"Is the meeting stuff all set, Ta?" The 36-year-old woman has been busy preparing the report they're going to discuss with the finance team since earlier. The decision on promotion budgets and target points by Levi's team is just a step away. That's why Tata can't just let go of all sorts of summaries from previous meetings without checking them more carefully.
"Just a bit more, Sir," Tata says without taking her eyes off the computer screen. Not meaning to be rude, but she can get easily distracted. The data she's checking has to be perfect for the final presentation.
Levi understands how Tata operates. He doesn't feel offended or neglected when his subordinate answers without making eye contact. It shows high dedication from someone like Samanta to her job.
"Oh yeah, Ta, after the meeting, we've got a lunch invitation with the BoD."
This remark makes Tata raise her eyes. Adjusting her glasses slightly, she replies to Levi's words.
"Where at, Boss? I gotta tell the hubby first."
Levi smiles. "Le Meridien. Probably until around three. After that, we're heading back to the office for a wrap-up. Friday we've got a meeting with Sudar and the team."
Tata furrows her brow. "Wait... is this... a covert lunch?"
This time, Levi laughs. "Yeah. It's with the top brass from Human Greatness. New brand. They're asking for quite a big promo slot."
"Oh, the project Sudar's team is working on?" Tata confirms the project that will be discussed.
"Yeah." Levi hands another file to Tata. "You've probably already gone through it, right?"
"Some of it."
"What do you think?"
Levi slightly pulls the chair he's sitting on. Conversations with this woman are always enjoyable. Usually held in his office, but since there's one report Tata still needs to check, it's never a problem for Levi to discuss things in her deputy's room.
"It's good, Boss. But I added something about the pricing. They're offering quite high, but the quality doesn't seem to compete with Youtness brand, Boss. They brought samples of some T-shirts and hoodies. We compared them with existing competitors. All brands that collaborate with ShopaShop are money-oriented. We don't want to charge them a lot, but end up with few checkout buyers."
Levi nods slowly.
"Sudar has talked to the Human Greatness team. That's all for now, Boss," Tata adds.
"Maybe we'll discuss the continuation during lunch."
"Could be." Tata looks back at her screen. She can't pause her work for too long.
"We have a meeting in an hour, right? Before it starts, I'll check on it." Levi gets up from his seat. "I'll wait, Ta."
"Alright, Boss."
Once Levi's broad back disappears behind the door, the woman doesn't move an inch from the screen that now fills her eyes. The perfectionist boss. It's a given that the man will relentlessly pursue perfection regarding work matters. Luckily, she can balance out the sometimes annoying madness of her boss.
One habit that Levi never lets slip away. No matter how busy Tata is correcting reports, he will follow up on various projects. It requires a high level of concentration to answer and work on reports simultaneously. Remarkably, the boss doesn't need progress charts of each project just to remember what has been achieved and what needs special attention.
Once done, she immediately hands the report to Levi. While waiting for the boss to double-check the report, Tata sends a message to her husband. Most likely, she won't be able to have lunch together as usual; every Thursday they have lunch together in the Karet area. Their offices aren't too far apart, even though they have to deal with Jakarta's characteristic traffic.
She leaves her phone in her pocket after ensuring the message is sent. Tata quickly focuses on the final meeting with Levi, who is now leading it with confident strides as usual. He already has the files in hand, meaning Tata knows the report she worked on is just as he desired.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Levi greets with a thin smile on his lips. Several people already in the meeting room quiet down the light chatter that occurred before the meeting started. "Shall we begin?"
"We're ready, Boss," they respond in unison.
***
Usually, when having lunch with clients and ShopaShop executives, both Tata and Levi always use the company car. However, this afternoon, there's not a single company car on standby. This makes the woman trapped in the boss's SUV, which she's riding for the first time. Throughout her time working, she's never once been alone in the boss's car, who's currently driving.
"Everything's okay, right, Ta?" Levi asks to make sure. Since his deputy opened the car door, there's a hint of doubt on his face. He feels a bit guilty for sort of pushing her just now. If they were driving their own cars, besides being less efficient, there are a few things they need to discuss.
"It's fine, Sir," Tata tries to smile. "Usually, there's one or two more people, Sir. So... I feel a bit awkward."
Levi grins. "Yeah, right. Usually Sudar or Mr. Muh, the office driver."
Hearing Levi's words, Tata just quirks her lips thinly.
