Chapter 1: Resignation

Alma is busy reviewing the documents. While her eyes are playing a close-open game as she works unenergetically. Alma also has an empty stomach since she doesn’t have time to make breakfast because she’s going to be late for work.

“Ms. Rama, wake up! Why are you sleeping in the middle of work?”

Alma immediately fixed herself and her eyes opened wide when she saw her boss in front of her. When Alma was already in her calm state, she smiled shily at him.

“My sincere apologies, boss. I will not do it again---”

“Of course, you should not be!” he said, and left.

She touched her chest and sighed after seeing her ‘good’ boss walk away from her area.

When Alma just came into his company to work, her boss already shows strong signs of hatred towards her. Like, out of all the employees, she is the only one that he nags at! Yet, sometimes he shows kindness towards her, but when they talk, his voice is always loud. For example, when Raymart caught Alma working during lunch break. Alma can’t help but jump out of her chair because of his loud voice before starting to nag at her because she is not eating her lunch yet.

‘I don’t want my employees to starve because they might not meet my expectations when it commes to the outcome of work that I want.’

That is the reason that she kept hearing from him. Even though she doesn’t think something beyond that except for his concerns, he looks so defensive when explaining to her.

#

It’s time for lunch and Alma was also done reviewing the papers that her boss needs to sign. He seems like a coffee that awakened her whole system after their loud conversation a while ago, which was full of scolding, of course...

She slid it properly inside an expanded envelope before going in the elevator to quickly reach the office of her boss. When the elevator reached the 30th floor, she went out of it and walked quickly. She knocked on the door three times before going in inside her boss’ office.

As you enter his office, you’ll notice the minimalistic theme and a gold and black name plate on his desk.

‘RAYMARY WADE T. GUERRERO’

“Sir Raymart, these are the documents that you need to sign.” Alma said politely to her boss.

Raymart raised his gaze and took a look at her secretary. She is wearing formal office attire but his forehead knotted when he saw that her skirt’s length was above her knees. He is a conservative and he is against wearing revealing clothes that he described as undergarments already, since it showed too much skin. That’s why, instead of his attention being directed towards the papers that he demanded, he paid more attention to the length of her skirt.

“First offense, Ms. Rama!”

“Why?” Alma asked furiously, unable to control the volume of her voice.

He closed his laptop and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You break rule number 3 in my company. Look at your skirt! Its length must be below your knees or just above your knees without exposing your thighs.” Raymart replied while stretching his pointing finger.

‘Crazy’ that is the first word that came to Alma’s mind after hearing the reason of her boss for scolding her again. Her skirt is not too short. Though, it becomes shorter than during the first day of her work. But, she just shrugged it off since, there is no one who noticed the length of her skirt except for this day.

“Really? Just because of the length of my skirt, will I have a first offense? This still looks formal, sir.”

“But not in my company!”

“Then, I’ll just resign!”

That is not the answer that Raymart expected from the lady in front of him. He is also wondering if he said something bad to her. For what he knew, he was concerned about the safety of her female employees. Because he believes that there is no woman who will get harrassed if they wear descent clothes. But, by the way, how his secretary threathened him that she would resign looks like he is the one who is wrong.

“When?” he said as if it’s nothing.

He doesn’t want to argue anymore, and she is not someone he is close to anyway.

“Now!”

Alma smashed the papers on the desk of Raymart before heading out of his office.

#

“That person is really annoying! He had nothing to do with his life just because he already had plenty of money. Is it right to penalize me because of what I wear? I am working well but---"

All of a sudden, the memories of where she fell asleep during working hours because of the gimmicks that she and Cindy had done the day before her working day came flashing through her mind.

“S-sometimes. But still, I had enough of him! He had already reached my limits.” she told her best friend about what happened to the office while clenching her fists and grinding her teeth.

“Tsk! I feel like you two have strong chemistry. Like, both of you seem like mad at each other, but deep inside, you two are in love.” Cindy said while wiggling her eyebrows.

She glared at her and gently slapped her arm. “You look stupid.”

Cindy laughed out loud before holding Alma’s shoulders. “I’m just kidding! Don’t take it seriously. But mamsh (friendly feminine endearment), that’s within his company’s rules right? Why are you the first one who initiated to leave?”

“Fool! I am your best friend but, you are not on my side?”

“Hmm…yeah. Because somewhat, he has a point.”

“He just has high standards!”

“Yes, that’s why I said that it’s just in the middle, right? Because that rule seems like he got it from the ancient age. And you, you didn’t even ask why there’s such a rule like that. You’ve just recklessly gone mad.”

Alma blew some air and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Why? Will he remove that rule when I ask him to?”

“Asked him.” Cindy said and laughed.

“I really have nothing to learn from you.” She said disappointingly and sighed.