After a short while, Emily appeared and the duo walked out of the lounge, hand in hand.
***
“Call me when you are through with work, and please don’t stress yourself at all.” Joel pleaded.
The couple were now in EWEI and Emily was preparing to step out of the car.
“Arasseo.” Emily replied with a grin on her face.
She leaned in and kisses her husband before stepping out of the car.
Joel smirked and chuckled as he watched his walk into the the broadcasting building.
“Go.” He ordered the chauffeur.
“Wait!” He retorted almost immediately as soon as his eyes caught the sight of someone.
The chauffeur who was about to start the car stopped.
Joel’s gaze followed Stephanie as she walked with her manager. He smirked and looked away. It was showtime.
He picked up his phone and dialed Noah.
“Boss.” Noah voiced out as soon as he answered the call.
“It’s high time Stephanie left EWEI. Do the needful.”
“Ye.”
With that, he hung up.
“Move it.” He ordered the chauffeur and soon, they were out of EWEI.
Emily hummed softly as she reached for the yellow button on the left side of the elevator. She stepped in and it’s doors were about closing when two other women stepped in, Stephanie and Carmen.
***
On EWEI’s anniversary night when Stephanie had planned to abduct Emily to fulfill her wish, she trailed after Emily when she went outside but then lost sight of her.
Wandering around on a spot in search of Emily, she felt a sharp pain on her head. She had woken up the next morning in the comfort of her bed.
She didn’t know what happened to her and how she got to her apartment.
She called Minister Lee severally that morning but he didn’t pick up.
When she switched on her TV later in the afternoon, she found out Minister Lee had gone bankrupt.
How come? She didn’t know, and the man wouldn’t pick her calls either. Strange.
***
“Annyeonghaseyo.” Emily bowed happily as soon as she sighted Stephanie and her manager.
Noticing how lovingly Emily greeted her, Stephanie convinced herself Emily didn’t know anything about that night and that Emily still thought she truly liked her.
She pressed the green button and the elevator doors slid close.
Her face lit up, “Emily! How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Emily replied, glowing like she never had.
Stephanie eyed her from her head down to her toes, observing every bit of her dressing.
“Hum, Emily how come you’ve not been coming to work?” She asked, faking a face full of concern.
“I erm, I fell ill.” Emily replied softly.
“Oh… so sorry, are you okay now? ” Stephanie asked.
The elevator dinged.
Emily grinned. “Nde. Kamsahamnida.”
She stepped out of the elevator, all smiles. “Do have a lovely day, sunbae.”
She bowed and walked away to her manager’s office.
“She is so proud. That little thing.” Carmen spoke with a scowl on her face.
“We’ll get her. Soon.” Stephanie replied sternly as the elevator doors closed.
***
Emily beamed happily as she tapped on Maria’s door lightly and turned the knob. “Annyeonghaseyo!”
Maria looked up. “Emily!”
Emily grinned. “Unnie.”
“How are you feeling now? You left me worried.” Maria tossed the file she was reading away and stood up on her feet, walking over to her.
“I’m good.” Emily replied.
“But erm… how did you know I fell ill?” She asked, furrowing her brows.
Maria smiled, “I saw your text…”
“Huh?” Emily pouted, dumbfounded.
” Ok…” She forced out a smile.
She didn’t send Maria any message and so she wasn’t supposed to knoe… maybe it was Joel that sent her the message with her phone, she thought.
“What’s new? Where is Min Ah?” Emily asked, waving off the thought.
“She went to get me a file from the director.” Maria replied.
Emily smiled, “ah… I see.”
“Since you are back, you’ll be broadcasting this mid afternoon. I was about calling Stephanie to take the broadcast when you came in.” Maria stated.
“Okay.” Emily replied, taking her seat.
And just as Maria was about to say something, the telephone rang.
“One second.” She said, walking around the desk.
She picked up the receiver and propped it up her ear. “Hello?”
Pause.
“Mbo?!” She asked with a shocked expression written on her face.
Pause.
“Arasseo.” And with that, she replaced the receiver.
