DRIVING ME CRAZY (ENGLISH)

CHAPTER 13 : Dislike

One week had passed since Darren left for Indonesia, last night he had returned to his apartment, and found Caroline waiting for him to sleep on the couch.

Today, early in the morning Darren had to come to his office to catch up on some of his abandoned work. He was forced to leave Caroline in his apartment, still sleeping.

Darren's long legs, which had walked wide toward his room, stopped when he saw Mikaela clearing the files on his desk while joking with Anna. It was still very early to ruin Darren's mood. Why was that girl in the morning in his office?

The sight was very uncomfortable for Darren, seeing the girl laugh out loud, very disturbing.

But Mikaela's laughter stopped when she looked at Darren. The girl's cheerful gaze turned into a look of anxiety. She was seen swallowing her saliva, there was fear and worry like she was seeing hell.

Darren did not react, his face remained flat, staring sharply at Mikaela.

Next to her, Anna watched Mikaela's face change and followed the direction she was looking at. He just realized that Darren was looking at them with an unreadable look.

"We're not gossiping." said Anna wanting to return to her seat. She knew that Darren did not like women who gossiped. "It's not yet time for work right?"

While Mikaela looked away, looked down while continuing to clean up what could be taken care of. She was worried that Anna would dare to say things she did not expect to Darren.

Darren continued in his steps. "Come to my office." he said as he passed Mikaela and Anna.

At a glance, Mikaela looked up. Their eyes met, and Darren's wild eyes were still staring at her sharply as they passed by. She knew that Darren's words were just for Anna, not her. And Mikaela was grateful for that.

"He was talking to me to, right?" Anna asked, convincing herself.

"Of course, be careful talking to him." Mikaela suspected that Darren was calling Anna because of what the girl said.

"You don't want to come in? He's a very hot boss." Anna asked, teasing Mikaela.

"No thanks. He didn't ask me." Mikaela sat back and pretended to be busy with her computer, she was surprised that Anna could be so relaxed, even though Darren looked so angry. "I must finish this, or he will be angry." she continued.

Anna chuckled and waved to Mikaela and hurriedly opened the door to Darren's room, not forgetting to close it tightly.

"How is your work?" asked Darren without looking at Anna as soon as his friend stood before him. He was already busy turning on the laptop that was already on the table in his room.

"Are you doubting me, Darren?"

Of course Darren didn't doubt Anna at all, that's why he entrusted Mikaela's work to Anna, too bad that girl didn't want to be attached to any company, otherwise Darren had already recruited her. Anna chose to build her small business from scratch, and the business had only begun to develop in the past year, and that is also with Darren's help.

"How's the hand?" Darren asked, still not staring at Anna.

"Why don't you ask your secretary yourself?" Anna took a chair and dragged her in front of Darren, then sat lazily.

"You may return to your small company tomorrow." Darren changed the subject. He knew Mikaela's hand had been fine when she saw him earlier.

"Hey, she still needs my help, you're crazy giving her a lot of difficult work, you know she just graduated from university and this is her first work experience, right?"

"She can handle it." said Darren.

"But--"

"She can."

Anna snorted, rolled her eyes, very well aware that Darren could not be denied. After all, it was no longer here right to continue to help Mikaela, this was Darren's company, it was Darren's responsibility. Anna just felt a little sorry for Mikaela, remembering that Darren was a temperamental person, especially if the girl's work was not as perfect as Darren hoped. If she was not mentally strong, the girl would definitely go crazy facing her boss. According to Anna, Mikaela was a good girl.

"Alright, don't forget about my payment." Anna prepared to get out of Darren's room.

"You have a lot of money." joked Darren, who had just turned towards Anna.

"Otherwise I won't be rich like you." said Anna.

Darren did not respond, he refocused on his laptop while waving Anna's hand away from his room.

Anna pouted, grumbled, and cursed Darren, she immediately went out of the room to get her bag. She must returned to her origin place and said goodbye to Mikaela.

.

Mikaela rested her chin on the work table, staring at the computer screen that displayed her work. After Anna said good-bye to her this morning, the room returned to being lonely, even though since Anna was there she didn't feel too lonely, the girl was very cheerful, as cheerful as she was, then.

She smiled unconsciously, remembering her teenage years filled with joy with her best friend, Siska. The times when she could only raise her hands while whining to his father, and whatever she wanted would be fulfilled right then and there. Not for now, she had to struggle to support herself, even though her condition was now enough for her and Aunt Salma to survive, but she felt she had to pay a debt to Rendy, and she didn't know when she would be able to pay it off.

