Chapter 3

AFTER asking around for what felt like forever, Ashley finally found the files for Jimenez Corporation’s business interactions with other companies. Of course, si Mr. Jimenez didn’t even bother to give her any instructions or directions kung saan hahanapin ‘yung mga files na ‘to, parang magic lang na dapat alam niya na. When she opened the storage cabinet, her eyes widened—ang daming binders! Each day had its own thick binder, sobrang punong-puno ng detailed reports on every interaction the company had. Just looking at the pile of papers, napagod na siya agad. 

"Grabe, ang dami nito, paano ko matatapos to?!"

She sat down at her desk and started reading. Page after page, report after report, siniseryoso niya lahat. Sumakit na yung mata niya. Her head started throbbing, parang nagha-hangover pero sa sobrang daming text na binasa. Worse? It had taken her over three hours just to read that much. Three hours, and ang dami pang natitira! 

Ashley glanced up from the endless pile of papers and noticed na tahimik na ang office. Dahil lunch break na pala, she realized. She looked around and saw that everyone had already left for lunch.

'Ang malas talaga,' she thought, as the only thing keeping her company were the stacks of reports na kailangan pa niyang tapusin. None of her co-workers even bothered to ask if she needed help. Ilang beses pa siyang nahuli ng pitiful glances from them, pero wala namang tumulong, tapos balik na lang sila sa trabaho nila.

Ayaw naman niyang masayang yung oras, Ashley determined to make the most out of her time kahit gutom na siya. So she decided to skip lunch and keep reading. 'Kailangan matapos ko ‘to,' she told herself as she let out a tired sigh. Her stomach grumbled, obviously not agreeing with her decision, pero deadma na lang siya, flipping through another report. 

While deeply focused on reading, suddenly nag-vibrate yung phone niya. The sudden noise made her look up from the papers, breaking her concentration. She glanced at the lock screen when she saw the name flashing on it: Si Sir Danielle.

Iniisip niyang may iuutos na naman si Danielle sa kanya, bracing herself for another task that would take her further away from finishing the reports. Danielle had a knack for interrupting her flow, usually with last-minute requests that somehow always felt urgent.

She reluctantly swiped to unlock her phone, already mentally preparing herself for whatever Danielle needed. The message read:

“Ashley, I need you to prepare the presentation for our meeting. Can you do that? Thanks!”

'Galing talaga!' She thought sarcastically. The last thing she wanted was to scramble for a presentation habang drowning in reports.

“Sure, I’ll handle it,” she typed back, fighting the wave of frustration that threatened to spill over. She set her phone down, feeling the pressure building in her chest. Paano niya naman kaya gagawin ‘to?

Taking a deep breath, she glanced at the piles of reports once more, knowing she had to find a way to juggle the two tasks. 

After a moment, she decided to quickly skim through the remaining reports, pulling out the most critical information she needed for the presentation. This way, hindi siya mawawalan ng momentum. She began flipping through the pages with newfound determination, mentally marking sections na pwede niyang gamitin.

As she worked, the minutes slipped by, and the quiet office made her feel isolated. The air felt heavy, filled with the unspoken pressures of uncompleted work and unacknowledged efforts. Her eyes darted back to the clock—she had less than an hour before she had to leave for the meeting.

With her heart racing, she continued her frantic search, trying to extract relevant data. Baka iyon makatulong kay Danielle sa kanyang presentation. She focused harder, reminding herself that if she got this right, maybe she'd finally earn some respect around here.

Just as she began to find some useful statistics, her phone buzzed again, startling her. This time, it was a group message from her colleagues, filled with chatter about their lunch plans. The images of laughter and camaraderie flashed across the screen, a stark reminder of her solitude in the office.

'Dapat nandiyan ako, eh,' she thought, biting her lip. Instead, she was trapped in a sea of paperwork, a silent witness to her co-workers enjoying their break.

Suddenly, she felt an unexpected wave of determination surge through her. 'Enough of this,' she decided. She would finish the presentation and still take control of her day. Ignoring her stomach’s protests, she dedicated the next few minutes to pulling everything together, crafting slides that succinctly summarized the key points from the reports.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of staring at the screen, she saved the presentation. Ashley leaned back in her chair, a mixture of exhaustion and pride washing over her. "Nagawa ko ‘to!"

