Catch Me! My Boss!

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Elina Point of View

At Company Cafeteria 

While I'm eating, a group of female employees from different departments sits next to me. I momentarily put down my fork as they smile at me, and I smile back.

"You must be the new secretary to the CEO?" one of them asks, approaching me. This is my first time eating here, so it's likely their first encounter with me.

"Yes, I am," I reply. They exchange glances, almost as if they're silently agreeing on something. A sense of unease creeps in.

"How's your job going? I heard the CEO's secretaries never last more than a month because of the demanding work," one of them says in a dismissive tone.

"What do you mean by 'only a month'?" I ask, my tone laced with confusion.

"Oh, you haven't heard? The CEO's secretaries don't last long. The workload and his attitude drive them away, no matter how high the salary is," one of them explains, and the others nod in agreement.

"Maybe she won't last long either," one of them interrupts with a smirk.

"Don't be like that; she's been here for almost a month, which means she's resilient and capable of handling the workload and the CEO's attitude," another chimes in. Are these four girls seriously sitting here just to insult me? What department are they even from?

"Oh, maybe she stays because our CEO is handsome, and she's willing to put up with the pain just to see his face every day. If that's the case, girl, if I were you, I'd quit," one of them adds with a smug tone. Excuse me?

"Yeah~" the others agree in unison. My patience is wearing thin. I take a deep breath and then slam my hand down on the table, making them all stop and stare at me in surprise.

"Please excuse my interruption while you were trying to insult me, but for your information, the CEO is not the most attractive man I've ever seen. And let me remind you that only the lazy and those who don't think would find the work difficult," I say firmly, my tone leaving no room for argument. Judging by their reactions, they're clearly offended by my words.

"Excuse me, did you just imply that we're slackers who don't think?" one of them snaps at me, her tone full of annoyance. I sigh inwardly, realizing my lunch break is being wasted on this.

"No, I'm just trying to have my lunch," I respond in a formal tone, hoping to end the conversation and reclaim what's left of my break.

"You—" One of them starts to say something, but suddenly stops. Their expressions change, and they go silent, all staring in one direction. Curious, I turn to see what—or who—has silenced them.

A jolt of nerves shoots through me as I see the CEO standing there, his eyes fixed on me. Panic sets in, and I immediately stand up, worried that something is wrong. As I approach him, I notice the other employees are also watching him closely.

"I-is there a problem, sir?" I ask hesitantly as I get closer. Without a word, he hands me my phone. I'm momentarily confused, but I take the phone and glance at the screen. My heart sinks when I see 20 missed calls from the CEO in the notifications. I look up at him, his expression furious.

"I-I'm really sorry, sir. I didn't mean to leave my phone behind—it just slipped my mind," I stammer, trying to explain myself.

"I don't have time to argue. Just follow me; we're going to be late for the meeting," he says coldly. His words hit me like a dagger, and I feel a wave of dread wash over me, as if I might just keel over from the anxiety.