Nepotism? (If only Cheq could know)

"Phew, it was a tiring day."

"Time to leave!"

Just when I packed my bags, the door to my office room swung open.

'Oh Gosh! Why are you here?'

Looking at the unexpected visitor my heart tightened.

'Miss President, I don't want any rumours to fly around…..lemme be a small fly?'

My mind was desperately screaming.

Catherine stood at the door, her eyes seemed aggrieved because of something.

"Let's leave? We live in the same building so why not give you a ride home?"

Catherine spoke like it was a casual thing.

Looking at me standing motionless, Catherine felt something was amiss.

"What happened? I have seen many co-workers who live closer to each other, leave together! What's wrong with it?"

'No, no miss, it's wrong!'

'It's completely wrong! How can a man and woman leave together so casually unless they are dating?'

'System, help me, please! Oh, my dear Almighty System?'

I pessimistically tried calling the only helper I could think of.

But out of the blue, I suddenly heard System's reply, I suddenly was full of expectations.

{Shut up Host! The system is giving you an opportunity! A chance countless broken souls like you are dying to get! Please keep working hard!}

Dashing cold water over my anticipation, the system once again went offline. 

'Chance? What broken chance? A chance to obtain a rich woman's ####? Nah, such things only happen in books and movies. In reality, the barrier of class difference never allows such things.

Trying to calm my agitated mind, I steadily regained my composure.

"Ma'am, I think it won't be good for your image to travel with a low-class worker like me!"

I tried to refuse as humbly as possible.

"Cheq, even in the morning I said if there's anyone who dares to spread rumours about me then they will face my wrath!"

"Or perhaps you don't want to go back with me, just say it directly."

Her face was devoid of any emotion almost giving the feeling she was talking casually.

Sure,

But as soon as I was about to refuse, I heard her chilly voice in my head.

[Huhhh? This young lady has lowered her status and is asking a small fry like you to go together and instead of being happy you show this tangled face?]

[Very good Cheq, I was wrong about you. When you asked me to come together this morning, I thought you needed a ride back, otherwise, Why would I have asked you?]

[Such a stingy guy! Probably he just might have been acting before to be a good guy! It seems I was fooled!]

 Looking at Catherine, who snorted after her inner monologue, my heart almost skipped a beat.

Nooo~

If I lose this job, where can I find such a place to keep fishing?

With a newfound motivation, I quickly closed the gap.

"Okay, Miss since you aren't afraid of rumours, Why, as a man, am I scared of them?"

Let's leave.

I decisively left and started heading towards the company garage where Catherine's sports car was parked.

Witnessing Cheq's decisive action, a small smile unknowingly bloomed across Catherine's previously arched lips as she too, followed his lead.

Walking forward with the boss of the company following behind me, I could feel the stagnant gaze of almost all the employees as we made our way downstairs.

Damm~

The thing I feared most still happened!

Now we can only grit our teeth and clench our fists as I keep marching forward.

Although it was closing time, many workers still hadn't left…..

I hope, as the head of the company, Catherine's prestige in the company is enough to automatically shut all these employees gossipy mouths.

What Cheq failed to notice was a little victorious smile that appeared on Catherine's face while following him, but this little change in her expression was quickly caught on by all the employees who had been attentively watching the pair leave together, still in utter disbelief!

...…..

It was only after Cheq and Catherine left through the main door that the previous eerie silence was broken. 

Everyone broke into a commotion, the President known for her cold face was actually smiling while following a nobody?

Shock! Disbelief! Amusement! Jealousy! Expectations!....so many feelings instantly enveloped the gathered crowd.

It was Mandy, the old woman Cheq hated the most, who took the lead in breaking the ongoing discussions.

"Guys, see?"

"Everyone must have seen it, how happy our usually cold President was while she was smiling, right?"

"That's why I have been saying since the morning that Miss Catherine is secretly seduced by this little white face!"

In a loud voice, Mandy was the first to fly flames.

"The second our boss asked me to gather all information regarding Cheq, who is just amongst the lowest level workers in our company, my instinct already screamed something was wrong, now it's confirmed...they should already be dating, who knows?"

Like an old lady dying for gossip, Mandy started mixing the truth with her one-sided comprehension.

"Maybe that's why our boss has always refused whenever I bring up the topic to lay off unnecessarily people like Cheq to save the company's cutting costs."

 Mandy almost single-handedly influenced everyone's opinion.

"Right!"

"Yes, Secretary Mandy, you are correct!"

One by one, all the gathered employees started chiming in with her opinion.

If Cheq was here, he would have been so angry that he may have punched this old woman directly.

The foremost reason he joined this medium-sized company was to stay low-key in the first place. 

"That's why, even if he is the lowest level employee, we should try to curry favour with Cheq and never anger him."

"As long as we can have a good relationship with him, we can indirectly maintain a good relationship with our boss, Catherine."

"You guys must know about the term NEPOTISM, right...….."

Like some experienced women, Mandy started narrating her profound teachings to the earnestly listening audience.