04 Competition

Not being given a chance to try doesn't mean losing. Grace didn’t want to give up easily. Even though she couldn't take the test to become an executive secretary to the General Manager, she found other ways to pursue her goal.

Grace managed to persuade employees from various divisions to apply for the secretary position. This strategy would overwhelm Evan, making it difficult for him to handle everything on his own. As a result, he would need help from the HR department to sort through the candidates.

Originally, Nita was assigned to handle this task. However, Grace successfully convinced Mario that she could do a better job, leading to her replacement of Nita. Knowing what Grace was planning from the beginning, Nita did not refuse to step aside.

The registration window was open for only one day, and all applicant data had been collected. Following Evan's requirements, Grace sorted through the applicants, eliminating many during the administrative selection stage.

Now, only ten candidates remained out of the initial eighty-seven applicants. Grace was on her way to the GM's office to submit their detailed information.

"Excuse me, Mr. Williams," Grace said as she knocked a few times and then poked her head around the door. "I am here to present the data for the ten applicants who are eligible to take the selection test."

Evan was taken aback when he saw who had entered his room. He couldn't believe it—his attempt to prevent Grace from getting involved in the test had failed so easily.

Grace walked over quietly and handed him a folder containing data on the ten candidates. “I have sorted through them, and these ten are the best. You can take a look,” she said, feeling satisfied with her work. 

“Thank you. You can leave now,” Evan replied coldly.

Evan's words made Grace as angry as could be. She did not expect to be dismissed so quickly. "Are you sure you don’t need my help?" she asked, feeling irritated.

"One hundred percent. Please leave this room," Evan firmly reiterated.

With no reason to stay, Grace reluctantly turned away. As she stood in front of Evan’s door, she paused for a moment. "You’ll see, Evan. I will find out why you’re acting like this toward me," she promised herself.

Throughout the day, Grace struggled to maintain her focus on work, as her thoughts kept drifting to Evan. She was determined not to let the label of "best employee" slip away, as it was crucial for her career advancement and had played a significant role in her promotion to her current position.

Additionally, Grace needed more money for her mother's treatment, as her condition was deteriorating due to congenital heart disease. She feared losing her mother and was desperate to find a solution.

“Excuse me,” said a tall, burly figure as he approached Grace's desk.

Instinctively, Grace stood up straight, aware of her boss’s presence. "How can I help you?" she asked.

Mario wore a gentle smile on his face as he handed a blue USB flash drive to his assistant. "Could you please check some of the data on this? I've written the details in a separate document," he said.

Grace frowned and asked innocently, "Oh? Why not just send it via email?"

Nita, who was observing the interaction between the boss and his assistant, shook her head at Grace's response, unable to believe her friend's naivety.

"Hm, well... there's a problem with my laptop. The internet isn't working," Mario explained, searching for the right words.

"Oh, I see. You should have asked me to take this flash drive from your room. There's no need for you to bring it here," Grace continued, still unaware of the situation.

Nita let out a small sigh, realizing her voice was a bit too loud. To cover herself, she pretended to be focused on something she was working on.

Mario scratched his temple with his right index finger. "Ah, it's because I'm actually on my way to Mr. Williams's room, so I brought it along," he explained quickly and reasonably.

However, Grace sometimes struggled to control her bluntness. "I guess Mr. Williams's room and this office are in different directions. His is to the east, while this office is to the west," she remarked.

Upon hearing her friend's words, Nita nudged Grace from behind immediately. 

Innocently, Grace turned and asked, "What's up?" 

Nita forced a smile and stood up, saying, "Grace will be doing her job soon, sir," in an attempt to break the awkward tension. 

Mario nodded. "Well, thank you," he replied. 

"Yes, you're welcome. But, uh, Mr. Suganda," Grace called out as he started to walk away. He paused and looked back at her. "So, you're going to Mr. Williams' room, right? Is there anything I can help you with?" She deliberately offered her assistance in hopes of seeing Evan again.

Mario paused for a moment before replying, “I don’t think so. He just wanted to discuss staffing matters with me. Maybe it’s concerning the candidate for the executive secretary position.” 

Although Grace’s presence wasn’t necessary, she couldn’t help but look for any opportunity to spend time with her best friend. “Well, there must be a lot to discuss. Perhaps Mr. Williams will have many assignments for you, and you’ll need to take notes. As your assistant, I can help. You know I’m good at taking notes, right?” she urged.

Mario, unaware of her true intentions, agreed without hesitation. He saw this as a chance to get closer to his assistant. “Then come with me,” he said.

Grace was thrilled. She grabbed her iPad and voice recorder, which had become essential tools whenever she attended a meeting.

"Gosh, Grace. I can tell you’re such a fighter,” whispered Nita in surprise. "Good luck to you."

Grace didn't respond with words, only a smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. She straightened her posture as if preparing for battle and then left the place with Mario.

Inside Grace's mind, she compiled ideas about how to uncover what was wrong with Evan. What would she do and say when she saw him again? She was determined to investigate the change in her best friend's attitude. To her, it was impossible for someone as warm as Evan to turn completely into someone else.

