Of the ten candidates tested, only two met Evan's standards. One was a man and the other was a woman. Both of them excelled in administrative matters—one of the most important skills as a secretary, but they must be able to follow Evan’s work rhythm. As seen from the psychological test result, they both belonged to the type of workers who were predominantly melancholic, in other words, too careful.
This situation was in contrast to Evan, the choleric type who was very agile; a good fit for a leader. He always did things quickly. He was never a slowpoke type.
Grace wanted to take advantage of this to get the secretary position. She didn't want to stop fighting for it. Her brilliant brain gave her an idea. She decided to talk about the candidates' weaknesses with Evan.
“Mr. Williams, are you sure the two selected people have the qualities that meet your standard? They are the exact opposite of you," said Grace, still standing in front of Evan's desk after handing out the final exam papers for the two candidates.
"What's that got to do with you?" Evan said sarcastically. He didn't even look at her.
'If you weren't my best friend, I'd have thrown rotten mangoes at you, Evan.' Grace cursed inwardly. She still couldn't believe that a soft-hearted person like him could turn as cold as a demon. “With all due respect, I know you VERY WELL. Melancholic people are never your choice. In fact, it’s a sanguine LIKE ME who can follow your work rhythm,” she said, stressing some words to promote herself.
Hearing that, Evan then threw a glance at Grace. "Says who? You DON'T know me enough," he said, stressing the word back at her. “Now please leave this room. I need peace.”
Grace was furious. She already felt exhausted after dealing with the tests and completing all of her tasks in one day. However, the way she was treated by Evan had gotten her to chin up even more. At first, she was about to explode in anger but then thought that this could be a trap. She believed Evan was doing this on purpose to get her to give up and walk away.
'No, Evan. I'm not going to stop here just because of your sarcastic remarks.' Grace smiled vaguely with the upturning of her mouth corners, pretending to be calm. “Alright. Please enjoy the peace, Mr. Evan Williams,” she mentioned her full name in a little sarcastic way.
Evan acted indifferently and just looked at his laptop screen.
Unfazed by Evan's cold demeanor, Grace left the place quietly. She walked back to her office.
On the way, Grace ran into one of the assistant managers as well as a staff she had never seen before. They were smiling fakely in front of her, but her ears were sharp enough to hear the mocking remarks said behind her.
“Grace really is shameless. Previously, she seduced her own supervisor. Now the GM. Does she actually think she's beautiful?”
It wouldn't be surprising if Grace had the desire to slaughter the two women with harsh words right at that moment. Her ears were so burning and she was sure that she could do it. If it hadn't been for Evan who taught her how to restrain her emotions years ago, she would have already earned the title of 'Devil Woman' by now. No one would be able to hold up after receiving curses from her.
Grace quickened her pace to get to the pantry as soon as possible. She wanted to cool her head which was now smoldering like a burning forest.
One of the things that Grace loved about working at this hotel was the facilities provided for the employees. This pantry looked like a luxury bar equipped with various beverage makers and ingredients. Ready-to-drink beverages were always available; almost never ran out.
From inside the refrigerator, which was about fifteen centimeters taller than her, Grace took out a box of orange juice. She stuck a straw into the box and took a sip of the drink that instantly refreshed her throat.
While enjoying the juice, a man and a woman entered the pantry. The woman seemed to be complaining about something while the man was listening.
“Why do I have to do it? We have office clerks to do this. I not here working as a maid! If she wants to bootlick the GM, she has to do it herself. Don't make other people do it.” Those were the things that the female employee was saying so loudly.
Grace didn't know which manager ordered the woman, but she did know that it had something to do with Evan. She smiled as an idea popped into her mind. Without further ado, she approached the two unfamiliar employees.
“Hi. Sorry to interrupt. But if I'm not mistaken, you were told to do something for Mr. Williams?” asked Grace without hesitation.
The woman took a deep breath as she controlled her emotions and nodded. "Yes. I was told to make a drink and deliver it to him," she answered.
“Ah, then let me do it. No worries. Actually, I am about to go to Mr. Williams' place," said Grace offering herself.
