05 Keep On Trying

Of the ten candidates evaluated, only two met Evan's standards: one man and one woman. Both excelled in administrative skills, which is crucial for secretarial positions, but they needed to adapt to Evan’s fast-paced work style. According to the psychological test results, both candidates were primarily melancholic, indicating they were cautious.

This contrasted sharply with Evan, who was a choleric type—dynamic and well-suited for leadership. He approached tasks with speed and efficiency, never exhibiting a slowpoke demeanor.

Grace was determined to secure the secretary position and didn’t want to give up the fight for it. With her sharp intellect, she devised a plan to discuss the candidates' shortcomings with Evan.

"Mr. Williams, are you sure the two selected candidates meet your standards? They are completely opposite to you," Grace said, still standing in front of Evan's desk after distributing the final exam papers for the two candidates.

"What does that have to do with you?" Evan replied sarcastically, not even looking at her.

‘If you weren't my best friend, I would have thrown rotten mangoes at you, Evan,’ Grace cursed inwardly. She still couldn't believe that a soft-hearted person like him could turn as cold as a demon. “With all due respect, I know you very well. Melancholic people have never been your preference. In fact, it’s sanguine types like me who can keep up with your work rhythm,” she said, trying to promote herself.

Hearing that, Evan glanced at Grace. "Says who? You don’t really know me," he said. “Now, please leave this room. I need some peace.”

Grace was furious. She already felt exhausted after dealing with tests and completing all her tasks in one day. However, Evan's treatment had only made her resolve stronger. Initially, she wanted to explode in anger, but then she realized it might be a trap. She thought Evan was deliberately trying to provoke her into giving up and walking away.

‘No, Evan. I’m not going to back down simply because of your sarcastic remarks.’ Grace forced a vague smile, her mouth corners upturned as she pretended to remain calm. “Alright. Please enjoy your peace, Mr. Evan Williams,” she said.

Evan acted indifferently, simply staring at his laptop screen.

Unfazed by his cold demeanor, Grace quietly left the room and walked back to her office.

On her way, Grace encountered one of the assistant managers and a staff member she had never seen before. They both wore fake smiles as they stood in front of her, but Grace’s keen ears picked up their mocking remarks behind her.

“Grace really is shameless. First, it was her supervisor, and now the GM. Does she actually think she's beautiful?”

As a mortal, Grace felt a surge of anger and wouldn’t have been surprised if she wished to confront the two women harshly. Her ears burned at the remarks they made, and she knew she could retaliate with cutting words. If it hadn't been for Evan teaching her to control her emotions, she would have earned the title of 'Female Devil' by now. No one would be able to withstand the curses she could unleash.

Grace quickened her pace to reach the pantry as soon as possible. She needed to cool down; her head felt like it was smoldering, much like a burning forest.

One of the things Grace loved about working at this hotel was the excellent facilities provided for the employees. The pantry resembled a luxury bar, complete with various beverage makers and a wide array of ingredients. Ready-to-drink beverages were always available and rarely ran out.

From inside the refrigerator, which was about fifteen centimeters taller than she was, Grace took out a box of orange juice. She inserted a straw into the box and took a sip, instantly refreshing her throat.

While enjoying her juice, Grace noticed a man and a woman enter the pantry. The woman appeared to be complaining about something while the man listened intently.

“Why am I the one being ordered to do this? There are still other office clerks available. Am I here to be a servant? If she wants to flatter the GM, she should do it herself. Don’t make others do it for her,” the female employee exclaimed loudly.

Grace wasn’t sure which manager had assigned the woman to this task, but she was clearly aware that it involved Evan. A smile spread across her face as an idea formed in her mind. Without hesitation, she approached the two unfamiliar employees.

“Hi, sorry to interrupt. If I’m not mistaken, were you told to do something for Mr. Williams?” Grace asked without a hint of doubt.

The woman took a deep breath, composed herself, and nodded. "Yes, I was asked to prepare a drink and deliver it to him," she replied.

“Ah, let me take care of it. No worries! I’m actually heading to Mr. Williams' place," Grace offered.

With wide eyes and a bright smile, the woman responded, "Really? Wow, that's incredibly kind of you. Thank you so much. You don’t know how much it means to me."

Grace nodded and turned to the fridge. She grabbed a box of chocolate milk and some fruits, including strawberries and blueberries. She also took a mixer from a nearby shelf and skillfully prepared Evan's favorite smoothie.

Grace prepared a healthy drink and placed it on a tray. She carefully carried it to Evan's office.

Suddenly, she heard Mario's voice calling her from behind. He had just stepped out of his office.

“Grace, Grace!” he called out.

Grace stopped and turned to face her boss. "Yes, Sir?" she replied.

Mario frowned when he noticed what Grace was carrying. “Why are you bringing a drink? Is it for Mr. Williams?" he asked as he approached her.

“Yes, Sir,” she confirmed.

“But why are you doing it instead of the office clerk?” he inquired.

Grace pressed her lips together and said, “Earlier, I heard that the office clerk in charge couldn’t handle it. Then a staff member was ordered to take it on, but she seemed busy. So I offered to help. Luckily, I have some free time, and the workday is almost over.”

Mario paused before responding, taking a moment to think about his words. He knew how strong-willed Grace was. “Grace, as an assistant manager, you shouldn’t take on this task yourself. You can leave it to the office clerk. Don’t waste your talent and reputation,” he advised.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Is delivering drinks considered a menial task for an assistant manager?” Her question struck him deeply.

