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Review responses:
cherry-tree-of-life - I thought that the company building would be a safer (& more populated option) than a bridge, especially since I wanted a lot of people nearby for when Alice goes spit-fire on her rant. For sure, Alice will start taking care of herself more now!
MagicxMusicxMelody - You're right about what usually happens, but since consumers love Alice more than Hydron or Zenoheld, you get the opposite result! You're half-right half-wrong about why Shun's going on a business trip, but unfortunately, I left the ending open, so there's no follow-up on what happens during his return.
CookieDecor22 - Off topic, but I read a meme about how ordering fast food to-go and dining at a park or on the grass by the lake is still a better date idea than eating at the actual fast food restaurant. All this has been a personal matter to Alice. It was just a matter of time she stopped looking the other way as well. Alice needs to restructure the entire company, so a lot of actions have been on impulse.
Asora - Hello! I'm so sorry, but I don't recognize your guest name! (nor do I want to make an inaccurate assumption of whom you are) If you still have access to your old account, then great! If not, then my review box & ask box are always open.
Chapter 15: Close One Door and Open Another
xXx
On her appointment date at the state prison, Alice took a seat on the visitor side of the booth and saw security guards escorting Zenoheld to the chair on the prisoner's side. They both picked up the handsets to begin talking. "Uncle Zenoheld, why do you still want to see me?"
"To tell you that I don't regret anything that I did."
"I'm not surprised that you'd say that and that you have no remorse for what you did. With all due respect, you're the reason Hydron is the way he is now."
"If only Hydron were more astute like you, then he and I would've been the clear winners instead."
"You've been helping him excessively since childhood, to the point that he doesn't know how to make his own decisions as an adult. Your father—also my great-uncle—chose to resign and become a shareholder in the background for his own good. You misinterpreted this as my grandfather purposely excluding your father back then. That's why you desperately wanted to groom Hydron to take everything away from me."
"You've got this all wrong, young lady."
"But you're the one in prison right now. I worked hard to achieve everything I have today because there are still people out there who don't take women in the workforce seriously. That includes you."
"Maybe your parents should've done a better job in convincing Masquerade to stay and inherit the company instead of letting him study and live abroad."
"Which brings me to my next point. Every time you force Hydron into the company without a proper interview, I always put him on probation to make sure he knows his place."
"What is your point?"
"Hydron never wanted any of this to begin with, but you still forced your beliefs onto him. He never disobeyed you out of fear rather than respect for elders. Hydron would never have been as successful as me or Masquerade because he never wanted to be here. Your helicopter parenting ruined him. He was your pawn than your biological son."
"Do you have anything else to say besides this? I requested today's meeting to speak with you, not listen to you berate me."
"Actually, I do. I requested to have you and Hydron held in completely different facilities instead."
"I beg your pardon?! Hydron will not survive behind bars if your petition goes through. How much more heartless can you be when you've already won?"
"But did I really win? Joe and Masquerade will never come back. I want you two separated so you can understand how it feels to not have family around anymore. Additionally, Hydron needs to finally learn to grow up without you nearby and become independent. You can't control him forever." Alice checked her wristwatch for the time. "I'm almost due for my appointment with Hydron. I hope you've retained everything that I just told you since sitting down, because I might never come back to see you again."
The redhead hung up and followed a guard to another booth to see Hydron. The two picked up the handsets to begin talking. "I heard you just came from speaking with my father."
"I did. The first thing he said was that he didn't regret doing any of this. Instead, he blamed you for not being as astute as I am."
"And I blame myself too. I admit that I envied you and Masquerade because my life was never as good as yours."
"But I'll always be a girl. Some people still look down on independent women who can provide for themselves—your father included."
"If only he was more accepting of you, then none of this would've happened."
"Unfortunately, your father was blinded by his ambitions that he later forced upon you the moment you learned to speak out loud. You had the potential to become successful if Uncle Zenoheld wasn't criticizing your every move. You envied me and Masquerade because our parents let us choose what we wanted to do. You didn't have that kind of freedom or autonomy."
"Did you play that audio recording at my inauguration to discredit me in front of everyone?"
"I admit to that because you're undeniably responsible for Joe's death and need to face the consequences. You envied him because he achieved so much more despite coming from a less fortunate background. I genuinely think you deserve a second chance without your father's interference, but since you couldn't even control yourself on the night you accidentally pushed Joe down the stairs, I take my suggestion back."
"How angry are you right now?"
"I was very angry when I discovered that recording on Joe's old music player. Right now, I'm just relieved that you and Uncle Zenoheld are finally held responsible for everything that you did."
"You must be mad at Katie as well."
