Nicole put everything in her life on hold for her family. When she returns to the company she used to work for, she’s confident about getting back on her promising career path—until she realizes her new boss is an old friend. He seems determined to make her daily life in the office miserable… but is anger all there is between them now?
Age Rating: 13+
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1
Nicole put everything in her life on hold for her family. When she returns to the company she used to work for, she’s confident about getting back on her promising career path—until she realizes her new boss is an old friend. He seems determined to make her daily life in the office miserable… but is anger all there is between them now?
Age Rating: 13+
Original Author: magicheart21
“Navarro, get in here now!” His stern voice called over the intercom.
“Shit! What is it this time?” I grunted under my breath as I got up then picked up my pen and notebook.
Everyone in the desks around me jumped back to typing, reading reports or whatever it was that made them look busy at work, then stayed still, so still that you can hear a pin drop on the floor.
Some were even holding their breaths as if breathing was a sin that he would reprimand them for.
Everyone feared him except me. “Am I the only one here who can stand up to that nut case?”
I fixed my skirt and pulled the hem down or else he would give another snarky comment about its length. “You work in a real estate corporation, not a strip club.
“You are not the property we're trying to sell, Navarro,” would be his usual comment whenever he thought my shirt was too tight, my hemline was too high or my neckline was too low.
Funny thing was that I always made sure that I dressed modestly, close to looking like a throwback from the Philippines’s Spanish Colonial era.
“Tsk! Looks like your boss is on his period again.” My friend Diane from another department chuckled.
“I told you, you should give him some torrid kissing so he’s not too thirsty for you.” She naughtily quipped when she overheard the VP for Treasury snarl at me again.
That had been the tenth time he’d irately called me into his office this morning and it was not even 9am.
“You’re out of your mind!” I gasped. “Besides, I’m not his type. It’s more likely for him to throw me out of the window instead. Or worse, fire me.” I said.
“You should really get your priorities right, girl.” She giggled.
“They are right. I need this job. Now, go on. Get out of here. Here are all the papers you need. RFJ already signed all of them.
“Your boss is probably looking for those now.” I told her then gave her the budget approved by my boss Raiden that was requested by the VP for Operations.
That’s right. My boss’s name is Raiden as in Raiden-sama, the Japanese god of thunder, lightning and storms. His father who shares the same name as him is a kind and chivalrous man.
Little did he know that when he decided that it would be cool to name his only son after himself and the deity, Raiden Jr will literally have a temper as loud as thunder, as intimidating as lightning and as destructive as a storm.
“Don’t worry about her. Ma'am Ina’s cool.” My friend’s comment snapped me out of my thoughts.
“She’s busy talking to her boyfriend now. But, girl, I’m telling you, the reason why your boss is always hot-headed is because he has the hots for you.” Diane laughed as she sashayed out of my office.
I shook my head and wondered how we're even friends. We are polar opposites.
“Navarro! What the hell?! Get in here now!” The devil… I meant, my boss yelled yet again.
“Yes, Boss. Be right there.”
I rushed to his door and took a deep calming breath before turning the doorknob.
“Yes, Sir?” I asked with a sweet smile as soon as I got inside.
I stood waiting.
Huh! You see how sweetly I’m smiling? That’s me killing you with kindness, jerk!
He eyed me from head to toe with that darned stomach-churning glare of his.
It was always that way when he called me in: the stare-down, the cold shrug, the focus-on-the-paper-I'm-holding move and the head shake.
All done to intimidate me but I am not one to be easily fazed. I stood there with my chin held high and met his stare.
He signaled for me to come closer so I did. He then pushed the folder and the usb flash drive I gave him just half an hour ago across the table towards me.
“I need the revisions done in an hour. Change the shared file too.” He said firmly without even having the courtesy of looking at me.
“Sir? I thought you said the last revisions you had me do was final? Did I get it wrong? This is our fifth revision. I don’t recall any new figures that would affect our report.”
“Are you complaining?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Yes! God damn it! YES!!! This presentation is perfect! You’re the one who said that thirty minutes ago. Asshole!
