IN DEEP TROUBLE

"The Editor in charge of your team hasn't what?!",

Emma's boss questioned in sheer perplexity and stared hard in astonishment at the employee tasked with the responsibility of revising the already edited script meant to be given to the Film director whom he knew would go mad with an uncontrollable anger right there in the presence of every important shareholders of the company inside the board hall if he didn't get his processed manuscripts in his hands in a matter of minutes during the board meeting as requested by the other board members including the owner of the document whose grimace was highly menacing to the General Manager as well as Kelly who felt the bigger weight of the Film Director's glare upon his shuddering body and his trembling soul within him.

Kelly had developed a cold feet the moment he stepped into the office of the board meeting where unfriendly eyes from each board member greeting him the very first time they sighted him opening the door of the office and peered deeply at his quaking footsteps as he walked along with careful struggle towards the man presiding the affairs of the meeting who seated facing the film director at the opposite end of the lengthy table made of expensive steel beside the colossal window. Anxiousness and trepidation be clouded Kelly's countenance as he managed to put up with the tumultuous tension inside of him before he got closer to his destination without uttering any word. He fidgeted when dropping another incomplete edition of the revised manuscript in a brown file on the the desk that was corrected the other day even after the film director had pointed out some errors in the former edition which Kelly had erroneously done without noticing his mistakes but he kept his cool while watching the General Manager flipping the papers of the document in front of him whose metallic name tag stuck on the left pocket of his silvery suit had his name scribbled on it 'Johnny James Smith' scribbled on it in Cambria fonts and straightened his identity card dangling loosely around his neck, beneath the white collar of his natty white long-sleeved shirt covered by an unbuttoned black coat that ended below his waistline as well as his belt that fitted his black trousers to his waist. To his greatest dismay, the General Manager found a whole part of the revised script repeated twice instead of once which would have caused a whole lot of confusion if the manuscript were to fall in the rightful hands of the baldheaded film director who was waiting eagerly to see the corrected script which was supposed to be used to Kickstart the long awaited project that was would have been ongoing by now if not for the delayed scripts that was still yet to fall into the hands of the director and his team members who would helped him assign the roles of the character to the actors according to the script. From the look on Manager Johnny's face, Kelly could tell that something was wrong with the document which he had submitted without Emma's permission though he was forced to comply with the persuasive demand of the board members especially the film director who had unexpectedly coaxed the other members in requesting that his script for the upcoming show be given a privilege to be previewed by the board members themselves just before the board meeting was to be adjourned. Johnny's face read total dissatisfaction with what was compiled in the reviewed document despite the proper arrangement of the lines of each character corresponding to each of the scenes in the files while the other members including the film director were growing impatient with his silence and his reluctant to let them know about the text he was reading.

"Is there something wrong, Manager James?",

The question that got everyone else except the man reading the document curious to know what was happening right in front of them, apprehensively came from a lady with a dark skin complexion sitting close to CEO on his right, dressed in a blue suit and black skirt but the CEO didn't answer. He only sniffed a little bit of anger out of his lungs and returned his head from the desk to Kelly who wasn't sure whether or not to hide himself or burrow himself underneath the table from the scornful look of the CEO and just stood there moping after realizing that something was indeed wrong with the document. The frightened fellow thought that the CEO would unleash his wrath upon him once he perceived the temper flaring up in the heart of the man in front of him whom he didn't dare confront at any point but he only heard a question from Manager James which somehow eased the tension inside of him.

"Who the hell did this?!",

"Uh.... I did with... Editor Emma's permission sir",

Kelly stuttered shivering within and adjusted his eye lens that stuck to his face on top of his narrow nose.

"I can see that you really aren't competent by the look of this piece of trash you call a official reviewed script",

"I'm sorry, Sir. I...",

"Don't you dare say a word to me or else you'll face the consequences instead of the Editor in charge of your team",

Manager James warned fixing his gaze more intently on the scared fellow than ever. Having seen what was going on in front of him as well as the board members who was quite surprised at the CEO outbursts though four out of the seven members did not show any sign of being stunned at all, The film director coughed a little and cleared his throat before interrupting their conversation.

