My Crush, My Boss

"Yeayy! It's your turn now, Eve!" her friends exclaimed cheerfully.

Eve casually spun the empty soda bottle on their makeshift seating arrangement. And the bottle stopped at the word 'Dare.'

"Yuhuuu! It's my turn to give you a challenge, right? Ahem!" one of her friends shouted, clearing her throat as if creating a dramatic impression.

"Yes, yes... hurry up! I can do it, just like Eve!" Eve boasted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"You have to confess your feelings to any man who passes by us for the first time from now on. Okay, guys?" the challenger asked, seeking support from the others.

They all seemed to cheer and agree, while Eve was taken aback and regretful.

"What? What's that? The challenges so far weren't that wild! Unfair, ugh!" Eve protested, feeling the challenge was too risky and difficult to accomplish.

"Eiits! No complaining allowed! It's a deal! Or you admit defeat, and we'll disperse and eat at a restaurant, and you'll foot the bill for all of us. Right, gang?" There was a clamor pushing Eve not to refuse the given challenge.

"Ugh! Okay, I'd better confess to a guy instead of losing a lot by treating all of you. Oh God, hopefully, the first guy who passes by is single and handsome," Eve said, preparing herself to accept the worst-case scenario.

"Wait, does that mean I can only approach guys walking alone? If he's with a partner, I can choose someone else, right?" Eve asked. Various thoughts of the worst possibilities started to fill her mind. "And he has to be around our age, right? He might already have a wife if he's too old. Crazy!"

"Hahaha. The rule is that it's the first man who passes by us. It doesn't matter if he's old or young, alone or with his mistress; it's none of our business!" Her friends reaffirmed the rule, which made Eve regret agreeing to such an absurd challenge.

"Damn it!" Eve cursed repeatedly, her heart pounding as she anxiously waited for the first person to pass by.

Evangelin Ravenwood, or Eve as she was commonly called, was hosting a farewell event after graduating from university. They wanted to spend their vacation together at the beach before they embarked on their professional careers, where it would be challenging to meet and spend time together again.

Somehow, someone came up with the idea of playing Truth or Dare. Because it sounded fun, Eve didn't refuse. Besides, the challenges seemed normal and reasonable from the beginning, like teasing the person sitting next to them or eating extremely spicy noodles. At least, those were still categorized as safe challenges.

But why did it have to be her turn to confess to the first guy who passed by, regardless of his relationship status or age? It was hazardous!

One of her friends screamed as a couple, a man and a woman holding hands, could be seen in the distance. Oh my gosh! This was committing suicide! His partner could slap her if she dared confess her feelings.

"Hey? Don't you guys think that I have to confess to him?" Eve asked, rolling her eyes.

Her friends seemed to discuss it and ultimately canceled their plan to approach the lovey-dovey couple. Eve let out a relieved sigh.

Not long after, a man appeared who was handsome even from a distance. His athletic body created a perfectly sculpted silhouette. He wore an overly formal suit unsuitable for a beach area, especially at night.

His facial expression seemed as if he was searching for someone. Who could it be? Eve wondered to herself.

"Come on, Eve! Now's the time!" one of her friends commanded.

Eve trembled momentarily before gathering the courage to carry out the agreed-upon challenge.

With determined steps, Eve approached the man and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Ahem, Sir?" she greeted, forcing a nervous smile.

I just wanted to let you know that there was no response. The man didn't even glance in her direction. Did he not hear her? Eve wondered silently.

She turned to her friends, who were making facial expressions and waving their hands, urging her to continue the action that had already started.

"Sir, excuse me, are you looking for someone?" Eve finally mustered the courage to intercept the man's path.

The man still maintained a severe and indifferent expression. And to make matters worse, he simply shook his head without meaning in response to Eve's question.

"What does that headshake mean, huh? Does he not hear, or is he not looking for someone? It's so unclear!" Eve grumbled to herself. She glanced at her friends, some of whom were giggling while others continued to encourage her to proceed.

"Hey! Sir! Are you mute, deaf, or both? How is it possible that I've been talking at length, and there's no response at all!" Unable to hold back her emotions, Eve, who was not used to being ignored, vented her anger towards the man.

