TCST 1 Secrets Beyond

"Sir, please. Give the chance this time. Please..."

  My chief editor's expression did not change and remained stoic. I've been trying to plead him to give me this project for almost an hour now, but I got nothing.

  "Hazel, I said someone was already assigned for this. Just go and focus on your designated work."

  I shut my eyes tight and blew out a loud breath. I know exactly what that means, Stephanie, the chairman's daughter was already on this project. Again.

  But it's unfair, really unfair. She has been covering this project and trying to make it successful for two years now and yet she got nothing. I tried to volunteer to do this and told them that maybe if the company will send a new journalist to cover this interview, it would be successful.

  "Sir, Stephanie has been trying to win this one for two years but still, nothing. Why not try to send a new one and see what will happen?" I suggested.

  Chief editor Padilla rubbed his temple, "You know that I don't have that kind of power, especially to Stephanie. You know who she is, don't you?"

  I scoffed, "Ah, yea. I forgot. She's the daughter of the chairman, so she is privileged to do whatever she wants, to get whatever projects she wants although she doesn't have remarkable performance in this industry because she only knows how to flirt and flaunt her beauty without brain manner—"

  "Hazel, watch your words!"

  "--- she only knows how to speak flirtily but doesn't know how to speak professionally like a real journalist, and does not even know how to format a column. She couldn't write even one paragraph with right punctuations—"

  "Hazel Quin!"

  I stopped as soon as I heard him raised his voice as he called me by my full name. His eyes were wide and looked frightened when I looked at him which made me raised my brows.

  "What?"

  "I said watch your words, you are talking about the chairman's daughter."

  "So, what? What I am saying is true." I justified.

  "But still—"

  "Oh gosh, chief. Stephanie and I went to the same school, the same batch, and we were classmates so I know what I am saying. Her grades were low and won't pass even a single standard for a journalist. She just graduated because of her father's connections."

  He closed his eyes and sighed in resign.

  "I know that, but, you should still be careful with your words or else, if someone hears you, you'll be—"

  I cut him off, "I'll be what? Be fired?"

  When he didn't answer, I laughed sarcastically. This is not surprising. Knowing how unprofessional they could be, I wouldn't be surprised if I get fired just because I was telling the truth.

  "They don't have to fire me, sir. This company's unprofessional treatment to their employees is too much and I've had enough. I resign, sir."

  He looked surprised by what I said. I looked at him in the eye one last time before standing up and storming out of his office, slamming the door behind me.

  "Seriously, Hazel, you resigned?" Geraldine, my best friend, and workmate asked, her eyes were wide in surprise.

  I nodded, "Yea, I did."

  "And? What are you going to do now? Don't tell me you are going to apply to another company? After what you did and said, surely, they won't give an excellent performance as feedback for you, and instead, write something nasty about you."

  I rolled my eyes as I put my things on the box. Our co-employees were watching me as I casually cleaned my table like I'm not losing a job.

  "You think I don't know that? Of course, I do. That's just how unprofessional they are."

  Geraldine sighed, "So, what are you going to do?"

  "Find a new job," I answered casually.

  "What job? Surely, after what happened, you won't apply as a journalist again. Well, not for a while, yes?"