With wide eyes and a bright smile, the woman replied, "Really? Wow, you're amazingly kind. Thank you!"
Grace nodded then turned to the fridge. She took a box of chocolate milk and fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. She also took the mixer from a shelf not far from where she was standing. She deftly made Evan's favorite smoothie.
The healthy drink was ready and Grace placed it on a tray. Carefully she brought it to Evan's office.
“Grace, Grace!” Mario's voice calling her out was heard from behind. He just came out of his office.
Grace stopped walking and turned to her boss. "Yes, Sir?" she asked.
Mario frowned seeing what Grace was carrying. “Why are you bringing a drink? For who? Mr. Williams?" he guessed as he was walking up to her.
“Yes.”
“But why are you doing it instead of the office clerk?”
Grace pressed her lips together. “Hmm. Earlier, I heard that the office clerk in charge couldn't do it. Then there was a staff member who was ordered to do it. But she seemed to be busy. So I offered myself. By chance, I've got some free time and working hours are almost over too,” she explained.
Mario took some time before answering. He looked like he was pondering about what to say, knowing how strong-willed Grace was. “Grace, your job is to be an assistant manager. You can leave this task to the office clerk. Don't waste your talent and reputation," he said.
Grace raised an eyebrow. “Is it that low to deliver drinks?” Her question pierced his heart at once.
"That's not what I meant—"
"Don’t you always say to take initiative when help is needed? And it happens that the help needed right now is delivering drinks. Don't worry. Things like this won't affect my reputation,” said Grace, giving an explanation that Mario couldn't refute.
Taking a deep breath and nodding, Mario replied, “You're right. Sorry, I just don't want your name to fall into disrepute because of this. You know, a lot of people have been talking about you behind your back, right?”
Grace smiled. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Suganda. I have no control over keeping their mouths shut. But I have control to cover my ears," she said calmly. “Is there anything else you need to tell me? Because otherwise, I need to deliver this drink to Mr. Williams.”
There was really nothing else Mario wanted to say. He approached Grace only because he saw her with the drink. Now he felt even more in love with her with the answer she just gave.
"I guess not. Go ahead. Do what you need to do," said Mario with a small smile.
Grace slightly lowered her head in respect and then continued walking toward her intended destination. Her focus immediately shifted from his conversation with Mario to what she was going to say to Evan later in his office.
Overjoyed to be seeing Evan for the second time that day, Grace nearly ran into the finance manager who suddenly appeared around the corner. Luckily she was able to keep the drink from spilling or falling.
"Hey! Use your eyes when you walk. Careful!" yelled the woman who was a bit older than she.
"Sorry, Miss Kendall. I'm in a hurry to deliver this drink to Mr. Williams," Grace replied.
Gwen Kendall, the manager well-known for her sassiness, looked at the drink and said, “Let me do it." She pulled the tray from Grace's hand.
But Grace couldn't let that happen. It was she who had this opportunity and had spent time making the drink. "No need, Miss. I can do it myself,” she said softly but with a hint of anger.
"When I say I'm gonna do it, don't stop me." Gwen glared at Grace, signaling the start of a fierce battle between the two women.
Grace was shorter than Gwen, but that didn't mean she was any less powerful. She held the tray while holding the glass so the smoothies wouldn't spill. “Miss, please let go. Let me do my job,” she said in a firmer tone this time.
"You're just an assistant, you know that? Don't fight me!" Gwen exclaimed then violently pushed the tray toward Grace.
As a result, Grace stumbled backward and hit the wall with her back. The delicious-tasting smoothies spilled out, staining her white blouse.
"See? Bad karma! It’s because you go against your superior!” snapped Gwen with her arms crossed.
Grace's hands were full, one holding a tray and the other a glass. She was boiling mad right now. She was ready to strike the manager with what she was holding.
Nevertheless, before war broke out, Evan came out of his room and shouted, “What the heck? Why make a fuss in front of my office?”
In self-defense, Gwen hastily said, “I was going to deliver a drink for you, Mr. Williams. But she snatched it and insisted that she would bring it to you. So the drink spilled. My hands are also sticky. Look.”
