Resignation of Bien

Bigger Desk

The Admin Office of Sing FM buzzed with excitement as Mr. Boy made an unexpected announcement. Joanna's familiar pink desk had been replaced with a larger one adorned with a pink ribbon—a symbolic gesture marking her promotion.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Ms. Joanna Dimalanta. You deserve it," Mr. Boy declared calmly.

Joanna, standing between Mr. Boy and Mr. Noel in pristine white from head to toe, symbolizing a fresh start in her career, accepted her new role with authority. She now answered only to the boss. Together, they cut the ribbon, formalizing her position as the new executive assistant.

Bien found the ceremony a bit over-the-top. He never imagined a ribbon-cutting for a promotion day. Such theatrics were probably Joanna's idea, reflecting her cheerful demeanor. Perhaps that was why the higher-ups liked her—her infectious silliness made everyone comfortable around her.

The office erupted into celebration. If Aron hadn't been there, Bien might have mistaken Joanna for the company heiress. While everyone enjoyed the festive atmosphere, Bien remained at his post in the studio; the show must go on, after all.

Lucas slipped into the booth. "Take a break, Director. Grab something to eat."

"I'm fine," Bien replied shortly, eyes fixed on the screen, scrolling through the playlist without focus.

It was the fourth time Lucas had offered, but Bien declined each time, using the show as an excuse. However, truth be told, he had lost his appetite.

Moments later, Joanna appeared upstairs with a plate of food and a large soda in hand. "Let's eat," she announced.

Bien smiled as he gazed at his friend, arranging the food for them to share, feeling a sudden lightness in his chest—perhaps hunger—as he rose from his seat to embrace Joanna. "Congratulations," he murmured.

Joanna patted his back. "What are you talking about?" she teased. "RIP, more like! More responsibilities, heavier burden. It's more torture than reward." She tapped his shoulder again. "Let's eat! We'll need the energy for this battle."

Indeed, Bien thought. Half of Sing FM already resented Joanna, labeling her a suck-up, and now, with her promotion, there would likely be even more opposition. Moments of weakness could not be tolerated; they needed to support each other more than ever.

Finally settling down to share the meal with Joanna, Bien finished the show with a weight lifted from his chest, more determined than ever to excel. As the show ended, he left the booth in Lucas's capable hands, having already scheduled social media posts and prepared materials for the coming days.

At the main door, Bien was greeted by Susan. She was ready for the faceoff with her thick foundation and lipstick, her bobcut curled inward, and she even had her designer bag. Everything about her screamed she was ready for war.

"Well," Bien smiled, "look who's decided to show up at this time."

Susan scoffed. "I came from a meeting with a client. You may not know, but I do the real job here, not you. And I got us a new sponsor."

"Okay. Chill." Bien clicked his tongue. "No one's taking your credit."

As Susan filled in the logbook, she couldn't resist a jab. "Must be tough for you."

"What is?" Bien asked.

"You introduced her to the industry, trained her, and now she's leapfrogged ahead of you." Susan tossed her hair, striding toward the admin office. "See you around!"

Bien watched her disappear in the hallway. He admired her grit. She must've known a battle would await her once she reached the office but she still went anyway. He admired her determination while resenting her attitude and ability to get under his skin so easily.

The guard smiled and opened the door for him. "Bad day?"

Bien shook his head with a smirk. "Nah, normal day."

Little did he know, his day was about to take an unexpected turn as he spotted a familiar gray sports car parked where he usually waited for a ride. As he approached cautiously, the driver's window rolled down, revealing Christian's familiar smirk.

A honk interrupted their exchange as Matthew's white sedan pulled up beside them.

"What are you doing here?" Matthew greeted Christian, a broad smile on his face.

Christian's eyebrow twitched. "What are you doing here?"

Matthew draped an arm around Bien's shoulder, patting his head. "I'm here to pick up this guy. Your turn."

Christian looked away abruptly. "Just stopped to take a call." He rolled up the window and sped off.

Bien flicked his shoulder and smacked Matthew. He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, opening the door to the passenger seat. As Matthew drove, he turned down the radio just enough for a white noise. "So," he began, "you seem to be spending a lot of time with Christian. How's it going with your new boss?"

Bien sighed heavily. "He was my best friend."

"That's good to hear..." Matthew's eyes widened. "Wait, what?!" He slammed on the brakes, causing a car behind them to honk impatiently. "This Christian is the Christian?"

Bien nodded.

"The one you were talking about before Christian?"

Bien nodded again.

"The one who broke your heart seven years ago and the reason why you chose to leave your province Chris—"

Bien covered Matthew's mouth. "Let me save you the time. The person you're thinking of? All him."

Matthew dropped his jaw as though a huge case had just been revealed. "Well, shit. I'm apparently great at bringing people together."

"How did you know him by the way?" Bien asked.

Matthew shrugged as he started driving again. "At a networking event. He seemed like a nice guy and you know me, I want to connect with nice, big shots. Later on, I introduced him to some investors to help launch Bad Egg Productions."

"Then you became friends?"

Matthew nodded.

"Did he..." Bien hesitated, unsure whether to ask. "Did he ever mention me?"

Matthew shrugged. "Not that I recall. He's pretty secretive about his past. Whenever I asked, he'd change the subject."

Bien bit his lip. Of course, Christian wouldn't talk about him. Who was he kidding?

"Are you going to be okay?" Matthew asked softly. "Need help finding another job? Just say the word."

Finding another job he liked and enjoyed wouldn't be easy, even with Matthew's help. How long would he wait this time? Besides, he loved working there. They loved him there.

Bien leaned back, staring out the window at the blue sky. "Yes, please..."

Matthew's phone rang, connected to the car's system. He tapped the screen. "What's up?"

"You on the road?" Mr. George's voice came through.

"Mr. George?" said Bien.

"Is that Bien?" Mr. George asked.

Bien confirmed it for Matthew and asked, "You know each other too?"

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "He's kinda my mentor." Matthew steered the car to his favorite cafe: Whitered Rose, and asked Mr. George, "Why'd you call?"

"It's good that both of you are there. Listen. Dinner later with the Bad Egg guys and Martin Nievera's team. Bad Egg Productions will be collaborating with them on a concert, so you'll be there too, Bien."

Matthew unbuckled himself. "I'm needed there?"

"Yes," Mr. George replied. "Because after that, I'm introducing you to someone from Singapore."

Excitement lit up Matthew's face. He exchanged a few more words with Mr. George before turning back to Bien. Meanwhile, a message from Sing FM popped up on Bien's phone, requesting him to return to the station for some urgent editing.

Bien turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket, staring blankly ahead. What was Christian doing outside the station earlier?