Chapter 6

Calvin arrived at work punctually as usual, expecting nothing more than another busy day. The moment he stepped into the building, employees greeted him respectfully before quickly returning to their tasks. Everything appeared normal on the surface, yet there was a strange feeling he couldn’t quite place. The atmosphere wasn’t tense or chaotic, but something felt different.

He dismissed the thought and continued toward his office.

As soon as he walked in, Mrs. Lawson followed behind him carrying several files. She placed them neatly on his desk before opening the top folder.

“Good morning, sir. You have a board meeting in five minutes. The quarterly reports have already been sent to the directors, and the investors from Singapore are expected by ten o’clock. After that, you have—”

“Where is Miss Williams?”

The question came so suddenly that Mrs. Lawson stopped speaking.

Calvin looked up from the file he had just opened.

“And why are you filling in for her?”

Mrs. Lawson hesitated briefly before answering.

“She hasn’t reported to work today, sir.”

For the first time that morning, Calvin paused.

It was subtle. Barely noticeable.

The pen in his hand stopped moving for a second before he continued signing the document in front of him.

“I see.”

His voice remained calm and unreadable.

Mrs. Lawson waited, expecting him to ask another question. Sarah had become his personal assistant, after all. Her absence would naturally affect his schedule.

But no further questions came.

Instead, Calvin lowered his gaze back to the file and continued working as if the information had no importance whatsoever.

“Arrange my schedule,” he said flatly.

“Yes, sir.”

Mrs. Lawson continued where she had left off, outlining the rest of his appointments for the day. Calvin listened with his usual focus, occasionally signing documents and reviewing reports. To anyone watching, he appeared completely unaffected.

Yet after Mrs. Lawson left the office, his gaze drifted briefly toward the empty desk outside the glass partition.

Sarah’s desk.

Usually she would already be there by now, sorting through emails or preparing documents before he asked for them. The desk now sat untouched and strangely vacant.

Calvin frowned slightly before returning his attention to the report in front of him.

She was probably being dramatic.

After yesterday’s confrontation, perhaps she had decided not to come in.

The thought should have satisfied him.

Instead, it left an unpleasant feeling he couldn’t explain.

The rest of the morning passed quickly. Meetings came and went, reports were reviewed, decisions were made. Calvin performed every task with the same efficiency that had built Hart Holdings into one of the most successful companies in the country.

Even so, Sarah’s absence lingered at the back of his mind.

Several times, he caught himself glancing toward the office door whenever it opened, only to find someone else standing there.

Each time, annoyance settled deeper in his chest.

By noon, he was irritated enough to finally call Mrs. Lawson into his office.

She arrived moments later.

“You called for me, sir?”

Calvin leaned back in his chair.

“Has Miss Williams contacted anyone?”

Mrs. Lawson blinked, surprised by the question.

“No, sir.”

His jaw tightened slightly.

“Did she submit a leave request?”

“No.”

“Send her an email regarding her absence.”

Mrs. Lawson nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

As she turned to leave, Calvin picked up another file and added casually, “If she intends to resign, she should at least have the courtesy to do so properly.”

“Of course, sir.”

The door closed behind her.

Calvin stared at the file in his hands for several moments without reading a single word.

Then, with visible irritation, he tossed it onto the desk.

For some reason, Sarah Williams had managed to disrupt his entire morning simply by not showing up.

Back at home, Sarah sat on the edge of her bed with her laptop open, staring at job listings she had already gone through more times than she could count. The words blurred together after a while—administrative assistant, executive coordinator, office support roles—but none of them gave her any sense of certainty. None of them felt secure enough to rebuild what she had just walked away from.

Still, she kept applying.

One application after another, she filled in forms, uploaded her CV, and typed out cover letters she wasn’t even sure would be read. Her fingers moved out of habit more than hope, because doing nothing felt heavier than trying and failing.

Ann stood in the doorway for a while, watching her quietly before she finally spoke. “You’re really not going back?”

Sarah didn’t lift her eyes from the screen. “I can’t,” she replied softly. “We’ve talked about this, Ann.”

Ann stepped further into the room, folding her arms as she leaned against the wall. “You do realize you’re walking away from your salary, right?”

That made Sarah pause. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before she slowly exhaled and nodded.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I know.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then, after a moment, she added in a lower voice, “But I can’t keep walking into that office like I’m waiting for punishment every day.”

Ann didn’t respond immediately. She only sighed, the kind of sigh that carried more concern than disagreement, before eventually turning away and leaving her to it.

The room fell quiet again, broken only by the soft tapping of keys and the occasional rustle of the bedsheet as Sarah shifted her position.

Her phone buzzed suddenly beside her.

She glanced at the screen without thinking much of it at first, but the moment she saw the sender, her chest tightened slightly.

Hart Holdings – HR Department.

She stared at the notification for a long moment before opening it.

Her suspicion was confirmed almost immediately.

The message was brief and formal, written in the same detached tone corporate emails always carried. Her absence had been noted. She was to provide clarification regarding her failure to report to duty without formal leave approval.

Sarah read it once, then again, as if the words might change if she looked long enough.

They didn’t.

She exhaled slowly, locked her phone, and placed it face down on the bed beside her.

“I don’t even know what to say to them,” she muttered under her breath.

