---

"Gabriella Baker, do you know what time it is?" The bald man with the asymmetrical black mustache turned his chair around, then crossed his legs haughtily. "You're fifteen minutes late and that means... a pay cut."


Gabriella just stared flatly without the slightest comment.

"You said you were sick yesterday? Do you have a doctor's note?"

"No, sir."


Wira nodded her head, before giving her second opinion. "Because you didn't come to work without a clear reason, yes, although you did get permission through Wendy, anyway. But still, if there's no written evidence such as a letter of recommendation for rest from a doctor, you're considered absent. You know the rules in our office, right?"

The woman who had curled her hair with a silver stab hairpin today cleared her throat and raised her face. "Mr. Wira, if you want to cut my salary, just get to the point."


The man who had been in the position of Chief Editor for many years now and was also one of the HRD staff at First Media Corp chuckled amusedly, sounding dismissive. "Well, I'm impressed. But do you know that lately, your performance has been very poor?"

Gabriella chose to remain silent.

Before Wira finally continued. "Our website has been experiencing a decline in insight because the articles you post on it are too monotonous. Not to mention that some of our clients are disappointed because the news you put up is incomplete."

"Sir, those people are in politics. They need an image and I've done my job to the best of my ability. The fault is not with me, but with those who are not satisfied with their own achievements," Gabriella finally replied.

But then Wira got up from her swiveling chair. "You dare to fight me now?"

Her sudden action made several people who worked in the same room with her turn their heads instantly. All eyes were now on Wira and Gabriella.

"I am telling you where you went wrong, so that you can introspect and evaluate how your work has been. But how come you don't accept it?"

There was a pause for a few moments, before the woman in her long plaid blazer and matching knee-length skirt said, "Sir, I work almost twenty-four hours. I work indoors and outdoors just to fill the company's website and satisfy people who are hungry for image. I'm an interviewer, but I also double as an editor, while my salary is constantly being cut and I'm constantly being blamed, sir. Don't you think that's too much?"

Instead of feeling guilty about his unwise behavior, Wira reinforced his statement in front of Gabriella. "You've been fortunate to be given a lot of schedules to cover the field directly, your salary can be greater than other journalists. But now it's like this."

"Tsk. It's useless to get a big salary if the price is my own mental health, sir." Gabriella took out a white envelope from inside her silver slingbag and handed it to Wira. "Besides, the new journalists you hired a few months back don't seem to like me. The environment in this office has become unhealthy because you spoil them too much. Here, my resignation letter."

"You can't do that. You can't suddenly leave this office. I haven't received your edited interview yet. You just want to leave the office like that. Besides, if you leave, who will take your place as editor?"

Gabriella placed the envelope that Wira hadn't touched on the table, then crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes, which were wearing gray softlens, returned Wira's gaze. "Obviously, it's none of my business, sir. Please excuse me."

Wira did not remain silent. He held Gabriella's wrist and prevented her from moving. "Uh, you can't do that. You have to finish your work before you leave this office. I haven't acceded to your resignation letter yet."

"Hahaha, you're kidding, right? The thing is, I don't care at all." Gabriella swatted Wira's hand away without a second thought, making Wira almost lose his balance. "See you in hell, Mr. Wira Atmajaya. Bye!"

"El! Gabriella!"

---

"I swear you were badass earlier!" Wendy's eyes lit up as she recalled the events of this morning. "I was like... Damn, she's my best friend!"

Gabriella smiled a little before pulling the glass of chocolate milkshake on the table closer and swirling the straw in it, making the brownish drink mix well, and then she drank it.

"Do you know that Wira got really nervous after you left? He called all his clients just to say sorry." Wendy wrinkled her nose, then nodded and said. "But he deserved something like that. I'm also thinking of resigning next month actually."

The woman turned her head and raised both eyebrows, then lowered the glass she had raised back onto the table. "If it's because of me, I'd rather not. If you resign, who will pay your credit card bill, Wen?"

Wendy chuckled, then pursed her lips. "Ih, you're so annoying, El!"

"Hahaha, but it's true, isn't it?"

Wendy could no longer argue, because everything Gabriella said was true. If she resigned suddenly, her meager savings wouldn't even cover her needs for the next month. Life in New York was hard, and Wendy was already getting carried away with her free society.

"It's really true. Not to mention I have to take care of Ryan. My living expenses will be even higher." Gabriella just nodded her head in agreement. "But the most important thing is that if I resign, I can't go shopping and have fun anymore. Huhu, sorry, El, I can't accompany you to get out of the office."

"Come on, it's normal."

Wendy mumbled for a while. "So where do you want to work after this? Isn't it... your father still asks for money a lot?"

Gabriella's expression was not as happy as before. She bit her lower lip, then hesitantly said, "I'll figure it out later. I haven't thought about it yet."

"Uh, by the way, yesterday I gave your number to Ken."

"Ken?"

The woman with short hair that now looked straight nodded her head. "The guy who accidentally bumped into you at the restaurant. He apologized to you, right?"

"Oh, so he got my number from you," Gabriella said without interest.

"But I think... he's interested in you."

"What the hell." Really, Gabriella was too lazy to discuss the man.

But somehow, the universe kept bringing the two of them together.

Like right now for example...

"But really, he said you didn't reply to his chat last night. So...,"

Gabriella's brow furrowed deeply. "So, what?"

"So I told him to come here now."

"Huh?"

---