Mikaela was busy daydreaming, unaware that Darren had left the room with a stack of work for her. The man put the those things on the Mikaela’s table.

"Finish it as soon as possible." told the man.

Darren did not look at her. He just walked away from Mikaela, coinciding with the vibration of Mikaela's cellphone. A message from Tiwi.

From: Tiwi

"Get down quickly, I'm hungry." 12:09

Lunch time for Mikaela.

It turned out that it was time for a midday break, but seeing that her work was still piling up because she had not been able to finish it, and the job that Darren had just given her, made Mikaela had no appetite. She replied to Tiwi.

"You eat first, I still have a lot of work to do, and I brought the food."

Sent

Luckily Mikaela had put bread in her bag this morning. Enough to prop her stomach this afternoon. And again her hands are fine, so she can do the work as soon as possible.

Meanwhile...

Darren walked briskly toward the lobby, he had a lunch appointment with Caroline. Everyone looked down to salute as they passed him. Darren still looked flat even though his employees had put on their best smile.

Darren stopped his intention to get into the car, when he saw Rendy's car just passing by the parking lot of his office. It's clear that Rendy would meet Mikaela. Did they meet every day in his office when Darren went to Indonesia?

Darren decided to approach Rendy, who was already walking into the small cafe he was subscribed to quickly.

Rendy sat in the usual place he sat, followed by Darren who sat in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Rendy's forehead frowned when he found Darren already in front of him.

"Seeing you, what else?" Darren said casually.

"You are so random."

"What's the matter? Aren't you here to see me? Who else?" teased Darren.

Rendy cleared his throat. "How are your mom and dad? I heard you just returned from Indonesia."

"They're nice."

"How about Shine?"

"What do you think? She won't be good if her husband just thinks of another girl." Darren looked at Rendy meaningfully. Likewise Rendy.

They were silent for a while until a female servant who had memorized Rendy approached them and offered them something.

"As usual." Rendy's message glanced briefly, hinting the waiter to quickly leave.

"Wow, he really memorized your order, huh? Like you already comes here everyday." Darren smirked.

"I came to meet Mikaela."

Darren shrugged his shoulders, as if he wasn't surprised anymore. "Yes I know."

"And then?"

"I thought you came to see me, it's been a long time since we met, after all we've never joked since the girl worked with me."

Rendy's cellphone rang. He had looked at Darren before lifting his cellphone.

"Yes." Rendy put the cellphone into his ear.

"......"

"Is that so?"

"......."

"All right, what time will you go home?"

"......"

"I will pick you up."

Rendy closed the cellphone and put it in his coat pocket.

"Actually, what kind of work did you give her?" Rendy leaned his elbows on the table.

"She complained to you?"

Rendy looked at Darren sharply. Darren knew  if Rendy was upset, of course, the man was upset, Darren had guessed that the one who just called Rendy was Mikaela who canceled their lunch appointment.

Rendy rose from his seat and pulled out a piece of money which he had put on the table. "I’ll go first." There was annoyance in Rendy's tone. Darren heard it clearly.

Darren smiled with satisfaction. He pulled out his cellphone and called his secretary number.

"He ... hello sir." greeted someone timidly.

"Complete the work today." said Darren firmly. Only that sentence he said before closing the telephone connection.

He would not let her had fun, with Anna, Rendy or anyone else. He would not let her laugh, he did not like seeing Mikaela happy, not until he was satisfied to see her suffered.

***

The clink of the clock rang with Mikaela's subtle computer sound, and the sound of paper rubbing against one another accompanied Mikaela to do her work.

It was getting dark, some office boy had cleaned and mopped the floor of his room.

"Not going home yet?" asked one of those who Mikaela knew was living in the office dorm.

"Not yet, sir, I haven’t done yet."

"Oh, overtime, I'll make a cup of coffee for you later."

"Thank you sir." said Mikaela sincerely.

Luckily there were some office boys, office girls,and a security guard who watched the night staying at the office dorm. If not, Mikaela would be all alone in a big office. Darren had not returned to the office at all since his call this afternoon.

He had asked Rendy not to pick her up this afternoon. Maybe tonight she would take a taxi instead of asking Rendy.

Mikaela's stomach was a little sore because she had not eaten anything since morning other than a packet of bread. If she could, she wanted to buy food at a minimarket in front of the office, but she was afraid because the office atmosphere was already quiet. She wanted  to ask one of the office boys for a help, but he felt bad. Later she intended  to ask for help from security guards or Sisi, an office girl she already knew to take Mikaela to the office lobby when she went home later.

Mikaela had to quickly finish her work before her stomach disease recurred. Before Darren returned. Before her mood became chaotic because of that man.