The young girl had never expected the manager to initiate conversation, especially since Aurora’s voice had lost its previous chill, leaving her pleasantly surprised.
“Yes, thank you so much, Miss Manager.”
“Remember, if you allow yourself to be bullied once, there will be a second time. Even if one day you decide you no longer want to be bullied, by then people will have grown accustomed to it. You should not be timid.”
Aurora’s words floated over softly. In this regard, she had the most authority to speak, having learned the hard way that had she stood up for herself earlier, she might not have been bullied so severely.
She saw a bit of her former self in this shy, timid girl who had kept her head down.
After finishing her speech, Aurora turned and entered the nearby office, leaving the girl standing there, bewildered.
“Manager, my name is Heather James. Thank you.” Heather had only recently graduated was actually half a year older than Aurora.
It had taken much effort for Heather to get through the rigorous written exams and interviews to join the company. Being the newest and least experienced, she had always been cautious, allowing the so-called veterans to boss her around and never dared to speak up.
Aurora’s words had warmed her heart deeply.
Aurora put down what she was holding. The office was tidy, showing no sign of the former manager who had jumped ship to another company, leaving the vacancy that Aurora had quickly filled.
She had spent the morning poring over financial reports and plans submitted by various team leaders. To those watching the clock, the morning seemed interminable.
Aurora felt there was never enough time, however; before she knew it, it was noon, and the office was nearly empty.
The glass door was knocked softly, “Miss Manager, it’s lunchtime now.”
Realizing the time, Aurora looked at her watch-it was already half-past twelve. She looked up at Heather, “Why are you still here?”
“I just finished preparing the plans I need to submit to the supervisor this afternoon, and I was about to go when I saw you were still busy. I thought maybe you had forgotten, so I wanted to remind you.”
“I did forget. Let’s go have lunch together,” Aurora said, shutting down her computer and standing up neatly.
“…Ah?” Heather was clearly surprised and flattered to be invited by Aurora, who appeared strict and aloof to most.
“What, you don’t want to?” Aurora found the girl’s shocked reaction amusing.
“No, no, no, I’m thrilled. I’m just surprised,” Heather quickly replied, shaking her head.
“People might think I’m about to do something terrible to you by the way you’re acting. It’s just lunch, let’s go,” she said with a light laugh, which made Heather blush to her ears.
“Since you’re new and not familiar with the place, I’ll take you to the cafeteria,” Aurora swiftly changed the subject.
Originally intending to dine at a nearby restaurant, Aurora agreed to go to the cafeteria at Heather’s suggestion.
“Great, lead the way. It’s my first time here, and I don’t know the way.”
“Okay, please follow me.” Heather led the way, visibly happy.
Aurora’s phone rang-it was Asher. As soon as she answered, she was met with a barrage of angry words.
“You heartless thing, you’ve vanished off the face of the earth since you got back to Clothville. If I didn’t call you, would you ever bother to reach out?” Asher scolded.
“Well… I’ve just been really busy,” Aurora quickly explained.
“You sure are busy, busy with the moonlight and flowers, right? Dumping the company on me and then not caring at all,” Asher pretended to sob.
“Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll call you every day from now on, just stop crying, will you? You’re giving me the creeps,” Aurora couldn’t stand his fake crying.
“That’s more like it. I heard you’re back at Montgomery Group as a manager, first day on the job?” the person on the other end of the line fiddled with a pen, hardly looking the part of a CEO.
“You’re well-informed. I’ve been dead tired looking over reports all morning,” Aurora complained.
“Good to know you’re feeling the strain. I was worried you, the machine freak, wouldn’t even notice your own exhaustion. It’s your first day back at the office, so I guess you’ve been really busy. Just started in this new environment, and you throw yourself into the work like there’s no tomorrow. I was afraid you’d work yourself to death and then nobody would be there to pay me, so I just wanted to remind you to have lunch.”
That was probably the main reason Asher had called, Aurora felt a warmth in her heart, considering their significant time difference.
Only someone who cared deeply would think of such details, even knowing her daily routine by heart.
“Don’t worry about me. Our office has a little alarm that’s already reminded me, and now I’m off to have lunch with her in the cafeteria.”
“A little alarm, boy or girl? How dare just someone to steal my job,” Asher jealously quipped on the other end. “You heartbreaker, tell me, am I still your little sweetheart?”
“Yes, yes, Ashy, you’re my dearest little sweetheart. I’m almost there, I need to go now. It’s late over there, get some rest.”
“Go on then, eat up. If you’ve lost weight next time I see you, I’m staying to fatten you up before I leave,” Asher’s voice came through.
“Alright,” Aurora responded softly.
After hanging up, Asher stared into the dark sky, a cigarette clamped between his fingers, the smoke blurring his features.
The jovial man had instantly transformed into a melancholic prince, his perfectly chiseled profile exhaling smoke rings, adding a touch of sadness to his aura.
“Mr. President, I’m ready,” a curvaceous woman in barely-there lingerie appeared behind him.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, Asher turned to face this fiery figure with a stunning face.
Her fingers gently traced her lips repeatedly. “Mr. President, everyone says I have beautiful lips, what do you think?”
Her tongue teasingly followed the line of her lips, Asher’s eyes lingered there.
Her lips might be the only part of her that resembled that other person. He gently lifted her chin, “Call me Ashy.”
Though the woman found this cold CEO a bit odd, she complied with his request, “Ashy?”
Asher watched her lips move, feeling as if the person before him was transforming into someone familiar.
He kissed her deeply, the woman let out a soft cry, pressing her body closer to Asher, “Mr. President, slow down, the night is long…”
Hearing her voice, Asher pushed her away, no matter how alluring, she lacked the unique charm of the woman in his mind.
The woman in his mind was alluring but never vulgar, a woman who could make a man willingly surrender his heart, not someone who dressed provocatively to seduce men.
“Get out!” Asher’s stern command echoed, for in this world, no other woman could replace the one and only her.