Grace couldn't understand how she could have crossed her tongue, distorting the facts. 'Dang it! There’s not a single drop of the smoothies in her hand. How could he say her hands were sticky?' "Do you believe it?" she snapped, glancing at Evan.
Evan knew very well that Grace wasn't a troublemaker. If she got into trouble, it would be only because she wanted to defend herself. Nevertheless, he remained calm to assess this matter wisely without taking anyone's side.
"I don't care who's right. But you two are at the scene. Get it all cleaned up. I want this to be cleaned before working hours are over," Evan ordered.
While Gwen made a disappointed and angry face, Grace smiled cynically. Feeling satisfied that the notorious financial manager also got scolded by Evan. Plus, she didn't mind cleaning the small stains on the carpet. Cleaning was not a big deal for her; she was used to doing it at home.
Gwen put her hands on her hips and left the place without saying a word. Either she would return to do what Evan had said or not.
"Sorry for the mess," Grace said before Evan went back into his room.
Whether she could be considered lucky or not, there was one thing for sure. Grace was definitely relieved. From what she could see, Evan actually believed her.
An office clerk came out of the corner where Gwen had gone. She approached Grace and offered to clean it up. At first, Grace refused because Evan asked her to take responsibility. But with the office clerk's insistence, she agreed in the end. She also handed the dirty glass and tray to the middle-aged woman in front of her.
Grace rushed to the toilet. Luckily she always pocketed her phone. She contacted Nita to help her. She waited for some time while cleaning her blouse with water and tissue.
It was not far to go from her office to the toilet she was in now. However, Nita only arrived twenty minutes later, out of breath.
"What took you so long, Nita? You’ve got work to finish?" she asked.
Nita shook her head as she half raised her palm. “How could you be … this messed up? Don’t you know … you’re such trouble? You look like you’ve been … in a war," she said then straightened up after catching her breath. "Here's a blouse for you."
"Oh my, thank you, Nita. You don’t have to buy a new one for me,” said Grace, smiling when she saw the Batik blouse she knew was sold at the store on the first floor.
"I only went there because Mr. Williams ordered me to do it. And it’s on him," Nita told her.
Hearing those words warmed Grace's heart. She could already guess that her best friend wouldn't have the heart to see her go through something bad. No matter how bad Evan's attitude was, it didn’t necessarily change Grace's thoughts about him.
[ABY]
What would Grace do?
Evan didn’t want to spend too much time on selecting the new executive secretary. Once the last two candidates passed the last test, he decided to choose the male one for possessing better credentials. This absolutely gave Grace no chance at all to thwart him.However, Grace was sure enough that she still had access to connect with her best friend, either as an executive secretary or not. After all, she was an assistant to the HRD manager who would always get involved in any meetings with the GM.That was another ordinary day. There was almost nothing different. Grace finished doing her job that day and was getting ready to leave for home.“Grace, are you really not going to hang out with us tonight? Oh, come on. It’s Friday night.” Nita was trying to persuade her colleague who always refused to have fun every single time.“It’s not that I don’t want to come, but I have a mom who works back at home. My mom’s small drink stall opens at four and closes at seven. At least, I can help her
It had been over two months since Evan had become the GM of this hotel. There had been no significant change from every effort Grace put into breaking his cold demeanor. What happened was that her workload increased. System overhaul and staff changes were also carried out. Inevitably, Grace was forced to work and became too tired to keep up with it. Despite his desire to advance the hotel, Evan had another goal: to keep Grace away from him. For the last few years, his efforts had been quite successful. He was quite happy. Nevertheless, seeing Grace frequently go home with a man who seemed to be close to her, somehow caused a strange feeling in Evan's heart. Because the Grace he knew didn't get along that close with any men. Before he had gone to England, he had been the only man who could be so close to her. Standing from a distance, Evan saw Grace walking limply out of the building. As usual, she was waiting to be picked up, either by an online taxi or by Anthony. Similarly, Evan
