The Stranger Who Became My Boss

Chapter 11 : My Medicine

"Nam."

"Prepare tomorrow's meeting draft."

Mister X finally spoke after the recording ended.

His voice was calm, as though nothing unusual had happened.

"I will, Sir."

He nodded once before leaving the room.

The moment the door closed, Mr. Rian looked at me.

"Nam."

"I want to ask you something."

I already knew where this was going.

"It's about the recording, isn't it?"

He didn't deny it.

"Is it true..."

"That Rico proposed to you too?"

The word too hung heavily between us.

He meant after rejecting him.

"Yes."

I answered briefly while packing the recorder and the meeting materials into my bag.

"And why did you reject him?"

"The same reason I rejected you."

I finally met his eyes.

"I'm not in your league."

I wasn't trying to insult him.

I simply wanted him to understand that the conversation was over.

"So..."

"The other man really exists?"

He still refused to let it go.

"If he didn't..."

I smiled bitterly.

"My life would've been much easier."

"I wouldn't be suffering like this."

"But because he does exist..."

"I can't give my heart to anyone else."

He remained silent for a long moment.

"How long are you going to wait?"

"Does he even know?"

"Why would he leave you waiting for so many years?"

Too many questions.

Too many answers I could never give.

"Sir."

"I should get back to work."

"There are still plenty of things I need to finish."

Without waiting for another question, I left his office.

Mr. Rian was a good man.

Someday...

He deserved a woman who could love him completely.

That woman simply wasn't me.

Back downstairs, Ms. Ida was waiting.

"Wang."

"Come eat."

"Lastri's already in the pantry."

"I'll buy something first."

Unlike the two of them, I rarely brought lunch from home.

A few minutes later, the three of us were eating together upstairs.

"So?"

Lastri looked at me curiously.

"How did the visit to the CEO's house go yesterday?"

"It went well."

"We interviewed him."

"Then they treated us to dinner."

"Mrs. Subagyo even packed food for me to take home."

"Of course she did."

Ms. Ida laughed.

"You were almost her daughter-in-law."

"Oh, stop it."

I rolled my eyes.

"By the way..."

"Yesterday was my first time meeting Mrs. Subagyo."

"I honestly thought she was in her forties."

"She's incredibly beautiful."

Ms. Ida smiled knowingly.

"That's because she's happy."

"Everyone knows Mr. Subagyo adores his wife."

"Out of everyone in that family..."

"He's the most faithful husband."

"He treats her differently."

"There aren't many men like him."

"What about the rest of the family?"

I asked curiously.

Ms. Ida shrugged.

"Most of them are womanizers."

"Some are businessmen."

"Some are politicians."

"Too much money."

"Too much power."

"So they keep chasing women."

I froze.

That meant...

Mister X's father was one of them.

Since Mister X was Mr. Subagyo's nephew...

His father belonged to that family too.

I couldn't imagine growing up in a household like that.

My parents had never been rich.

But they loved each other deeply.

Our home had always been full of laughter.

Maybe...

Love really was more valuable than money.

"Nam."

Ms. Ida waved a hand in front of my face.

"Regretting your decision now?"

"If you'd married Rico..."

"You'd be living like a queen."

If only she knew.

The thought alone made me sick.

I wasn't regretting rejecting Rico.

I was grateful I'd survived him.

"What's everyone talking about?"

A familiar voice interrupted us.

Mister X.

He was standing quietly at the pantry entrance.

How long had he been there?

How much had he heard?

Lastri immediately stood up.

"Sir."

"It's alright."

He smiled politely.

"I just came for some coffee."

"You can continue your lunch."

His tone was gentle.

Almost warm.

I looked at him.

"Sir."

"I can make it for you."

I stood automatically.

Preparing his coffee had become part of my daily routine.

He never looked at me.

Instead...

He simply waved his hand.

No need.

That was all.

He turned toward the coffee machine himself.

I slowly sat back down.

For some reason...

That small gesture hurt.

He spoke gently to Lastri.

To me...

He wouldn't even meet my eyes.

After he left, Lastri frowned.

"I swear..."

"He's way too hard on you."

"I'm starting to get annoyed."

I forced a smile.

"He wasn't always like this."

Lately...

Especially after our counseling session...

He'd smiled more often.

He'd spoken more gently.

But ever since yesterday's recording...

Everything had changed.

"Maybe that's just how bosses are."

I shrugged.

"They naturally have favorites."

"And people they don't like."

"Boss?"

Lastri snorted.

"He's not just a boss."

Ms. Ida laughed softly.

"You girls really don't know?"

Both of us looked at her.

"I handled the shareholder documents."

"So I know exactly who owns this company."

She lowered her voice.

"Mr. Gio owns thirty percent."

Lastri nearly choked on her food.

"What?"

"Mr. Subagyo owns forty."

"Rico owns twenty."

"Mrs. Subagyo owns ten."

"Without Mr. Gio's investment..."

"This company probably wouldn't have survived."

She looked at both of us seriously.

"And the scary part?"

"He didn't come here because he needed a job."

"He came to make sure the money he invested was worth it."

"So be careful around him."

"He's not just another employee."

The words echoed inside my mind.

Thirty percent.

Not just the General Manager.

Not just the CEO's nephew.

He was also the company's second-largest shareholder.

The distance between us...