When they arrived in front of the GM room, Mario opened the door for Grace. She took a silent, deep breath before entering.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Williams," Mario said as he closed the door and walked ahead of his assistant. 

"Good after..." Evan nearly shot a glare at the sight of his best friend, "noon. Why is she here?" His disapproval of Grace's presence was obvious.

Mario glanced at Grace before responding, "Oh, I hope you don't mind that I brought my assistant. She usually helps me record all the meetings."

Evan gave him a flat look. Although he wasn't thrilled about it, he couldn't really object. "Alright. But please sit on the couch since there’s only one chair in front of my desk," he said, politely directing Grace to stay away from his workspace.

Grace was far too quick-witted to give in. “With all due respect, Mr. Williams, it might be more comfortable if we all sat down on the couch. This way, I can hear you more clearly,” she suggested.

“Who says? I’m more comfortable sitting here,” Evan replied, dismissing Grace's suggestion.

Mario noticed that the situation was becoming tense and quickly intervened to calm it down. “Let’s do it this way: Grace, you can sit on the couch and place your recorder on this table. If you miss anything during the meeting, you can catch up by listening to the recording,” he suggested.

Grace couldn’t argue anymore. Whether she liked it or not, she had to follow Mario’s suggestion. If she didn’t, she would risk losing her opportunity and possibly getting kicked out. She placed the voice recorder on Evan’s desk and sat down on the couch, which was two and a half meters away from the table.

Feeling triumphant after their petty debate, Evan couldn’t help but smile slightly at the corner of his lips. “Alright, I will explain my thoughts regarding the ten candidates for the executive secretary position,” he began.

At first, Evan's voice was loud enough for Grace to hear from where she was sitting. However, as he continued speaking, his voice gradually decreased in volume, and she found it increasingly difficult to catch his words.

‘Dang it. Is he doing this on purpose so I won't hear?’ Grace was furious, but she didn't want to be defeated so easily. She rose from her seat and walked over to Evan's desk.

The two men who had been discussing paused and looked at Grace in confusion.

"Oh? I can't hear very well from there, so I'm standing here. Don't mind me. Please continue the discussion," Grace replied to their unspoken question, unashamed and unapologetic.

Unlike Mario, who felt guilty seeing his assistant stand up, Evan seemed unconcerned. "Okay," he replied simply.

‘You’ll see who will win this battle, Evan. Are you trying to make me give up before we even start? You completely underestimate me." A faint smile appeared on Grace's face as she felt confident about her chances of winning.

Three minutes turned into seven, then ten. As time passed, Grace's legs began to feel fatigued. She shifted her feet several times, trying to hold on a little longer.

Mario was restless; he knew his assistant struggled with standing for extended periods of time. He had always been secretly observant of her.

As a result of Grace's constant movement, Evan found it hard to keep his focus elsewhere. The previous accident had impacted the strength in Grace's legs, and he felt it was time to bring the discussion to a close. "We're done here. I think everything is clear enough, isn't it?" he said.

"Yes, definitely. Grace will also assist me," Mario replied as he stood up from his chair. "I will send some of the tests this afternoon. We already have several commonly used templates."

Evan nodded in agreement.

Grace finished jotting down her notes and picked up her recorder from the table. She bowed her head slightly and turned away without saying a word.

"Excuse us," Mario said as he led Grace away. He positioned his hands behind her to ensure she had support without actually touching her, in case she struggled to walk. 

Although Grace felt a slight pain in her leg, she acted as though everything was normal, determined not to appear unprofessional in front of her superiors. The last thing she wanted was to show any weakness.

Mario insisted on escorting Grace to the office, despite her assurances that she was fine. He also assigned the previous task to Nita so that Grace could focus on completing the GM's request.

“Aww, look who’s receiving such a warm gesture from her sweet manager. I hope you’ll eventually realize his kindness toward you,” Nita said with a chuckle. “Don’t act foolishly like you did before.”

Grace clicked her tongue, wanting to dismiss Nita's comments. “Just finish your job. You’ve got a new task, haven’t you? It needs to be done by this afternoon, you know,” she replied, focusing her attention on her computer screen.

Feeling ignored, Nita shook her head in disbelief. But this wasn’t new; Grace was always like that.

It had been about twenty minutes, but Grace hadn’t stopped massaging her feet. The pain was persistent and was disrupting her work. She knew what medication could help relieve it, so she paused her work to order some online.

Just as she was about to press the 'Buy' button, a delivery courier arrived with an order under Grace's name. Confused, she wondered why she received a package she hadn’t ordered. The plastic bag, marked with the pharmacy's name, contained the exact medication she was about to purchase.

"Look how caring our dear manager is! He even bought you what you need to relieve your pain," Nita teased amid her busy work.

Ignoring Nita's words, Grace was lost in deep thought. She had been taking this exact medication for years since the accident, whenever the same pain returned.

No one knew except her mom and… Evan.

[ABY]