#1st chapter It's Not Goodbye

Chapter 1

Secretary Esmeralda

"You are still here? I already told you to quit being Alexanders secretary because you are seducing him!" Greta hissed while staring daggers at Esmeralda. Since Greta is the most favorite woman of Alexander, she can enter and leave the office whenever she want. She stands 5'6" tall, with fair complexion, and a very sexy body. She is very beautiful. You might fall inlove with her easily if you do not know her attitude.

She's a "what I want, I get" type of woman. She sticks to Alexander eventhough she know that there are other women sleeping with him aside from her, because he is the known successor of Tan family. She looks everyone as nobody. She bully anyone she likes, including Alexander's secretary, Esmeralda.

"But madam, my contract hasn't ended yet. I still have 1 year to be your boyfriends secretary. And correction Madam, I'm not seducing him!" Esmeralda confidently answered her. In her mind, she's wondering why a very beautiful woman is madly inloved with a guy who is twice her age. Eventhough he is very handsome, he's a womanizer. It's a minus points to his handsomeness. As a secretary, she received countless calls from different women, asking her boss' whereabouts when they couldn't contact his personal number.

"Oh, wow! Who do you think you are to talk back at me? You're not even worthy to wipe my shoes! look! your 1year salary can't even buy E.M.foot wear!" Greta proudly flaunts her designer shoes. E.M.Fashion is a very huge company which is based in Fermi Country, one of top ten largest and richest country in the continent. Having a pair of E.M. footwear is worth a fortune.

Esmeralda was surprised to see Greta's high heels, but she secretly rolled her eyes and said, "Madam, please calm down. You're not the one who hired me ,so I think you have no right to fire me."

"I'm warning you! If you're still here tomorrow morning, let us see if you can still face my boyfriend!" Greta gritted her teeth furiously. Suddenly she widened her eyes, as if a bulb sparked inside her head.

She then slapped her own face very hard, and then slumped to the floor as if she was pushed by Esmeralda. She burst in tears, then her tears turned into sobs when she heard a footsteps approaching.

Suddenly, the door flung open. Alexander was shocked to the core when he saw his favorite woman in such state.

Esmeralda was tongue tied. She never expected that Greta's little trick was very successful. After a while, Alexander lovingly looked at Greta while she's sobbing. Then he kneeled down to look at her closely. Unfortunately, he saw a red mark on her beautiful face. This made him angry at Esmeralda. He never thought that her secretary dares to lay a hand on his girlfriend.

"Darling, I told her that I will just wait for you here in your office, but she insists that I will wait outside. When I refused, she slapped me and so I lost my balance. My legs are painful, I cant stand! huhuhuuu"

"Darling, come here and I will call Dr. Philip." He then dialed his phone, and while waiting for his call to be connected, he looked at Esmeralda angrily, but he calmly said, "Miss Martin, pack up your things. You are fired!"

Upon hearing those words from Alexander, Greta smiled at her triumphantly.

"But boss, My contract hasn't ended yet. Why don't you look for the CCTV footage to see whether she's telling the truth or not?! You haven't heard my side yet Sir." Esmeralda replied in a soft but clear voice.

"No need for that, just leave. Dont worry about your 1year salary, I will pay you double. Just be out of Gretas sight and there will be no problem at all." exclaimed Alexander.

"Ok boss, I will go to the finance department and settle my salary then." she respectfuly bowed to Alexander and said, "Thank you for the opportunity you have given me ,even for a short period of time."

Alexander was flustered. He can't stop thinking why this woman did not even beg him to keep her as his secretary.

After packing her things up, she hailed a cab and went to Apple Blossom Restaurant, one of the most prominent restaurant in Centaurus City. Ofcourse she must enjoy her 2years salary which she earned without working for it. Easy money, heheh! Just because of a coquettish and materialistic woman, she lost her job.

But being jobless is not her problem anyway. She just want to have fun and try something she have never tried before. For a change, she stepped down from her imaginary throne and became an ordinary woman.

She have chosen to sit at the table facing the glass wall. The waiter approached her and gave her the menu book. She ordered all her favorite foods because she intended to stay there a little longer to forget that she is jobless now. The chair is only one and it is really intended for someone who is alone to dine in. When her orders arrived, she laughed and thanked the waiter who served it. It seems that she is a blogger who's doing 'mukbang' videos. She digged in while occassionally reading the newspaper.

Meanwhile, in a private office, Victor is currently staring at the girl who was eating alone . The table for one is filled with a food for three. She is facing his office. They're face to face closely but the girl outside could not see him, since the glass wall is tinted. Her exquisite charm captured his frozen heart.

He had never been attracted to any woman before because he view them all as a subordinate, never a potential lover.

The girl has a short black and silky straight hair. Her clear and innocent eyes was curtained with a long and curved eyelashes. Her fair skin seems so smooth to touch. She have a little pointed nose above the delicate pouty lips with a brown lipstick, w-wait! Brown lipstick?

Victor hates a color brown shade of lipstick on a girl's lips. The hatred started when he saw his mom crying while holding a polo shirt with a brown lip mark on its collar. Since then on, his mother fell into depression until she died. Seeing someone wearing a brown lipstick awakens his desire to confront his father and kill the girl behind it. He dislikes anyone who wears brown lipstick, but why do he was delighted looking at this girl? He continously observed what the girl is doing, how she eat while reading the newspaper, and how her eyebrows goes up and down when reacting.

