Emily looked around the room, and realized that it was not her room, but a strange hotel room. She tried to remember what happened last night, and slowly, her memories reassembled.
“Emily,” Daniel’s voice broke the silence, soft but heavy. He had just woken up, sitting on the bed.
“I know…” Emily’s voice trembled, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. “I know what happened last night. And I’m going to forget all about it. Our relationship… is just an agreement, right?” She tried hard to hide the tremor in her voice.
Daniel sat up, lines of confusion etched on his face. “Em,” he called again, his voice more urgent.
Emily took a deep breath, trying to gather her courage before saying. “I… I don’t understand how I could lose control like that. But it was my fault. I won’t burden you with the responsibility of my mistakes,” she said.
“You’re not wrong, Em. Last night, Mia set you up. She put something in your drink,” Daniel said.
The words hit Emily like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes reddened, tears flowing unstoppably, blurring her vision. “Sorry, I need to use the bathroom,” she said in a shaky voice. Quickly, she picked up Daniel’s clothes that were scattered on the floor, carrying them away.
In the bathroom, Emily stared at her reflection in the mirror. Tears streamed down her cheeks, each drop a reflection of the chaos of last night. She tried to wipe them away, but the marks remained, unable to be erased, like stains on her heart.
Meanwhile, Daniel sat pensively on the edge of the bed, questions raining down on him. Emily couldn’t help herself because of the medicine Mia had given her, but what was the reason he did that? Why couldn’t he resist the burning desire inside him? If only he could restrain it, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten into this situation.
With bated breath, Daniel pulled back the blanket covering his body and was surprised to see bloodstains on the bedsheet, a symbol of unrepeatable loss.
When Emily returned from the bathroom, she, who was currently trapped in Daniel’s body, was already dressed neatly.
“I’m sorry, I could have prevented what happened last night, instead of ending up staining you,” Daniel said.
“No, you’re not at fault at all. I’m at fault for being unconscious and trapped by Mia,” Emily replied, her eyes looking tired but resolute.
“I’ll…” Daniel was unable to continue, as he was interrupted by Emily.
“There’s no need to continue. I won’t hold you accountable, sir,” Emily said, her tone reflecting a hidden desperation.
“Sir?” Daniel was surprised, feeling confused that Emily was calling him ‘Sir’ again.
“We have to set boundaries. You are my boss, and I am nothing more than an employee. I understand my position, and I know someone like me can never have a place in your heart,” Emily said with a trembling voice.
“Well, if that’s what you want,” Daniel replied, his voice flat but his hesitation palpable.
Their journey home felt like they had traveled thousands of miles. They sat in silence, separated by an invisible wall of silence. Emily was lost in reverie, her eyes staring blankly out the window, while Daniel drove with his mind divided between the road and the questions hanging in the air.
“How could you be in that hotel? If you weren’t there, maybe none of this would have happened,” Emily whispered in an almost inaudible voice.
Daniel turned his head for a moment, his eyes meeting Emily’s questioning gaze. “If I hadn’t been there, you know what would have happened to you,” he replied in a heavy voice.
Emily bit her lip, another question ready to roll off the tip of her tongue.
“Why didn’t you just let it happen? Why do you always have to interfere with my problems?”
Tension filled the air as Daniel gripped the steering wheel tighter. The car suddenly slowed down violently as he slammed on the brakes. “Enough, Emily,” he said firmly.
“Why? Why are you always there when I’m in danger? Was last night also a coincidence or… or is there another reason?” Emily asked, her voice trembling with mixed emotions.
Tears pooled at the corners of Emily’s eyes. “I’m confused by all of this. You said you didn’t have feelings for me, but your actions said otherwise. If you continue like this, I… I might believe that you really care about me.”
“I’ll also believe that you…” Before Emily could continue, Daniel stopped her with a soft kiss on her lips.
“This seems to be the answer you want, doesn’t it?” Daniel asked in a soft but meaningful tone.
Getting a sudden kiss from Daniel, confused Emily. Emily’s eyes seemed to contain a big question mark over what Daniel had just done to her.
“I love you,” said Daniel in an honest and confident tone. His eyes looked intensely into Emily’s eyes.
“So, you really love me, sir?” Emily confirmed what she had just heard with a trembling voice.
Hearing the word ‘Sir’ coming out of Emily’s mouth, Daniel flicked his fingers on Emily’s forehead.
“It hurts,” Emily squealed.
“Don’t call me ‘Sir’ when we’re alone. Haven’t I told you repeatedly?”
“Do you mean what you say? Do you really love me?” Emily asked again, her eyes seeking reassurance in Daniel’s gaze.
This time, Daniel only answered Emily’s question with a confident nod. “Let’s forget about the agreement and start all over again,” Daniel explained in a steady voice.
***
Mia knocked hesitantly on the door in front of her, her heart beating fast as she waited for an answer from inside. “Come in,” came a firm voice from behind the door.
“Do you have something to tell me?” Mia asked, her voice barely audible as she stood before her superior.
“As of this moment, you are no longer part of this company,” the man in front of Mia said in an unreadable tone.
“What do you mean?” Mia frowned, seeking clarity behind words that felt like punishment.
“You’ve been fired,” the man said matter-of-factly.
“What? But why, sir?” Mia froze, confusion and fear mixed.
“We have irrefutable evidence that you were involved in drug trafficking within the company. This seriously violates the ethics and laws we uphold,” the man explained, his eyes unblinking at Mia, who was now deathly pale.
***
Emily, whose soul was trapped in Daniel’s body, was already at the office. Her mind was unfocused, with a smile on her lips. Every word Richard threw out in front of her was just like a breeze to her.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you listening to me?” asked Richard in a tone that reflected confusion and slight annoyance.
Meanwhile, Emily finally realized that she was using both hands to support her cheeks and continued to think outside of her work. She could not get Daniel out of her mind at the moment. Her embarrassing actions finally surprised again Emily in front of Richard.
“I’m sorry, can you repeat what you said earlier?” asked Emily in a soft voice.
Finally, reluctantly, Richard reported back what he had reported earlier to Emily.
“There is one thing I need to tell you again,” said Richard in a tone that contained urgency and worry.
“As you suspected, the team traced one employee in the logistics department, named Mia. The evidence gathered shows she was involved in the sale of illegal drugs in the company. We have not only taken internal measures, but have also handed over the case to the authorities,” Richard said seriously.
“What?” screeched Emily, surprised to hear Richard’s words.