“We have to go Emily, we are having an impromptu meeting.” She said, picking her overcoat from the standing hanger at the far corner of her office.
“Oh. Is there a problem?” Emily asked, rising from the chair.
“Stephanie-she’s about to be fired.” Maria replied sternly.
***
“Mbo?!” Stephanie widened her eyes as she made her way to the conference room.
“They must be crazy!” She yelled wildly, attracting attention from people nearby.
“…” Carmen looked at her and twitched her lips.
EWEI was always serious in terms of business.
Carmen was sure Stephanie was indeed going to be fired and she feared for herself. She wasn’t ready to lose her job in EWEI.
As the walked towards the conference room, she prayed in her heart that she doesn’t get fired too.
Nancy simply trailed after Stephanie and Carmen in silence. If Stephanie loses her job, she would too.
As they walked into the conference room, Stephanie managed to keep her calm and helped herself to a chair.
Mr Clinton, the middle manager of the broadcasting industry was seated at the far end of the room. The top officials in the industry were also sitted around the long conference table.
“We can begin now right?” Mr Clinton’s assistant asked.
“No. We need to wait for Miss Emily and her folks.” Mr Clinton insisted.
Almost everyone in the room was starting to grumble.
Since Emily was still sort of newest among them, they felt there was no need for them to wait. But the director insisted that they did.
Not quite long, Emily walked in gracefully with Maria and Min Ah behind her.
“We’re sorry for keeping you waiting.” Maria apologized as the took their seats.
“It’s okay Miss Maria. I know it’s not your fault. It’s that girl you’re managing!” Mr Wook, the director’s assistant, spat out.
“Are you mad?! Are you insane?! Are you ready to lose your job?! Who told you to say those things you’re saying?” Mr Clonton rebuked furiously.
Mr Wook couldn’t help but open his mouth ajar as he watched his immediate boss.
“But..” He made to speak.
“Will you shut up?! Implicator!” Mr Clinton cut him shut.
He looked away from him and looked over at Emily. “Miss Emily are you okay?…”
“Erm… yes.” Emily replied hesitantly, bowing.
“Are you sure?” Mr Clinton asked eagerly.
“Nde.” Emily replied and bowed again shyly.
“I can postpone this meeting if you are not yet ready for it…” Mr Clinton stated persistently.
“Animnida. I’m really okay.” Emily replied.
Mr Clinton bowed, “Thank you.”
Ever since Mr Clinton got to know Emily was the ceo’s woman, he ensured to always be careful around her.
Everyone stared at him in astonishment with the way he was showing concern for Emily publicly. They all felt they were both having a thing together.
“I hope we all know why we are here. For those that do not, we are here for the dismissal of Miss Stephanie from Empire World Broadcasting Industry.” Mr Clinton declared.
Murmurs rose up among those sitted.
“Silence.” He ordered.
Stephanie couldn’t believe her ears.
Even Emily who was sitting opposite her found it unbelievable since she had been good to her lately, or so she thought.
“What did I do wrong?” Stephanie voiced out in anger.
Mr Clinton smirked. “You’ll see for yourself.”
He snapped his fingers and a video played on the projector for all to see.
It was a video of Stephanie ordering her personal assistant to mix a powdery poison in the powder Emily was going to use and how someone had saved Emily by exchanging the powder with a good one.
“Ahhh!” Gasps broke out in the room as all couldn’t believe their eyes.
Following that, another video of when Danielle and Minister Lee of XY company conversing on how they’d abduct Emily and make a sex video of her played almost immediately.
Emily was the most dumbstruck. She looked over at Stephanie who sat opposite her on the other side of the table and looked back at the projector.
All this while, she thought Stephanie had really changed her behavior towards her, not knowing she was only being a snake in the grass.
So, Stephanie was the one that sent her up, she was the one that made her have an experience she would never forget in her life.
A tear slid down a side of Emily’s as she looked over at Stephanie.
Slowly, she stood up on her and walked over to Stephanie. Without giving it a thought, she landed a hot slap on her cheek.