21. （FLIP）ping
VERENA
21
Iwanted to quit. It wasn’t a fleeting thought or a moment of frustration; it was a persistent itch that I couldn’t scratch away. Every time I sat down to write, my phone would ring with yet another task from Jae. The company had grown exponentially, and with that growth came an avalanche of demands. I felt like I was drowning in responsibilities that seemed endless and overwhelming.
Jae had been invited to a gala, and he had been a grumpy asshole about it all week. Barking orders about his tux, what time he had to arrive, and the speech he practiced daily. I knew it was a big ordeal for him. The company had grown even more. We’d moved into a new building, and he just kept needing more, more, more.
I was at my desk, picking things up, preparing for yet another late night. On top of the gala he wanted me to handle, there was also a crisis response I needed to negotiate. I was buried under a mountain of tasks, trying to keep my head above water. Jae had always been demanding, but this was different. He wasn’t the friend I used to stay up late with, brainstorming ideas and laughing over takeout. Lately, he felt more like my boss than my friend, and it hurt. I wanted to be there for him, to support him through this critical time, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The constant pressure and his relentless demands were taking their toll on me.
The worst part was that I understood why he was like this. The company was his dream, a way to honor his parents’ legacy, and I respected that. But somewhere along the line, he had forgotten that I was more than just his assistant. I was supposed to be his partner, his confidante. Now, I felt like I was drowning in his expectations.
As I shuffled through the endless stack of papers on my desk, trying to prioritize the most urgent tasks, I couldn’t shake the feeling of resentment that was growing inside me. It wasn’t just about the work. It was about him not seeing me, not appreciating me. I missed the old Jae, the one who would have noticed how overwhelmed I was and offered to help.
But that Jae was gone, replaced by a workaholic who only saw the bottom line. He walked past my desk, paused, and gave me a look that made my stomach drop. “What are you still doing here?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation.
I blinked, looking up from my computer. “Uh, working?”
Jae’s frown deepened. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
I quickly grabbed my calendar, flipping through the pages, my heart racing. Had I forgotten something? The days were becoming too short, and everything was blurring together. “No, did I miss something?”
Jae’s frustration bubbled over. “The gala is tonight, Verena.”
I sighed inwardly, trying to keep my patience. “Jae, I already have everything planned. Your tux is ready, your car picks you up in two hours, the hairstylist will be at your apartment. I even coordinated with Senator Greene’s daughter to be your date?—”
He cut me off, his voice sharp and angry. “I thought you were going.”
I stared at him blankly. “You never said I was going. You said your date has to be someone respectable. You said, ‘I want our outfits to coordinate,’ so I reached out to your contacts and?—”
“I was talking about you, Verena,” he interrupted, his tone making it clear he thought I was an idiot.
“Well, that would have been nice to know,” I shot back, feeling my own frustration rise. “But you gave me a list of everything I needed to do to make you ready. I couldn’t even go if I wanted to. It was hard finding you a date; you can’t cancel on her now.”
“It didn’t once occur to you that you were going with me?” Jae’s voice was a mix of disbelief and anger.
“No, you weren’t very clear about that,” I replied, crossing my arms.
Jae’s face reddened with anger. “You don’t want to go with me, do you?” His voice was quieter now, almost hurt.
“Of course, I do,” I said, my frustration bubbling over. “I just have a lot of other tasks, and you didn’t tell me.”
“You should have known,” he snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. “You should have told me.”
“Told you what?” I demanded, standing up from my desk. “That you need to be clear about what you want? That I can’t read your mind?”
“Yes, damn it!” Jae exploded, his hands clenched into fists. “You should have known that I wanted you there with me. This is a really big event and I need you there by my side.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding. This was more than just a misunderstanding. This was the beginning of something breaking between us. “I’m not a mind reader, Jae,” I said quietly. “And I’m not a machine. I can’t do everything.”
His face contorted with anger and something else—something that looked like regret. “Fine,” he said, grabbing a notepad and scribbling furiously. “Add these to your list.” He shoved the paper at me and stormed off.
I looked down at the new tasks, my hands shaking. This was too much. I couldn’t keep up with his constant demands. I wanted to scream, to tell him how unfair he was being, but I bit my tongue. I had work to do.
As I ticked off the items on the never-ending list, my mind wandered back to the early days of the company. It had been just the two of us, working late nights fueled by takeout and ambition. We had been a team. But now, it felt like I was just another cog in the machine he was building.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of hurt. Was I just his assistant now? Had he forgotten everything we had been through together? Every accomplishment, every late-night brainstorming session, every moment of triumph and failure. I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away. I needed to focus.
Hours passed, and I was still at my desk, hunched over my work. The office was silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of paper. I checked my watch, realizing how late it was. The gala would be starting soon, and Jae would be there, looking polished and perfect, while I was stuck here, buried in work.
The phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I picked it up, expecting another task, but it was Jae.
“Verena, where are you?”
I took a deep inhale. “At the office, finishing up the list you gave me.”
There was a pause on the other end. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, his voice softer. “I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just…this gala is important, and I wanted you to be there.”
I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair. “I know, Jae. But you didn’t tell me that. You just gave me orders. I can’t read your mind.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
I wanted to believe him, but I was too tired to argue. “Okay,” I said quietly.
“Get some rest,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Jae,” I replied, hanging up the phone.
I sat there for a moment, staring at the list in front of me. Maybe tomorrow would be different. Maybe he would start seeing me as more than just his assistant. But as I gathered my things and headed home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were changing. And I wasn’t sure if it was for the better.