433 For the Sake of Our Relationship
“You might be right about that, but I rather be safe rather than sorry because I’m in a very sorry state right now…” I said while sounding very tired.
“Getting an official warning letter isn’t that big of a deal. If you’re careful enough, time will pass and people will forget all about this,” Ace told me casually. ????????????????????????????????.????????????
“I’m just worried about…everything right now…” I confessed without telling him the details of everything that was running through my mind.
“Just don’t worry too much. It will all pass soon, and you’ll just emerge as a stronger and better version of yourself,” Ace said like it truly was nothing.
Just like the many times prior to this, I knew that what he was saying was right and that it all made sense. However, I also knew that it wouldn’t be easy for me. Time will pass and the rumors will die down. In the first place, it wasn’t such a big deal anyways and it wasn’t like everyone in the company knew about Jeremy and me and were talking about us non-stop. The rumor of us dating would never reach the scale of the rumors that had spread of me dating Ace or any other rumors related to Ace for that matter. The hardest part wasn’t dealing with other people but dealing with myself and my own mind. It all boiled down to the fact that I had to become mentally more resilient.
“Honestly, I’m a little bit more worried about Jeremy. Because of our thoughtless and careless actions, he will receive an official warning letter as well. That would be an ugly defect to his spotless professional record,” I said before letting out a long sigh.
“Do you want me to do something to help him?” Ace asked after listening to me intently.
I knew that it was an unreasonable offer and that he was doing it purely for my sake. Ace would never bend the rules that way on his own even if it was practically possible. Knowing that just made me feel guiltier than before as a heavy throbbing sensation developed in my chest. Getting Ace involved in this problematic situation of mine was going to make it worse for both of us.
“No, things are alright this way. In a way, I guess we’re just paying the price for our actions…” I replied before showing him a sad little smile.
“Hmm…if you say so…” Ace replied softly before dropping the topic entirely.
“It’s just a shame because his record is just so spotless and he’s really a genius at what he does and all that,” I said while trying to sound a little bit more cheerful or less gloomy.
“You’re also a genius at what you do too, if you ask me…” Ace chimed in before grinning at me.
“I don’t think so but thanks for saying that. My record is far from being spotless, though,” I replied before showing him a shy smile.
Although I knew well enough that Ace was probably just saying that to please me, I couldn’t prevent my heart from skipping a joyous beat at his words of compliments. I might be steadily getting better at my job, but I was nowhere near being a genius just like everyone else in the CEO’s office. However, I hoped that if I worked hard, I would one day get there.
“Take it as all part of the learning journey, Rina,” Ace advised before showing me a gentle smile.
Sitting by his side and just talking reminded me of just how much I had missed Ace and his company. Despite the not-so-great news, Ace seemed to be in a mellow mood. If anything, it felt like he was here to support and comfort me rather than to seek out explanations for his own benefit. For that, I felt very thankful and lucky that I had his trust. I wondered if I could remain as calm as he did and hear him out had our roles had been reversed.
Glancing at his face, I wondered if it would be alright to tell him the second part of my story. Unfortunately, the complication did not end with just the disciplinary committee misunderstanding Jeremy and me. Just as Jeremy had told me, it was half true. Without realizing the feelings that he had toward me, I had been spending time with Jeremy.
“Ace…” I called his name softly to get his attention while my brain still actively debated if I should tell him the whole truth.
“Is there something that you want to tell me?” he asked as if he could guess what was on my mind.
It was probably the trust that he placed in me that gave me the courage to confess everything that had happened to him. If we wanted to be a stronger couple, then we probably had to eliminate as many secrets between us as possible. With that thought in mind, I clenched my hands into tights fists while feeling my fingernails digging into the soft flesh of my palms.
I have to tell him before he finds out from someone else.
“Actually, after leaving the office for the day, I ran into Jeremy. I think he was waiting for me…” I confessed softly.
“And then?” Ace prompted as if he could tell that there was more to the story.
I reminded myself that if I wanted to tell him everything then I also needed to be as honest as I could. My throat felt so dry and so were my lips. After forcing myself to swallow, I strengthened my resolve to go on with my confession. Even if I thought that it wasn’t really my fault, I couldn’t help but feel guilty when I told Ace about this.
“He invited me out to have dinner with him somewhere close by the office and I agreed to go with him. I honestly just thought that it was a good opportunity to talk with him after we were both summoned separately to see the disciplinary committee. I also wanted to find out what they told him and also about the punishment that he had to face,” I said before taking a pause to collect my thoughts.