Unexpectedly, the man finally stopped and turned to look at Eve sharply.

"Are you talking to me? Who's mute and deaf, huh?" A deep baritone voice, authoritative and commanding, came out of the handsome man's lips.

Eve suddenly felt as if she had shrunk in her place. She didn't expect the man to approach her instead. His sharp eagle-like eyes, framed by thick eyebrows, scrutinized Eve from head to toe with an evaluating gaze. It was indeed a disrespectful way of looking at her, Eve thought, becoming more annoyed by the man's attitude.

"Now it's your turn to be mute and deaf, hm? Silly girl!" the man retorted, narrowing his eyes as if belittling Eve.

"Well, if you had just remained silent like me, I would have treated you as if you were just a passing breeze--"

"It's not always necessary to respond to the absurd behavior of fickle-minded girls like you, right?" he pointed towards Eve's group of friends, watching their exchange of words.

Oh, it seemed that this man suspected he was the target of Eve and her friends from the beginning. No wonder he was so annoying and unresponsive.

Eve couldn't find words to say. Being called an absurd, fickle-minded girl was not an achievement in front of such a handsome and beautiful man. It was not a memory she wanted to cherish as part of her vacation.

With a piercing glare directed at Eve, the man walked away with broad steps, distancing himself from Eve, who was still stunned and unsure what to do. Luckily, she hadn't had a chance to confess her feelings due to her friends' demands for the man. It would not have been very comfortable if she had been outright rejected!

Angrily, Eve stomped her foot and turned back to her friends. Some tried to console her, while others only made her more frustrated by blaming her.

"You, calling him mute and deaf. How thoughtless!"

"Yeah! Too bad you didn't get to know such a cool guy! Who knows, he might have been your savior from your current single status!"

Eve clicked her tongue in annoyance. "If being cool means being so rigid, I'd rather stay single. I'd be unlucky if I had a boyfriend like that!"

***

Upon returning home, Eve immediately prepared herself for work at Vinestra Group. It was a large company in the heart of New York City where Eve had just been hired after a long process of interviews and competitive tests. Understandably, the reputable company attracted many fresh graduates, leading to tough competition.

Luckily, Eve passed and received a job offer starting the next day, Monday, at the beginning of July. The only child of young parents, Mr. James Ravenwood and Mrs. Kate Ravenwood, successfully impressed the HRD department head, convincing him she was ready to meet deadlines and work well within a team.

She had prepared everything she needed, from her work attire, which she ironed neatly after picking it up from the laundry to her work bag. It was filled with necessary stationery that she might need, and of course, she remembered to bring her wallet and makeup box. Yes, being a girl could be pretty complicated.

"I'm leaving, Mom!" she called out from behind, kissing her mother's cheek as she stood by the sink, washing the family's breakfast dishes.

"Did you bring your packed lunch, Eve?" Mr. James asked, still sitting at the table, sipping his coffee.

"It's in my bag, Dad!" Eve replied, approaching her father and kissing him on the cheek. She then hurriedly ran out of the house towards her metallic blue automatic car, which had been her vehicle since her college days.

The clock showed 06:30, but Eve rushed to the office. At least on her first day, she couldn't afford to be late. It was better to be seen as a diligent employee from the beginning rather than being labeled as always late.

She drove at a moderate speed, and the morning traffic in New York City was surprisingly smooth. Mondays could be prone to heavy traffic, so Eve had taken precautions by leaving much earlier. However, there was only a slight congestion that quickly dissipated, allowing Eve to reach the office without significant obstacles. She continued humming her favorite song from the music player on her car's dashboard until she arrived at the grand and luxurious building where her office was.

Following the other cars that entered the basement parking area, she searched for a partially empty parking spot. Many people had yet to arrive at that early hour. Finally, she entered through the main entrance of the building and headed to the elevator to go up to the 4th floor, where the staff office for marketing was located. Yes, she was accepted in the managerial marketing department, directly under the supervision of a marketing manager who was said to need an assistant. She hadn't met her yet, except for being informed that her name was Ms. Jenny.

