Chapter 7

It was Monday morning, and Lisa was back in the office, still recovering from her whirlwind of weekend dinners one with clients, one with family, and both filled with far more tension than any meal should ever have. She leaned against her desk, sipping her coffee and mentally prepping herself for the week ahead.

"Okay, Lisa. New week, new mindset," she muttered. "No stressing about the family business, no client dinners to worry about. Just good, old-fashioned office work."

She opened her email, already dreading whatever chaos Jennie might throw her way, but instead of the usual meeting requests or urgent tasks, she saw something different.

Ms. Manoban, I need you to coordinate the office layout changes this week. We’re reorganizing workspaces to optimize efficiency. Please handle it. - J. Kim.

Lisa blinked. Reorganizing the office? That didn’t sound so bad. No terrifying spreadsheets or international clients to impress—just some desk rearranging. "I’ve got this," she thought, feeling a rare sense of confidence.

“Easy,” she whispered, leaning back in her chair. “What could possibly go wrong?”

---

Two hours later, Lisa found herself staring at the office floor plan with a deep sense of regret. What she had thought would be a simple task move a few desks around, make things more efficient was quickly turning into a logistical nightmare.

She had a map of the entire floor, complete with desk locations, employee seating preferences, and equipment layouts. But for some reason, nothing seemed to fit quite right.

“Okay,” Lisa muttered, standing in the middle of the office like an overwhelmed general surveying the battlefield. “I’ll just... start with one section and work my way out.”

She picked up her clipboard, walked over to the marketing department, and cleared her throat. “Alright, everyone! We’re doing some desk reorganization today. I’m here to make sure everything runs smoothly. So if you could all... just move your stuff for a bit, that’d be great!”

The team members glanced at her, clearly confused. One of them, a guy named Mark, raised his hand. “Uh, where exactly are we moving?”

Lisa flipped through the floor plan, squinting at the small print. “Right... over there,” she said, pointing to the opposite side of the room. “You’ll be closer to the windows, which will give you more natural light. And, you know, sunlight improves productivity or something.”

Mark looked skeptical but started packing up his things. “Sure, if you say so.”

Lisa watched as the team began to shuffle around, moving desks and equipment with varying degrees of enthusiasm. She felt a surge of confidence. "This isn’t so bad. I’m like a project manager now."

But just as she was starting to feel good about herself, her phone buzzed. It was Jennie.

Ms. Manoban, I’ll be stopping by the office at noon to check on the progress. Ensure that everything is organized by then.

Lisa glanced at the time. 10:45. Oh no.

---

For the next hour and a half, Lisa ran around like a headless chicken, trying to get the rest of the office in order. The marketing team had moved, but the finance team wasn’t happy with their new location, and IT needed extra power outlets that didn’t seem to exist.

By 11:55, Lisa was standing in the middle of the chaos, trying to keep her cool. Desks were half-moved, cables were strewn everywhere, and one of the departments had somehow commandeered the printer room as their new workspace without permission.

Jennie walked into the office right on cue, perfectly composed as always. Lisa straightened up, hoping to look like she had things under control.

“Ms. Kim! Hi! So... we’re making progress,” Lisa said, giving an awkward wave toward the scattered desks.

Jennie’s eyes swept over the scene, her expression cool and unreadable. “This doesn’t look like progress, Ms. Manoban.”

Lisa let out a nervous laugh. “Well, it’s more like... transitional chaos. But we’re getting there! I’ve got it all under control.”

Jennie raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. She crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. “And what’s your plan to resolve this ‘transitional chaos’?”

Lisa cleared her throat, quickly pulling out her clipboard and pretending to review the floor plan as if she hadn’t been panicking five seconds earlier. “Right. So, the marketing team is moving closer to the windows for better productivity, finance is... a little unhappy, but we’re working on that, and IT is...uh, let’s not talk about IT right now.”

Jennie’s gaze narrowed slightly. “Ms. Manoban.”

Lisa sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Okay, fine. It’s a mess. I thought it’d be simple, but nothing’s fitting the way it should, and apparently, power outlets are like... a rare commodity in this office.”

Jennie remained silent for a moment, her eyes still scanning the room. Then, to Lisa’s surprise, she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward, looking at the floor plan in Lisa’s hands.

“You’re approaching this inefficiently,” Jennie said, her tone more matter-of-fact than cold. “You need to consider the workflow of each department and the available infrastructure, not just where the desks look best.”

Lisa blinked. “Wait, you’re... helping me?”

Jennie gave her a sharp glance. “I’m ensuring this project is completed efficiently. I don’t have time for chaos.”

Lisa grinned despite herself. “Well, chaos is kind of my specialty.”

Jennie didn’t respond to that, but she gestured for Lisa to follow her around the office as they walked through each department. Jennie began making quick, precise suggestions moving the finance team closer to the accounting department for better communication, reallocating power resources for IT, and strategically placing the marketing team where they could collaborate more easily with the product development group.