"Don't worry, Ta. I won't do anything weird," Levi jokes, earning a small laugh from Tata. Seeing his coworker is more relaxed now, he starts the car engine. "Let's hit the road now."
The journey to Le Meridien isn't long. It's just that they have to take a slightly longer route past Citywalk and the traffic flow today is quite heavy. What should have been a ten-minute journey turns into twice as long. However, Levi uses this time to ask about Tata's readiness and gather more information from her. He doesn't want to give wrong opinions or guidance on the marketing targets they'll discuss later.
"Do you have those points noted down separately?" Levi makes sure. "If possible, ask for product photo samples too, Ta."
"Yes, Sir. All the important parts have been marked by Sudar. I just added and corrected a few things."
Levi nods briefly. There's nothing more they discuss afterward. After all, their car is about to arrive at their destination soon. Meanwhile, Tata is seen taking out her phone. There are two messages there. A reply from her husband and her friend, Jenni.
Ottis:
Yeah
Jenni:
You're free this Saturday, right? Let's meet up, okay? It's been so long since we last talked, Ta.
A slight smile appears on Tata's face. She quickly responds to these messages. To Jenni, she agrees to her invitation. To her husband, she reminds him not to postpone lunch for too long. It coincides with the car engine being turned off, indicating they've arrived at the basement.
Tata walks alongside Levi on his right side. There's nothing they talk about except heading to the arranged lunch place. The only sound is the tapping of their shoes against the marble floor as they walk. They walk along the corridor on the left side and turn eventually to wait for the elevator that will take them to the fifth floor. The Zoya Meridien restaurant known for its steak is there.
Tata was so surprised when she turned the corner of the corridor. Across the way, someone she knew very well was embracing someone else. His face was beaming with a wide smile. His gaze was also filled with admiration towards the person she didn't recognize. It's as if their closeness had been established for a long time.
"Ta," Levi calls softly. "Come on, the elevator's open!"
Tata blinks slowly. The figure is still there. It means it's not a hallucination or a daydream in broad daylight. This is reality. "Ottis... with whom?"
"Come on, Ta!" Levi says impatiently.
"Alright, Sir."
Ottis:I'm coming home late. Office stuff.Tata falls silent, staring at her phone. Unconsciously, her fingers scroll through the conversation thread with her husband. Nothing unusual, just lately Ottis has been coming home late more often. Sometimes he texts, sometimes his reason is forgetfulness. The woman doesn't want to argue with her husband too much.There's a sense of fatigue every time she brings up the issue. Ottis always corners it with one sentence. "You're busy too, right? I am too."Tata doesn't want to neglect her husband. The demands of her job are like that. But even with lengthy explanations, Ottis refuses to accept. Instead of making her heart even more tired, it's better to stay silent and continue her duty; serving her husband when he comes home from work. She sighs softly. She puts her phone in her desk drawer. She picks up the scattered pieces of focus once again.Human Greatness has approved all the instructions
"I'm really sorry, Ta," Levi says, not sure how many times he's repeated the same thing. His face also looks guilty. Yet Tata doesn't make a big deal out of what happened.It's normal for children with Asperger's syndrome to act spontaneously, including biting their hands. He's quite surprised, but he realizes that the girl who bit him might be defending herself.Tata, a sudden stranger nearby. Maybe the girl feels threatened. Tata is half scared and shocked by the unexpected response of the child. Her wound is just a scratch. Echa immediately lets go once her father hugs her tightly. Whispering softly to calm her daughter down, that's what Levi does."I'm okay, Sir," Tata maintains her smile. "You've apologized many times already. I'm sure Echa didn't mean it that way. Her name is Echa, right?""Her name is Aleisya Kirei.""Wow, such a beautiful name, Sir," Tata compliments."Do you think so?" Levi asks. They're on their way back to his off
"Dang, it's been so long since I've seen you, Ta." A woman dressed in pretty trendy fashion immediately approaches Tata. She hugs her tightly."You're exaggerating," Tata grumbles. "It's only been a month.""A month is long, Bebs. Plus, you canceled last weekend, remember?" Jenni says with a laugh on her face. "How's life treating you?" She takes a seat in front of her friend."So far, so good," Tata replies while stirring her smoothie slowly."Thank goodness nothing magical has happened in your life again."Jenni's words aren't without reason. Knowing her for almost fifteen years, her friend has coined many terms for her, especially for Ottis's 'peculiar' family. Nilam the Rat Chewer, her mother-in-law the Fake Witch, and Ottis the Man with the Rein.At first, Tata didn't like these nicknames. After all, they're all part of her life. But Jenni had one sentence that couldn't be denied. "You consider them family, but they see you as a money p
