Chapter 18
Valencia
Sophia didn’t gloat on being proved right about lan. Neither did she try to make me feel miserable.
On the contrary, she was being a good friend by trying to distract me and cheer me up. Somehow with her dragging me to movies and window shopping, I could go through the weekend.
But on Sunday night, I gently reminded her.
“Thank you for your time. But please, I wasted too much time already. And the new boss is quite strict. I have to go early to work tomorrow.”
She had opened her mouth to argue but didn’t say a word. Instead, she pulled me into a hug and replied,
“Fine, go bury your head in the files if that’s what keeps you happy and engaged.”
I nodded, and she added sternly.
“But remember that you can call me or meet me anytime, okay?”
“Yes, I know,” I said and then went home.
I had functioned without him all these years, right? I would be just over him in a few days.
I had my career to focus on.
That had been my aspiration all along.
From tomorrow, I was not going to think of Ian, I told myself and went to sleep.
I woke up earlier than usual, determined to make it good with Mrs Briggs. She hated me, but I wanted to turn her hate into admiration.
And I decided I was going to take up her offer of being her assistant.
I still didn’t like the fact that she was going to boss me around but if she thought I was bowing to her and didn’t pose her any threat, maybe she would leave me alone.
It wouldn’t hurt to take a step back if that meant I could keep my career rock solid. She was the third head of the department already so chances are she would also be replaced soon.
I had survived the two before her, I could try to be nice and polite to her. Maybe, she will pick someone else to bully.
At least that was what I hoped as I headed towards my office. And the first thing I did after stepping inside the office was go straight to her cabin.
I knocked on her door and cleared my throat.
“May I come in, Miss Briggs?” I asked.
Her stern voice reached my ears almost immediately.
“Yes”
1/4
I walked in and gave her my best smile before offering a greeting.
Good morning, Miss Briggs. Oh, I mean boss. Good morning, boss”
She eyed me curiously and then looked just a little impressed.
“Somebody has learned how to respect the hierarchy, it seems.” She mused, leaning back in her chair and joining her fingers together.
I took a step forward and didn’t let that smile waver.
“I was hoping we could have a fresh start. Despite my behavior, you thought I was good enough to be your assistant.”
“Ahh, I see.” She mused, and I buttered her up hard.
“Yes. At first, I didn’t think clearly but after I went home and thought about it, I realized that what you were saying was right. Working directly under you would definitely be good for my career.”
She gave me an appreciating nod.
“Are you sure you are not going to regret this decision later, Miss Valencia?”
I reiterated my stance.
“Absolutely not, boss.”
“Perfect. As you are willing to learn and take on a task, you don’t mind thinking out of the box, right?
She asked.
I shook my head. “It would be a pleasure to think out of the box. And I thank you in advance for considering me a capable candidate.”
She gave me an all too sweet smile and turned her gaze to the envelopes and letters stacked on her desk.
“Could you start sifting through the correspondence, then?”
My smile began to deflate again.
I thought I had not heard her right, so I hesitated. “Correspondence?”
She nodded and put on her glasses to start working on her computer.
“Of course, Look through them and tell me the important stuff.”
That was not the work of a legal associate or the office head’s assistant. That was literally the work of an office boy.
Every week, new mail arrived and the office boys sorted through to deliver the letters to their intended participant.
And she wanted me to do that.
I coiled and uncoiled my fingers before pulling up my smile again.
“Of course”
She observed me and knew I had wanted to deny it, but said yes anyway.
9/A
Keeping my calm, I went towards her desk and looked through the dozen or so envelopes. Most were useless- bank offers, invites to charities, etc.
But because she had asked me to, I opened and read through them before dismissing them. I was about to not bother reading the last one and throw it in the dustbin as well but then I saw that it had the official stamp of the Bureau.
This letter seemed important, so I carefully opened it and read through the letter. And my eyes widened as I read through
the text.
Miss Briggs noticed my shocked expression and looked up from her computer.
“What is it?”
“It is a letter from the Bureau. There is going to be a new director of the Bureau.”
“What?” Miss Briggs sounded equally stunned and she got up to snatch the letter from me.
She read through the letter twice and then looked at me.
“Goodness Valencia, were you about to throw this in a bin?”
I looked at her dumbfoundedly.
“I was reading through it.”
She looked at the envelope of the letter placed on everything else.
“What is this, then?” she looked through the other envelopes. “These are all useless papers and you were going to throw them away. What if I had never looked at you by chance and noticed that letter?”.
She was just exaggerating stuff and scolding me over silly stuff.
“But it didn’t happen. I did notice the Bureau’s logo and-” I began, but she raised her hand to shut me off.
“Instead of arguing, take this as a lesson to do your job neatly, Valencia. I had heard such high praises of you, but you continue to disappoint me. First, the filing in the basement and now this.”
She shook her head in disdain as if I had murdered her loved one of something.
I tried to keep my cool and change the topic instead.
“Who do you think the new director is going to be, boss? You are highly influential and have contacts with the higher ups.”
I said, and her anger seemed to melt down a little.
“Of course, I do. I was highly recommended by all the seniors and have even received a special thank you from one of the AVPS”
I nodded and pretended to be amazed by that piece of tidbit.
“Time to organize this office and set everything up in order. This place is a mess,” she suddenly said, and I began to wonder how much of the donkey work was she going to make me do.
“Miss Briggs, the office is in a pretty good shape-”
But she again shut me down.
2/4
Chapter 18
“The Bureau this, the bureau that, who is your boss?” she snapped at me.
“You” I answered.
She jutted her chin up and narrowed her eyes.
“Then you will do as I say. I want the office to look neat and clean. Tables will all look the same, prim and proper.”
In my five years of working at the Bureau, we had never had somebody tell us how to arrange our tables.
There were always stacks of files lying around, papers and stationery scattered, but the desks were fairly neat.
“Oh, on another note, just ask everybody to show up in the meeting room in five minutes. I have some instructions to make.”
“What?”
