7:57 a.m.
"Damn it! I'm doomed today." A female voice cursed loudly as she got off a cab.
She was in a yellow dress, paired with a light yellow sweater that clung tightly to her shoulders. In her rush, she almost tripped, but quickly steadied herself. Instantly, her eyes landed on the tall silver building in front of her, bold letters at the top: TANG CORP.
With one deep breath, she clutched her yellow handbag close and sprinted towards the building entrance. Luckily for her, she had chosen flat shoes this morning. Not that she was ever a fan of high heels anyway.
She ran until the sliding doors opened and she nearly collided with the receptionist desk.
"Good morning, Miss Wang," the receptionist greeted with a warm smile, clearly used to this sight by now.
Wang Xia waved quickly, still panting, not daring to stop her hurried steps.
The receptionist shook her head, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You'll never make it," she muttered under her breath.
But Wang Xia was already rushing towards the elevator. She pushed her way past the small line of employees waiting there, breathlessly repeating, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."
The others turned around, clearly ready to scold the intruder for cutting through, but once they saw her flushed face and panicked expression, their annoyance softened into amusement. Some even chuckled.
One by one, voices chimed in.
"Good morning, Miss Wang."
"Good morning, Miss Wang."
"Good morning, Miss Wang."
She replied in between her gasps for air, "Good… morning… everyone."
When the elevator doors opened, she rushed inside. The others followed, but strangely, none of them pressed any buttons for their own floors. She realized they were deliberately not stopping, choosing to escort her straight up. They all understood her predicament.
Finally, the ding rang when the elevator reached the twentieth floor.
"Thank you," she whispered as she dashed out.
Her flats pounded against the tiles as she ran straight to her desk. In a quick motion, she dropped her bag on the chair, grabbed the file resting on the left corner, and turned stowards the right, where the meeting room was located.
Her heart hammered harder when she noticed the quietness across the entire floor. Not a single secretary was in sight. Usually, there were four of them working in there, but if the space was this silent, it only meant one thing. All of them were already in the meeting room. She was the last one, and late to that matter. But the secretaries were not who worried her. Her throat tightened as she swallowed hard.
And the worst part? The very file she was holding contained the report that was to be presented today.
She stopped in front of the large glass doors. "Here we go," she whispered to herself, forcing a small inhale before pulling the handle.
As expected, dozens of eyes instantly turned towards her. The weight of their stares froze her on the spot. Her palms turned clammy. The pitiful looks some of them wore didn't help either.
As she walked in, she tried to avoid one particular gaze at the far end of the long table, but her eyes betrayed her.
She caught sight of him. Their boss. His dark eyes were unreadable, his expression perfectly carved into coldness. She looked away immediately.
Wang Xia forced her feet forward, almost stumbling as she hurried to the front. She laid the file on the table, bowed slightly, and muttered, "I apologise for coming in late."
When she slowly raised her head, her eyes met the boss', again. His look was so unsettling she quickly turned back to the file, unwilling to read whatever was hidden in his silence.
Without wasting another second, she began the presentation. Her voice shook at first, but she pushed through. Gradually, the words came out smoother, her explanations flowing one after the other.
By the time she was finishing, her throat felt dry, and she wished she had water, but the presentation had ended.
Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone began leaving. Relief washed over her shoulders. She grabbed her file, ready to escape quietly too, but just then...
"Miss Wang."
Her steps froze to that voice. Slowly, she turned. The boss was still seated, eyes fixed on her. The slight tilt of his head carried the same authority as his words.
She forced her legs to move closer. "Yes, Si— Mr. Tang."
That was another rule in this office. He disliked titles. No sir, no boss. Just Mr. Tang.
His gaze didn't shift as he spoke. "Is it that this job does not matter to you, or are you just used to breaking rules?"
Her chest sank. And there it was, the lecture she had been bracing herself for since the moment she woke up late this morning.
She opened her mouth to explain, but he cut her off before she could begin.
"For a whole week you've reported late," his tone turned colder and harsher, "and always with some excuse that sounds more like a lame reason than anything else."
Her fingers clutched the edge of the file so tightly her knuckles paled. She bit her tongue to stop herself from blurting out something reckless. But holding it in only fueled the fire inside her chest.
In the next second, the words slipped out anyway. "It was not my intention to turn up late, but Mr. Tang, it was you who gave me a last-minute task and told me to finish before the end of yesterday and report it today, which I did. I had to stay late in the office yesterday, that's why."
She ended with a small breath, hoping for a tiny ounce of sympathy, even though she already knew this man was incapable of it.
For a moment, he remained still. Then he pushed his chair back and stood.
Wang Xia's heart raced as he walked slowly around the table, then stopped right beside her.
His brows were furrowed, like always. His eyes carried the same coldness she hadn't been able to get used to in the two weeks she had been here.
His voice came low but clear enough for her to hear. "If you can't handle this little pressure, I suggest you quit. Business is not for people like you… Wang Xia."
Her breath caught in her throat, but she forced herself not to retort, or what he meant by 'people like you.'