My Sassy Boss

DOUBTS

AT MIDNIGHT, Zion quietly leaves the house to clear his head while his younger sister is asleep. He locked the door, and brought the key with him since he will come back soon after his head is clear. He is walking down the subway while thinking, and as he walks, he passed by to the building he was working on right before he lost his job. He walked closer to it, and he looked around when he noticed that there were traces on each piece of rock that collapsed as if someone really intended to destroy it.

"What is this? Did someone try to destroy my work?" he deduced, and he stood up to investigate more only to find out that someone had left behind a wrecking crowbar that is used to loosen the block walls. "I can't remember using this. We didn't use it," he commented confidently while reminiscing what he did.

He gaped because of what he discovered so, he took the wrecking crowbar and quickly ran to the building where Toni was still awake and working quietly.

"No, you have to let me in! I need to see her! Please, Sir, I have to explain myself to her! I need a job!" Zion pleaded to the security guard while holding the wrecking crowbar.

"No, Sir. I'm sorry but, I am not going to let you in. It's too late now. Why don't you try later when it's bright? And when you're calm? Please, put that thing away," the security guard responded by pushing him away because he can sense something is going to happen if he lets him in.

Zion was silent because of what he said, and he looked at the wrecking crowbar he was holding and then, he looked at the guard again. "You got it wrong. I had no intention of harming her. Okay? I came here in peace and to settle things. I just need to voice out because I found out something," he reasoned that he would not allow himself to leave without defending himself from accusations by his boss.

"Yeah, right. Come on, back off," the guard said unconvinced, and held a gun on his waist as he was triggered by his actions.

Zion immediately stepped backward as he got threatened by him but, he is desperate to get his job back and so, without any hesitation, he runs inside. The guard was surprised by what he did but even so, he followed him that they took the escalator until the 10th floor where Toni's office is. However, Zion did not show any tiredness or panting when he finally reached the office, and without any warning, he opened the door. Toni anyways stopped what she is doing when she heard her door open, and was surprised to see the man whom she just fired, which made her eyes sharpen towards him.

"What are you doing here in my office this late night?" Toni asked boldly without taking her eyes off of him.

When all of a sudden the guard also entered Toni's office and he stood in front of her, together with Zion. He is panting because of running too fast.

"I apologize for the interruption, Ms. Wayman but, this guy forced himself to get inside even though, I stopped him already," he explained.

"Listen to me, Ma'am, I discovered something," Zion quickly defended, and he showed to her the wrecking crowbar.

Toni's eyes sharpened towards Zion even more because of what he said, like she is analyzing what he is going to do next. "And what's that for?" she asked out of curiosity.

"This is a wrecking crow—" But Zion stopped speaking because he was cut off by her.

"I know what's that thing. I'm not stupid," she mentioned in a menacing tone of hers, and she raised an eyebrow at him to question his purpose and why he was in her office.

"I'm sorry. But anyway, I found this thing at the entrance while I was walking a while ago. We didn't use it. I didn't use it. All I am saying is, that someone really destroyed the entrance that I've been working for and it's not me. Someone intentionally wrecked the entrance," Zion fully explained what he found and what he deduced.

"What are you saying? Someone intentionally destroyed the entrance? And, who could that be?" she confusingly asked that her eyebrows creased in the middle as she thinks.

"I don't know. But, I saw this thing. It could be someone else. I swear, it's not me," Zion said emphatically just to clear his name and what happened.

"If you are here to accuse then, you must know who to point out because honestly, I don't have time for this. I already fired you, and my decision is final. Get out of my office," she demanded with a death glare.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am, for the interruption," the guard said apologetically again, and he pulled Zion out of her office.

Until they reached the exit, he shoved Zion out of the door.

"You just wasted our time! And for the record, Ms. Wayman never believes in someone without solid proof. So if I were you, go and look for concrete evidence first because no matter what you show or do, her decision will never change until you've proven yourself not guilty. Now leave before I call the police," he advised Zion angrily, and he closed the door so, no one will enter again.

Whilst, Zion tightened his grip on the wrecking crowbar in his left hand, and then, he gritted his teeth because he is in rage, and because she didn't even listen to him or give him the benefit of the doubt. Because of that, he left quietly and just went home.

.

.

Toni, however, is silently staring at the paper in front of her while she is thinking. "Someone intentionally ruined my project? That's unbelievable," she said, unable to believe what she heard from her ex-employee.

Coming back home, Zion tossed the wrecking crowbar under his bed, and he directly went to his bed with a heavy feeling inside his heart because his boss didn't even listen to him. He was hurt and angry at Toni for the record and that is how his hatred towards her developed.

"What kind of boss is she? She didn't even doubt how the entrance door collapsed. She immediately fired me without knowing the real reason why the door collapsed. How infuriating! Is it because I didn't graduate that's why she judged me right away? They're all the same! Judger! Arrogant!" he pointed angrily while envisaging her face and remembering how she shoved him away just like that.

———

MORNING came very quickly, Linda fixed her dress when she stood in front of Toni's door. She also arranged her hair to look presentable in her eyes, and then, she breathed in as she is ready to face her boss. After fixing herself, she knocked twice and opened the door even without hearing a voice from inside. Toni, on the other side, is calmly standing in the glass window with her hands on the trousers of her pockets.

***

After hearing Zion's testimony, she was restless and so, she went to the project site and looked at what he was saying, and to her observation, she did see traces that seemed to have been intentionally destroyed by someone else. Afterward, she looked at the opposite restaurant with a CCTV camera and because she wanted to know what really happened, she went in and negotiate to the owner if she could see the video of the day when her entrance door collapsed. At first, the owner didn't agree but when she offered a big amount of money, the old lady agreed and that's when she saw what really happened. She saw Linda intentionally wrecking the entrance door with the use of a wrecking crowbar and after it collapsed, she went to the car that was parked at the side of the building like she was talking to somebody. She also saw that Linda took a white envelope that she assumed had money inside.

***

"Good morning, Ma'am. What can I do for you this early morning?" Linda greeted nicely with a grin across her face.

"Tell me, Linda, where were you when the entrance door collapsed?" Toni asked first, and she turned to see her face and reaction.

"I-I was at my office, Ma'am," Linda answered that she got frightened that made her stutter but then again, she posed a smile as if nothing was wrong even though, she had something to do with why the entrance door really collapsed.

"Really? But according to the CCTV outside you were out all day. And you said that you were at your office? Tell me, who was it?" Toni said seriously, scaring her.

She then sat down on the couch without looking away from Linda as if she is waiting for her to speak the truth.

"Wh-Who? What are you talking about, Ma'am?" Linda stuttered again because she ran out of excuses, and because she got caught red-handed. And because of nervousness, she was sweating cold.

Toni in response smirked because she knows what she is trying to do and that is to escape from her queries. "I am not stupid, Linda, and you know that. Tell me, who told you to destroy the entrance door, and who was behind it, and I will spare you," she said bluntly, and she showed the tablet that was on the table in front of her to let her watch the video of her wrecking the entrance door.

To Linda's surprise, she gasped and gaped because she couldn't believe that she was caught on camera while she was doing it.

To be continued...