Chapter Twenty One“So you mean you can't describe your house for me? You can't tell me the address of your house” Anna asked, shockingly.“I really don't know the place, you know it's my friend's driver that used to take me to office and pick me up at the closing hour”“So you don't know the address of where you stay? Is that what you are trying to tell me…” Before Anna could finish, the door was knocked.“Come in” Marianne said, and it was Thompson who came in.“Good Morning Mr. Thompson” Anna said, “I came to discuss about the dedication in price of our competitors”“The mood here doesn't look like that's what the two of you are discussing. Anyways, I want to put a warning for the two of you and for everyone in the company, you can extend this to them. They should never discuss personal issues at work…”“We aren't discussing personal issues…” Anna interrupted.“Are you interrupting me?” He asked, “Personal matters should be outside of the office. Not even now, when we have a lot of
Chapter Twenty TwoAs Mr. Francis left Marianne's office, Marianne had to drop everything she was doing, “Why should they hate me? What do I not deserve such treatment? I have only decided to work diligently and I don't know how I find myself as the topic of the gossip's mouth” she breathes in and out deeply.“I am going to keep this from Mr. Thompson though, I don't want him to know about this, I don't want to be the reason there's chaos in office, now even now and not even because of me”She straightened up, pushing the negativity aside. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t about to let petty office gossip stand in her way. As she focused back on her tasks, a steely determination settled in her heart.She was reading a file, when someone knocked her door again, “Come in” she said.It was the man after her heart, Mr. Thompson who came in.“Have you seen the promotion team, sir?” Marianne asked.“That? I will see them tomorrow” she said, moving closer to her.“Why tomorrow? There's sti
Chapter Twenty ThreeAfter they had refreshed their minds there. Thompson decides that they leave to go to a restaurant and that he's hungry.They entered the car and he drove off.They got to the restaurant, and they entered.“Have your seat” he told her.They sat down, and the bartender brought the menu list.“I'll like past and flavored drinks,” Marianne said.“Just bring two portions of what she wants, I'll eat anything she wants,” Thompson said and the bartender left.“Hope you enjoyed the food cooked by the chefs?”“Of course… though I have only ate twice in that house”“Twice? And they didn't tell me? Why?”The bartender brought the food.“I have always wanted to hang out with my lover. Be free with her and make sure she's free with me. I have always wanted a hardworking, resilient, reserved and hardworking lady. Although beauty was never in the list but I am glad that I have someone who is also beautiful”Marianne smiled, “I have always loved to be in a relationship with someo
Chapter Twenty FourIt was the next morning and Marainne woke up early because she had many tasks ahead — as an accountant and his secretary.As she got to the workplace, she resumed work as an accountant, calculating everything going on.As she sat back, and leaned her back on her chair, she turned on the system and she couldn't understand what was going on."No!" she whispered in disbelief. "Billions of money are missing, what's going on? I… I left here yesterday and everything was alright…."Her hands trembled as she navigated through the system, trying to make sense of the numbers in front of her. Panic began to rise within her. She knew how thorough she had been with her work the previous day. How could such a massive amount simply vanish overnight?Marianne’s mind raced. This wasn’t just a minor error—this was a potential catastrophe. She must find this and solve it, this could ruin the company and everything they had worked for.Without wasting another moment, she picked up th
AChapter Twenty FiveAs the tension began to weigh them down. Mr. Thompson told everyone to close for today.Mr. Thompson told Marianne not to worry and that she can go home..They went home together. But Marianne wasn't settled she feel the tension weighing her down.When they got home, the both of them went to their room. Marianne went to her room crying that she doesn't know when she slept off She woke up the next morning, tired and exhausted.She prepared for work, and as she got to the living room, she met Thompson.“Good Morning” she greeted.He ignored her at first, “Good Morning” she greeted again.“Good Morning Marianne, where are you going?”“I am going to work. I need to find out…”“You don't need to find out anything, okay?”“Why? I need to know”“See Marainne, I am sorry but you need to know that I don't mix my work with pleasure. I am sorry to announce that you can't resume to my company again”Marianne’s face fell. “What do you mean?”“I mean that your position is no l
Chapter Twenty SixMarianne's PovI was bored inside, but Kane came in, to cheer me up.Probably she knew what was going on, I didn't know “Good Morning” she said, as she come in.I already wiped my tears before she came in, so I replied, “Good Morning Kane, how are you doing?”“I am fine, you didn't go to work today? What happened?”“Oh! Yeah… Something happened yesterday so I won't be going to work for now”“If I am not asking too much, what exactly happened?” She asked.I hesitated, not sure how much I should tell her. The weight of yesterday’s events still lingered heavily on my heart. "H&m… I did everything I could," I began slowly, trying to find the right words. "But it seems like it wasn’t enough. I lost my job, Kane."Her eyes widened in shock. "You lost your job? But how? You’ve been doing so well!"I sighed, feeling the lump in my throat return. "It’s complicated. Mr. Thompson… he said he doesn’t mix work with pleasure, and… and that my position is no longer available."Ka
Chapter Twenty SevenMarianne's PovI was asleep when the door was opened.I stretched my hands and I managed to open my eyes. I saw ‘Thompson’ as soon as I realized he saw the one. I got up from the bed and I stood up.“Welcome Thompson, how's work?”“Please, I had like you to start using the Mr. again”When I heard this, I knew there's nothing more between us, I crossed my arms in anticipation of what he wants to say “Yeah, I'd like you to call me Mr. Thompson,” he said again.“Mr. Thompson I am sorry for whatever has happened, I am very sorry. So, how's it now, have they been able to get the sources of it? Do you have any good news to share to me”“I have a news to share to you, you are this one to decide if it will be good to you or bad, but that doesn't concerns me anymore”“What's that?” I held my breath, feeling my heart race as I waited for his next words. The tension in the room was almost suffocating.Thompson—no, Mr. Thompson—looked at me with an expression that was hard
Chapter Twenty Eight Marainne began to pack her things, not even having any place in mind.She got to the living room and she met Thompson packing up her things.“Thompson… Mr . Thompson….” she wants to talk about what Anna had said, probably he would give her a chance, a second chance to be more careful”But before she could finish, he cut her off with a sharp look, his expression cold and unyielding. “See, let me be frank with you, nothing you would say will make me consider you. I don't mix pleasure with work. No doubt, you have helped my company. But I have always seen you like my other staffs, you ain't any special, get that”“Please,Mr. Thompson, just hear me out, hear me out” Marainne pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. “I didn’t know what Anna was doing. I never meant to—”“Enough.” His voice was firm, final. “What’s done is done. This isn’t about what Anna did or didn’t do. This is about you, and the choices you’ve made.”Marainne felt her heart sink as his words hi