As Lisa watched Jennie work, she couldn’t help but be impressed. Jennie didn’t just know what she wanted—she had a natural sense for organization that Lisa could only dream of. It was like watching a chess master move pieces into place with complete precision.

“You know,” Lisa said after a while, following Jennie’s lead, “you’d make a great interior designer. Or maybe a life coach. You’ve got that whole ‘fix everything’ vibe.”

Jennie paused for a second, her expression as cool as ever. “I’m not interested in design, Ms. Manoban. Efficiency is my priority.”

Lisa chuckled. “Of course. All efficiency, no flair. Got it.”

Jennie didn’t respond, but Lisa thought she saw the tiniest flicker of amusement in Jennie’s eyes before she continued directing the office reorganization.

---

By the time 1 PM rolled around, the office was finally starting to look like... an office again. Desks were in place, cables were neatly arranged, and the departments had settled into their new spots with minimal grumbling.

Lisa leaned against a wall, wiping the sweat from her forehead. “Well, that was a workout.”

Jennie stood beside her, arms crossed, surveying the now-organized office. “It’s acceptable.”

Lisa grinned. “Acceptable? High praise from you, Ms. Kim.”

Jennie’s gaze flicked toward her, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she turned to leave. “I’ll expect a final report on the changes by tomorrow morning. Make sure you gather feedback from each department.”

Lisa saluted, only half-joking. “You got it, Captain Efficiency.”

Jennie paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to address Lisa’s ongoing habit of giving her nicknames, but in the end, she just nodded and walked back to her office.

As Lisa watched her go, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of accomplishment. She had made a mess of the office, sure, but with Jennie’s help, they had managed to turn it around. And Jennie hadn’t been as cold as usual maybe even... helpful? Was that the right word?

Lisa shook her head, smiling to herself. Progress is progress, she thought.

---

Later that evening, as Lisa sat at home, relaxing on her couch, her phone buzzed. It was her father.

Lalisa, I heard you’ve been handling more responsibilities at work. Your mother and I are proud of you. Keep it up.

Lisa smiled at the message, her thoughts drifting back to Jennie and the office reorganization. "Handling more responsibilities?" That wasn’t exactly how she’d describe the chaos of the day, but still... she was getting better. She could feel it.

Maybe one day she’d be ready for The Question....ready to step up and take over the family business. But for now, she was content with learning, improving, and surviving whatever Jennie Kim threw her way.

And who knew? Maybe one day, she’d even earn more than just an “acceptable” from her icy boss.

For now, though, Lisa was happy with the small victories one organized office at a time.

.....

The following week, Lisa was still riding the high of surviving the office reorganization. Sure, she’d needed Jennie’s intervention to avoid turning the place into a chaos zone, but it had worked out, and Jennie hadn’t given her any death stares since. In fact, Lisa was starting to think she was actually getting the hang of this whole executive assistant thing.

But of course, that’s when the universe usually decided to throw her a curveball.

It was Wednesday morning, and Lisa was happily munching on a croissant at her desk, reviewing her daily tasks. Jennie had been out of the office for the past two days on business, leaving Lisa in charge of keeping things running smoothly. And she had, for the most part.

Her phone buzzed with a message from Jennie: Ms. Manoban, I’m on my way back to the office. There’s a last-minute investor meeting at 11 AM. I’ll need you to present the quarterly financials. Make sure you’re prepared.

Lisa nearly choked on her croissant. "Wait....what? Present the financials?"

She stared at her phone in disbelief, half-hoping she’d misread the message. But no, Jennie had definitely just told her to give a presentation on the quarterly financials. In front of investors. In less than two hours.

Lisa scrambled to pull up the financial reports on her computer. She had helped Jennie with these before, but presenting them was a whole different beast. "Why is this happening?" she thought, her heart pounding. "I’m not ready for this!"

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she’d faced worse. She had survived client dinners, chaotic office reorganisations, and even avoided being fired for spilling coffee all over Jennie’s office. She could do this.

Right?

---

At 10:55, Lisa stood outside the conference room, clutching her tablet like it was a lifeline. She had spent the last hour reviewing the financials, making sure she knew every number, every chart, every projection inside and out. But no amount of preparation could ease the panic bubbling in her chest.

Jennie arrived right on time, as always, striding into the office with her usual grace and efficiency. She barely glanced at Lisa as she headed into the conference room, but as the door swung open, she paused and turned to her.

“Ms. Manoban,” Jennie said, her tone calm and controlled, “I trust you’re prepared.”

Lisa gave a shaky smile. “Yep! Totally prepared. I’ve got the numbers, the charts, the... uh, everything.”

