Chapter 17: Confidential

He shook his head. “No, they won’t get any commission, but I do it so we can work more freely. Besides, it’s only a presentation of our company and products. No need for many people, so we can be more cost efficient.”

“I’m worried they will talk negatively behind our backs. Because they feel like they are the company’s favorites. If they know we’ll go without them ….” I didn’t finish my words. 

“Relaxed,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they know. So, they can also think it is not only them who can market the company’s products. I want to tell you something, but not here.”

I nodded and didn’t think anymore about my worries. Later, I continued my work to make the company portfolio bundles with fabric samples. I matched the colors to the provided sample books. 

It wasn’t hard work, but it needed high meticulousness. It wasn’t allowed any mistakes because it could be fatal. So I worked it per color to ensure no mistake. 

After an hour, it was done. I rechecked everything before I put them on a bag produced by our company. The bag used an ethnic pattern in our country. I chose the bag because we had a lot of stock.  

Suddenly, I wondered if it would be better to add five more. Who knew if we would need it later? So I copied the company portfolio and made five more additional fabric sample books.  

After I finished, Edward called me, “Let’s have lunch?”

I nodded. “Sure! Where? Cafeteria?”

“No, I want to tell you a secret. How about we go to the mall nearby?”

“Okay. It’s been a while since I have eaten there. I want to eat in a Japanese restaurant,” I said. 

When we walked to the parking lot, I could hear a high-pitched voice. It was June. “Maybe Edward and the fatty want to get laid in Singapore!”

“Be quiet. If people hear you, it’ll be a problem.” It’s Myra’s voice. 

“It’s weird,” Caithlyn said. “We should be the ones who go. Why do they go? Besides, it’s just two of them!”  

I already thought they would gossip about us. 

“Shh, it’s them.”

They were quiet right away when they saw Edward and I passed through them. Myra’s face was pale while June and Caithlyn pretended as if nothing happened.  

When we were a few steps away from them, I heard June’s words again. “Just wait and see. If they are more intimate and closer once they return from Singapore, it means I’m not wrong. They must get laid there!” 

I held the sling of my bag tightly. What a bitch! What did she think? I wasn’t a whore! I was quiet when I was in the car because I was too upset. 

“What’s wrong?”

I shook my head, then bent my head. 

He didn’t turn on the car. Instead, he asked me again, “Are you sure?”

Then I burst into tears. I sniffled and shook my head. “Hear that? They talked about us! I’m not a slut!”

He hugged me and patted my back. “Don’t think about it.”

My tears flew more heavily. 

He patted my back again. “Don’t cry, darling.”

I wiped my tears. It was relieving after crying. “I don’t get why they could say evil things about me.”

“Probably they have evil minds. So, they say bad things.” He caressed my shoulder.

“Maybe. I lose my appetite. I don’t want to eat.” 

“Come on!” He reached out his hand to touch my chin, forcing me to stare into his eyes. “No matter what you face, eating is a necessity. You don’t want to be ill because of those busybodies’ words, right?” Then he smiled a little. “Besides, if you are ill, I’ll be worried.”

I forced a smile. He was right. “Okay, I’ll eat, but I’ll let you choose the meals.”

“Okay, madam.”

When we arrived at the mall, we went to the same restaurant we visited the last time. He ordered a lot of food until I was shocked. Later, we had Beef Teriyaki, Chicken Katsu, Ekkado, and rice. Each meal was in two portions. Then, he ordered a bowl of Shrimp Ball soup, a bowl of Shrimp Dumpling soup, and two chocolate puddings. We have melon juice for the drink.  

“Edward! It’s too much! How can we eat them all?!” 

“We will eat them all. I guarantee. You need a lot of energy after crying. I’m starving too. We can share the food later if you can’t eat them all.”

I nodded though I was confused because there was too much food on our table. 

Since I hadn’t started eating yet, he touched the back of my hand. “Why don’t you eat, darling? Do you want me to spoon-feed you?”

“Okay!” I said, mimicking a baby voice.

He chuckled. “You are like a child. Come!” He spoon-fed me with Ekkado. 

“Yummy! I don’t know if it’s so tasty because I haven’t eaten it for a while or because you spoon-feed me. It’s super yummy!”

He chuckled to see me enjoying the food. “Good! Eat more!” 

Edward wanted to spoon-feed me again, but I shook my head. “I’ll eat by myself. Now it’s my turn.” I spoon-fed him with Chicken Katsu.

He ate it, and then we continued eating normally. 

After a while, I rubbed my stomach. “Oh, it’s so tasty. I want to eat more, but I don’t want to be fatter.” 

“Oh, please. If you are fatter, so what? You are taken. You’re mine,” he said firmly. 

I blushed to hear his possessiveness. “Now you said that, but come on! Be honest. I don’t think there are any men who want their girlfriends to be fat?” I protested. 

“Yes, there is! Me!” he said while smiling. 

Finally, I gave up. I ate again without thinking about my fear of getting fatter. If all men were like him, probably all women could live happily forever. We could eat freely without thinking of our weight or becoming unattractive.  

After a half hour, I stopped eating because I was full. I watched him continue eating. It was strange that he ate a lot but he didn’t get fatter. 

Later, he continued our conversation. “It’s confidential, but I’ll tell you, okay?” He lowered his voice, ensuring I was the only one who could hear him. “There is a possibility we will have a demotion in Marketing three months from now. Some evidence showed that there were money embezzlements for a long time. We also heard some rumors about the marketing staff who received money from third parties. From my father’s investigation, he was sure it was the Marketing, but he didn’t know who specifically.”

I touched my chin while thinking. “I don’t think it’s Myra. Though she is in the gang, she doesn’t have the courage like June or Caithlyn. She just follows them because she may be afraid not to have any friends here. So, most likely, it’s between June or Caithlyn.”  

“It’s possible that both are involved,” he said.

“Yes, it’s possible.” I stared at him. “So, how to catch them red-handed?”