With just a few minutes to spare, she packed her things and made her way to the conference room. The nerves began to bubble up again as she thought about presenting in front of Danielle and the rest of the team. But as she walked, she reminded herself that she had put in the hard work, and now it was time to shine.

When she reached the conference room, she took a moment to collect her thoughts, reminding herself of the importance of her contributions. She opened her laptop, connecting it to the projector, and prepared to present her findings. As the team filed in, she felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

“Okay, everyone,” she started, taking a deep breath, “Let’s dive into the recent business interactions of Jimenez Corporation.” With that, she began her presentation, feeling more confident with each passing slide.

As she clicked through her slides, Ashley felt the initial nerves start to fade, replaced by a surge of confidence. She glanced around the room, catching the attentive faces of her colleagues, including Danielle, who was seated at the front. Kailangan niyang ipakita sa kanila na kaya niya iyon.

“First, I’d like to highlight the key partnerships we've developed over the last quarter,” she began, her voice steady. She pointed to the first slide, which displayed a graph of their successful collaborations. “As you can see, our efforts to expand our network have resulted in a significant increase in revenue.”

Ashley’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she detailed each partnership, explaining the benefits they brought to Jimenez Corporation. Her passion for the company shone through, and she could feel the positive energy in the room. Her colleagues nodded along, some even taking notes.

But just as she reached the section discussing the challenges they faced, she noticed Danielle expression shift. He leaned forward, eyebrows furrowed. “Ashley, can you elaborate on how we plan to address these challenges moving forward?” he asked, his tone serious.

“Of course, Mr. Jimenez,” she replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “We are implementing a strategic plan that focuses on improving communication with our partners and enhancing our internal processes. This will help us mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities more effectively.”

She clicked to the next slide, which outlined their proposed solutions, and continued with confidence. The more she spoke, the more engaged her audience became. Ashley could see the interest in their eyes, especially as she presented her ideas for future initiatives. 

As she wrapped up her presentation, she felt a rush of adrenaline. “In conclusion, I believe that with the right strategies in place, we can overcome our challenges and drive the company towards greater success. I’m excited to hear your feedback and any suggestions you may have.”

Ashley finished with a smile, feeling proud of what she had accomplished. The room erupted into applause, and for a moment, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. 

A smile spreading across her face.

As the meeting concluded, Ashley was surrounded by her colleagues, all eager to discuss her ideas. Des approached her, beaming. “You nailed it, Ash! I told you, kaya mo ‘yan!”

“Thanks, Des! I actually felt good about it,” Ashley admitted, still riding the high from the presentation.

“Let’s celebrate! Tara walwal?” Des suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Sure, why not? I deserve a break after all that!” Ashley laughed, feeling lighter than she had all day.

As they walked towards the break room, Ashley felt a sense of camaraderie with her coworkers. She realized that with a little support, she could handle the challenges thrown her way. Maybe this was the start of something new for her at Jimenez Corporation—less isolation and more collaboration. 

With a renewed sense of purpose, Ashley was ready to tackle whatever came next, knowing that she could lean on her colleagues for support and maybe even inspire change within the company.

She was receiving nods of approval mula sa mga kasamahan niya habang nag-uusap-usap sila tungkol sa mga key points na ipinresent niya. Pero hindi pa siya nakakalayo sa conference room nang biglang bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Danielle, ang mga mata nito ay nag-aapoy.

"Excuse me, everyone," He said, her tone sharp. "Ashley, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Naramdaman ni Ashley ang panghihina ng kanyang ngiti. 'Oh no, here we go again,' she thought. She nodded, kahit na nag-aalangan. "Sure, Sir. Ano ‘yon?"

Paglabas nila sa conference room, nag-init na agad ang ulo ni Danielle. “Ang dami mong data na hindi na-cover!”

“Eh, kasi, Sir, ikaw ang nagbigay sa akin ng task na ‘to sa last minute, di ba?” Ashley tried to explain, feeling her frustration bubble up. “I did my best to pull it together, pero sobrang dami nang kailangan kong tapusin.”