Jennie raised an eyebrow. “Good. Remember to focus on the key points don’t overwhelm them with unnecessary details. Keep it concise.”

“Right. Concise. No unnecessary details,” Lisa repeated, nodding like a bobblehead.

Without another word, Jennie turned and walked into the conference room, where a group of sharply dressed investors were already seated around the table. Lisa followed her inside, feeling like she was about to step onto a stage in front of a firing squad.

Jennie took her seat at the head of the table, gesturing for Lisa to stand and begin the presentation. Lisa swallowed hard, her palms sweating as she stepped forward.

“Good morning, everyone!” she started, her voice a little too loud in the otherwise quiet room. She cleared her throat and forced a smile. “I’ll be walking you through Kim Industries’ quarterly financials today.”

The investors nodded politely, their expressions neutral, but Lisa could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on her.

She launched into the presentation, carefully going over each section of the report. The numbers were all there, and the projections were solid, but as she spoke, Lisa felt herself spiraling into more detail than necessary.

“So, as you can see in this chart, the year-over-year growth in revenue is... uh, substantial,” Lisa said, trying to sound professional. “And if we break it down by segment, you’ll notice a significant increase in our international markets, especially in the...uh...Asia-Pacific region...”

She glanced at Jennie, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. Was she nodding in approval, or silently judging Lisa for rambling?

Lisa’s mouth went dry, and she realized she was about to veer off into an unnecessary tangent. She quickly tried to pivot. “But of course, the key takeaway here is our overall growth and... uh, profitability. Which is... good.”

The room remained silent, the investors waiting for her to continue. Lisa felt a bead of sweat trickle down her neck. "This is not going well."

But just as she was about to panic, Jennie stepped in.

“Thank you, Ms. Manoban,” Jennie said, her voice cool and authoritative. She smoothly took over, summarizing the key points Lisa had fumbled over in a way that made it sound like it was all part of the plan. “As you can see, our financials remain strong, and our long-term growth strategy will continue to yield positive results in the coming quarters.”

Lisa breathed a silent sigh of relief as Jennie wrapped up the presentation with her usual flawless precision. The investors seemed pleased, nodding along and asking a few follow-up questions that Jennie answered effortlessly.

When the meeting finally ended, the investors filed out of the room, leaving Lisa standing there, feeling like she had just survived a near-death experience.

Jennie remained seated, organising her papers with her usual calm demeanor. Lisa took a deep breath and walked over to her.

“I... I’m really sorry,” Lisa said, her voice low. “I totally messed that up. I rambled, I lost track of the key points, and you had to save me.”

Jennie looked up at her, her expression unreadable. “You didn’t ‘mess up,’ Ms. Manoban. You simply need more experience. Presenting to investors requires focus and clarity.”

Lisa blinked, surprised by Jennie’s lack of harsh criticism. “But I went off on a tangent. And I’m pretty sure I repeated myself like, five times.”

Jennie stood up, gathering her things. “You corrected yourself, and I took over when necessary. The investors weren’t dissatisfied, and the presentation ended on a positive note.”

Lisa stared at her, unsure of what to make of Jennie’s response. “Wait, are you... not mad?”

Jennie raised an eyebrow. “I don’t get ‘mad,’ Ms. Manoban. I get results. And today’s result was acceptable.”

Lisa let out a breath, her tension easing. “Acceptable. I’ll take that.”

Jennie walked past her toward the door, pausing just briefly as she added, “You’re learning. But you’ll need to learn faster.”

Lisa grinned, giving a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll get faster.”

Jennie didn’t respond to the joke, but as she left the conference room, Lisa thought she saw the tiniest flicker of amusement in her eyes. Maybe.

---

Later that afternoon, as Lisa sat at her desk, she reflected on the day’s events. Sure, the presentation hadn’t been perfect, but Jennie hadn’t ripped her apart. In fact, she had stepped in to support Lisa without making her feel completely incompetent. That was... progress, right?

Her phone buzzed with a message from her dad. "Lalisa, just checking in. How’s everything going at work?"

Lisa smiled, typing out a quick reply. "It’s going well, Dad. Had to give a last-minute presentation today, and it wasn’t a total disaster, so I think I’m improving."

A few seconds later, her dad replied: "I’m proud of you, Lalisa. Keep pushing yourself. You’re more capable than you know."

Lisa felt a warmth spread through her chest. It was nice to hear her dad say that, especially after the pressure of the last few months. She was getting better maybe not as fast as Jennie or her dad wanted, but she was getting there. One small step at a time.

As she set her phone down, she leaned back in her chair, glancing toward Jennie’s office. There was still a long way to go before she felt ready to take over the family business or fully earn Jennie’s approval, but for now, Lisa was content with the progress she was making.

And who knew? Maybe by the end of this, she’d be able to give a flawless presentation without breaking a sweat.

Maybe.

Continue....