Chapter 4 - The Decision

“How was your meeting with our new President?”

I froze at the question, my throat tightening as if the words I wanted to say were lodged there, refusing to come out. I was still in shock, still trying to piece together how I ended up in this mess. Everyone’s eyes were on me, curious, expectant. Waiting.

Pero paano ko sasabihin? Should I even say it? My heart was pounding so hard, I was sure the others could hear it. But no….I didn’t have to tell them. Not yet.

I forced a faint smile, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Miss Agnes… what if magreresign nalang ako?” My voice cracked slightly.

Agnes’s brows furrowed. “Huh? Bakit? Napagalitan ka ba? Dapat nagsorry ka nalang.”

Mabilis akong umiling, trying to hold my composure. “Hindi po.”

“Eh, bakit ka magreresign?”

Before I could think of an excuse, a deep voice cut through the air like a knife.

“Sinong magreresign?”

My blood turned cold.

Parang lahat ng tao sa paligid ko ay biglang nagkandarapa sa pag-alis. Chairs scraped against the floor, muffled excuses filled the air, and suddenly, I was left exposed. Napapikit ako saglit, wishing the ground would swallow me whole. I turned toward my computer screen, pretending to type, as if hiding behind a blinking cursor could shield me from him.

“Sir?” Agnes’s voice trembled slightly.

“Agnes,” his tone was calm but commanding, “you’re their department head. Tell me… who’s going to quit her job?”

I didn’t need to look up to know his eyes were on me. I could feel them, piercing, steady, unrelenting. Shit. My palms grew clammy as I clenched them tightly on my lap, praying Agnes wouldn’t give me away.

“Ah, wala po, Sir.” Agnes forced a shaky laugh.

There was a stretch of silence, heavy and suffocating, before he finally spoke again.

“Good. By the way, I am here to tell you that I asked Miss Lopez to be my personal assistant. Starting today.”

His voice carried finality, no room for protest.

My breath hitched. Shit. Shit. SHIT.

Gasps erupted around the room, my colleagues exchanging shocked glances before their eyes inevitably landed on me. My face burned, and I wanted nothing more than to disappear into the screen in front of me.

Agnes scrambled to intervene. “P-pero Sir, Miss Lopez is one of our most trusted in the department. I mean, she’s very reliable with her job.”

“Then, that’s better,” he countered smoothly, his gaze unwavering. “I can have a reliable assistant.”

His words were simple, but the weight behind them pressed down on me like a stone. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to lift my chin slightly, even though inside, all I could think was….why me?

My whole body went rigid. The room felt suddenly smaller, every breath heavier. Bakit ako? Why me? Of all people…

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my expression neutral kahit na gusto kong sumabog. My hands trembled under the desk, so I curled them into fists just to steady myself.

“Sir—” Agnes tried again, her voice pleading now, “Miss Lopez has projects lined up this quarter. If she’ll be moved, baka maapektuhan ang department…”

“Then adjust,” he cut her off, his tone firm, final. “I don’t think I need to explain myself again.”

Silence. No one dared to breathe too loud.

I could feel all eyes darting toward me, sympathy in some, curiosity in others. Para bang hinihintay nilang bumigay ako, magprotesta, or worse iiyak.

But I couldn’t. Not here. Not now.

I forced myself to look up, meeting his eyes for the first time since he walked in. His gaze locked on me, sharp and unreadable. For a split second, I thought I saw a flicker of something…recognition, maybe?but it disappeared as quickly as it came.

“Do you have a problem with that, Miss Lopez?”

His voice was calm, almost casual, but underneath it, I heard the challenge. He was testing me. Cornering me.

My throat felt dry, but somehow I managed to speak. “N-no, Sir.”

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, so quick that I almost thought I imagined it. He gave a curt nod. “Good. Starting today, you report directly to me. Dismissed.”

Just like that, he turned and left the room, leaving a trail of stunned silence behind him.

The moment the door shut, the whispers began.

“Personal assistant?!”

“Bakit siya?”

“Grabe, ang swerte niya, or… baka malas?”

I couldn’t move. My chest tightened, my thoughts spinning in a whirlwind of panic and disbelief. This was it, the very thing I was trying to avoid.

Agnes leaned closer, her voice low but urgent. “Anong nangyayari, Kaela? Do you know him? Bakit ikaw?”

Her questions stabbed at me, but I had no answers I could give. My lips pressed into a thin line as I slowly gathered my things, ignoring the stares burning holes at my back.

Inside, though, I was screaming.

Shit. This is going to change everything.

The rest of the day dragged on in a blur. My teammates avoided eye contact, and when they did, it was filled with curiosity and pity. I forced myself to finish my tasks, pero wala talaga sa ayos. Parang bawat click ng mouse, bawat salita sa monitor, lumulubog ako nang mas malalim sa sitwasyong hindi ko kayang takasan.

By the time I got home, my body felt heavy. Para akong may dalang malaking bato sa dibdib. I shut the door behind me, leaned against it, and finally—finally—I allowed myself to breathe.

My bag slipped from my shoulder and hit the floor with a dull thud. I kicked off my heels, my feet aching, then walked straight to the couch. I collapsed there, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Shit…” I whispered, covering my face with both hands.

Bakit ako? Bakit kailangan ako pa? Out of hundreds of employees, bakit ako ang pinili niya?

I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest as the day replayed in my head. His eyes, sharp and unyielding. The finality in his voice. The smirk, parang alam niya something I didn’t want anyone else to know.

Did he recognize me? No… hindi pwedeng ganoon. After all these years? But the way he looked at me… hindi siya basta tingin lang ng boss sa empleyado.

I bit my lip, the sting grounding me as my chest rose and fell faster.

“What if…” I muttered, afraid to even finish the thought. What if he remembers that night?

My stomach twisted. The secret I’ve buried so deep, the one I swore never to let see the light of day… what if this was his way of pulling me closer, para hindi ako makatakbo?

I rubbed my temples, trying to calm the pounding in my head. Tomorrow, I would officially start as his assistant. No more hiding behind my department, no more blending in the crowd. Lahat ng kilos ko, bantay sarado na siya.

And worse, lahat ng tingin ng iba, nasa akin na rin.

I let out a shaky laugh, half in disbelief, half in despair. “Congrats, Kaela. You’ve officially become the center of the circus.”

Silence filled the room again, only broken by the faint ticking of the wall clock. I hugged my knees tighter, rocking slightly, as if it could shield me from the inevitable storm.

Tomorrow… everything changes.