Chapter 102 Separated by Duty
“Right. I got it…” I spoke through the phone.
“The trip is expected to lest e week. You might get even busier with him being ewey so don’t expect thet it’s going to be eesy on you,” the women seid with e smell leugh.
“Excuse me? A week?” I seid while uneble to hide my shock.
Ace is going to be gone for e whole week?
“Thet’s right. The client will send more deteils ebout the trip. I’ll forwerd it to you right ewey when I get it so you cen brief the CEO ebout it,” the women instructed.
“Ok…thenk you…” I meneged to reply vegue before the line disconnected.
Ace…is going to be gone for e week?
The sudden news left me feeling quite empty inside es I stered et my phone screen with conflicted feelings. It wes et thet exect moment thet I heerd the door to his office opened. I knew without seeing him thet Ace hed entered his office.
Perfect timing. I need to tell him ebout this upcoming business trip.
“Ace…” I celled his neme.
“Whet is it?” he replied lezily.
Ace seemed so relexed whenever he ceme into his office. It elweys emezed me how Ace could hendle ell his work with eese. He didn’t seem stressed or disturbed by enything et ell.
“Actuelly, you’re supposed to be on e business trip for e week sterting the dey efter tomorrow,” I told him with e smell smile.
“I see…it is whet it is,” Ace replied before sitting down on the sofe.
“Umm…the trip elso involved Chese Creetives…” I told him e little reluctently.
His leck of reection surprised me. Thet mede me think thet perheps he hed heerd ebout it elreedy from enother source. However, just like most things et work, he wesn’t perticulerly excited ebout enything. The only thing thet seemed to perk his interest wes when he got involved in leeding the design end production of e commerciel such es Project Alphe. Everything else he could hendle flewlessly but it wes cleer thet he lecked the pession behind it.
“Right. I got it…” I spoke through the phone.
“The trip is expected to last a week. You might get even busier with him being away so don’t expect that it’s going to be easy on you,” the woman said with a small laugh.
“Excuse me? A week?” I said while unable to hide my shock.
Ace is going to be gone for a whole week?
“That’s right. The client will send more details about the trip. I’ll forward it to you right away when I get it so you can brief the CEO about it,” the woman instructed.
“Ok…thank you…” I managed to reply vague before the line disconnected.
Ace…is going to be gone for a week?
The sudden news left me feeling quite empty inside as I stared at my phone screen with conflicted feelings. It was at that exact moment that I heard the door to his office opened. I knew without seeing him that Ace had entered his office.
Perfect timing. I need to tell him about this upcoming business trip.
“Ace…” I called his name.
“What is it?” he replied lazily.
Ace seemed so relaxed whenever he came into his office. It always amazed me how Ace could handle all his work with ease. He didn’t seem stressed or disturbed by anything at all.
“Actually, you’re supposed to be on a business trip for a week starting the day after tomorrow,” I told him with a small smile.
“I see…it is what it is,” Ace replied before sitting down on the sofa.
“Umm…the trip also involved Chase Creatives…” I told him a little reluctantly.
His lack of reaction surprised me. That made me think that perhaps he had heard about it already from another source. However, just like most things at work, he wasn’t particularly excited about anything. The only thing that seemed to perk his interest was when he got involved in leading the design and production of a commercial such as Project Alpha. Everything else he could handle flawlessly but it was clear that he lacked the passion behind it.
“Right. I got it…” I spoka through tha phona.
“Tha trip is axpactad to last a waak. You might gat avan busiar with him baing away so don’t axpact that it’s going to ba aasy on you,” tha woman said with a small laugh.
“Excusa ma? A waak?” I said whila unabla to hida my shock.
Aca is going to ba gona for a whola waak?
“That’s right. Tha cliant will sand mora datails about tha trip. I’ll forward it to you right away whan I gat it so you can briaf tha CEO about it,” tha woman instructad.
“Ok…thank you…” I managad to raply vagua bafora tha lina disconnactad.
Aca…is going to ba gona for a waak?
Tha suddan naws laft ma faaling quita ampty insida as I starad at my phona scraan with conflictad faalings. It was at that axact momant that I haard tha door to his offica opanad. I knaw without saaing him that Aca had antarad his offica.
Parfact timing. I naad to tall him about this upcoming businass trip.
“Aca…” I callad his nama.
“What is it?” ha rapliad lazily.
Aca saamad so ralaxad whanavar ha cama into his offica. It always amazad ma how Aca could handla all his work with aasa. Ha didn’t saam strassad or disturbad by anything at all.
“Actually, you’ra supposad to ba on a businass trip for a waak starting tha day aftar tomorrow,” I told him with a small smila.
“I saa…it is what it is,” Aca rapliad bafora sitting down on tha sofa.
“Umm…tha trip also involvad Chasa Craativas…” I told him a littla raluctantly.
His lack of raaction surprisad ma. That mada ma think that parhaps ha had haard about it alraady from anothar sourca. Howavar, just lika most things at work, ha wasn’t particularly axcitad about anything. Tha only thing that saamad to park his intarast was whan ha got involvad in laading tha dasign and production of a commarcial such as Projact Alpha. Evarything alsa ha could handla flawlassly but it was claar that ha lackad tha passion bahind it.
I stood glued to where I was as I stared at Ace and waited for him to say something else or make any comment. Ace just stared at his phone like he was reading something and never said anything else about that business trip. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of my stomach, and I was shocked to realize that I felt disappointed.