"I knew what her intentions were from the beginning. A few days before you tried to jump from the roof, she approached me at a restaurant with evidence of almost every single crime that you and Uncle Zenoheld committed. I turned her down because I wanted the police to conduct a fair and thorough investigation. Then she called the police and turned herself in with all that evidence."
"You must be grateful that she came at the right time. She's in her situation today because of me."
"Even though she grew conscience in the end, I'll never forget the damage that was done. Did I tell you that I requested you and Uncle Zenoheld to be held in different facilities instead?"
"What's your reason?"
"You need to learn how to live life away from him for once. It's unfortunate that this lesson has to take place in an incarcerated setting."
After a long silence, Hydron put the handset down and began wiping his face. "I'm sorry, Alice."
"Isn't it too late to apologize now?"
"I really mean it. You were right about me and my father. I was so afraid of letting him down that I did everything he ordered. I completely forgot who I was in the process."
"Maybe this is the time to turn your life around."
"Not when I'm charged with involuntary manslaughter!"
"Since you found the dignity to apologize to me after so many years, then I'm sure you'll find a way to start over." Alice checked her wristwatch again. "Sorry, but I need to go back to work."
"You didn't take the whole day off?"
"Not when I still need to clean up your mess. Don't worry about the company, Hydron. Take care of yourself for once. I told Uncle Zenoheld that I'd never visit him, but if you need something extremely urgently from me, then I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks for always being your resilient self, Alice."
"Thanks for finally listening to someone other than your father, Hydron."
After the redhead signed out of the visitor log with the security guards, she returned to her car and saw several unread messages from Shun. She called him back while on speakerphone and left the premises. "Alice, you finally answered. How did your visit go?"
The returning CEO provided a concise summary. "Do you think I was too harsh?"
"I once asked you a long time ago if you thought the way you treated Hydron was harsh. Now you're asking me?"
"That was before they committed all those felonies."
The raven-haired receptionist chuckled before replying, "Even if you ask me, I know you only want me to say what you want to hear, so here goes. Everything you told them was valid, but you could've been more concise and saved yourself a lot of time. It also sounded like you really wanted Hydron to start over."
"He's still young. I don't want this to permanently hold him back. Either way, I'm done being discontented. I can't wait for the upcoming press conference that you emailed about."
"Actually, it's just a live interview with Jenny from JJ Radio Station, but she'll be coming here. All the details are in the email I sent. Are you sure you're up for this?"
"What's your concern?"
"You probably haven't looked at the list of questions yet because you were busy all morning. All the questions seem harmless on their own, but there's a possibility that Jenny might ask you about personal family matters off-script."
Alice stopped in front of a red light and sighed. "I'm prepared for that. I'm done making excuses for Hydron's mistakes. Maybe this interview will be an inspiration to other people out there. How's planning for the business trip coming?"
"What exactly am I supposed to prepare other than a suitcase and important everyday items?"
"I'll give you more details later. I'm going to buy some pastries before I come back to the building."
"Fine... Drive safely."
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Who knew that the dining hall would be the best place to livestream a one-on-one interview?" Dan wondered as he pushed the dining tables to the walls. "Let's convert this into a cooking show instead!"
Runo rolled her eyes while pushing individual chairs and display stands closer to the outside-facing windows. "All you care about is food."
"If you want Alice to have a successful interview, then you need to treat her interviewer with comfort food."
"Now you're just blurting your thoughts out loud."
A few minutes later, Alice arrived with her work laptop in her hands. "Wow... You all rearranged the furniture so well that this doesn't even look like the dining hall—"
"The reporter's here!" Baron pointed to a tall, burgundy-haired woman walking in the hallway with Shun. "Good luck, Alice!"
After everyone stepped outside, the interviewer introduced herself to the returning CEO. "I'm Jenny Fahlenbock from JJ Radio Station. You must be Alice Gehabich. My camera staff and I can't wait to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, Jenny."
Everyone else stood in the hallway and looked inside. "That reporter sure asked a lot of detailed questions already," Chris noted. "I listen to JJ Radio Station frequently but have never seen Jenny in person."
"It might be even more intimidating if Jenny's co-host Jewels were also here," Shun replied. "But Jewels probably had to stay at the radio station."
As the interview progressed, one of Jenny's thought-provoking questions was, "Is it true that your recent product sales exceeded expectations because you reprised your role as CEO?"
"Not necessarily. Part of the reason for rebound in sales is because consumers regained their trust in Testarossa Electronics again after my return."
"Speaking of trust, how did you manage to keep the company from falling further apart despite all the recent turmoil?"
