The Devil's Love

||. Chapter 23: Priorities .||

"No way! I'm in the food department. Why am I being dragged into the sponsorship issues now?" Ansel exclaimed, her eyes raging with fire as she pushed the paperwork back towards Crystal. "You assigned me as a secretary and a person responsible for food, not dealing with sponsorships. Besides, Azhar has six people in his sponsorship team. It is impossible if you tell me that none of them can attend the meeting. Should I remind you that it was his team that proposed the time to the manager? I am alone in the food department and he has six heads, but you are telling me none can attend. That's a terrible joke and lie if it was one."

Sounds of scratching pencils filled the room as both Crystal, Azhar and Ansel began a staring contest in the middle of nowhere. The rest of the members stayed silent, either burying their heads in their notebooks or clicking through their phones, probably to check schedules. Ansel crossed her arms angrily, flipped through her notebook, and saw that she would have a test on that day, a meeting with the restaurant they picked out, including an early shift to work because there will be a party in the café she is working in. There had been no way she could help attend the meeting even if she intended to help unless she skipped her last lesson which is most likely to have a no as the answer.

"I don't think it is appropriate to push the meeting to another time since we are having the highest fund from that company," explained Azhar, seemingly trying to reason with Ansel for help when Crystal nudged him with the tip of a ballpoint pen. "I would have picked others, but they are not competent enough to negotiate with the manager. If it satisfies you, I am willing to give you extra merit points for the effort."

Ansel scoffed at his words. Those words were meant to ease her anger, yet it spiked the heat in her nerves. She felt like a walking explosive in the room.

"Unbelievable," muttered Ansel under her breathe, turning to look at Crystal. "I have no offence on your choice for the head of the sponsorship department, Crystal, but he is out of his mind. Do you think the merit points matter to me? Maybe it is for you because you are in the final year of your studies here, but it doesn't for me. I don't need the points. Your flattery does not work on me. So, again, no. You should have known better before arranging the time with the manager. I am not doing it. I have other to-do lists on that day. Find someone else."

Shutting her notebook, Ansel took a glance at Crystal who shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She heaved at the situation before announcing that she would search for another alternative. Ansel swiped her hair backwards, taking in the last few bits of coldness from the air-conditioned before the heat from outside will envelop her body again. She kept the books in her bag, including the files containing her paperwork before taking out a piece and handed it to Crystal. Everyone in the room had left, leaving both of them. Ansel was determined to leave once Crystal had checked on the paper so she could have some peace working with Angelo for the rest of the day.

"Why can't you replace Azhar to go to the meeting? We can't tarnish our program's reputation if no replacement can be found," stated Crystal softly and disappointed at Ansel's choice. "Everyone has work to do. Everyone has to sacrifice something for the program we are handling. Besides, it will ease up the situation for everyone rather than causing a ruckus."

Ansel squinted her eyebrows, laughing at her words before she took a few steps backwards, crossing her arms. She could not believe Crystal was so unreasonable. Everyone had something to do. The sponsorship department wasn't even her responsibility. Biting her inner lips as she tried to find the proper words, she fixated her gaze towards Crystal, trying to lose the anger.

"If you know everyone has work to do, then why don't you take it up? Let's be real here. I have a test on that day, a meeting with the high-end restaurant you chose and also a night job to keep. Unless you want to take over my place for the meeting, then I will attend the meeting for you, which is highly unlikely and has zero probability. What are you even reasoning here, Crystal?" Ansel questioned. "There, that's my schedule, so now, why can't you take it up if you are so protecting Azhar about it?"