"That's not what I meant—"

"Don't you always say that we should take initiative when help is needed? And right now, the help that's needed is delivering drinks. Don't worry, sir; tasks like this won't affect my reputation," Grace explained, making a point that Mario couldn't refute.

Taking a deep breath and nodding, Mario replied, “You're right. I’m sorry; I just don’t want your name to be dragged into disrepute because of this. You know, a lot of people have been talking about you behind your back, right?”

Grace smiled. “Thank you for your concern, sir. I can’t control what people say, but I can control how I respond to it,” she said. “Is there anything else you need to tell me? Otherwise, I need to deliver this drink to Mr. Williams.”

Mario realized there was nothing else he wanted to say. He had approached Grace only because he noticed her holding the drink, but now he felt even more in love with her after hearing her response.

"I guess not. Go ahead. Do what you need to do," Mario said with a small smile.

Grace slightly lowered her head in respect and continued walking toward her destination. Her focus quickly shifted from her conversation with Mario to what she would say to Evan later in his office.

Overjoyed to see Evan for the second time that day, Grace nearly collided with the finance manager, who suddenly appeared around the corner. Fortunately, she was able to keep her drink from spilling.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Be careful!" the woman, who was a bit older than Grace, exclaimed.

"Sorry, Miss Gwen. I'm in a hurry to deliver this drink to Mr. Williams," Grace replied.

Gwen glanced at the drink and said, “Here, I’ll deliver it.” She reached for the tray in Grace's hand.

However, Grace couldn’t allow that to happen. She was the one who had this opportunity and had put in the time to make the drink. “No need, Miss. I can handle it myself,” she replied softly.

“When I say I’m going to do it, don’t stop me,” Gwen retorted, shooting a glare at Grace that signaled the start of an intense standoff between the two women.

Grace may have been smaller than Gwen, but that didn’t diminish her determination. She balanced the tray carefully, holding the glass to prevent the smoothies from spilling. “Miss, please let go. Let me do my job,” she said, her tone more assertive this time.

"You're just an assistant, you know that? Don't challenge me!" Gwen exclaimed as she forcefully pushed the tray towards Grace.

As a result, Grace stumbled backward, hitting the wall with her back. The delicious smoothies spilled out, staining her white blouse.

"See? Bad karma! That’s what happens when you go against your superior!” Gwen snapped, crossing her arms.

Grace’s hands were full; one hand held a tray while the other clutched a glass. She was boiling mad, ready to confront the manager with what she was carrying.

Just before the war broke out, Evan stepped out of his room and shouted, “What the heck? Why make a fuss in front of my office?”

In self-defense, Gwen quickly replied, “I was going to deliver a drink for you, Mr. Williams. But she snatched it away and insisted that she would bring it to you. That’s why the drink spilled. Look, my hands are sticky!”

Grace couldn’t understand how Gwen could twist the truth like that. ‘There wasn’t a single drop of the smoothie in her hand. How could she claim her hands were sticky?’ Her eyes rolled in disbelief. “Do you really believe her?” Grace snapped, glancing at Evan.

Evan understood very well that Grace wasn’t a troublemaker. If she found herself in a difficult situation, it was likely because she was simply trying to defend herself. Nevertheless, he remained calm, aiming to assess the situation wisely without taking sides.

“I don’t care who’s right. Both of you were involved, so get this cleaned up. I want it restored to its original state before the end of working hours,” Evan ordered.

Gwen looked disappointed and angry, while Grace wore a cynical smile, feeling satisfied that even the financial manager had been scolded by Evan. Cleaning the minor stains on the carpet didn’t bother her; she was used to tidying up at home.

Gwen placed her hands on her hips and left without saying a word. Whether she would return to follow through with Evan's instructions remained uncertain.

“Sorry for the mess,” Grace said as Evan turned to head back into his room.

Whether she considered herself lucky or not, one thing was for sure: Grace felt relieved. From what she could tell, Evan genuinely believed her.

An office clerk emerged from the corner where Gwen had gone. She approached Grace and offered to clean up the mess. Initially, Grace declined because Evan had asked her to take responsibility. However, after the clerk insisted, Grace eventually agreed. She handed over the dirty glass and tray to the middle-aged woman standing in front of her.

Grace rushed to the restroom, relieved that she had pocketed her phone. She quickly contacted Nita for assistance and spent some time cleaning her blouse with water and tissue.

Although the restroom was not far from her office, Nita arrived twenty minutes later, out of breath.

"What took you so long, Nita? Don't you have work to finish?" Grace asked.

Nita shook her head and half-raised her hand. “How could you be this messy? Don’t you know you're such a troublemaker? You look like you've been in a war," she said, straightening up after catching her breath. "Here’s a blouse for you."

"Oh, thank you, Nita. You didn’t have to buy a new one for me," Grace said, smiling as she recognized the Batik blouse she knew was sold at the store on the first floor.

"I only went there because Mr. Williams asked me to. It’s on him," Nita replied.

Hearing those words warmed Grace's heart. She could already tell that her best friend couldn’t bear to see her going through something difficult. No matter how poor Evan's behavior was, it didn’t change Grace's feelings about him.

‘See, Evan? It’s only been a few days, and I’m already close to winning this game.’ Grace smiled as she returned to the toilet stall to get changed.

[ABY]