"It wasn't easy. You must've heard about the major job shuffle. That had an extremely negative impact on employee morale. Even while on leave, I used that time to visit my employees at their new work locations. In the end, trust is the most crucial factor that can make or break the company. A long time ago, I made a promise to everyone that I would be a better leader in this company. I've always kept my word for as long as I was in a position of authority."
"As a result of this experience, what measures will you take in the future to improve Testarossa Electronics?"
"Back then, there were many talented individuals eager for the opportunity to intern or work at Testarossa Electronics. To fit in with the team, you need to be kind instead of just nice and be self-sufficient. No matter how much outside help you can obtain from others, your future is only in your hands. I need every one of my employees to be on the same page for the company to achieve greater heights."
The interview ended after a few more questions, and Shun escorted Jenny out of the building. Alice returned to her team while fanning herself. "I felt like the interview went completely off-script."
"At least your answers were thorough enough to justify your actions," Chris reassured. "If you're done, then the rest of us need to restore the dining hall."
"I actually made today a half day for every employee, regardless of their work location. You'll still get paid even if you clock out now, and you'll get paid extra if you work the whole day. The choice is yours, but the main building is closed to the public as of now."
"All because of today's interview? That's super nice of you!" Dan commented. "I'll skip lunch and stay another hour before going home."
After cleaning up her emails for a few more minutes, Alice left the company building and drove to a local funeral home's cemetery. She ascended the stone path until she reached her destination. I haven't been visiting as often as I should.
"I knew you'd come here."
The redhead turned around and saw Shun approaching from a few meters behind her. "What are you also doing here?"
"You've been saying you wanted to visit your late family for a long time, and I just couldn't figure out why you made today a half-day for everyone." He finally caught up and stared at the white chrysanthemums that the redhead arranged in front of Doctor Michael's grave. "We suddenly have so much free time on our hands."
"Not for long, though."
"Since your brother moved his entire life overseas, why did you host the funeral and bury him here? Most of the funeral guests didn't know him personally."
"His will actually said that he wanted to be buried with family in Bayview. Gunz held a memorial service locally on my behalf. Buried across different locations in this cemetery are my parents, my paternal grandparents, Joe, and now Masquerade."
"That's scary."
"Is there anything scarier than losing your loved ones when you're still young?"
"Good point..."
"I may be in charge of Testarossa Electronics again, but it's not the same as picking up where Grandfather left off when he retired."
"That's because there was a huge, unexpected mess in between. You'll get through it." Shun then followed Alice as she walked to her brother's grave. "Before he left, Masquerade told me to never let you down for as long as I continue to work here."
"What an odd thing to say to a receptionist."
"Maybe he was scared that I'd quit within less than a year or something. I still don't understand why Hydron kept me at the front desk instead of replacing me. You wouldn't be back in power so quickly if I were reassigned. But if I'm no longer your receptionist in the near future, you can still tell future employees about the 'curse' of the front desk."
"The funny thing is that before we left my house that morning, Masquerade told me to keep my options open."
"What did he mean by that?"
"You actually remind me a lot of Joe. The public perceives the technology sector as a place where everyone's brought in by someone else from the same background. You already know my family history, the company structure, and how I managed to bring many of my college classmates here. Joe stood out to me because he didn't come from a well-off background. His father became a single parent after his mother died and didn't attend college himself, and their family income was significantly below the poverty line. Joe paid for his college education partially with scholarships and work-study, but mostly with student loans. I never looked down on him, but I told him that if he wanted to succeed, then he needed confidence in himself. His upbringing should be a source of inspiration rather than an obstacle."
"He's still more fortunate than I ever was. I won't say anything more than what my grandfather already told you. But what was Joe's position again? He definitely wasn't a receptionist."
"Joe was the team lead for the company website. He made sure all the URLs, drop-down menus, pop-up windows, and other designs displayed properly online."
"You have a whole team working eight hours daily for just that?"
"The website also featured new articles and other press releases from the other departments. The website team is also responsible for making sure all links are valid and safe. You never know when someone might hack in and plant viruses or false information. Anyway, you're lucky to be alive. If Hydron approached you like how he approached Joe for any reason—"
"It sounded like Joe tried to talk reason into Hydron, but that obviously didn't work out. I wonder if I'm still alive because I was taught to expect the worst outcomes from any situation."
"Or that I should never be surprised about anything that comes my way based on prior experience." Alice placed white carnations for her brother before walking over to Joe's grave. "Grief is a strange thing. Everyone will feel it eventually, yet its inevitability doesn't bring with it any ease of mind."
"It can stay for as long as it needs to, but as long as you don't let it hold your life back, then living with grief will be a much easier process."