"Miss Eve, the new assistant, right?" Ms. Jenny asked as she entered the room.

Eve stood up from her chair and respectfully nodded, "Yes, I'm Eve, ma'am. Nice to meet you. I'm ready to assist you."

Ms. Jenny smiled slightly and placed a stack of files on Eve's desk.

"These are your tasks. Study and check everything related to the company's marketing strategies and the daily, weekly, and monthly reports. All the summaries are in there. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask. Once you understand everything, I'll assign you to start preparing this month's summary." Ms. Jenny gave her instructions while flipping through the stack of files to ensure everything was present.

"Alright, ma'am. I will check and study them first," Eve replied, her eyes widening in surprise as she didn't expect to start working on her first day. Wasn't she supposed to have an internship first instead? Doesn't an internship usually involve receiving training first? Ah, well. She could only hope to be able to perform any tasks assigned by her superior without making any mistakes so her difficulties during the interview wouldn't end up being in vain.

Hour after hour passed, and Eve was immersed in the stack of files that proved quite complex. The company conducted various types of marketing, and she had to familiarize herself with all of them quickly. Although her role was only as a manager's assistant, she might be asked to handle the marketing team in the future, so she had to study diligently. Oh my!

During the lunch break, Eve felt the weight on her shoulders instantly lifted. She wanted to go out and have lunch in the cafeteria to recharge her energy and alleviate the stress of her first day at work. She quickly went down to the ground floor and walked towards the cafeteria. However, from a distance, she spotted a man who seemed familiar.

"Oh my goodness! Is that...?" She unintentionally stared at the man dressed in a neat suit with wavy hair and a charming face as he walked past her. He was accompanied by two other men listening attentively to his instructions with serious expressions.

Perhaps due to the intensity of Eve's gaze, the man stopped and returned her gaze.

Silence filled the air for a moment as their eyes tried to recognize each other. Memories flashed back to a few nights ago when they accidentally met!

"Hey! You...?" The man also seemed to remember Eve's face.

And in an instant, Eve, who felt like she was in danger, quickly walked away, saying, "No, no, I mistook you for someone else! I'm sorry!"

She half-ran away from there because she didn't want to be recognized as the daring and crazy girl by someone who seemed to hold an essential position at Vinestra. Oh my! Can the world be this tiny, dear God? She half-screamed to herself while continuing to walk towards the cafeteria.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, she ordered an iced lemon tea and opened her packed lunch, quickly taking bites. She then contacted one of her close friends who also participated in the beach event a few days ago.

"Cindy, you surely remember the guy I confessed to at the beach, right? Oh my goodness! Who would have thought he's also from Vinestra? My boss himself! Dear God!" Eve exclaimed into her phone as she heard the ringing tone from the other side.

"It turns out to be true!" A baritone voice startled Eve, who was concentrating on recounting the story to her friend. She instinctively turned around, her eyes widening in horror as she saw the man from earlier standing right behind her, eavesdropping on her conversation!

"I knew it! You impudent girl from the beach! What are you doing here, huh? Don't tell me you've been hired as a new employee in my company!" The man continued his words, which now left Eve dumbfounded and shocked.

***

"Y-you're the owner of the company?" Eve stammered. Of course, she had suspected that the man held a high position. It was evident from his appearance and the number of employees who bowed their heads when they passed him in the corridor.

But the owner of Vinestra? Oh my goodness! This was a disaster for Eve!

"Did you get hired in my company? Damn it!" the man cursed with an angry expression.

"Call the head of HRD and ask them to see me immediately after lunch!" the man commanded, turning to the left where a young man had been following him. Perhaps that was his assistant, Eve speculated. However, she didn't have time to investigate the truth because her mind was anxious. Why did the man call the head of HRD? Was he going to fire Eve? Oh my goodness! This could have been better!

"Wait! Please forgive me for my mistake at the beach, sir. But you shouldn't mix personal matters with company issues, should you? It's unfair to me-" Eve attempted to protest against her boss, who immediately glared at her.

"Unfair, you say? I don't care about your opinion! What's clear is that I won't tolerate an employee with your unstable and reckless behavior in my company! Pack up your things because your termination letter will be on the desk after the break!" the man shouted firmly.

