Taming Mr. CEO

Despite of being clouded by anger towards my boss, I choose to remain focused and collected. I drove fast as I can just to reach Aisle’s school fast. Biting my lips, I hurriedly jumped out of the car as soon as I park. My eyes then find for Helena and saw her in the gate, talking to guard with recognizable panic in her every movement. I jogged on her place, then caught her attention afterward. She immediately wrapped her arms around me and sobbed on my shoulder. I as well started to cry again. The tears I am controlling while I am still driving earlier just flowed heavily from my eyes. It seems unstoppable especially when Helena mentioned to me that my daughter is still missing.

I didn’t know what to do anymore. We already talked to the guards and they are now trying to check every CCTV footage. I and Helena are sitting on the bench, outside the CCTV room-waiting for the results. Helena tried to calm me down but I just can’t. She offered me a bottle of water but I can’t even open its cap. My hands are trembling for f*cking sake! Different scenarios played inside my mind, nonstop. On my side, Helena looks like me too. With her bloodshot and puffy eyes, I could say that the level of her worry is the same as mine.

“She’s not like this, Alice…” Helena started the conversation between us. I agreed with what she said. She is right. Aisle is not like this.

Since Aisle turned two, we always taught her not to make us worried. And one of them is to ask for permission before doing anything else. So now, I don’t know why she’s gone.

“Do you think there is another reason, Alice?”

I looked at Helena, confused. “What do you mean?” I asked.

Helena brushed her hair using her fingers. She then locked her eyes on the wall we are facing. She stared blankly at it before she make words. “I don’t want the idea creeping in my mind, Alice but what if… what if I am right? What if I am thinking the right thing.”

“Helena… I can’t understand what you are pointing–”

She faced me. Her lips went into a thin line. Her eyes seem weighing something on me. “I hate to think of this idea, Alice. But I know, somehow… I may be right. What if there’s something that took Aisle?” she dropped, making my heart pound against my chest-wildly.

I clutched my chest. My ribcage hurts as I continue to feel the erratic beat of my heart. There’s a long stretch of silence, all I could hear is my own heartbeat. I wasn’t able to answer Helena. No words came out from me. I can not think rationally. Slowly, I can feel that I am losing my sanity. But when the door in front of us opened, I hastily stood up. Approaching the guard that is just about to come outside.

“We saw a girl, matching with your description, Miss. All you have to do is check if it was her.” I didn’t waste time. As soon as he opened the door wide for us, I came in. Heading directly to the other guard who is facing the CCTY footage.

He then played one footage and told us to wait for a few seconds. Just like what he said, I patiently waited until my eyes went wide upon seeing my daughter. In her usual school uniform, gripping her backpack while walking outside the school gate. I saw how Aisle stop for a span of time while roaming her eyes. Seems like searching for something -probably, it was Helena whom she is looking to. When there where no Helena who came into the scene, Aisle then walked away until she was gone on the footage.

I massage my forehead after watching the footage. Then I turned to Helena who’s supporting me, putting me steadily in my place. “Aisle…” I trailed, tears rolled down from my eyes again.

“Do you know a place that she usually wants to visit, Ma’am? Like mall or park?” As soon as the guard says the word ‘park’, Helena squealed beside me.

“Park!” she yelled. “Alice… Aisle loves to go in the park,” she announced, making me remember how my daughter is so fond of strolling around the park.

“If that so, Ma’am… there is a nearest park, just ten to fifteen minutes walk from here.” After giving us information, Helena and Aisle drive fast to the park the guard talking about.

We decided to part our ways so we can find Aisle faster. I took the backside of the park while Helena stayed at the front. I am biting the bottom of my lips while gripping tight on my phone as I continue to roam around my eyes thoroughly. Tiny drops of sweat are dripping down my forehead but I didn’t bother to wipe it out. I just continue walking, searching for my missing daughter until my attention was caught by a family. Resting in the shade of a decorous tree while sitting on a picnic blanket. The image of them-having a fun time, bonding with each other-makes me smile suddenly. And then from then, my eyes suddenly went to the other tree near them. I covered my mouth with my hand as I saw Aisle, standing there while she is looking tightly at the family I am recently looking at.

Without further ado, I run towards her. When she noticed my presence, she then run towards me and hug me. I hugged her tight as if someone will going to take her away from me. I just released her from my arms when I heard her cute little complaints.

I pushed her slightly, caging her face in my palms. “Baby… why did you do this? You make me and Mama Helena worried. I almost lost sanity thinking that I lost you…” I cried.

Using her little palms, she wiped out my tears. “I am sorry, Mommy.” She said before I carried her in my arms, heading back to Helena’s place.