"Maybe that's why Masquerade told me to keep my options open..."
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Alice, your phone has been ringing for the past ten minutes in the kitchen!"
The redhead ran downstairs immediately after hearing Chris yelling. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" She unlocked her phone and saw no missed calls but one overdue alarm. "I completely forgot that Shun's flight is today!"
"You're the one that booked his departure ticket for Saturday!"
"Because he asked for an extra day or two to settle in the rental house before going to MGL Semiconductors on Monday."
The amethyst-eyed blonde crossed her arms as she watched her older cousin prepare to leave the house. "When was the last time that you treated the rest of us so generously? Why did you specifically pick Shun to visit Masquerade's company? You know Soon will ask you for another bonus for covering the front desk!"
"I'll make sure he brings plenty of souvenirs back for all of us. Masquerade told Gunz about how resourceful Shun is as a receptionist, and Gunz seemed eager to learn more until that fatal traffic collision."
"Are you sure this isn't an attempt at corporate espionage?"
"Where did you get that idea from? All of you deserve better after the mess we went through. I'm still calculating retention bonuses for everyone. I can still approve time off for you if you send your request in advance. Shun doesn't qualify for the retention bonus, which is another reason why I sent him on the business trip instead."
"Speaking of business trips, are you still going to the airport?"
"Chris, you distracted me!" Alice switched her house slippers for a pair of flats. "You can stay or go home, but if you leave, then lock every door behind you!"
"Tell him I said bye!"
After driving safely but hastily to the airport, the redhead arrived at the international check-in entrance and wandered around to read all the airport flight log boards. What was I thinking when I approved all those last-minute changes to his itinerary? She called Shun's phone, but it went to voicemail. Did he board the plane already?
"Alice, what are you doing here?" The raven-haired receptionist walked over from another line with a small rolling suitcase. "I said I'd message you later once I landed."
"I know, but I still wanted to send you off properly before you board the plane. Have you checked in yet? How much did you bring?"
"Not much. Just some essential items into this small suitcase as a carry-on. Since you're here, I do want to ask you a hypothetical question."
"Related to work?"
"What would you do if I actually resigned? And if you're wondering why I'd leave, then I'd say I want to broaden my horizons."
Alice tilted her head as she formulated her response. "Let me say something else first. I absolutely dislike referring to my workplace as a family because employee departures are inevitable. If you do leave in the future, then I'm more than happy to be a reference for your new workplace as long as I'm still here."
"Have you been planning this answer for a long time?"
"Not really... It's a generic response that I've memorized, but I never thought I needed to say it until now. I'll always support you no matter where you go. I didn't give you much of a choice back when I asked you to be the new building receptionist, so I'm giving back your freedom to choose your future."
"Aren't you curious as to why I'd even ask?"
"Are you afraid that there will be another Hydron and Uncle Zenoheld in the immediate future?"
Shun shook his head silently. "I wanted to see how you'd react if I said that I wanted to improve myself so that I could come back for you."
The redhead blinked in confusion before answering, "Are you serious?"
"I may not be one of your college classmates, but I wouldn't be here if not for you. Working as your receptionist these past few months taught me many valuable life lessons, but most importantly—good things will always happen to good people. It just takes time."
"You'll be back before we know it, especially if you also want me to keep my options open."
"I know, but until then..." He stepped forward and hugged Alice tightly. "Either you'll hear from me every minute because I have no idea what I'm doing, or you won't hear from me in real time because of the time differences. My grandfather keeps asking you to visit, but I told him you were busy."
"I can bring some food over while you're away. He's probably not used to being away from you for a long time, either. Anyway, you'd better get your suitcase X-rayed by TSA. Please leave a good impression on Gunz so that everything will go smoothly when it's my turn to travel there." From her coat pocket, she took out a small box carrying a familiar piece of jewelry. "Is it too late for you to pack this?"
"Don't worry. I'll be professional as always." The raven-haired receptionist extended his hand to touch the piece of jewelry, but he quickly retracted. "I won't be gone indefinitely. Keep it in a safe place, and take care of yourself while I'm away."
"I will. Everything will be in much better condition by the time you return!"
After Shun got in line for the TSA scanners, Alice left the airport and returned home. Even though the business trip was only two weeks long, they already began planning in their minds what to do upon completion.
...
~FIN~
That's a wrap! I still can't believe I finished this story in a little bit less than 2 years. Thank you to everyone who read/viewed & also reviewed! I won't say much here—saving all my energy typing for the notes on my other chapter updates. Will I publish a new story in 2025? Probably yes, but maybe not more than one—still thinking about it. Thank you for spending 2024 with me, & I wish you all a great start to 2025!