However, seeing the nervousness and anxiety in the girl's eyes before him only made Gerald Foster, affectionately known as Mr. Gery, the CEO of Vinestra Group, enjoy tormenting and threatening her even more. It was like a small revenge for her daring actions when he was in turmoil that night.

"B-but, sir! Would you happen to know how you can do that? Even if you own this company, you can't act however you want! I've already signed the employment contract, and-"

"And I'm still the CEO here. I have the right to fire anyone! Keep that in mind, cunning girl!" Gery retorted, cutting off Eve's protest.

"Cunning girl? What have I done? I was just having fun at the beach, even before I started working at this company, sir. Why are you bringing it into the realm of professionalism?" Eve countered, maintaining her stance that she shouldn't be treated like this.

"I don't know what made you get accepted here, but I'm sure a girl who enjoys playing around is unstable and as reckless as you would never pass our rigorous tests naturally!" accused Mr. Gery.

"W-what? Please differentiate between having fun with friends during leisure time and working professionally, sir. I am professional and romantic enough. So that you know, I graduated as one of the top students from my university. Please retract your statement that I used cunning means to get hired here. Besides, if I had known from the beginning that the CEO here was a cold-hearted person like you, I would have thought a hundred times before applying!" Eve vehemently argued against Gery's remarks.

The debate continued until the assistant nudged Gery's shoulder, reminding him that they were supposed to be on their way to attend the board meeting.

"Sir, we will be late for the meeting," the assistant said, diverting Gery's attention from Eve.

"Just pack up your things from now on, okay?" With those words, Gery turned around and headed towards the room where the board meeting was held. He couldn't believe he had wasted a few precious minutes engaging in a heated debate with a new employee, a reckless girl who had disturbed him at the beach that night. But what could he do? Gery simply couldn't let that moment pass without asserting his dominance over her.

Meanwhile, Eve was left sitting there, feeling dejected. She slammed her spoon and fork into the lunchbox she had barely touched. Her appetite had disappeared. Now, she needed clarification about what would happen after the lunch break. Would the man send the head of HRD to terminate her employment unilaterally? But could a superior act so arbitrarily on her first day of work? Especially since this was a personal matter between them, not related to her job at all. The CEO shouldn't have mixed them up.

"I won't stay silent. I went through all the tough competition during the interview session yesterday. If that man dares to mess with me, just wait and see my resistance. This Eve doesn't give up, Boss. See what a person like Eve can do!" she seethed to herself, stabbing the nugget pieces on her rice with her fork in a frustrated manner.

In her mind, she imagined that she was stabbing the face of the refrigerator CEO. His behavior was genuinely infuriating and arrogant. How could God grant such great power to a man with poor ethics? It was unbelievable!

Eve snapped back to reality when her phone rang. Cindy's name appeared on the screen, and she immediately answered the call.

"Why did you suddenly go silent earlier? What did you want to talk about?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Oh my goodness, Cindy. The man I confessed to was from the beach during the Truth or Dare game. Remember? He's the CEO of Vinestra, and he just threatened to fire me right now!" Eve ranted with a trembling voice, trying to contain her anger.

"What? How is that possible? Does he still remember you? That's bad, Eve!" Cindy joined in the panic. She knew how much Eve wanted that job. She also knew how proud Eve's parents were after discovering their daughter had finally passed the entrance test for that reputable company.

"I won't stay silent! I will fight back!" Eve declared with determination.

"I don't know what to say, but you're strong. I'll pray for you from here, Eve. You're not at fault. Maybe you can try talking to your boss calmly. Explain that you were just following our dare. If necessary, I can be a witness for you," Cindy suggested, feeling guilty herself as she was also involved in that night's game. Who would have thought it would lead to such a disastrous outcome? Out of all the men in the world, the one who happened to pass by them that night was none other than Eve's future boss. Oh my goodness! It was such an unfortunate coincidence for Eve!

"No need! He's abusing his power for personal gain. And I won't allow myself to become a victim of such corrupt practices by those in power!" Eve proclaimed, clenching her fist.

***