Chapter 7: Meeting the New Boss

 

“Is something wrong?”

“No, Mommy, it’s just…” The child paused and frowned even more. “You’ll be busy with work, and I’ll be busy with school.”

“My child, I know you’re just worried about me, but I will always support you in everything you do. I’ll finish my work quickly so I can come home and play games with you, okay? That’s Mommy’s promise.”

Rosa noticed her son smiled again and held onto her arm.

“Promise, Mommy, okay? You just made a promise!”

“Everything for you, my child. Alright, we’re here now,” Rosa said as she turned off the car engine and grabbed her son’s bag from the side. “Take a few deep breaths, and don’t worry. The people here are kind.”

Brent took a deep breath and looked at her. She could tell the nervousness in his eyes had eased a little, even though he had been visibly anxious when they left home.

“Your sister Gigi will be the one to pick you up, alright? Never go with strangers. Something bad might happen.”

“Yes, Mommy! Let’s go! I’m so excited!” Brent shouted joyfully as he got out of the car.

Once they stepped out, they immediately saw many students Brent’s age and cars parked outside the school.

They walked toward the classroom, and Rosa noticed how spacious it was. There were plenty of books, toys, and even a playground outside. Deep inside, Rosa felt nervous, worried something might happen to her son.

“Mommy, I think that’s our teacher. I’ll go ahead now,” Brent said, about to leave when Rosa gently grabbed his hand.

She knelt on the ground and kissed her son on the forehead.

“Don’t forget to eat your lunch, and remember that I love you very much,” Rosa whispered, hugging him tightly.

“I love you too, Mommy. Always be careful, okay? I’ll wait for you to come home later.” Brent kissed her cheek, waved goodbye, and ran toward his classroom.

Rosa hadn’t even realized she was tearing up. She took a deep breath and smiled, knowing her son had grown so much.

“Hello, is that your son?” A woman approached her, pointing at Brent. “Your son is so handsome. I hope he becomes friends with mine.”

“Oh, yes. My son’s name is Brent Melandez. How about yours?”

“Colette Torres,” the woman paused briefly before saying, “Oh, sorry, I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Miya Torres.”

“Mine’s Rosa Melandez.”

They shook hands, but a sudden silence made the moment awkward.

“Oh, sorry, Miya. I just realized I need to go. I have work to do. But it’s nice meeting another parent,” Rosa said, glancing at her watch.

“No worries. I’m glad to meet you, too. I also have to head to the office. See you around, Rosa!” They waved goodbye and quickly walked toward their respective cars.

Rosa left the school swiftly, her mind shifting to work. She needed to come up with ideas for their upcoming designs, especially since the review of their dress collection was fast approaching.

But until now, she hadn’t thought of a theme or even a single design.

In just 15 minutes, she arrived at the parking lot. She quickly rode the elevator and pressed the button for the 9th floor.

It was only 8:00 a.m., but she could already feel her nerves kicking in, especially since she was about to meet her boss. She hated meetings with higher-ups; they always made her feel like she’d done something wrong, even when she hadn’t.

For the past few days, she had been training in another location and observing the company’s past works. Today was her first official day at her new workplace, which added to her anxiety—having a meeting on her very first day.

“Hi, ma’am. I don’t know your favorite coffee or preference, but I made this one,” a beautiful woman approached her, holding a cup of coffee. “The boss is already in his office. You can meet him now.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for the coffee, Vrest. I’ll drink this later after our meeting. You can head back to your station now,” Rosa replied with a smile as she organized her things in her office.

Vrest left the office while Rosa prepared herself by the mirror. She was wearing white long sleeves paired with a skirt and black high heels. The outfit suited her perfectly, and she added a touch of red lipstick to leave a strong impression.

“I guess this is me,” she muttered to herself, forcing a smile as she looked in the mirror.

She left her office, carrying a briefcase just in case she needed to present something to her boss. Standing in front of the door, she took a deep breath to calm herself before knocking three times and entering.

“Good morning, Sir. I’m Rosa Melandez, the new hire,” she greeted while standing in front of the desk.

The chair was still turned away from her, making her even more nervous since she hadn’t seen her boss’s face. She feared he might suddenly throw papers at her or scold her for something she hadn’t even done.

“Well, it’s good to see you here, Miss Rosa,” a voice said.

The chair slowly turned around, revealing a handsome man wearing glasses. Rosa suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had met him before, but she couldn’t quite place where.

“I’m Trojack Yddro, the President of this company. I guess you already know me, huh?” he asked with a smirk.

“For clarification, I don’t think I know you personally, Mr. Yddro. But I think I’ve heard your surname before,” Rosa replied.

Trojack stared at her intently before standing up.

“Do you know why I called you here?” he asked.