When she saw us, she hurriedly joined us and showered Aisle her kisses while continuing to utter words I didn’t bother to know. I felt relief. I think I can now let go of the breath I am holding earlier. I can breathe fine now… I am at ease with my daughter inside my arms again.

“Don’t do it again, Baby Aisle… Mama Helena might go crazy. I don’t know what to do… we are worried sick,” Helena ranted while driving us home.

At the unit, I changed Aisle’s clothes first and let her watch her favorite kid show on the TV while I am preparing our early dinners. Helena is helping me while still telling how her mini heart attack is so close to killing her earlier. I thanked her for helping me find Aisle. Without her… I really don’t know what to do.

While preparing food, a ring from my phone suddenly interrupted us. I drew near my bag placed on the mini cabinet and took out my phone. Shocked spread on me instantly followed by unknown fear as I stared at the screen showing the name of the caller.

Mr. Logan Ivanov

Shit! Why is he calling me this time?!

Oh shit! I forgot what I have done earlier in the company. Words that came out from me slowly flashed back in my mind. Those harsh words I have to her and… and… the jerk part!

Even I am hesitant to answer his call, I summoned all my courage just to talk to him. But soon as I answered him, his loud and bone-melting voice boomed from the other line making me pull my phone away from my ear. When I heard his voice become calm and flat, I then put the phone back in my ear.

“I’m so sorry, Sir,” is all I could say, followed by my excuses but seems like he is not buying that even though it is the pure truth I have told him.

“Go back in my office now, Alice,” he sounded more intimidating. “You do not have the right to dismissed your boss in that rude way.”

Wow! Big word!

Rude? I am now rude, huh? Then what about his attitude? He’s always rude, not just to me but to his all employees then now he’s demanding and mad about me, being rude to him. I hope he could hear himself.

“Sir… hear me out, please,” I said, almost pleading but his decision is final.

“Go back to my office now and finish the work I have to give you. I expect you here in fifteen minutes or else… you know what I am going to do.” My throat went dry when he ended the call with a threat again.

“Who’s that? You seem bothered as fuck, Alice,” Helena commented.

I smiled raw at her. “Literally… I am fucked up, Helena!” I gritted my teeth. “The boss calls me, he calls me for goodness’ sake. Telling me that I should go back to the office now or else he will fire me. He… ugh! He is getting on my nerves. Big time!”

“You can go now, Alice. Aisle is safe now.”

“What?! No! I will mot leave my child… just at least this time.”

“Then what about your boss’ rude attitude towards you? If he’s not joking then he could literally fire you out.” I was about to reply when the phone rang again.

Frustratedly, I answered the call again. Controlling myself as much as possible.

“Where are you now?” his cold voice asked.

I turned to Helena, she twitched her lips. I scratched the back of my neck, getting the timing to ask for at least a half-day absent.

“Alice… I am not joking here. Ten minutes is already down so where the hell are you now?!”

“S–Sir…” Oh, great! I was just startled.

“What?!” he shouted from the other line.

Hesitant, I still pushed my luck. “Can I ask for a half-day absent, Sir?” I asked directly. Just like what I am expecting, consecutive curses from him bombed my ear.

“And why the hell I am going to give you what you want?! I don’t tolerate lazy workers in my company, Alice!”

I rolled my eyes. I am not lazy. It just happened that I have to take care of our child… his child. If only he knows my reason… if only he knows.

“Please, Sir. I promised I will take overtime tomorrow just give me a half-day absence. I badly need it right now.” I heard Helena sigh heavily beside me before leaving me for Aisle.

“Why do you need a half-day absent anyway?” he asked making me a bit on my lower lips hard.

“Uh… there’s something bad happened in my relative, Sir. I am the only one she can rely on so I am taking care of her now. Please, Sir… give me this half-day–”

“Fine!”

My eyes widened upon hearing it. I have to pinch myself just to make sure that I am not dreaming or hallucinating. He agreed… he f*cking agreed!

“Thank you, Sir. Thank you.” I am smiling wide as I thanked him. I even jumped slightly in my place out of joy but my smile slowly quickly faded. Replaced by a grimace as I heard him speak again.

Ugh! Just like what I am supposed to expect from him. Of course, he is not kind. He is really rude-no! Maybe beyond the term ‘rude’. Perhaps, he is literally a devil in disguise.

“I will give you what you ask for, Alice. But in one condition.”

What condition?

“S–Sir?”

“Oh, sounds like you didn’t like my opposition, huh? Of course, there is something you need to do to get what you want. You can’t get it without hard work. You should work hard so I am giving you my condition. In that way, we will be both benefits. I am right, Alice?”

I wasn’t able to answer. I went speechless thinking about the unknown condition he just dropped.

“Anyway, I got to go. Enjoy your half-day absence, Alice. You’ll know my condition tomorrow.” And with that, he dropped the call.