“Mr. Daniel, are you okay?” the worried voice broke the silence, echoing off the walls of the room.
Emily swallowed saliva, feeling her cheeks heat in stinging embarrassment. Ah, how embarrassing! This is really embarrassing. Oh my! Her mind was racing, looking for a way out of this unexpected situation.
Suddenly, a calm and authoritative voice broke the silence. “Let me help, Mr. Daniel. Please continue your work,” a voice broke the silence.
As if hypnotized by the unexpected order, everyone moved, one after another, leaving the room.
When Emily looked up, she was surprised to see Daniel giving her a sharp look.
“Th-thank you, sir,” Emily said, feeling grateful for Daniel’s help.
Daniel massaged his furrowed mid-brow. “You almost ruined this meeting and you’ve embarrassed me.”
“Sorry, sir,” Emily said.
“Hurry and get ready. You still have a meeting with a business partner,” Daniel said.
Emily nodded her head, but the thought of having to face Daniel’s business partner again made her feel dizzy.
***
Meanwhile, Daniel, who was in Emily’s body, stepped into the cafeteria. He watched carefully how his colleagues took the food, studying their every move and habit before deciding to follow suit.
Daniel, who now controlled Emily’s every move, stood at the end of the cafeteria line. His eyes swept over the food table, watching how everyone took their portions. Some went straight for the salad, while others started with the hearty soup. He picked up a plate and went with the flow, taking a little of each dish, trying not to draw attention to himself.
As he sat at the table, he sensed a clear difference between himself and Emily. The way she held the spoon, the speed of her eating, even her choice of food, all had to be adjusted so as not to arouse suspicion.
“How are you, Emily?” asked a coworker in a soft voice, taking a seat across from him. Several other coworkers also took seats nearby.
“Fine,” replied Daniel, who was trapped in Emily’s body, in a voice that sounded foreign to his own ears.
“How was your trip with Mr. Daniel? I hear he can be quite demanding,” another coworker said, her eyes full of concern. “And that cold demeanor of his, it must not be easy for you.”
Although Daniel felt anger in his chest, he smiled faintly.
“He’s very handsome and well-established,” another coworker continued, his voice turning into a curious whisper. “But why isn’t he married? Do you know why? Is the rumor true that he’s… gay?”
“It’s a shame if the rumors are true,” muttered her coworker, as if speaking more to herself. “I’d rather she married me than live a life like that.”
Daniel’s jaw hardened, his anger mounting at the rumors circulating about him. Suddenly, however, a soft voice broke the silence, “Can I sit here?”
When Daniel turned his head, he saw a woman standing next to him. The woman also saw him and was surprised to see him.
“Uh, you’re Emily, right?” the woman asked.
The woman, with curiosity in her eyes, looked at Daniel, who was silent. “You still remember me?” she asked, her eyes searching for a sign of recognition.
Emily, who was actually Daniel, could only stare back in silence. The woman immediately took a seat in front of Daniel, waiting for an answer.
“So many years have passed, yet your appearance hasn’t changed,” the woman said with a light smile, trying to break the silence.
On the other side, Emily’s curious coworker whispered, “Who is she?”
The woman took a deep breath and introduced herself with confidence. “Hello, my name is Mia. I’m a new employee at W Company. I joined the Logistics and shipping department,” she continued, her voice lilting with renewed vigor. She extended her hand, greeting her new colleagues warmly.
One coworker, mesmerized by Mia’s beauty, couldn’t resist commenting. “Wow, you are so beautiful. I envy you.”
Mia smiled, her cheeks flushing. “No, no. I’m not beautiful. Emily is prettier than me,” she said, her voice filled with humility.
Meanwhile, Daniel, trapped in Emily’s body, was finding this situation increasingly uncomfortable. With quick movements, he finished his meal, ignoring the conversation going on around him. Once finished, he got up without a word, leaving the cafeteria with firm steps.
Mia smiled, then asked one colleague to guard her seat. “Could you please guard this seat for me? I want to catch up with Emily for a moment. There’s something I want to talk to her about.”
“Oh, of course,” the colleague replied.
“Alright, thank you,” Mia said, then hurried after Daniel, who had walked quite a distance.
“Wait a minute,” Mia shouted, hoping Daniel would stop his pace.
Hearing the shout, Daniel turned his head. Mia was walking quickly towards him.
“Do you really not recognize me anymore?” Mia asked.
“Sorry, but I really don’t remember you,” Daniel replied.
Mia laughed, her voice containing a slightly dismissive tone. “I see. How about tomorrow you come to our schoolmates’ reunion? Maybe you’ll recognize me again there,” she said.
“I don’t promise to come,” Daniel replied, trying to keep his distance.
“Come on, the other guys will be happy to see you, too. Hey, we haven’t gotten together in a while. Come on, you’ll come, right?” Mia looked at Daniel expectantly.
“Oh. Can I have your phone number?” asked Mia.
“What for?” asked Daniel.
“Is that not okay? We’re friends, right?” Mia smiled, trying to break the ice.
Daniel was silent for a moment, feeling annoyed but also not wanting to prolong the conversation. Reluctantly, he pulled out his cell phone. Mia quickly snatched the phone and dialed her own number, making it ring.
“Alright, now I have your number. I’ll contact you about the reunion details,” Mia said, her voice excited. “Don’t forget, yeah. I’ll be waiting. Bye,” Mia said, waving her hand before leaving Daniel.
“What a hassle,” Daniel muttered.
Mia smiled broadly as she returned to the cafeteria and met Emily’s coworkers.
Emily’s coworkers, curious, couldn’t resist asking. “How was it? Did you talk to her?”
“I did,” Mia replied with a smile.
“Isn’t she your friend? But she doesn’t seem to know you,” said one coworker in a surprised tone.
“Does it look like that?” she asked softly. Then, she continued, “Actually, I did something wrong with her in the past. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to recognize me anymore,” Mia replied in a lower voice, full of regret.
“So because of that, she acts like she doesn’t know you? Is it possible that she’s still angry with you?”
“It’s possible,” Mia replied as she lowered her head.
The coworker nodded with understanding. “Maybe you should try talking to her again. Anyone can make mistakes, try apologizing to her. I’m sure Emily will forgive you, as she is known to be a very sincere and kind person,” suggested one colleague, trying to offer support.
Mia nodded, considering the suggestion. “I will do that. Thank you,” she said, before turning her attention to another topic. “By the way, what department does Emily work in?”
“Oh, Emily is the CEO’s secretary,” one colleague replied.
Mia absorbed the new information about Emily with growing interest. “She’s notoriously clumsy, but Mr. Daniel trusted her to fill that position,” another colleague added, providing an additional context that made Mia even more curious.
“At first, many doubted she could get such a good position, but looking at her hard work despite her carelessness, it seems she deserves it,” another coworker continued, recognizing the effort Emily had put in.
Mia listened with a changing expression, from surprise to seriousness, and a hint of jealousy flashed across her face. Quickly, however, she replaced that expression with a friendly smile. “Well, it looks like the company’s CEO very trusted Emily. I also hope to get lucky like her,” Mia said, ambition clear in her voice.