“Stop the car.” Grace's emotions rose when Evan didn't give an answer. “I said stop!”Evan ignored what she said. He kept the car running.“You said we can't be friends anymore like we used to, so please stop the car. I'm getting off," Grace insisted. Nevertheless, her stomach felt very churning so she chose to speak in a low voice. “Please, Evan.”Evan stopped the car, but he centrally locked all the car doors so they couldn't be opened.After Grace unbuckled her seatbelt, she tried to open the door but couldn't. "Unlock it," she ordered."Grace. Listen. We really can't be like we used to be. But that doesn't mean I can let a girl walk alone at night," Evan told her, feeling annoyed. “What kind of man do you think I am?”Grace turned her body so that she was fully facing Evan. "A man who broke his promise, who broke up a friendship for no reason," she answered sarcastically.Evan was silent. He would never tell the real reason."Okay. I guess you won't tell me why. Then I won't stop b
Every day, there were many things Grace did in order to carry out her 'Operation Disturbing Evan'. Starting from small things like taking over the office clerk's job to bring drinks for Evan, to taking care of everything in the HR department that required contact with the GM.Many rumors began to emerge regarding Grace's actions. Among them was licking the GM’s boots to get a promotion. While the subject of the conversation, Evan, ignored her, her closest colleague, Nita, had been nagging her for the past hour."Don't worry, Nita. Everything will be fine. When I feel cornered and have to do something about it, then I will tell them that Evan is my best friend." Grace replied casually.Nita put on a straight face while letting out a sigh. "You're really stubborn, aren't you?" she said, pinching Grace's arm a little.Since the pinch left no pain, Grace just chuckled. "Nita, there are more important things for me to do than just think about what people say about my actions," she said calm
"Grace, you still look unwell." Indah looked worried to see her daughter was still weak.During the weekend, Grace spent most of her time in her room. Or, she would sit on the terrace of her house doing nothing. She tried to recover from the bad memories that plagued her mind. She needed to focus on her work, especially in the last three months before the year ended."I'm fine, Mom. See, I can smile this wide, can't I?" Grace bared a row of her neat teeth.Indah shook her head in surprise at Grace's persistence. She knew very well that her daughter never wanted to worry her. But surprisingly, she did prove it. The sadness she was experiencing passed quickly and the wide smile would return, just like this time."Okay. But you better go home with Anthony. Every afternoon he passes by your workplace,” said Indah.Grace sighed and said, “Mom…don't make Anthony do it. Since you asked him for help, he must feel bad to say no. He could be home earlier, but unfortunately has to wait for me abo
“Grace really doesn't know her place. Not to mention, how rude she was for calling Mr. Williams by his first name." "Right. Does she think Mr. Williams would fall for her? Having just been given a chance to speak up, she acts as if she can do as she pleases.” “What a lowly woman. She is completely out of Mr. Williams' league who is an Oxford graduate." The mean words grew fiercer in the next few days. They were not only spoken behind Grace’s back anymore but also right in front of her. She was getting sick of being bullied and almost exploded, distracting her focus. Fortunately, she could still restrain herself from proclaiming the truth that she was Evan's best friend. Luckily, Mario was a wise manager. Since the beginning, he had created a good atmosphere in the HR department. When there were bad rumors about Grace, her office was a safe place for her. The staff also didn’t carelessly judge and indulge in meaningless rumors. “Grace, can you come with me to my office?” Mario appr
“Grace, Anthony’s here.” Indah touched Grace who was lazily leaning on the couch. Even though it wasn’t a holiday or weekend, Grace finally made up her mind to take sick leave. Luckily, Mario granted her wish and considered that she could use the break. All night long Grace had shed so many tears inside her bedroom. Right when she woke up, later than usual around eight in the morning, she had a little breakfast and rested on the couch. The TV was turned on, but she didn’t even look at it. Grace turned to her mom. “Just tell him to come in, Mom. I don’t feel like moving a finger. It might be because I’m having my period,” she reasoned. In fact, she had finished her period three weeks ago. Indah believed that something wrong had happened. However, her daughter didn’t tell her anything but the reason behind her sick leave. She was sure Anthony knew something about it. Returning to the living room where Anthony was sitting, Indah didn’t ask him to come to meet Grace right away. She as
