"I'll break down your walls one by one and sneak into the gates of your icy heart before crushing it into tiny pieces." He murmurs mercilessly as his lips lightly brush my ear, the contact eliciting an indescribable sensation through every inch of m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A N A Y A
"Based on a recent poll, we're seeing a decline in public trust for Varos." Peneloppe, our Chief Communications Officer, announces as she illustrates the results of a public survey through a virtual deck.
"We request an increase in budget, so my team can increase customer discounts, expedite external communication efforts, and repair the public image of Varos. It'll help our team to use our social media platforms efficiently to promote consistent messaging that addresses public concerns."
Klein nods, "After the infamous interview, a lot of damage control needs to be done."
"What the heck was Mr. Ricardo thinking by making that sporadic interview?" Jin Lee, the Chief Brand Officer, addresses the elephant in the room, "That mistake cost us millions."
She voices what the majority has been too afraid to say, given that Ricardo is a big shareholder to the company.
"I wish I knew Jin, wish I knew," Peneloppe responds in frustration.
"We can't spend our time focusing on the past," Klein mediates, "Our primary goal is to fix the problem and foster our relationship with shareholders."
The response from departmental heads is polarizing : some nod in agreement, while others keep their aggravated expressions.
Three weeks have passed since I was discharged from the hospital.
Despite my mandatory visits to the hospital to attend physical therapy sessions, I attend departmental head virtual meetings biweekly to stay on top of business affairs.
"Klein, please allocate 5 percent of our budget to Peneloppe to support her team," I state.
"Roger that."
"Madame Chair, are you sure you should be working?" Milo, the Chief Operations Officer, comments with concern. "We can take things from here. Your recovery is the priority."
Although the doctor recommended that I take a couple of months off work to recover, my brain had gotten used to working for so long that pulling the plug exacerbated matters.
After a neurologist measured my stress levels, my brainwave results were alarming.
My stress levels were very high when I wasn't working, and I would get chronic fatigue.
But when I resumed work, my stress levels decreased.
Although Klein is the current acting CEO of Varos until I officially return, I still want to take part in executive meetings to keep myself busy.
"I'm a certified workaholic, Milo, haven't you heard?" I tease to lighten the mood. "It runs in my DNA."
Some of the department heads grin.
"It's hard to believe you're human." He says in between chuckles. "Unless there's something you're not telling us?"
"She's the Iron Lady at this point." Peneloppe chimes in, triggering the laughter of executives.
