Emily
I was still at the office, reviewing the company's accounts, when a knock interrupted my focus. Raising my head, I allowed the person to enter my eyes fixed on the door. It opened, and my secretary walked in, carrying several documents. It must be the ones I requested earlier this morning after our return from the store. She had mentioned it could take a day to prepare everything, but I was impressed by her speed.
"Ma'am, these are the documents you requested for. Everything is here, starting from the month of January, to the month of December." She said, and dropped them on the desk.
I must admit that was fast. Despite the work load she had, she managed to get everything ready within twelve hours.
Reaching out, I took the first file and flipped through brifely before placing it back on the stack.
The files were quit bulky. I would have taken them home and work late into the night. It shouldn't take more than three hours to finish, but I knew it would be a long evening ahead before I could finally rest.
"Thank you! You can leave." I buried my head back into my, not realizing she was standing, until she spoke up, bringing my focus up.
"It's getting late, you should take a break and go home." I paused, not sure if it's time to go home yet. I have been busy, I barely looked at the clock today.
I tilted my head towards the clock engraved on the wall, and my eyes widened when I saw it was already 5:30 in the evening. What was I thinking? Father is going to scold me for this. He warned me to be home early.
"I am sorry for taking up your time. You should have informed me sooner. I am sure most of the employees called it a day."
I expected her to be upset, especially since she was older than me and likely married with kids. Instead, she simply smiled and brushed it off. If she had kids waiting for her at home, then she should have drew my attention to her. After all, the stupulated time to call it a day is 4pm.
"It's okay, I had some work to finish too. I will take the work to your car, you can go ahead and start packing up." She responded, gathering the files she had just brought.
Without saying anything further, I stood up, grabbed my things, and exited the office. Once I reached my car, I opened the door for her to place the documents inside before setting down my bags.
"Thank you. See you tomorrow." I said, not waiting for a reply as I slid into the driver's seat and pulled out onto the highway.
It had been a hectic day at the office. I was so swamped with what I had to skip lunch, and I had barely had breakfast before leaving the house.
Maybe if the general manager hadn't embezzled money as suspected, I wouldn't have been so overwhelmed with extra work to shift through.
I need to call for a meeting tomorrow, the managers of each departments has to be present. Everyone will have to submit their reports for the whole year. Let's see how Mr Adams intend to escape.
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up into the driveway and parked. Stepping out, I grabbed my bags, and stack of documents, which felt heavier than they looked, as I made my way to the entrance of the house, I met my sister.
"Thank goodness you are back." Lisa said, rushing over to help. She took the documents from me and quickly ascended the stairs.
"Hey, sis! Welcome home! How was your day at the office? Ethan called out, glancing up from his laptop. He must have busy with his work, I didn't notice he was in the living room.
Ethan is a computer genius, especially when it comes to hacking. I actually learned a lot from him. He runs a successful interior design company abroad, though he's not planning to expand it anytime soon.
He also owns three hotels, all thriving in business.
I am not too familiar with his relationship life, probably because I have never asked. But from what I have heard from mom and Lisa, he once loved someone who cheated on him with his best friend. Since then, I guess he's locked his heart away.
"Yeah, how about you? I'm going to freshen up." I replied, heading upstairs to shower. It had been a productive, yet exhausting day.
Thirty minutes later, I finished my shower and lay down to rest a bit. The creaking sound of my door opening caught my attention. I looked up to see Lisa standing there, gesturing for me to follow her without a word. Lisa can be very childish atimes, though I am just two years older than her.
I got up and followed her downstairs. "Everyone, come into the dinning room. Dinner is served." Mom announced, as I entered the living room. The delicious aroma reached me from a distance.
"Hello, father." I greeted, giving him a quick peck on his cheek as he gently rubbed my hands. I then sat down beside him.
"How was your day at the office? I told you to come home on time, but you never listen." Father said, a hint of concern in his voice.
I smiled softly, "I am sorry, father." He nodded, accepting my apology as he began to eat, which mom serving him first.
Everyone took their seats, ready to start eating when mom interrupted just as we were about to take our first bites.
"Emily." She called, making me look up. "Your father mentioned something earlier, you shouldn't push this too far. If you don't want him, just get a new manager."
I couldn't believe they had already told her. If everyone keeps interfering, how am I supposed to govern the company? It makes me look incompetent. I am managing this company, and my decision stands.
If someone does something wrong, they will be held accountable. I need to understand why he embezzled the money, wether it was for surgery or some other reason, though I doubt it.
"There's no need for that, mom. I have already reached out to the managers, and Emily will be holding a meeting with them soon. Let her handle this." Ethan chimmed in, digging into his meal. I appreciated how supportive he was. He is the best big brother I could ever ask for.
Mother looked toward father, seeking his support, but he didn't glance in her direction. It was clear he didn't want to get involved any further.
"Honey, talk to her." She urged, her voice filled with concern. "We can't let her do this. She's just twenty-six, still too young to handle that kind of pressure." She hesitated for a moment, then continued. "His father called you earlier, you heard how he sounded. They are powerful people. He's the Mayor's best friend. Anything he says will be carried out."
Father set his cutlery down, his demeanor shifted instantly. He seemed irritated by what she just said, likely something that wasn't meant to be brought up.
"You shouldn't have mentioned that here." He said, his tone firm. "I told you it needed to stay between us. Don't worry, I will handle this myself. She can continue her investigation."
"That's all you have to say?" Mother pressed, clearly dissatisfied with his response. But father remained silent, refusing to engage further.
Frustrated, she excused herself from the table, leaving her food untouched. Whatever the issue was, father clearly knew what to do, and I decided it was best not to intervene. I glanced over at Lisa, who shook her head slightly at me before resuming her meal.