"Manager James, It seems to me that you are having trouble getting your staff workers making this project a reality according to the your other side of the deal between us",

"Don't get the wrong impression about this, Mr. Scott. A minor error isn't a big deal for the project not to continue and should not be a cause to hinder our objective for the rest of the year",

"But from the looks of things for the past two days, I sincerely doubt that this contract will push through as planned",

"You got everything wrong here",

James said in his defense but Scott prepared himself for his offense and sat upright on the chair with his finger crossed on the desk.

"Not I, James but you do misunderstand what's going on. Frankly speaking, the board postponed the day for the project to take place to today due to the reviewed script not ready yet though I was very much upset about it and I didn't say anything because I hoped things would be better eventually but that's not the case",

"The manuscript itself was kind of hard to review. I checked out the raw file before sending it to Editor Emma",

"You sure the problem was the manuscript or someone else's incompetence?",

"I have no idea",

"Then let the Editor in charge come in here and clear our doubts otherwise, I'll be forced to withdraw my contract",

"You mustn't trouble yourself to listen to whatever she has to say about it. I gave her the document and I'll see to it that she bears the responsibility for her poor efforts",

James replied looking unshaken by Scott's threat but Scott haven't finished talking yet for he wasn't ready to let the sleeping dogs lie.

"Fine. We'll have it your way but you must do it in front of the board right now and have her salary at the end of the month withdrawn as penalty for the unnecessary delay",

Scott said caressing his necktie with his fingers.

"I can't believe this is happening",

One of the spectators said looking quite shocked at the incident unfolding in front of their eyes.

"But Scott's right. Emma has to be present here to defend what she and team did with that manuscript",

Another commented.

"I think so, too. By the way, Where's she, Kelly, right?",

Another guy whose beard almost covered his lips, inquired arresting all the attention of the board members on Kelly.

"Yes, sir..... That's my name and as for Emma...",

He paused and took a while to savor the eagerness in the eyes of his listeners waiting anxiously to hear him tell them why Emma wasn't presenting the report to the CEO instead of him giving the boss himself. A minute elapsed before someone from the board spoke out which brought his dazed mind back to the present.

"For God's sake, say something out of your darn mouth",

"Oh! Sorry about that. I really didn't mean for my mind to.... get lost in thinking",

"Who cares about your lowly apologies? Just go ahead and tell us what you know",

"Alright, sir. I really don't know... how to say this and I believe everyone will be upset by what I'm going to say but I'll say the truth..... ",

Kelly replied swallowing hard another lump of saliva down his dry thin throat before continuing his speech.

"Editor Emma..... hasn't turned up for work since... this morning. Even before the rain started and ended not long ago",

He finally concluded looking at the bewildered face of the CEO and the rest of the board members except for the film director who chuckled profoundly in a way that infuriated the CEO who was the first to wake up from the trance that has dawn upon the countenance of everyone in the board room.

"The Editor in charge of your team hasn't what?!",

James thundered in furious anger and felt the sudden flush of embarrassment staring hard at him.

"She did not come to the office today at her usual time in resuming for work like she always do in the morning and wasn't there in her office by the time I wanted to submitted the document to her for her to check properly if there were any further errors iin the script prior to the board meeting",

"So, outrageous and disloyal to our official rules in the company",

"And you did not bother to report her unexpected absence to me before giving me this nonsensical piece of trash you call a reviewed script",

"I sincerely apologize for not informing you sooner but I didn't want to be the snitch that got her in trouble",

"Well, she's already in trouble as far as I am concerned and having defaults in her work, She will be temporarily relieved from her duties for some months after she gives us a lucid explanation for her failure to provide a perfectly done reviewed document as proposed by Mr. Scott",

Kelly looked with disdain at the Film director with one corner of his but he was careful to hid his face away from eyes of Mr. Scott.

"I understand what you mean, sir. I'll do well to inform her about your orders once she resume work tomorrow"

He answered rubbing the edge of his lens and dug his left fingers into his straight ringlets of her fawn furry hair.

"Okay, take this Goddamn file back to wherever it came from and notify me once you see her coming into the company",

The CEO ordered giving back the file to Kelly who received them in obedience and walked out of the midst of the board to the door from whence he had come in.