Chapter 22 A strange cup of coffee.
Elly and Alexis Hargreaves went together after work, the relationship between the company president and his personal assistant was a very misunderstood story. Which made all the rumors about those two became the first topic for gossip.
"Is Mr. Hargreaves nice when he's with you?"
"A handsome guy went to our company the other day to find you right? Now you also Mr. Hargreaves is into you, can you handle the heat?"
Elly felt dizzy because of all of the jealousy and gossip.
Even though she already explained that the social meeting was canceled, Mr. Hargreaves just drove her straight home. But she couldn't escape from all the repeated questions from her girl associates.
Before she exploded and scolded everyone, a cup of coffee was pushed right in front of her. "Elly just drinks it; people are just messing around. Don't be mad okay?"
Elly looked up surprised, she saw a totally strange associate who is trying to help her.
Some people around her went away, saying bad things about others is already graceless, but now they also get spoke up they felt ashamed.
"Thank you!" Elly nodded her head, she felt ashamed, because she didn't remember the girl who was standing in front of her.
"I don't have much experience in making coffee like you. So please don't laugh at me." The strange coworker headed down whispering. "I can see that Mr. Hargreaves was really satisfied with your coffee. If you have some free time can you teach me? I extremely admire you."
Elly smiled awkwardly, didn't know how to answer. So, it turned out, making coffee for the boss is this famous?
The girl enthusiastically invited her to drink, Elly drank half of the cup to made the girl satisfied then she said goodbye.
"I have to go back to work, can I invite you to have lunch sometime?"
Some opening steps for the morning had passed by, Elly finally could continue her work with all the opened files on her table. After a while, she suddenly had a stomach ache, the pain felt like her intestines inside were swirling together, she rushed into the restroom.
Elly tried to remember what she ate, she was startled when she thought about the cup of coffee from earlier. She hadn't been in any conflict with anyone, and yet some blind jealousy did this to her?
After she settled down, Elly was going to find that coworker girl to talk to. Put her hand on the doorknob, she was shocked.
It was locked! It like women's plans in love movies do to harm people, now Elly is the one who got harmed?
"Is anyone there! Help me!" Elly banged on the door, screaming out loud.
But no matter how hard she screamed, no one replied, the door was still locked.
Outside the restroom, some of the girl associates were listening to Elly's scream, they were when they heard her panic. They looked at each other and noticed the satisfied and selfish look from each other.
Someone even put the sign [Broken restroom] right in front of that door was being banged, then they all get back to their works.
Elly felt sore in her throat. She slid down to the ground very tired, her stomach ache was still killing her, made her face became pale.
Meanwhile, in the CEO's office, Alex felt pissed because Elly hadn't sent him the necessary documents. She also forgot about daily coffee.
Alex walked out of the room, glanced at the empty table of the deputy secretary.
"Where is Elly?"
All the employees were shaking their heads.
Disappeared during office hours made Alex had a bad impression of Elly's working attitude.
"When she back, tell her to come to my office immediately."
After an hour, Elly still didn't come back, Alex lost all of his patience.
He took out the phone, yelling right when the phone connected.
"Elly! Where are you? When will I have my documents? Just a simple job but you made your boss wait, do you still want to go to work?"
There wasn't any answer, Alex stared doubtfully at the screen, still connected.
Until he wanted to hang up there was a tiny voice.
"Mr. Hargreaves..." The weak voice made Alexis Hargreaves's heart skipped a beat. "I was locked in the restroom... please, my stomach hurts..."
When she heard her weak voice, Alex's heart tightens, he quickly left the room without hanging up.
Elly was in horrible pain, she heard the knocking so she stood up trembling.
The door was unlocked from outside. Alex rushes in with a worried face, right when Elly was dizzily slipped on the floor almost hit her face on the ground.
Three steps became two steps, Alexis Hargreaves used his broad chest to caught her, hugged her around her waist like something fragile.
Elly looked up with a red nose, her delicate nose hit at his chest badly, her soft voice just like a kitty.
"Mr. Hargreaves..." Then she passed out.
Some of the girl colleagues were still talking excitedly when they saw Mr. Hargreaves rushed to the restroom. After that, they saw Alex hugged Elly with a paled face walked out.
They looked at each other, concern appeared. If Alexis Hargreaves figured out about this, no one can get away with it.
At the hospital, when Elly woke up its already night. She looks around, she realized she has been taken to the hospital.
While she was frowning thinking about who helped her, the door opened, secretary John walked in with a mess-kit of porridge in her hand.
"Your awake!" Secretary John placed it on the cabinet in front of the bed.
"You drank a lot of laxative at once it made you lost a lot of water and also distressed. You just need some rest."
Elly nodded smiling, "Thank you."
She knew there was a problem with that cup of coffee. She needs to be careful about accepting fondness from other people, this will be a lesson for her.
"The one you need to thank is Mr. Hargreaves. He was the person who brought you to the hospital and missed his important meeting since you haven't given him the documents." John said coldly.
Elly remembered her mission before she got surrounded by her coworkers. She understood that she was to blame.
She had a good rest at the hospital for a night, Elly was full of energy the next morning. A surprise hit her the moment she opened her office door.
"These are the ones who planned and gave you the cup of coffee and locked the restroom door. You have all rights to handle this."
Alexis Hargreaves coldly rolled his eyes at those ugly women in front of him. He extremely hates this unfair-play to backstabbed others in a company.
Some of the bold people begged Elly.
"Elly, we were wrong, were just jealous..."
"We just want to joke a little..."
"We haven't thought about how big is the consequence..."
Elly blinked at their fake attitudes, nonchalantly looked at Alexis Hargreaves, calmly said. "Colleagues harming each other is no longer a personal matter. I will follow the decisions and arrangements of the company."
Alex was surprised when she didn't ask for revenge. Her upward slanted circle eyes looked at him like she wanted to confirm that he didn't mishear.
Alex suddenly remembered Madeline Russel's eyes during the divorce session at the Department of Justice. Before she signed her name, her attitude was just the same with the woman in front of him, No fuss, no demands, just a very distinctive soft and calm.
Alex quickly got out of his thought, decided to end this. "All of you come to the human resources department immediately to you are dismissed from your job. This company doesn't welcome employees who harmed their coworkers."
Few people begged him, but when they met Alexis Hargreaves cruel eyes, they were afraid and walked away.
Elly watched silently.
Alex looked at her sad eyelashes, suddenly asked. "Are you okay?"
Remembering what secretary John said, Elly sincerely smiled. "Mr. Hargreaves, yesterday I made lots of troubles for you, sorry, and thank you so much."
Her gentle eyes made Alexis Hargreaves felt unhappy, lately, he was scared of recalled memories inside those familiar eyes. So, he harshly said the opposite thing to his conscience. "It's good that you know! If you are fine now you should get back to work. Company doesn't pay for those whose lazy."
"I will not make any trouble for the company." At a place where Alex didn't see, Elly pouted with hate.
Alex looked at the place she left, his eyebrows tighten. Apparently, his heart was pounding hard cause of happiness when she got well, and no harm became of her. But his brain was annoyed at this reaction. Lately, he always got obsessed with those horrible memories through a strange person who got into his daily life. Alexis Hargreaves hated this lack of alertness chaos.