Office Diaries - Chapter 71

In a cozy bar somewhere in Seoul, a man wore a dark aura around him as he decided to drink himself into a stupor. Well, at least he’d try to do that later. Years of having a very responsible habit still prevented him from dropping everything and by drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

With a grim expression, Liam gripped the glass of brandy he’d been nursing for a while.  He was sitting alone in the bar, drinking in solitude. He was sulking.

Yep…bigtime.

In his ċhėst was a hodgepodge of emotions, and all of them unpleasant.

A couple of hours ago, he had decided to go home early to prepare for his shopping trip with Marian tomorrow. He was actually in high spirits— excited like a high school boy on his very first date. Since he’d go home early, he had told his secretary and personal ȧssistant to go home too.

When he got to the parking lot however, he saw them.

Marian and Jay walked together towards his secretary’s car, which made the young president frown.

They go home together?

He wondered a lot and so he secretly followed the two of them for a few minutes which he wished he hadn’t done. He just hurt himself in the process.

For a while now, he’d been hearing a lot of rumors about the alleged relationship between his secretary and personal ȧssistant but he ignored them. Liam thought that they were just close friends, although the fact that the Ice Queen expressed such warmth whenever she was with Jay didn’t sit well with him.

Still, the friendship between the two didn’t bother him – well at least not a lot. But today, seeing their closeness with his own eyes, witnessing how they touched each other rendered him speechless, and listening to them openly speak of their feelings crushed him.

“Why are you going with him again?”

“I’ll be getting myself a dress too since I’m coming to the Charity Gala with him.”

“I’m jealous!”

“Oh, don’t be jealous Jay, you big baby, you know you’re the only one I’ll ever love…”

Remembering Marian’s declaration of love towards another man, Liam’s pain flashed across his face, making him swig the contents of his glass suddenly all in one go. Putting the glass back on the counter, he signaled for the bartender to give him another one and he fished his mobile phone from his pocket as he did. It was very lonely to drink alone and so he called his best friend over. Ken, after all worked in the same company and judging from the time, he was still at the office and could drop by the bar which was only a few blocks away.

“Here’s your glass sir,” the bartender said after a few minutes as he served his drinks and Liam gave a curt nod just as a slim young man came in through the door and slipped on the stool next to him.

“What’s up?” Ken Park asked as he signaled for the waiter to come. “Give me a glass of beer,” he ordered as he turned to his brooding friend. It wasn’t everyday he’d seen Liam drink and with a dark aura surrounding him too that he became curious.

Liam however didn’t speak until Ken got his glass of beer and was drinking. “Kenny…”

“Hmmmn?” Ken prompted as he drank and Liam sighed.

“I think I’m broken hearted,” he suddenly announced taking the other by surprise, and the beer sprayed out of his mouth.

Ken coughed as the liquid went down the wrong pipe. “WHAT?!”

Liam pouted in his direction, his face scowling. “You don’t have to be so shocked,” he said and Ken shook his head.

“No, I wasn’t shocked,” the other choked out as he blinked. “I was…unprepared. Oh, yes, unprepared,” he said twice as if he was convincing himself and they were thoughtful for a while.

“So who’s the lucky one?” Ken asked after a fashion.

It was the first time he’d ever heard Liam talk about this kind of thing that he was more than curious to know about the person.

Liam Kang grew up with everything he wanted handed down to him on a silver platter and most people flocked around him, ready to please him that his friend had developed this dethatched personality from most of the world. Relationships did not interest him and friendship to him was hard earned. Known as being all business, it was interesting to know who had finally awakened his friend’s heart.

“Haven’t you been listening to me? I said I’m broken hearted,” Liam said grumpily as he took a swig on his glass again.

“How come?” Ken asked and Liam sighed wearily as he rested his head on the counter.

“Simple. The one I like is in love with someone else,” he said softly making Ken flinch as he continued to drink his beer.

“That’s just…well, sorry to hear about that man,” Ken said as he gave his friend a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “But, are you sure? Does that one have a lover or married perhaps?” he asked again and Liam shook his head. “Wait! Is this person a girl or a guy?”

“A girl, of course— I’m not gay,” the young president answered grumpily. “And no, she’s not married. The last time I checked she doesn’t have a lover either. Well, at least not yet,” he continued, his eyes clouding with pain remembering how Jay touched Marian’s arm freely like he had the right to.

“Then how can you be so sure she’s ‘in love with someone else’ as you put it?” Ken asked again.

He couldn’t leave the matter alone. This was the first time Liam fell in love and he just couldn’t approve of him to be broken hearted immediately without a fight.

He knew that Liam never had any experience being pugnacious about the matters of the heart and he could be really shy to people he cared about – a far contrast to the very aggressive and confident executive when within the four walls of the boardroom.

“Well, no one would just randomly tell a person ‘you know you’re the only one I’ll ever love’ without actually loving that person right?” Liam replied, his words leaving a bitterer taste in his mouth, much more than the alcohol did.

“Well, you can’t be too sure. Maybe that person’s just really fond of the other perhaps? God knows you can also be so grossly sweet too most especially to Susie,” Ken said referring to his girlfriend who was Liam’s childhood friend.

Susie and Liam had this very close, sibling-like relationship which made them openly say whatever they’re feeling to each other.

“And we all know that your relationship’s purely platonic.”

“But Susie is different. She’s like a little sister to me. It’s sibling love,” Liam said making Ken smile teasingly.

“And this one isn’t? Did you ask the person if she’s in love with someone else, or did you just ȧssume? If it’s the latter, then dude, don’t let it get you down. There’s still a chance you can win her over, right? Besides, nothing’s over until they’re married – hell even marriage isn’t lasting, you can still get her if you want.”

Ken’s words made Liam thoughtful, but his spirit was definitely lifted. “You think so?” he asked hopefully like a child needing ȧssurances.

Ken never thought that Liam could be this cute. He’d have a great time telling Susie about her favorite big brother later when he got home. He and his girlfriend lived together.

“I know so,” Ken answered smilingly. “Go get your girl. Sweep her off her feet. Don’t make her think of anything or anyone else but you,” he added teasingly making his friend smile against his glass. “Valentine’s Day’s coming next week. Go get your woman before then so we can have a double date,” he continued and this time, Liam’s expression filled with warmth and happiness.

Valentine ‘s Day was the day after the Charity Gala. Liam wondered if he could convince Marian to choose him by then. Now however, he was decided. He would try his best to woo his personal ȧssistant with all he’s got. He’d take her away from his secretary’s clutches and make her his lover.

“I will,” he answered, as he thought of how to get the gears going.

“Wait, you still haven’t told me who the lucky girl is,” Ken asked after a while and Liam smiled as the image of his beautiful personal ȧssistant came to his mind.

“You know Marian James? My personal ȧssistant?” he asked and his friend nodded. “That’s her,” he said making Ken speechless.

“The Ice Queen?” Ken asked in disbelief.

He’d been hearing a lot of things about the famous employee. Ice Queen. The reputation of the personal ȧssistant wasn’t earned lightly. It was known that Marian James was the most professional person ever and she’d freeze anyone who’d step beyond the boundaries of a business relationship. Liam Kang, even if he was the company president would be in for a ride.

“Goodluck,” Ken muttered as he finished his beer.