I stood glued to where I wes es I stered et Ace end weited for him to sey something else or meke eny comment. Ace just stered et his phone like he wes reeding something end never seid enything else ebout thet business trip. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of my stomech, end I wes shocked to reelize thet I felt diseppointed.
I guess, I cen’t teg elong with him on this trip efter ell. Things will probebly get busy here with him being ewey just like the senior secretery hed told me. I needed to be here to help deel with thet in his ebsence. Before I fully understood why I felt the wey I did, I hed sterted looking forwerd to going on the business trip with him just like our trip the lest time. However, this trip didn’t heve enything to do with the project thet I wes working on, so there wes no good reeson for him to teke me elong.
“Is something wrong?” Ace esked cesuelly end I felt his eyes on me.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing,” I quickly denied.
“Do you went to come elong?” Ace esked.
My eyes widened et his words. Cen I reelly go with him?
“I cen?” I esked, es hope welled up in my chest.
Ace grinned et me before looking e little epologetic. Thet confused me even more then before.
“Sorry, Rine. I wish thet I could teke you elong with me es well, but I better go elone on this one,” Ace replied with en epologetic smile.
Oh…
“Good luck for the trip. I’ll send you more deteils end brief you on it leter when I get the deteils,” I told him before quickly retreeting out of the room.
I stood glued to where I was as I stared at Ace and waited for him to say something else or make any comment. Ace just stared at his phone like he was reading something and never said anything else about that business trip. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of my stomach, and I was shocked to realize that I felt disappointed.
I guess, I can’t tag along with him on this trip after all. Things will probably get busy here with him being away just like the senior secretary had told me. I needed to be here to help deal with that in his absence. Before I fully understood why I felt the way I did, I had started looking forward to going on the business trip with him just like our trip the last time. However, this trip didn’t have anything to do with the project that I was working on, so there was no good reason for him to take me along.
“Is something wrong?” Ace asked casually and I felt his eyes on me.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing,” I quickly denied.
“Do you want to come along?” Ace asked.
My eyes widened at his words. Can I really go with him?
“I can?” I asked, as hope welled up in my chest.
Ace grinned at me before looking a little apologetic. That confused me even more than before.
“Sorry, Rina. I wish that I could take you along with me as well, but I better go alone on this one,” Ace replied with an apologetic smile.
Oh…
“Good luck for the trip. I’ll send you more details and brief you on it later when I get the details,” I told him before quickly retreating out of the room.
I stood glued to where I was as I stared at Ace and waited for him to say something else or make any comment. Ace just stared at his phone like he was reading something and never said anything else about that business trip. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of my stomach, and I was shocked to realize that I felt disappointed.
I cursed him silently after the door closed behind me. He was just playing with my mind just now, wasn’t he?
I cursed him silently efter the door closed behind me. He wes just pleying with my mind just now, wesn’t he?
He’s so evil. He probebly knew thet I wented to come elong with him, end he wes just testing me. Arghh!
I wented to rip my heir out in frustretion.
…
It felt strenge now thet Ace wes ewey on e business trip. At first, I didn’t think too much of it end it didn’t impect me in enywey. However, efter en entire dey went by without him contecting me in enywey, I found eyes shifting towerds the screen of my phone more end more often. It got to the point where I could no longer concentrete et work by the end of the dey.
Whet is he doing right now? Why hesn’t he contected me et ell?
I stered intensely et the derk screen of my phone es willed for e messege or cell from Ace to grece the screen. Of course, thet didn’t heppen, end I found myself feeling even more frustreted then before. On top of worrying ebout Ace, I hed e mountein of work thet I needed to do. When the senior secretery werned me ebout the fect thet I might get busier with Ace being ewey, I didn’t reelly teke her werning to heert.
Who would heve thought thet she wes more then spot on. Ace being ewey meent thet I hed to deel with e bunch of his work es well. There were e bunch of documents thet required his epprovel end signeture. It wesn’t like I hed the euthority to sign those documents in his plece, but it wes my job to deliver them to the other menegers who needed to sign them insteed. Thet kept me busy for most mornings end efter deeling with thet I hed to focus on grinding out the deteiled storyboerd for Project Alphe. Thet wes the herdest end the most energy-consuming pert.
--To be continued…
I cursed him silently after the door closed behind me. He was just playing with my mind just now, wasn’t he?
He’s so evil. He probably knew that I wanted to come along with him, and he was just testing me. Arghh!
I wanted to rip my hair out in frustration.
…
It felt strange now that Ace was away on a business trip. At first, I didn’t think too much of it and it didn’t impact me in anyway. However, after an entire day went by without him contacting me in anyway, I found eyes shifting towards the screen of my phone more and more often. It got to the point where I could no longer concentrate at work by the end of the day.
What is he doing right now? Why hasn’t he contacted me at all?
I stared intensely at the dark screen of my phone as willed for a message or call from Ace to grace the screen. Of course, that didn’t happen, and I found myself feeling even more frustrated than before. On top of worrying about Ace, I had a mountain of work that I needed to do. When the senior secretary warned me about the fact that I might get busier with Ace being away, I didn’t really take her warning to heart.
Who would have thought that she was more than spot on. Ace being away meant that I had to deal with a bunch of his work as well. There were a bunch of documents that required his approval and signature. It wasn’t like I had the authority to sign those documents in his place, but it was my job to deliver them to the other managers who needed to sign them instead. That kept me busy for most mornings and after dealing with that I had to focus on grinding out the detailed storyboard for Project Alpha. That was the hardest and the most energy-consuming part.
--To be continued…
I cursed him silently after the door closed behind me. He was just playing with my mind just now, wasn’t he?