I was furious but I masked my anger with an even wider smile. I will not give him the privilege of seeing me lose my cool.
“That’s not what I meant, Sir.” I said sweetly.
“I was just wondering what happened, Sir, because you said that our report is already complete and ready for the presentation.
“Now, you're telling me that I need to make some changes just two hours before the meeting.” I explained calmly although the undertone of irritation in my voice was getting harder to disguise.
He shrugged then smirked as he turned a page on the document I knew he was just pretending to read because his eyes did not move down the page at all.
What the fuck?! Be grateful for your good looks that made me think twice about wiping that smirk off your face with my fist.
My patience was wearing thin.
“Miss Navarro, you should’ve asked me instead about what I specifically wanted you to change about the report.
“It’s not the figures or any content. Those are fine.” He said with a sly smile, still not lifting his eyes from the file he was pretend-reading.
I stood there, puzzled and speechless, staring at him.
“Change the font.”
Font?! Are you fucking kidding me?! You unbelievably obnoxious piece of shi…
“Change the font?” I asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.
“Yes. Change the font. Use Arial and remove the Italics on the titles on each page.”
On each fucking page?! Didn't he ask for those in the first place? Lord, please grant me patience and strength. I am THIS close to choking this bastard to death!
I took a deep breath behind a wide smile, beauty queen style. Grace under hellish pressure. I am not Miss Santa Maria and three-time Flores de Mayo Queen for nothing.
Whatever game you've been trying to play with me for the last six months, I am not about to lose it.
“Okay. Anything else, Sir? So I can finalize the report for your meeting, Sir.” I spoke in a singsong manner even though I was already screaming at him in my head.
“Hmmm… The colors of the bars in the Expense Projection graph, change them to yellows and oranges.” He said.
Seriously? Ugh… Fine.
“Okay, Sir. I'll have the presentation ready for you in an hour.” I answered.
“40 minutes.”
“Sir?”
“I needed the revisions in an hour, 20 minutes ago. With all your complaints, you just wasted 20 minutes.” He smirked and raised his coffee cup to his lips to take a sip.
WHAT! THE! FFFFFU…
“Okay, Sir.” I said with a smile then I got the hell out of there as fast as I could.
I got to my desk in record time and started pounding on the keyboard as soon as my butt touched the chair.
“You’re such an annoying bastard. Jerk! You’re so fussy.” I muttered under my breath as I made the corrections the devil ordered.
“I hope you choke on that coffee that you had me change three times today. I hate you!” I continued to curse him in my head as I worked.
“I will have this presentation ready for you alright because this is the last thing I will ever do for you. I am out of here!”
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2
The inter-office phone on my desk rang, it was Diane.
“Diane, I have no time to gossip. I have to finish this presentation.”
“You’re so grouchy. Like your boss.” She said and I thought I heard her giggle softly.
“I was just going to ask you what our charming Vice President Flores needed from you that seemed like you just committed a mortal sin.”
“So you did call to gossip.” I rolled my eyes.
“I’m just being a concerned friend. Don’t be so crabby.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “It was nothing. That’s just the way he always is. He asked me to revise the report.”
“I thought that was ready?”
“Diane, I beg you. Please… I just spent 20 minutes trying to explain that to him.
“If you ask me to explain one more time, I swear I am going to lose it and the next number you will call is the mental institution for the criminally insane.”
“Okay. Fine. I won’t ask you anymore. Just take it easy. Okay? You’ll be treating me to lunch later.”
“You know I don’t have the money for that. I already have too many expenses to pay.”
“I know. I was just joking. I will treat you to lunch. Just don’t skip meals again to save money.”
“Okay. Thank you. I have to hang up now. My devil’s spawn of a boss might call again.”
“Uh-oh. We know how that would go.”
“Yes we do.”
“It’s a good thing then that your transfer is almost approved.”
“Yup. I can't wait to get out of here.”
We ended the call and I finished the revisions required.
To be honest, I didn't expect my working relationship with my boss to be this way. I was hoping to have a good experience here even if it wasn't my original career path.