One name still sticks in Tata's memory: Anisya Ratih Dwihara. It's funny how she even remembers the woman's full name. The only woman who ever appeared in Ottis's life. Tata knows she was the replacement back then. An orphan girl who readily accepted the offer of false love, leading to a marriage supposedly based on love that could exist because of familiarity. The kind of love Ottis had for her. She forgets... memories of past love can erase everything.Tata never imagined, for the second time, she would catch her husband with the same woman. Eventually, she also learns what kind of person Anisya Ratih Dwihara is."I already suspected that your wife must be very beautiful, Ottis," she says softly. Her smile curves perfectly. Her gaze also looks friendly. But Tata can't help but feel a question lingering in her heart.Why is that hand clinging to her husband?"I didn't expect us to meet here," the conversation partner adds."Yeah," she replies. "I
Tata leans on the edge of the bed. Her room just got hit by a tornado. The vanity table, once neat, is now in disarray. Her makeup collection and perfume bottles litter the floor. The bedsheet is all messed up. Pillows and bolsters are strewn everywhere. Even her wardrobe, almost all of its contents are scattered on the floor. She herself doesn't know what items broke there."I'll make sure you regret doing this, Ta."That statement slightly disturbs Tata. Even after the man still labeled as her husband leaves her with two big suitcases, she remains stoic. She won't degrade herself or apologize for kicking Ottis out. It's enough for her to stand her ground.But, not long after, she crumbles.Crying her heart out. Screaming like a mad person. Ranting and venting all the anger she's been holding since they were seated—ah, it didn't start just a few hours ago. Perhaps her anger has been festering in her heart for a long time. This is the first time she
Jenni got to the hospital as fast as she could. Actually, since yesterday her heart had been in turmoil. Tata's eyes couldn't deceive her; her friend was deeply disappointed. Damn it, that guy! Ottis is really annoying. Why does a guy like Ottis get to have a long life in this world?Useless."Are you... Ms. Jenni?" Levi asks cautiously as he sees a woman hurrying towards Tata's room. He can't just leave his assistant manager like that. He's a bit confused because Tata's phone is locked and the emergency contact number he got from HRD isn't responding at all. Yet that number belongs to her husband.During the trip to the hospital, Jenni's name appeared on Tata's phone screen. Levi explained what happened and now they're here."That's right," Jenni smiles faintly, "You must be Mr. Levi?"Levi just nods briefly and accepts Jenni's handshake. After a brief introduction, he updates Jenni on Tata's current condition. The doctor said Tata was experiencin
It's been three days since Tata took sick leave. Levi didn't have time to visit his deputy because of his overwhelming workload. But, at least, through messages, he knew her condition. The marketing division is known to be extremely busy, not unusual because it's a main source of profit for shareholders."Hey, Ta?" Levi is quite surprised to find the woman who is now sitting calmly at her desk. "Are you really feeling better?"Tata smiles as she stands up to greet her boss."Yeah, I am, sir. Being at home for too long to rest isn't nice."Levi shakes his head while sighing. "You should've taken the time to rest until you're completely fit.""Nah, sir, it's enough. Besides, I can't just sit around while everyone else is busy."No, Tata never intended to touch on work issues. She loves her routine for the past few years. She feels uncomfortable if she stays at home for too long. Like she just said."Alright then. But, most importantly,
Tata thought, her disturbance was just about the phone. Which actually made her heart more shattered every time she remembered her life journey. She's aware of who she really is. But that doesn't mean she's constantly underestimated and looked down upon, right? Everything she has now is also the result of her hard work. Not just relying on Ottis alone. It's not like that.Was it because she looked pathetic when she first met Ottis? Even though she was just an ordinary staff, struggling to support herself, Tata isn't someone who enjoys asking her husband for things. She chose to try to meet her needs, including earning her bachelor's degree.But why is she always considered a burden to Ottis?Luckily, her meeting with Acame lasted quite a while. It made her slightly distracted from things that shouldn't be gnawing at her mind. She doesn't want to reconsider her decision at all.During her sick leave, also to heal the pain that hit her heart, Tata did a lot