Suddenly felt even greater than before.

How foolish of me...

To believe someone like him could ever belong in my world.

By seven that evening...

I was still in the HR office.

Payroll had to be finalized before tomorrow's cutoff.

In two days...

Everyone would receive their salaries.

Ms. Ida would upload the payroll file to the bank one day in advance, allowing the salaries to transfer automatically overnight.

I rubbed my temples.

Maybe I was this exhausted because I'd already taken five pills today.

Normally...

My doctor allowed only three.

But since yesterday...

The memories wouldn't stop.

I couldn't control them anymore.

Maybe...

One more pill before going home would help me sleep.

I bent down, opened the bottom drawer, and reached for the bottle.

Just as I twisted the cap—

"Nam."

I nearly screamed.

The bottle slipped from my hand.

Pills scattered across the floor.

Mister X was standing at the entrance to the HR office.

Damn it.

This was exactly why Ms. Ida had once suggested building the office partitions all the way to the ceiling.

I'd refused.

I preferred the lower partitions because I liked seeing who came and went.

It made the office feel open.

Now...

I regretted that decision.

Because from the hallway...

Mister X could see everything.

Including me.

And the pills rolling across the floor.

"I-Is there something you need, Sir?"

I crouched down, hurriedly gathering the pills scattered across the floor before he could see them clearly.

He stepped inside.

"You haven't gone home yet?"

"I'm finishing the payroll report."

I slipped the pills back into the bottle as naturally as I could.

"It'll be done soon."

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead...

His eyes remained fixed on the bottle in my hand.

"What medicine is that?"

My heart skipped.

"It's..."

"My vitamins."

It wasn't entirely a lie.

I couldn't think of anything else to say.

He studied me for a few more seconds.

"You've looked pale all day."

"You barely ate at lunch."

"And you almost fell asleep during the meeting."

His observations startled me.

Had he really been paying that much attention?

"I'm fine, Sir."

"It's probably just fatigue."

He took one slow step closer.

"Show me."

I instinctively hid the bottle behind my back.

"It's really just vitamins."

For a brief moment...

Neither of us spoke.

His eyes searched mine, as if trying to decide whether to believe me.

Finally...

He nodded.

"Alright."

"I'll believe you."

Relief washed over me.

Then he added quietly,

"But if you're lying..."

"I'll find out sooner or later."

I forced a smile.

"I know."

He glanced at the payroll files covering my desk.

"How much longer?"

"About thirty minutes."

"You've been working since this morning."

"You should go home."

"I still have work to finish."

"So do I."

He answered calmly.

"But work can wait."

"Your health can't."

I lowered my gaze.

If only it were that simple.

The problem wasn't work.

The problem was sleeping.

Or rather...

The inability to sleep.

The nightmares.

The panic.

The memories that refused to disappear.

If I went home too early...

I'd only spend more hours fighting them.

"I'll leave after I finish."

He nodded once.

"Lock the office before you go."

"I will."

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the door.

I watched him disappear down the hallway.

Only after he was gone did I let out the breath I'd been holding.

He almost found out.

Nearly forty minutes later, I finally finished the payroll report.

I emailed the draft to Ms. Ida, locked the HR office, and stepped into the quiet corridor.

The entire floor was almost empty.

Most employees had gone home hours ago.

Only a few lights remained on.

As I waited for the elevator...

It opened before I pressed the button.

Mister X stepped out.

He looked mildly surprised to see me.

"I thought you'd already left."

"So did I."

I smiled weakly.

"The report took longer than expected."

He glanced at his watch.

"It's almost eight."

"You still haven't eaten dinner, have you?"

I froze.

How did he know?

"You skipped lunch."

"I saw your lunchbox."

"It was practically untouched."

Right.

He had walked into the pantry earlier.

He must have noticed.

"I wasn't hungry."

"You should eat anyway."

"I'll be alright."

He didn't argue.

Instead, he reached into the paper bag he was carrying and held it out to me.

"Take it."

I looked inside.

A sandwich.

And a carton of milk.

"I bought too much."

"You can have the extra."

I almost laughed.

Too much?

There was only one sandwich.

One drink.

It looked as though he'd bought them specifically for someone.

"I..."

"I can't."

"You can."

"I insist."

When I still hesitated, he quietly placed the bag in my hands.

"No employee should go home hungry."

His voice remained calm.

Professional.

As though this meant nothing.

Perhaps to him...

It really didn't.

But to me...

It felt strangely warm.

"Thank you, Sir."

He nodded toward the elevator.

"Let's go."

We rode down together in silence.

The lobby was almost deserted.

Outside, the night air felt much cooler than before.

"My car's over there."

He pointed toward the parking area.

"Do you need me to drop you off?"

For a second...

I almost said yes.

Then I remembered yesterday.

The rumors.

The recording.

Everything.

"I'll take a taxi."

"It'll be easier."

He studied my face for a moment before nodding.

"As you wish."

He didn't insist.

He simply walked toward his car.

I watched him leave.

Somehow...

Refusing him hurt far more than accepting his kindness ever could.

I tightened my grip on the paper bag.

Inside...

The sandwich was still warm.

Just like the coffee I made for him every morning.

Maybe...

This was his way of returning the favor.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

Still...

For someone who claimed he didn't have favorites...

He remembered far too many little things about me.