On my return to the company six months ago, I was assigned to be the assistant of the new Vice President for Treasury Raiden Flores Jr.
We knew each other from training five years before that. We were friends. Good friends. He made going to work something to look forward to.
Equally smart and capable, we climbed up the corporate ladder almost the same time while our friendship grew deeper.
I thought we had something there back then. Something to last forever. But things don't always go the way you hope they would.
It didn't for me.
We were well on our way to the top together but due to some personal issues and priorities, I had to push my career and everything else aside, our friendship included, and take an indefinite leave from work.
The company allowed it because of the potential they saw in me.
We didn't get to communicate during the time that I was gone. I had too much that I had to deal with and I'm sure he was very busy too.
Since the company took me back, things between us have been anything but pleasant but I had to take the crap he was giving to survive.
There were times that working with him became too difficult that I thought of just quitting my job and looking for work someplace else but every time I wanted to give up, I remembered that little baby girl whose picture was set in a frame on my desk.
I would do anything for my Celestine even if that meant living 10 hours of my day in hell with that jerk in a suit.
I endured those grueling 6 months until an opportunity finally opened up to me last week.
It was a chance to get away from my demon boss and further my career.
I finished the revisions and submitted it to him, fingers crossed and armed with a silent prayer for him to finally approve that one.
“This is good. Thanks, Navarro. Boardroom in thirty minutes.” He said dismissively.
“Okay, Sir. Thank you.” I answered and turned to leave.
Wait. Did he really just thank me? What’s going on?
“Nics?” He called softly just as I was about to open the door and I froze at the sound of him calling my first name, actually, my nickname— a name only my family and friends call me.
A name he used to call me back then when things were sunnier between us. If I didn't know him as the spawn of the devil, I would even think that he said my name sweetly.
I have not heard him call me that in almost two years.
It’s a miracle! Lord, is the world ending today? Please let me go home to my Celestine first.
I slowly turned to rid myself from the expression of surprise on my face before he saw it. “Anything else, Sir?” I asked casually.
I found him staring at me but without his usual glare.
“I just saw the request for your transfer to Finance. Did you apply for that?”
“Yes, Sir. HR said I'll hear from them in a week.” I answered directly.
“Okay.” He shrugged and for a moment I saw a different look on his face. Regret? Sadness? Pain?
Oh no, Nicole. Don’t assume such things. He’s probably just hungry.
“Do you need anything else, Sir?” I asked again.
“No. Nothing.” He answered without looking at me again. “Thank you.”
Wait. Did he just… Say thank you again? Oh. My. God. It IS a miracle!
I left his office after that.
The meeting went well and oddly enough he didn't call me back to his office for the rest of the day.
Must be a day of miracles. Oh, well. That’s good. I can go home early to my baby.
***
The following day was the same. He asked for me less. I went on with my day minus one brooding boss.
***
A week has passed and my usually obsessive compulsive asshole of a boss has been bothering me less than usual.
At times he would even seem nice to me but all the same, he would stare at me quietly every time I went to his office but this time he was less spiteful.
Should I consider the possibility that the devil has changed? Maybe for old time's sake? Pleasant farewell?
Or maybe he just didn’t want me ratting out on him to the other department. Not that he didn’t deserve it, but I won’t. He WAS a friend.
***
The most awaited email from HR finally came and as soon as I read it, I was filled with nothing else but pure unadulterated anger for the jerk.
I didn't care anymore. That bastard just sabotaged my entire career. I got up and stormed inside his office.
“WHAT ELSE? HUH? WHAT THE FUCK ELSE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” I yelled as soon as I saw him and shut the door with a bang behind me.
I heard a unified gasp from my colleagues outside but I didn’t give a damn.
He turned to me from looking out of the window with a folder in hand.
“Miss Navarro, what the hell is this all about?!” He asked, his tone stern and his eyes glaring.
“This?! This is about you! And what a horrible person you are!”
“Me? What did I ever do to you?” He snarled as he marched towards me then stopped just a foot away from me.
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