Returning to the office meant entering a battlefield. Grace armed herself with several ‘weapons’. Firstly, to tackle the harsh words spoken by some fellow employees. Secondly, to avoid getting involved with Evan. Grace made a request to Mario to let Nita replace her as the assistant manager for some period of time. It was initially burdensome for both Mario and Nita. Mario preferred to have Grace for having more experience and skills. Meanwhile, Nita felt more capable of working with a computer than standing in public. However, she pulled her best effort by giving some reasonable alibis until her request was finally granted. For approximately a month Grace successfully avoided Evan. Every time being asked to do something related to the GM, there was an excuse she could come up with to escape. She even left her place only when she had to go to the restroom or pantry, once a day. Not to mention how she made sure that she would finish work and leave the office on time. This proved that
Dealing with moving and a few other things seemed to take a lot of time. It was only in February that the newlyweds had the opportunity to go on their honeymoon. But who would have thought that an unexpected pandemic would strike the entire earth in early 2020? Luckily, Evan and Grace were able to return to Indonesia just before the government closed the border.Rumors about the economic downturn of the tourism sector were already here and there. As hotel workers, Evan and Grace were very involved in addressing this issue. Especially after the hotel owner said that there should be layoffs in every branch of the hotel to maintain business continuity.Over the next few months, they had to work even harder. As a result, this newly married couple experienced challenges in getting a child. A pregnancy program was the best solution. However, on the other hand, they also had to consider the unfavorable situation, especially the hospitals which were crowded with people infected by the deadly v
[September 12, 2008]“Two special young coconut ice for my cutest loyal customer.” Dahayu brought two of the cafe's signature drinks for Grace and Evan who returned there at the weekend. They immediately took one for each of them. "To be honest, I'm curious. Are you two an item?”Hearing that, each of them spontaneously reacted in surprise. Grace spit out the drink that was already in her mouth while Evan coughed."Oopsies. Why are you reacting that way?” Dahayu patted them both on the back. "How could you be startled by my question?" She chuckled amused."Of course. What makes you think so, though? We are best friends.” Grace who wasn't having a problem with her throat answered.Evan turned to Grace once his throat was better. “Well, I know why she thinks so of us. We’re very close," he said, thinking of the most likely reason. “Not to mention, we come here every week to watch the sunset. We’re like a couple."Dahayu nodded with her index finger pointing at Evan. “There he knows,” she
[December 8, 2006]"Why don't you turn it in, Grace? Didn't you hear Miss Diana say it's the end-of-semester assignment? Aren't you afraid of failing arts?"A keychain made of clear resin with half a clamshell stuck inside was placed sweetly on a pile of textbooks. Grace was looking at it with a big smile, satisfied to see the results of her hard work. "I did. I made two of them," she replied."Why did you make two?""No idea. I just felt like it. Who knew this keychain could bring happiness to someone?" Grace answered perfunctorily. She lifted the keychain in front of her face before putting it in her jacket pocket. "I'd better be going home now."Grace walked out of her classroom which was still quite crowded with tenth graders. While the others could still have fun with their friends after school, she had to go home as soon as possible. Her mom needed her help to look after the drink stall.The sky was quite cloudy at three that afternoon. Nevertheless, nobody would be able to tell
There were only a few hours left before the long-awaited day arrived. To make things easier, Grace stayed at the hotel where she worked, along with her mom. Of course, as the future wife of the hotel GM, she got a privilege. All those tasked with making her a queen a day would also be there around four in the morning the next day.Only Grace couldn't sleep. She continued to be restless, not knowing what was causing it. Indah said it was natural for a bride-to-be. Nevertheless, she felt that something else was bothering her."But you should try to sleep, Grace. Tomorrow will be a long day." Indah advised her while patting her own shoulder. "I'm sleepy, and also feel a little sore in the back after baking cakes with Rosa.""You shouldn't have pushed yourself too hard. Didn't I tell you that you don’t have to?" Grace arched an eyebrow. "Well then, you can go sleep first. I want to stay awake for a while longer. I might pray too, who knows this restlessness will go away after praying?" She
