Euphoria

Settled

Valerie's POV

"Hey. You're going to be alright." Kyle reassured me. The Trofí was now closed and we waited for the Chief to arrive. The banquet door opened and the service crew set our tables and served our food after which a tall man who I recognize entered the hall. "Chief!" I called his attention. "Hofstetter!" He replied and walked to his seat. The Chief leaned in for a kiss on Kyle's cheek to greet her, but Kyle looked at him as if she was going to devour him if he didn't back off. Which made the Chief back off and just offered a handshake to which Kyle accepted. How long did they know each other? Why did I feel frustrated when the Chief got a bit close to Kyle? "Enjoy!" Dione said as she served the last plate on Kyle's place. Kyle nodded at her in approval and Dione and her crew left us to eat.

I just sat there in embarrassment as we ate and kept my head down. The arrangement was a rectangular table with six seats. Kyle sat in the middle, I was on her left, across where I sat was the Chief, beside him was Gabby, across Kyle was Direct Pao and beside me was Ms. Reed. As we were almost finished with our food. The Chief broke fhe silence."I see that you found my editor, Director Stewart." The Chief said. "Fortunately, I have." Kyle replied. "So, what about the contract that Hofstetter has with us that made you interested about?" The Chief asked. "I would like to take over her contract and have her work for us. Permanently." Kyle politely said to which the Chief laughed at. "What's wrong?" She asked. "You do realize that you won't get anything from her. Right? I kept her in my roster, 'cause she get things done but not enough to qualify for final covers." The Chief said. Am I really that bad of an editor to deserve this treatment? It made my eyes water.

"Andrew Reiner, you better take back what you said." Kyle was furious. I held her hand in attempt to stop her from beating the shit out of the Chief. She calmed down. "And if I don't?" The Chief taunted her. "You can kiss your project goodbye." Kyle said sternly. The editor in chief's expression fell as he heard those words. "Stace?" Kyle called out to the woman beside me. She nodded. She prepared her pen and was about to write down something on a piece of paper that seemed to look like a contract. "Wait." The Chief tried to reach out to the said paper. Kyle gestured to Ms. Reed which made her put her pen down.

"Here's Hofstetter's contract with us. She only has 4 months left with us and she is free to go or stay." He exclaimed as he placed a document in front of Kyle. I remember that I signed that 24 month contract with them to ensure that all my edited covers and entries will be partially owned by the company itself, but I had to ensure that I didn't do anything other than edit for them. This is the main reason why I couldn't start my own business and studio for photography. I just basically didn't think of what I wanted before so I just agreed to the contract and signed. I was lost in my thoughts yet again.

Kylie's POV

"Hofstetter lives in an editors' house with her co-editors, who works for GIM as well. If her contract ends and she decides to leave us, she would also need to leave the house." Reiner elaborated. "Salary wise, I know that you can't top what our company offered her." He further bragged about their perks. "Hofstetter, earns almost $55,000/yr as an editor of GIM." He finally mentioned the only item that I have been dying to know.

"Stace?" I nodded at her which she got automatically and pulled out a contract for Val. "Ms. Hofstetter?" Stace called to Val's attention. I held her hand. "Val, I will always be here whatever you decide on." I explained. She nodded in return as she read the contract that Stace and I prepare for her.

Valerie's POV

"When did you come up with all of this?" I asked Kyle after reading the contract. "Do you remember how I wasn't able to text you last night, it was actually because I was working on this contract and did an all nighter." She finally said the reason why I questioned her existence. I am teary eyed now that I remembered I thought that she could've been just a dream, but my work is now being involved in her existence so I guess she is for real.

"Val?" She asked. "Yeah?" I said. "Any complaints about the contract?" She asked. "None at all." I signed it without hesitation, to which my former boss was shocked. "What did you just get yourself into, Hofstetter?!" He exclaimed. "This is a breach of contract!" He continued. "Mr. Reiner, her contract states an important line that would connect your magazine and my school." Kyle explained. *Game Informer Magazine will receive the amount of salary that Ms. Valerie Hofstetter should be receiving from them in payment for the resignation and/or breach of existing contract with said Magazine. Thus, Ms. Valerie Hofstetter will no longer receive any wages for the remaining timeframe of her contract with said Magazine, once this document is signed.*

Kyle read the lines clearly towards now my former boss since I signed the contract. "I am also the owner and new landlord of the editors' house that you spoke of earlier." Kyle told him. "Wait, what?!" My former boss and I exclaimed in unison. "Since, when?" I asked. "Just now." She said and Ms. Reed showed and read the email from the CEO of the owner of GIM. *Director Kylie J. Stewart, I admire your thoughts about building careers for our editors and I approve of your request for owning the title of the editors' house to which Ms. Valerie Hofstetter lives. Our families have been friends for years and I believe that we could use further connections with your art school to build careers for our other employees as well. We have arranged settlement of contracts for the other editors who resides with Ms. Hofstetter. All contracts as agreed will be sent to you asap once signed by the editors themselves.*

My phone started to blast emails from my co-editors who are my best of friends irl. I saw that the email CCs 5 people including myself, the editor in chief and my 3 co-editors. "I guess that settles everything." My former boss stood up from his seat offered to shake hands with Kyle to which she accepted and then he left the restaurant in defeat.

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Hello, Euphoric People!

Fun fact: The editor-in-chief of the Game Informer Magazine is truly named, Andrew Reiner. I did some research for accuracy.

However, anything related to salary, perks and contracts for employees that work for the said magazine are only fictional in this story. I don't mean harm to the company itself and/or the names and pictures used in this story. Disclaimers on first chapter.

We have been jumping up and down from our ranks on #mymind and I am grateful towards everyone who believes in my abilities to write stories like this. Euphoria may soon come to an end but always remember that endings are not always bad, it could also mean that something else is about to begin.

with love and euphoria 💜
-Ey ⚘