“Bakit parang lagi na lang akong may kasalanan? Tanga ka ba? Kung ikaw ang nag-manage ng time mo nang maayos, sana hindi ka nahirapan!" Danielle snapped back.

Ashley's heart sank at the insult, pero sinubukan niyang kalmahin ang sarili. “I understand that it’s a lot of pressure, pero sana maging reasonable ka. Wala naman akong intention na masira ang presentation,” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

Danielle rolled his eyes, “Sinasabi mo yan, pero feeling ko wala kang pakialam sa quality ng work mo. Just make sure next time na mas maaga kang mag-prepare. Ayoko nang maulit ‘to. Kung hindi, malamang hindi ka na lang kunin sa next project!”

Ashley felt anger rising, pero mas pinili niyang huwag sumagot. “Got it. I’ll do my best,” she said, keeping her tone neutral. “But please, try to communicate better in the future.”

“Whatever,” Danielle said, dismissively waving his hand. “Basta ‘yan, huwag ka nang mag-complain next time."

Ashley stood there, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. 

'Anong problema ng lalaking 'yon?' she thought, shaking her head. She returned to her desk, trying to shake off the encounter. 'Why does he have to be so toxic?'

As she sat down, she took a moment to breathe deeply. She reminded herself that she was doing her best, and despite Danielle's attitude, she knew her worth. “I won’t let him get to me,” she whispered to herself.

Kailangan niyang magpakatatag, kahit na ang lahat ay tila bumabagsak sa paligid niya. She had to focus on her goals and not get distracted by negativity. 

Naiinis siya sa pakiramdam na sa kanya tinatambak lahat, parang wala nang katapusan. 

'What if ako na lang maging CEO ng kompanya?' she thought, half-joking, half-serious. Sa isip niya, baka mas magiging maayos ang takbo ng lahat kung siya na ang namumuno—hindi na siya magiging puppet na laging pinagsasabihan ng iba.

Habang nagtatype siya ng mga notes para sa presentation, Napansin ni Des na may frustration sa mukha ni Ashley, kaya’t tinawag niya ito. “Hey, Ash! Ang taas ng blood pressure mo, ha! What’s going on?”

Ashley sighed, “Naku, Des, grabe na talaga. Parang ako na lang ang may trabaho dito. Si Sir, laging may ipapagawa sa akin, tapos wala akong time para sa sarili ko. Feeling ko, ako na lang lagi ang gumagawa ng lahat!”

Des raised an eyebrow, “Seryoso? Akala ko okay na lahat after ng last presentation mo kanina. Bakit ganyan?”

Ashley ran a hand through her hair, “Eh kasi, ayaw naman niyang makipag-collaborate. Laging last minute. Kaya kulang yung data, iniwan pa akong mag-isa sa paperwork na ‘to! Baka gusto na akong ma-sanitize out of the company!”

Des chuckled, “Parang masyado kang nagpapaka-hero. Kapag may binigay na task, dapat sabihan mo na may limits ka, okay? Huwag kang matakot mag-delegate.”

“Easier said than done, Des,” Ashley replied, rolling her eyes. “Kasi feeling ko, kapag nag-delegate ako, baka isipin nilang tamad ako. Ayaw kong masira ‘yung reputation ko dito.”

“Girl, hindi ka tamad. Just because you want to maintain quality doesn’t mean you have to take on everything yourself. Balance is key!” Des smiled encouragingly. 

Ashley laughed lightly, “Yeah, right! But seriously, I’m just exhausted. Gusto ko lang maging productive without losing my sanity.”

"Basta lalabas tayo mamaya, Relax ka lang,” Des suggested. “At least may kasama kang chismosa."

Ashley smiled, feeling a little better. “Thanks, Des. Mag-chikahan tayo! Kailangan ko rin ng break mula sa mga reports na ‘to.”

Ashley went back to her own tasks, feeling a little lighter. Kahit papaano, alam niyang may kasama siyang nakakaintindi sa pinagdadaanan niya. As she prepared for her presentation, she thought about how she could manage her workload better and maybe even get a little support from her colleagues in the future.