in front of us because he could have tripped the Madam?"
"Noah is honestly annoying! He goes by the book! But Everest is very humble and sweet."
"His smile is so cute!!"
"His clumsiness makes him approachable, man I wonder how did the Madam snatch such a great guy!"
"I cannot imagine the Madam with him. She's too strict."
"no! the one who is strict is the dog-killer Noah, it looks as if Everest is working for him, don't you think?"
"Hopefully, Everest fills in Noah's spot so that dog-killer can finally leave and go back to his country."
"I thought Asians were strict, but not this uptight!"
"Hey, let's not be racist! Luckily we're working for the Madam President. She isn't racist."
Though Noah continues going upstairs with a blank expression as if unmoved by their comments sighing, "they hate me this much? I was beginning to grow weary of their quietness. Ever since he came, the employees are beginning to rile up."
He enters his own office and begins to work but suddenly pauses, remembering flashbacks of the first year he began working at A Star.
When Noah first started working at A Star, many of the employees were hostile towards him. And Belen left everything for him to solve; it was as if she rescued a young deer and left him alone in the wild.
He murmurs bitterly, lost in thought, "unfair…is that what I'm feeling? Unfair? Why?" he sighs, "am I jealous of him?" just the idea shocks his self-esteem.
"Why am I…ugh" he rubs his head. "I'm used to this kind of bullying, but I can't help but feel irritated being compared to him…We're nothing alike."
Buzz, buzz, buzz his phone vibrates, "Yes Madam?"
"come to the office."
"Alright," he responds in a mellow tone.
But as he enters her office, something about his energy feels off to Belen when she asks, "Noah? Are you not feeling well?"
He tries to put on a strong face, "its nothing Madam, sorry to worry you."
But she side-eyes him, "then let me continue, I've chosen the…" her voice fades in Noah's ears, making him only focus on Belen thinking, "I haven't felt this way in a while…but no matter how difficult it got for me…just seeing her face makes me forget all about it," he faintly smiles.
"What do you think, Noah?"
"huh?"
"you want me to repeat myself?!" she glares, making him smile, "ah there it is…her daring eyes pull me back to reality."
"Please forgive me, Madam President…"
She sighs, twitching her eyes brows, "fine, I'm only going to repeat it once more."
***
On the other hand, Everest is in the office, silently working on perfecting Belen's schedule for the week. When Noah enters, ignoring his presence and walking straight to his desk.
Everest coughs, trying to get rid of the silence when he asks, "Excuse me, Noah, I have a question."
"Yes…"
"Uhm, I know this may seem inappropriate to ask, maybe…umm can I."
Noah annoyingly slams his desk, "what I hate most are people who can't speak up! Now talk! I'm in the middle of an important task!"
"would you mind if I played some music? Or if it's too much, can I wear an earphone?"
Noah coldly responds, "Sure."
But Everest shrugs it off and plays music through his headphones.
***
Noah, on the other hand, seems bothered, "I don't understand why the employees like him? Ugh! Damn, why did Belen hire him? He's wealthy, has a family business, and even…shit! I think I should step out."
As he did, Everest surprisingly hears the door shut when he glances around, "huh? What happened? Maybe she called him into her office."
***
Meanwhile, Edilberto calls Iris, "where are you? Your mother said she's been calling you all day why haven't you answered her calls?"
"I'm someplace far. I'll her back right now! Okay, bye, dad!" she abruptly hangs up when a male voice asks, "who was that? Your dad?"
She looks over to kiss the man, "Yeah, he wants me to call my mom."
When a kids voice ask, "dad, can I order anything I want?"
The man leans over, hugging him, "yeah, son choose what you like!"
Iris calls her mom, "ma? My dad said you called me, what is it?"
"When are you going to pick up Azaan? He keeps saying he wants to go home and even started crying!"
"ugh, ma! This is why you shouldn't have taken him, ma!"
"come pick him up, or else he'll start crying that he wants to go home again!"
"I can't right now, why don't you ask my dad?"
"Iris! Your dad is not going to be around for long to take care of things for you! Azaan is your son, not his!"
"awe man, ma! I'll see you then."
She comes back to sit down with her boyfriend and his son when he asks, "why do you look so mad?"
