I couldn't help but smile widely at the result of our efforts throughout the afternoon. I could see it reflected in the eyes of my colleagues as well—they seemed to like what we had accomplished. There were at least 150 employees here tonight, and it was clear that a lot of preparation had gone into this event. Their elegant attire spoke for itself. We wanted to feel that, amidst all the work we put into this company, we could still enjoy ourselves—even if only occasionally.
Even though we came from different teams, everyone mingled, making an effort to get to know each other better. After all, we all worked for the same company. I also noticed some important figures here, and it was nice to see them interacting with the employees. It felt... good.
"Good job."
I turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. Francis was there, dressed in office attire, holding a glass of wine in his left hand. He approached me with a smile. Why did he look so handsome tonight? Shit.
"You look gorgeous," he said as he came closer, his gaze sweeping over me. My outfit tonight was simple—an above-the-knee, off-shoulder white dress. My cousin had made sure my makeup matched the dress, she said, to make me look even more beautiful. Looking in the mirror earlier, I thought it had worked.
I bowed my head slightly, unable to stop my cheeks from turning pink. "Thanks," I murmured. He stood beside me and surveyed the surroundings.
"Beautiful. I like it," he commented, making me smile.
"You mean the venue?" I asked.
"I mean you," he replied, stopping me in my tracks. He was looking at me without blinking. I quickly looked away.
"Excuse me, ha? I just need Gianna for a bit, sir." Suddenly, my cousin appeared. Before Francis could respond, she had already tugged me along. I had no idea where she was taking me—turns out it was just to the bathroom.
"You're just going to pee, and you want me to come too?" I asked irritably. She let go of me and grabbed something from her bag.
"Not at all, silly. We're fixing your makeup. Come here."
I followed her. She opened a makeup kit and began adding a few finishing touches to my face.
"You know, as a woman, you really don't know how to carry a dress," she remarked after applying my lipstick.
"Why? It's fine, isn't it?" I faced the mirror. What was she talking about?
"What do you mean fine? You were strutting around like a diva earlier," she said. I looked down at my high heels.
"They hurt my feet," I admitted.
"And fix your hair too! You messed it up again. I just did it earlier!" she complained, making me laugh.
"Sorry," I said, laughing again.
"Okay, I'm leaving now," she said, putting the items back in her bag.
"Wait… wait for me," I called out, but she had already stepped out the door.
I let out a deep breath and faced the mirror, adjusting my dress slightly before I was about to leave. That's when I heard a voice from one of the cubicles.
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
I walked slowly, trying to listen carefully.
"Hello? If there's anyone out there, I need your help here," the voice called again.
The urgency in their tone made me nervous, so I entered the cubicle. It was small but big enough for two people.
Inside, I was greeted by an exceptionally beautiful woman. I froze for a moment—she looked like an American, yet she was speaking Tagalog.
"Hey? Hey!" she called, snapping me back to reality.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Suddenly, she turned to face me. "I need your help. Can you… umm…" She pointed at the zipper of her red dress, which had a long back zipper she couldn't reach. I helped her zip it up.
After that, she adjusted her posture and even left before I could.
When I came out, I saw her fixing her makeup in front of a mirror. She was stunning—truly American-looking—but I'd never seen her at this event before. Maybe she was a visitor.
"Oh my god. I'm not gaining weight, right?" she complained, surprised when she saw me.
"Is anyone else here?" she asked dramatically.
"A-ah…" I didn't know what to say.
She set her small bag down. "Anyway, thank you for helping me. What's your name?"
"Gianna," I replied.
"Thank you, Gianna. By the way, you look pretty… well, not as pretty as me, but yeah, you look pretty. I have to go, bye!" she said, leaving me dumbfounded. Wait… what?
I decided to return to the venue, and just as I arrived, Ms. Akeshia came in with her fiancé, Sir Asher.
"Did you organize this, Gianna?" Ms. Akeshia asked.
"We worked together," I answered.
"Wow. I love it," she added. I couldn't help but feel happy.
"Thank you," I said.
She surprised me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "What are you doing? I'm not that old for you to say 'po,' right? Just call me Akeshia," she smiled.
"But—"
She cut me off before I could reply.
"Of course she has to say 'po.' She knows her place. Right, Gianna?"
Suddenly, Rachelle appeared. Whenever I saw her, I felt my blood boil.
"Rachelle, please," Ms. Akeshia said, and Rachelle only smirked.
"Did I say something wrong? Come on, guys!" she exclaimed to the group. When she realized no one reacted, she rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Fine. Whatever!"
We stopped talking when we heard a voice in the middle of the room. I smiled when I saw it was Francis.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen…" he began. After greeting everyone, he delivered his speech as the company's CEO, expressing gratitude for the employees who had helped the company reach where it was today.
"It's been… what? Eleven years? Yeah. Quite a long time," he added.
He hadn't finished when another voice spoke from the side, holding a microphone. Everyone turned to see an older man walking toward Francis.
"Yeah. It's been eleven years. How I missed this company… I miss everyone here, especially those who helped us become this big. We owe you a lot."
Did the room go silent, or was it just me? Most people didn't react, and he chuckled lightly.
"Surprise?" he added.
I heard whispers all around. Wait… what's happening?
I glanced at Francis and noticed his hands clenched tightly. He said nothing, staring seriously at the man beside him. Tension filled the room.
"What is he doing here?"
I turned to Carl, Francis' cousin, who had just arrived. He stared at the same person as everyone else. I was surprised when he almost charged at him, but Sir Asher stopped him.
"Calm down," he whispered.
I could see Ms. Akeshia's unusual reaction as well.
"Who invited him here?" I could feel the anger in Carl's voice.
"Carl, please, calm down," Sir Asher said again before turning back.
The older man continued speaking, gradually restoring the atmosphere.
"Enjoy your night and happy anniversary, everyone!" he said with a big smile.
Applause erupted throughout the room.
Who was he? Why did he have such a strong effect on everyone? I kept my questions to myself and stayed silent.