Spicy Chicken

Anita swallowed.

"You're just a know-it-all widow who doesn't do a good job."

Hearing Alice's answer, Anita got up from her chair, took the bag on the table. "That's enough, all this time I've been trying not to leave this company. But over time, you're getting ruder and ruder. No subordinate deserves to be trampled on like that even though you are at the top of the leadership pyramid." Anita got rid of the manners she used to uphold. "There is no relation between my widowed status and my performance."

"Oh I see, are you feeling great?"

"I left, instead of working in a company that doesn't understand how to appreciate the performance of its employees." Anita immediately turned around.

Alice was wide-eyed.

"Oh yes, one more thing, as long as you don't want to accept criticism and suggestions from your employees. Don't expect this company to grow." Anita then looked at her friends. "You guys still want to stay in this place? I'm not sure this company will progress if it's led by a boss who is a spoiled brat and doesn't understand the value of his employees. Come on, guys, there are still companies that could appreciate you guys much better." Could say, Anita has a big influence on the company. She is a senior who has worked since Zelle's Beaute was still starting from scratch. If Anita is treated like that, there is no guarantee that younger employees will not be treated the same or even worse.

One by one the employees chose to leave, following Anita. Leaving only Franda, Alice's secretary, and the three employees who were forced to remain in their booths. Alice laughed bitterly.

"Looks!" Alice looked at Franda, "I gave him a job, a salary, and even benefits by giving up all my savings. Is this the payoff?"

Franda was still silent.

Alice immediately turned around, slamming her bedroom door. Trying to hold back anger and feelings of betrayal.

****

"Samlekum!" Someone knocked on Noah's room. Holding a position as an internal auditor requires Noah to have his own room that is private and separate from other employees. The room is almost the size of the President Director's room, usually, when Danish or Rachel wants to hang out, they go to Noah's room.

Noah waved his hand, signaling that Danish could come in. If he's in a mode of not wanting to be disturbed, usually Noah will shake his head. That is a sign that he is correcting files that are confidential and only known to an internal audit, commissioners, and the president director. There is a clear line that separates Noah's position from the company's operational employees. Noah is tasked with assisting management and maintaining the effectiveness of the company's organizational wheels. He also has the authority to report irregularities in the field directly to the President's Director as well as provide solutions.

Despite working for the company, Noah is required to be independent and neutral by working under the direction and supervision of the Audit Committee.

Noah's position is a strategic axis, tasked with reducing the company's risk of misappropriation or misappropriation of company assets so as to improve the company's performance.

"There's new news about Alice, it's trending." When it comes to getting information, Danish is the winner. Nothing can beat him. The man's eyes and ears seemed to be everywhere.

"What is wrong with her?"

"So on that blog, one of Alice's employees, she badmouthed Alice and said your wife's leadership was really bad. Anti-criticism doesn't want to hear the opinion of the employees, so today the employees decided to stop working together. Here, just read it."

Noah paused his work for a moment, looked away from the pile of papers in front of him, and turned to take Danish's cell phone. Read various malicious comments shown by netizens.

Seriously, this girl is really a lioness, I can't wait to see her company go bankrupt.

Oh, I forgot, are you broke? It's just a matter of time before he becomes a bum.

LOL. That's a lot compared to her half-brother, wait, she's Hito's brother, right?

Ha ha ha! Really, sist. Alice is nothing compared to Hito.

She just married, Sist. I wonder, how come a man wants to be with her? Oops, I haven't found out how bad it is yet!

Noah shouldn't have reacted anything, he knew Alice's attitude was bad and didn't deny that the netizens' words were true. A heartless Alice. Barbarian Alice. The anti-critic Alice. Still, there was a part of him that felt hot while reading that. "Isn't that rude of a talker?" Noah handed the phone to Danish. "Who owns the blog?"

"Anonymous, don't know who."

"Hidden behind anonymity, very typical Indonesian citizens."

"But she's Alice's former employee."

"As a former employee, it's really unethical to talk to your boss with such harsh words."

"What is clear, surely your wife is very sad right now. You have to be strong, don't let her fall because of this sentence." Danish said while scrolling his phone screen. While Noah was pensive, staring at his cellphone screen. Open WhatsApp and see his chat with Alice. The girl had changed her profile picture, was standing in front of her company, wearing sunglasses.

One question suddenly flashed through Noah's head;

What is the girl doing now?

****

Before heading home, Noah decided to stop by a restaurant to buy some spicy grilled chicken. Aunt Uti said, usually every time she came home from work, she would ask for the menu to be made and then eat it voraciously. Noah arrived home carrying a large plastic bag filled with grilled chicken. The aroma is tantalizing. He saw Alice's car was parked nicely in the garage. The door of the house was half open, he found Alice sitting in the living room, her attention focused on the cell phone.

Noah could guess that Alice must have read it, the girl was so updated on social media. There was no way she had missed the news.

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To be continued . . .