Allen Lopez's Discovery of Love

Love was a foreign concept to Allen Lopez. He neither received it nor sent it, even as a small child. It's absence in their household made him weary of love. Besides, the constricting expectations of his parents threatened to drown him. Every move, every step, every accomplishment, every failure, everything was printed on his back in big and bold letters. He got placed under a magnifying glass for everyone to scrutinize. The pain and the anxiety distracted him.

But funny how love works sometimes.

In the case of the burdened heir of Lopez Co., it arrived in the form of a newly graduated secretary. Whom just made a costly mistake.

"Even an uneducated infant would not make such an error," Allen exclaimed, furious at his secretary. "You do not put such high numbers in a business case for an exploratory project. This sets high expectations not only for the both of us, but also for the team. When I asked you to get this done and approved, I did not mean to create such impossible figures just to get it done."

He glared at his secretary who stared at his feet and bit his lower lip. Allen's shoulder sagged. This was getting nowhere. He took a calming breath as he expected another headache to arrive soon. He was just about to let his secretary go when the young man flashed a small smile and offered an apology.

"I recognize my mistake," he replied, bowing his head for a moment before smiling again. "Thank you. I should've known better not to create such burdensome expectations for a fledging project. I apologize again. Should you not need anything else from me, I'll let myself out."

After a beat, he took Allen's silence as a response and left Allen's office. The doors shut and he was left alone. He sighed and tapped his fingers on a pad of sticky notes. He glanced through the glass pane beside his door. He could only see the bookshelf that separated his secretary and the team.

He went out, ignored the vacant seat of his secretary, and waited in front of the executive elevator. But the elevator had been stuck on the 6th floor for some time now. He was getting impatient, only to realize he forgot his sticky notes. He had intended to retrieve it but stopped short on the threshold of their office main entrance.

Secretary Andrew's muffled sobs reached Allen's ears. "I'm so useless," he cried out between sniffles. "I know I'm not suited for the job, but I didn't expect to make such a mistake." He sniffled again and blew out his nose. "Maybe everybody's right, and I shouldn't be here. I mean look at me compared to all of you. I'm not even improving!"

That was not true, Allen wanted to say but could not. Secretary Andrew had already vastly improved compared to his first day.

"That's not true at all," Sonna's cheerful voice enveloped Andrew's sniffles. "You couldn't even add numbers on a spreadsheet before and now you're doing the boss' business cases. That's a big deal. And forget that grumpy tyrant for looking down on you."

It was not Allen's intention to belittle him. He was just... He let out a heavy sigh. He expects his team to be as competent as him. His secretary should grow exponentially if he wants to stay by his side. And never be questioned why a person without the right academic credential was hired. It was this exact trait that made him...Secretary Andrew.

Allen turned around and left for a meeting. Expecting that when he returned, he had already lost another secretary. He would not be the first secretary to storm out of his office and quit. He did not care about them. But the thought secretary Andrew leaving made him, well, bothered.

But when he returned he found his team celebrating Secretary Andrew's 1st year anniversary in Lopez Co. With his secretary surrounded by their teammates. He immediately made himself noticeable and headed toward his secretary, much to their astonishment.

"Congratulations," he said, after a pause. He noticed that Secretary Andrew was back to himself, but he could not cover the redness of his eyes. Also, there was something with that ill-fitting suit that ticked Allen off. It makes him smaller than he really is.

"Oh, Sir Allen and Andrew. Let's take a picture of both of you." Sonna angled her digital camera at the pair. Secretary Andrew inched closer to him and smiled.

He should start keeping an eye out for his secretary to avoid losing another one. Maybe Allen should raise Secretary Andrew's salary so he can afford to purchase a new attire?

"One...Two...Three, smile!"

Allen did not smile.

But he took it upon himself to figure out how to encourage his secretary. His voice failed him, and failure was not in his vocabulary. So, he had to figure out another way.

Deep in thought, he tapped his finger on his desk and felt the smooth surface of his forgotten sticky pad. Then it him. He swiped the pen from his coat pocket and wrote down Excellent job! in smooth cursive on the sticky note. He stared at it for a moment before he crushed the note into a ball and threw it into the bin.

He realized that his secretary might not appreciate it if he knew Allen wrote it. Best be anonymous, he thought. So, he wrote it again but this time using his left hand. The result was dreadful but legible. He sneaked past his doors, posted it on Secretary Andrew's desk, and went back to his office.

A thrilling rush coursed through his vein as he waited with bated breath. He kept walking past the glass pane. Eager to catch the recipient's reaction, but he hasn't returned yet. The nerve of this man. He decided to go back to his desk. But his foot tapped rapidly. He glanced towards his door and his legs itched to walk past the glass pane again.

Then something clicked. He stood up and braced himself. He pushed his heavy oak desk a few inches to the right. Satisfied, he sat back again and looked straight ahead. Through the glass pane, he saw Secretary Andrew—exactly framed by the window—return to his desk. He scrunched his face when he noticed the note. After his eyes scanned its short content, the biggest smile appeared on his lips. He looked up and Allen immediately glared at the documents in front of him.