[1] Bad Secretary

"Jacklien, come here for a moment," called a man in an expensive suit who was sitting at his desk holding a folder of documents. His face looked unhappy. His eyes read every word written on the document he was holding. On the desk was a sign that read 'CEO'. It seemed that the man was the highest leader of the company he worked for.

"One moment, Mr. Jeverson. I'll be there in a minute," replied a woman sitting at the desk in front of the entrance to the room. The woman looked very busy with her work. She could hardly leave her work to attend the man's call.

"Seriously, Jacklien?!" The man immediately slammed the folder he was holding onto the table. He got up from his chair and walked out of the room towards Jacklien's desk. His face was red with anger. When he arrived, he hit the desk hard enough to attract the attention of all the workers on the floor.

The man's arrival took Jacklien completely by surprise. With trembling hands she adjusted his glasses and looked down.

"Do you know what you did wrong, Jacklien?" the man asked, holding back his anger. Actually, he could be patient with his subordinates. But if his subordinates produced poor work repeatedly, of course he could not remain silent.

With a trembling voice Jacklien replied, "No, sir. Did I just make a mistake?"

If Jacklien had been a man, he might have grabbed her by the collar and thrown her to the floor. However, Jacklien was a female secretary. Any violence against a woman is unjustifiable. The man took a deep breath, trying to control his mounting anger.

"All right, listen to me carefully, Jacklien. I'll talk and I won't do it again. I hope what I'm saying is clear enough that you don't have to ask any more questions. Do you understand?" the man said firmly.

"Yes, sir," Jacklien replied stammeringly.

"I have just read a letter. It came from our loyal investors. They said it was difficult for them to arrange a meeting with the CEO of this company because he is too busy. So, as of today, they are terminating their cooperation with this company," the man explained. Now his face was so cold.

"But, that's true, isn't it? You have so many meetings scheduled, I'm having trouble organising them all," Jacklien retorted.

"Do you know what prioritisation means? You can postpone the less important meetings and prioritise the important ones. Meetings with investors are among the most important. Without investors, this company cannot get enough financing. Simply put, the investors are the ones who pay all of us. If they are not willing to spend money and invest in our company, what will you be paid with? Leaves and stones?!" Even as the man tried hard to temper his anger, his mind was now almost out of control.

In an instant, the commotion caught everyone's attention. They had to stop working because they were shocked to see their boss so angry. Not long after, a man came up to him.

"Fred, that's enough. I know you're upset, but scolding your secretary won't solve the problem," the man said.

Fred let out another long sigh. "I've been trying not to hit this stupid woman. Indeed, she's a graduate of a famous university, her grades exceed the minimum standard. But if she's completely incompetent at work, all her achievements are just paperwork."

Fred looked at everyone. They all immediately looked down and continued their work. They were afraid of provoking any trouble with their boss as the CEO was now in a bad mood. They could be kicked out of the office instantly and never be accepted to work for the company again.

"What if we replace Jacklien?" whispered the man beside Fred.

"Why didn't you say so the day before yesterday, Sam?" Fred asked back.

"Because we haven't found a replacement yet," Sam replied quickly. Honestly, finding a competent secretary was quite difficult. Most of those who applied for the job only had good looks and a sexy body.

"That's your problem, not mine," Fred replied shortly.

Fred looked back at Jacklien. She was very pretty indeed. Her breasts were large and she always wore thigh-high skirts. Her lips were flushed red. Jaklien could seduce any man who passed by her. But that didn't work to Fred. A pretty face is not enough to impress him. Especially when it comes to work, he prefers competent and qualified people. Besides, Jacklien worked like a spoilt princess. She didn't even know how to properly organise the CEO's meeting schedule. Fred began to wonder if the girl finished her degree with bribing the lecturers.

"You can go home early today," Fred said at last.

"Really?" replied Jackline with a smile.

"Of course. You can even take your salary earlier than everyone else. If necessary you'll get a bonus too. The office treasurer will definitely do that for you. Are you happy?" Fred continued.

"Yes," replied Jacklien who didn't understand sarcasm.

"Good. Now you can go. Don't forget to pack your things because I'm giving you leave for good!"

Fred walked quickly back into his room. He slammed the glass door until it cracked. He was feeling very disappointed with his secretary. The woman was still underperforming even after working for the company for two years.

Fred poured a drink into a glass. Then he walked towards the window. The view outside was beautiful. Heavy traffic filled the gaps between the high-rise buildings. Fred savoured his drink to calm himself down. He needed to regain his wits to get the day's work done. Problems at work are commonplace. Everyone has faced them. We must be good at taking a stand because every decision affects the fate of many people.

"Poor Jacklien, at least she won't see me again. It's her own fault I scold her so much. I'll have to find a new secretary who is better at her job," Fred muttered under his breath.

***