When the boy asks, "dad, our food is here! Here Iris! You can have some of my chicken nuggets!"
She smiles like a mother patting his head, "thank you, Ed! Eat up before it gets cold!"
"do you have to leave already? Iris?" her boyfriend asks.
"No, we can spend more time together, where do you want to go next little Ed?"
The boy responds, "I want to play at the park!"
Iris brightly answers, "okay! Then make sure to eat everything!"
***
Everest finished for the day, but Noah is not around for him to excuse himself, so he asks, "Madam President, do you happen to know where Secretary Noah is right now?"
"I don't think he was feeling well, so he might've gone outside."
"Ah, then please excuse me, I've finished my work for today, have a good night!"
"You don't have to report to me. Your supervisor is Noah."
He simply nods, walking out of the office when he wonders, "she said outside, but where?" when he asks the front desk, "excuse me, did you happen to see secretary Noah?"
"I saw him take the stairs. I think he was going up."
"up? Up where?"
"the rooftop!"
"Ah! Thank you! I'll see you tomorrow, have a great night!"
He decides to find Noah by going to the rooftop, "since working here, I've noticed that Belen cares about seniority, despite age, race, and or sex. I have to be mindful of others forcefully and respectively excuse myself…"
Finally, he opens the door to the rooftop, carefully glancing around when he spots him in the distance, "Woah, it looks like those scenes where superheroes have their moments to themselves, maybe I shouldn't be here." Just as he turned around, Noah shouts, "what are you doing up here?"
He twitches, whispering under his breath, "shit!"
He walks closer, "did you need something?"
"ah, um, I was just looking for you."
"why?" Noah asks with a stern expression.
"I finished everything for today, so I was hoping to excuse myself."
But Noah does not respond, as the cold wind brushes through them, standing opposite of each other in silence. Everest can leave, but he can't help but asks, "excuse me, Secretary Noah, there is something I'd like to ask…did I perhaps do something to anger you?"
"…Yes."
"what did I do? I can correct it!"
Noah coldly responds while glaring, "you don't belong here!"
The cold wind becomes heavy when Everest scoffs arrogantly, "and why is that? What do you know?"
Noah becomes irritated by his sudden change of tone, "what is a person such as yourself, working for someone who isn't guaranteeing you a permanent position? Don't you already have your family business? If I were you, I'd be working on promoting my family business from disappearing, or better yet going bankrupt."
Everest loses his patience out of anger, grabbing onto Noah's collar, "watch your mouth you little piece of shit!"
Noah smirks, "rude, chatty, and impatient…Those are the correct terms to describe you, always getting angry. This is your true self, not that clumsy idiot you pretend to act in front of the employees."
"What!?" he lets go, "huh?! What the fuck are you talking about?"
Noah softly chuckles, "go back to your silver spoon life. This place is an adult world, not a playground."
"Last time I checked Belen Astares is my boss, not you?!"
"But you forgot something important…" he whispers, "I'm your supervisor…so you better behave, or else I won't hesitate to fire you."
"does that make you feel good?" Everest asks, trying to control his wrath, "picking on those who have a family, unlike yourself? Doesn't that make you pitiful?"
"weren't you leaving? Or should I report you to the Madam for violently grabbing me from the collar?"
"Psh! Whatever! And here I was feeling sorry for you. I guess you do deserve that nickname. DOG-KILLER!" he walks out into the stairs exiting the rooftop.
Noah is left alone on the rooftop numb of the winds cold breeze, staring down at Everest's car exit A Star Mall gates. "Finally that thug is gone…" but as he turned around, he's paralyzed in shock to see Belen ask, "who were you calling a thug just now?"
She grins, "what happened? Cat caught your tongue?"
"N-No, it's just," he looks over his shoulder, making her curious enough to stare down, "ah isn't that Everest's car? Don't tell me, is he the thug?"
But as Noah tries to come up with an excuse, Belen smirks, patting his shoulder, "I was wondering why the long face…I guess he's to blame?"
Noah embarrassingly looks away, "…sorry."
"As long as you feel better, I still have some things to finish, will you be going home?"
"no, I stepped out for too long, are we going home together?"
"Sure…" she walks away, exiting the rooftop.
Noah heavily sighs, "Madam President... You're truly unfair."
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