“Grace, thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet and talk.” Randy still couldn't believe that he finally got the long-awaited moment. With tears in his eyes, he looked at his daughter who had been separated from him for so long. “I also thank you, Evan. I should have told the truth from the start so you didn't have to go through everything alone.” Rosa chimed in, expressing her gratitude towards her only son. “Once again, forgive me. I thought keeping things to myself and letting you blame me was a good choice.” It wasn't an easy matter for Grace and Evan to completely release forgiveness. The pain in their hearts was still pronounced, like a post-surgery wound that hadn't fully healed. Deciding to have this meeting even took almost two weeks, close to their wedding day. “If it weren't for Mom, I don't think this day would exist. So, the gratitude, uh,” Grace paused, unsure of how to address Randy and Rosa. But finally, she decided in her heart to say, “Dad and Mama Rosa's gr
"Oh, someone is legally going to be a wife next month." Nita visited Grace during her break after hearing the news about her marriage plan with Evan. “You … will make me your bridesmaid, right? People say that after a woman becomes a bridesmaid three times, she will get married soon." Grace laughed at Nita's words. "What kind of myth is that? I've never been a bridesmaid but I'm getting married next month, you see,” she said, amused. Sitting next to Grace on a small couch, Nita nudged her. "See who’s being arrogant now," she quipped. “Well, you should be grateful. You’re lucky to have met Mr. Williams. Unlike me who was already engaged, almost married, but suddenly left for no reason.” She took a deep breath. A few months before Grace's position as HRD assistant manager was replaced by Nita, she had heard the bad news. However, Nita's stubbornness and indifference made it seem like nothing wrong happened to her. At the request of her colleague, Grace also promised not to discuss it
Anthony's impudence affected Grace's mind. After all, she had been close to him; someone who once was able to put a smile on her face, when Evan hadn't returned. After his dad's death ceremony finished, Anthony disappeared without a word.Due to problems involving Anthony, Grace was forced to find a replacement for Nina to help run Indah’s pastry shop. It wasn't that she didn't want to hire the girl anymore, but that her family had withdrawn from dealing with Grace. It wasn't surprising, but still sad for her.She must admit that Nina's replacement was not as competent and deft as she was. But finding someone honest and willing to work as a cashier for a small shop was not easy. Therefore, Grace spent a little more of her time taking care of the shop every day like before."Are you dizzy, babe?" Evan stroked Grace's hair, who was counting money in the shop.A weak smile appeared on Grace's face. "Not dizzy. Just a little tired," she replied. "Got more work in the office today."Evan si
The sun's rays penetrated through the gaps in the curtains that were not completely closed. The cold night was slowly replaced by the warmth of the sun. But the comfort that enveloped Grace made her reluctant to move from her place. Her hand moved to pull the blanket that was slightly dangling to the floor. That's when she felt something odd.The temperature of the air conditioner was set to the lowest and the sunlight was not the source of warmth she was feeling. When her eyes brightened, it was clear that there was now an arm supporting her head and another arm hugging her waist from behind. Even her fingers intertwined with those of the arm’s owner.'Good heavens. How did I get here?' Grace lifted the blanket up a little just to check if she was still fully clothed."Nothing happened. We just slept through the night.”Grace woke up in a hurry, then moved to another bed and sat down.“In the middle of the night, you suddenly moved to my bed, saying you felt cold. I wanted to turn up
The special assignment given to Grace required her to make a short trip to Lombok. The Spanish investor couple welcomed her warmly, like their own daughter; the woman, especially, always clung to her hand from the moment they met until they arrived at the beautiful resort in the south of Lombok.It was a private three-bedroom villa where Grace, the Dominguez, and the hotel owner, Roger, and his wife stayed. As previously informed, the other two rooms with a king bed each were occupied by the husbands and wives, and Grace was alone in the room with twin beds. The aim was to make it easier for them to negotiate, but at the same time get to know each other in a soothing place. A typical warm Spaniard, as Grace often read from cultural articles.There was not much to do once they were in the villa. Apart from chatting and having lunch together, Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez chose to relax on the balcony of their room. Meanwhile, Roger was sleeping in the bedroom, and Melissa, his wife, was making