Emily spun around and saw Shirley waving a pink box in her hand.
"Got you a little treat," Shirley said, pushing the door open. "It's one of those desserts we young folks love." She really stressed the 'young folks' part.
Emily took a slow sip of water. She'd been in the game for over a decade, and Shirley's little antics were way too obvious.
"Thanks, but I'm not really into desserts," Emily replied coolly.
Shirley looked puzzled. "Seriously? You don't like desserts? Have you even tried macarons? I guess in Silvercrest, fancy stuff like this isn't common."
Emily didn't want to get into it, especially since Shirley was close with Patrick. But she decided to push back a bit.
"Macarons are from Stellaria. If you're into them, you should try Pierre Marcolini," Emily said, still cold.
Shirley looked taken aback that Emily knew her stuff and seemed a bit embarrassed.
Seeing Shirley go quiet, Emily calmly added, "Maybe focus on your work instead."
She handed Shirley a printed list of this month's tasks for the branch offices. "The status of these tasks is in the company's shared mailbox. Summarize them."
It was a simple task, just filling out a form. Should've been a breeze.
Shirley flipped through the papers, looking lost. "Emily, what do I do next?"
Emily sighed and explained it again. Seeing Shirley still confused, she gave up. "Forget it. Here's Mr. Rivera's schedule for next week. Coordinate with the airline and hotel."
This was a no-brainer task. If Shirley couldn't handle this, there was no hope.
What should've taken an hour dragged on till the afternoon, and Shirley still wasn't done.
Emily went to check on her, only to find Patrick lounging in the office lobby in his sharp suit.
"Patrick, you're so efficient. You sorted it out in no time," Shirley gushed.
Emily couldn't help but smirk. If the GM himself was handling travel plans, the assistants had it easy. Knowing Patrick, Emily thought Shirley might be in for a rude awakening.
Before Emily, three or four secretaries had been fired by Patrick. She had worked her way up from an admin assistant to the GM's assistant. Only she knew how tough it had been.
Patrick smiled faintly. "You're new, it's normal to be confused. If you need help, just ask Emily."
Emily was almost shocked. Patrick being understanding? Back in the day, she got chewed out for dialing the wrong number. Now, no one dared question her professionalism.
Shirley piped up, "I tried asking, but Emily always ignores me. I even brought her my favorite macarons today, and she mocked me for not affording high-end brands."
Emily didn't expect Shirley to twist the story. She found it both funny and annoying and lost interest in the conversation. Back in her office, she opened the task completion lists from various branches, ready to dive into work, when she saw a tall, familiar figure.
"Why won't you help Shirley?"
Startled, Emily looked up to see Patrick's serious face. Wasn't he just in the lobby? How did he get here so fast?
Emily quickly stood up, trying to keep her voice steady. "I treat everyone the same way."
Patrick looked at Emily, calm and formal as ever, but his frown and the light tapping of his finger on the table told her he was pissed. Emily knew Patrick well enough to read the signs.
'Great, when in Rome,' she thought.
"I'll make sure to teach her properly," Emily tried to explain.
Patrick didn't say a word, just stared at her with those piercing eyes, like he could see right through her.
"Emily, do you think I'm just going through the motions?" His voice was deep and powerful, each word hitting her like a sledgehammer.
Emily met his cold gaze, her heart tightening. She knew her answer had ticked him off, but she tried to stay calm. "Mr. Rivera, I've been looking out for her as you asked, but..."
"But what?" Patrick cut her off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "But you're unhappy with how I set things up!"
Emily's face fell. She didn't expect him to be so blunt. She looked down, avoiding his gaze, feeling a mix of emotions.
What right did she have to be unhappy? In what capacity—as a secretary? A lover?
She stayed silent, gripping her clothes tightly.
Patrick walked slowly towards her, his presence overwhelming.
Unconsciously, Emily stepped back. When there was only a fist's distance between them, Patrick leaned in and said in a low voice, "Shirley is not like you."
Emily's heart sank, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
"I know," she forced a smile.
Without another word, Patrick turned to leave. Suddenly remembering something, he stopped and said in a commanding tone, "Tonight is my sister's engagement party. Pick a gift and bring it over."
"That doesn't seem appropriate." The thought of the engagement party, with Patrick's mother, Jennifer Johnson, definitely being there, made Emily nervous.
"Emily, remember your position!" Patrick emphasized her role as a secretary, making it clear she had to go to the engagement party, no questions asked.
Emily chose a limited edition Cartier Marcello bag as a gift. It had been reserved by a local tycoon before Christmas, but due to a business conflict with a subsidiary of the Gray Group, the funding fell through, and the bag had to be resold.
When Emily arrived at the engagement party with the gift, the place was already buzzing with guests. In the middle of it all was a middle-aged woman in a gorgeous silk dress, slightly plump, wearing a valuable black pearl necklace, and with a flushed face. It could only be Patrick's mother, Jennifer Johnson.
Emily just hoped Jennifer hadn't seen her, so she could drop off the gift and leave. Every time they met, Jennifer would mock and ridicule her.
Emily anxiously scanned the room for Karen, but when she turned her head, she locked eyes with Jennifer.
Jennifer gave her a disdainful look and turned to the people around her. "Some people are only valuable because they know their place. Nowadays, some women think they can climb the social ladder just because of their looks, without considering if they have the qualifications."
Someone chimed in, "Girls today lack self-respect. How could a diamond in the rough turn into a shining star? There are even fewer girls as dignified and elegant as Karen."
Emily listened with disinterest but knew she couldn't dodge this round of mockery. She forced herself to approach calmly.
"Mrs. Jennifer Johnson, hello. This is a congratulatory gift for Ms. Karen Rivera from Mr. Patrick Rivera. Is Ms. Karen Rivera here now?"
Before Emily could finish, Karen Rivera walked over from the crowd. "Well, well, look who it is. Patrick's assistant. Since you're here, feel free to look around. Don't be nervous; you probably won't get many chances to visit such high-end hotels in your lifetime!"
Emily didn't argue, just quietly handed over the limited edition bag.
"Mom, this is the one I told you about last time, the bag I've always wanted but never managed to get!"
Taking the bag, the atmosphere eased a bit. Just as Emily was about to leave, a familiar voice called out. "Karen, we're here!"