Ann, who had just re-entered the room, frowned. “Is that the company?”

Sarah nodded faintly. “They’re asking why I didn’t show up.”

“And?”

Sarah hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap. “I don’t know yet.”

It was the truth, even if it unsettled her to admit it.

Because deep down, she knew this wasn’t just about missing work. It was about everything she had been holding in for years—guilt, resentment, pride, survival—and how easily it had all reached a breaking point.

And now, for the first time, she wasn’t sure which direction she was supposed to go in anymore.

Later that day, Sarah decided she needed air. Something simple. Something that didn’t involve the constant weight of her own thoughts.

She ended up at the mall, moving slowly through the aisles with no real urgency, picking up a few groceries and small household items she had been postponing buying. The place was busy, filled with the usual weekend noise—families, friends, the soft hum of music playing through the speakers overhead.

She had just turned into the beverage section when she stopped abruptly.

Her eyes widened.

For a second, she wasn’t sure she was seeing correctly.

“Jenny… Jenny Lucas?”

The girl in front of her froze, then looked up sharply. A beat passed, and then her face broke into a bright smile.

“Sarah!”

The recognition hit them both at once, and the next moment they were laughing and pulling each other into a tight, excited hug, the kind that only came from people who hadn’t seen each other in years but still felt instantly familiar.

“Oh my goodness,” Jenny said as she pulled back, still holding Sarah’s arms. “What a small world indeed.”

Sarah laughed, shaking her head slightly. “Seriously. I thought you went back to your mum in Seoul after graduation.”

“I did,” Jenny replied, adjusting her hair as they started walking together without even thinking about it, “but I came back a while ago. My dad wanted me closer, so… here I am.”

“That’s crazy,” Sarah said, still smiling.

“Tell me about it. Come on, let’s grab a drink. We have too much catching up to do.”

“Of course.”

They paid for their items quickly and moved toward a nearby lounge area in the mall, settling into a quiet corner where the noise faded just enough for conversation to feel private.

Jenny leaned forward almost immediately, curiosity written all over her face. “So what have you been up to? I don’t want to pry, but I heard you kept the child. I’m really sorry I didn’t reach out after I moved. Life in Seoul was… chaotic, and I kind of lost contact with everyone from school.”

Sarah gave a small smile, not offended. “It’s fine, Jen. It’s been years now. And yes… I kept her. She’s older now. A big girl.”

Jenny’s face softened instantly. “I bet she is.”

They both laughed lightly at that, the tension easing.

“So,” Jenny said after a moment, “what are you doing now?”

That question made Sarah exhale slowly. She rested her cup on the table, her fingers tightening slightly around it.

“I’m looking for a job,” she admitted. “Fingers crossed something works out soon.”

Jenny straightened a little, as if something had just occurred to her. “Wait—actually, that might be perfect timing. My family’s company is recruiting right now. You should apply. I’ll send you the link.”

Sarah looked up, surprised. “Really?”

“Of course. Why not?”

A small smile formed on Sarah’s face. “That’s really thoughtful, Jen. I appreciate it.”

They stayed a while longer, talking about old classmates, missed moments, and life after graduation, the conversation flowing easily as if no time had passed at all. Eventually, they exchanged contacts again, promised to stay in touch, and went their separate ways.

By the time Sarah got home, Ann wasn’t in yet. She dropped her bag on the couch, quickly unpacked the groceries she had bought, and almost immediately reached for her laptop.

Jenny’s words kept replaying in her mind as she searched for the company and the vacancy she had mentioned. After a few minutes, she found it and stared at the job description carefully. The salary wasn’t anything close to Hart Holdings, but it was enough—enough to survive, enough to breathe.

That was what mattered.

She applied.

Then sat back for a moment, closing her eyes briefly as if silently sealing the decision.

A little while later, Ann walked in, stretching as she kicked off her shoes.

“Hey girl,” she greeted lazily.

“Hey,” Sarah replied, still sitting on the couch.

Ann yawned as she headed toward the kitchen.

“Guess who I bumped into today at the mall.”

Ann smirked slightly. “Calvin?”

“Ann, be serious.”

Ann gasped dramatically. “What? You told me to guess!”

“Fine, fine. Who then?”

“Jenny Lucas.”

Ann froze mid-step.

Her expression changed almost immediately, and Sarah noticed.

“…Oh,” Ann said flatly.

Sarah frowned. “Ann. Don’t tell me you’re still upset about what happened in school. It was years ago.”

Ann crossed her arms. “That girl was a snitch.”

Sarah blinked. “A snitch?”

“She acted innocent but she always had a way of reporting everything back to teachers. I never liked her.”

Sarah let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “You really held on to that for years?”

Ann shrugged. “Some people just don’t forget vibes.”

Despite herself, Sarah laughed properly this time. “Well, anyway, she said her family’s company is hiring. I already applied.”

Ann raised a brow. “Oh. Great.”

The tone was so flat it made Sarah pause.

“Ann…”

“What?” Ann said defensively, throwing her hands up slightly. “Let me be.”

That broke the tension completely. Sarah laughed again, and even Ann couldn’t hold back a smile for long.

And for a moment, the heaviness of the past few days didn’t feel quite as suffocating.