An hour passed, and she's almost done with her heavy meal. Knowing that nobody sees her, she removed the straw and gulped the drink in one go. Victor immediately stood up worried when the girl seemed to choke, but thankfully, she managed to swallow the drink.

He chuckled helplessly. "Silly woman!" he thought. When the woman turned the page of the newspaper she's reading, Victor saw that she's browsing a Classified Ads. Perhaps this girl is looking for a job. He then grabbed his cellphone, and dialled his secretary's cellphone number immediately.

"Hello boss." Madelyn was curious. Why does her boss called her using his personal number, and not the office phone?

"Know the woman in table #5, she might be looking for a job. Offer her yours," he said directly.

"What? But Boss Victor, how about me? I'm your current Secretary. Did you just fired me?" Madelyn exclaimed while she holds the phone tightly. Why? What's her mistake this time? Why is he going to fire her?

"Ofcourse not! If you can do the things I have told you just now, I will make you manage this restaurant and give you bonus at the end of the month. I trust you, you can do it. Ofcourse your salary will increase ten times! How about that?" He said while chuckling.

"Wow boss! Really? Hehehe okay then, I will do it rightaway." Madelyn exclaimed happily. After many years of working with Victor, it's only now that he ordered something absurd. Know a woman? Make her his secretary?

Well, she thought that it's not her problem anymore, so she quickly sprang into action.

Esmeralda just put down the newspaper she's holding when she overheard two girls talking aloud, about a secretarial job they found in a certain facebook page.

"I've seen an ad, that the Manager of this restaurant is looking for a secretary. The chosen one is very lucky since the boss can bring her with him to any country he goes," the girl in blue shirt said while she put her bag on the nearby table, and was about to sit.

The two girls talked more about the job vacancy while they're looking at the menu. She accidentally eavesdrop the girls conversation. She smiled and browsed the page they have mentioned. Oh wow! it was posted a few moments ago. They're really looking for a secretary.

With the qualifications listed, she thought she is qualified. So she sent her CV immediately to the email address mentioned in the ads. Not long after, she was called for an interview .

When she went in, she saw a man who is very busy browsing his laptop. Esmeralda was very surprised and at the same time, she was awestruck since the man before her was like a roman god of war statue that came to life .

He has a perfect and well built body, which can be seen even with his formal suits on. He is a matured, and handsome man with a well shaved facial hair. His lips were thin and always seems smiling, eventhough he is seriously browsing his laptop. His eyes are as deep as the ocean. The very desirable man, as she described in her heart, appears to be very busy and doesn't want to be disturbed. So she waited patiently. After sometime, he raised his head and look at her in the eyes.

"Miss Esmeralda Martin?" Victor returned his gaze to the laptop, pretending that he's reading her CV which was sent by email. In fact, he was astonished to see that this girl is more beautiful upclose.

Eventhough she ate too much, as he have seen and watched for an hour, it's not obvious in her tummy. Her waist is still so small and her thighs are too sexy. She's wearing a formal attire with a mini skirt above the knee. She's not even wearing stockings but her legs are flawless. For the first time, he got nervous.

"This..this interview is urgent," he is a little bit stammering, "but it seems that you are well prepared since you are wearing a formal attire with a short notice. Are you willing accept this job?" He managed to say in a clear voice.

Hahaha! she nearly burst into laughter. Is this really an interview? Is this man really know how to interview? How funny! He's like a priest saying "Man, are you willing to take this woman as your legally wedded wife ?" She's laughing very hard inside, but she just answered "Yes Sir".

"So how long do you want to stay in this company?" Now , his nervousness is gone.

"Really Sir? I can decide how long can I stay here?" She said with a slightly raised eyebrows. "If I say as long as this company runs, Im willing to stay, can you make a contract with that?!" She can't hide her amusement anymore so she decided to tease him. His eyes are like smiling at her by the time she entered the room ,until this very moment. It eased her nervousness.

"Well, dont call me Sir. I'm just an assistant here. Just call me Victor. Hehehe! Do I look like the big boss a while ago?" he made up an idea so as to excuse his stammering voice a while back.

"Uhm maybe. hahah!" Esmeralda could not hold back her laughter anymore. See? I am right, this is not the boss, she said in her mind.

"Congratulations! You are hired!" Victor then closed his laptop and stood up to shake hands with the newly hired personnel. But instead of shaking hands, Victor bowed and kissed her hand. She was surprised, but she thought that maybe, this is their way to welcome a newly hired employee. She shivered when she felt his soft and warm lips at back of her hand.

"If you're willing to start working at this very moment, you can start now while the boss was not around." He choosed to continue his lies.

"When will I meet the boss I'm working with?" she asked curiously.

"Hm.. I dunno either. He's very busy with his other companies. Perhaps he won't come here anymore. By the way, he's in his 50s, bald, and with a big belly. Why ask? Are you very eager to be with the old man all day long?" He said teasing her as if they have known each other for a long time.

He can smell her alluring mild perfume since they're just centimeters away. It makes him want to hug her and bury his face on the crook of her neck. "Ugh! what am I thinking?" He shooked his head and returned to his seat.

"I felt bad because you badmouth your boss. He's my boss too. Would you mind to respect him eventhough he's not around?" She's really disgusted with the way this assistant talk about their employer.

"Im sorry. Well, I am an assistant Manager, and I will be happy to assist you. Now, let me introduce you to our Manager, Madelyn."

Just like that, she was fired and was hired on the same day.