Restless mind

My mind was restless, especially after Mr. August said he would announce our relationship. This made me unable to think clearly and feel anxious. The lunch felt so quick; I didn't want to return to the office so soon. Unfortunately, I couldn't hold Mr. August back any longer.

"Oh God... what do I do?" My mind was in turmoil, as if my world was about to collapse right in front of me.

We were on our way back to the office after lunch. Of course, the lunch that left me with no appetite after Mr. August expressed his intention. During the drive, we remained silent, not speaking to each other. Mr. August was preoccupied with his phone the whole time, likely attending to important work matters. He could work from anywhere and anytime with his phone. It was a new sight for me, having only heard about it from others before.

I was still lost in thought about what to say to my colleagues when Mr. August's voice snapped me back to reality. "What are you doing? Get out quickly."

I turned to see him already holding the car door open. We had arrived at the office sooner than I expected. The sight outside made me freeze. There would be many eyes watching us as soon as I stepped out of the car.

"I don't want to get out. I'd rather stay here." I thought this might avoid drawing attention from everyone at the office. But once again, Mr. August urged me to get out of the car.

"Why aren't you getting out, Ellena?" Mr. August's words made me look at him. This time, he called me without the "Miss" in front of my name. Was this the start of his plan to inform everyone about our relationship?

"I think I'd better stay here, Mr. August. I'm fine here. If you want to go back to your office, please—" My words stopped when I saw Mr. August's stern, insistent gaze.

"Just try staying in the car if you can. I will make you get out, Ellena." That sentence sounded terrifying. Mr. August could draw everyone's attention if he forced me out in his way.

Seeing him extend his hand, I got out of the car without saying a word and followed Mr. August from behind. Yes, I kept my distance so it wouldn't look like we had a relationship in the eyes of others. Mr. August walked as usual until he noticed my distance. Suddenly, he stopped and turned to see my position. His gaze gave me pressure I couldn't resist.

"Come here. Why are you so far, Ellena?" Mr. August really froze me with his call. He dared to call me like we truly had a serious relationship.

Of course, Mr. August's voice was heard by everyone around us. They watched us walking side by side. I felt so anxious walking with him until we entered the elevator to go upstairs.

Standing side by side in the elevator, Mr. August remained silent and said nothing. I didn't want to provoke him either, to avoid anything unwanted. I even hoped Mr. August would forget his words at the restaurant this afternoon.

"What should I say to Mina and the others? What if they think poorly of me?" My mind was tormented by this closeness. If this happened outside the office, maybe I could still feel calm. But it was happening right in front of all the office staff.

When the elevator stopped on our floor, Mr. August escorted me to the entrance of the secretaries' division. There, I saw Mina and other employees watching us. Mr. August stopped and, in front of me, said, "We will go home together today."

Right after saying that, Mr. August walked into his office. My body felt so stiff to move and face them inside. I could feel the tense atmosphere in the division, shown by their suspicious looks at me regarding our relationship.

I walked to my desk, and Mina approached me, as I expected, asking about what happened between me and Mr. August. "So, what did you two do? Why did you go out with Mr. August? Are you hiding something, Ellena?"

Mina really wanted to know the truth between me and Mr. August. But, of course, I wouldn't tell her what really happened between us. I tried to stay calm and explained to Mina, "Oh, there's nothing between us, Mina. Mr. August just asked for my help. Yes, he just asked me for a favor."

I smiled, ready for Mina's next question. I was sure she wouldn't give up easily with my answer, and true enough, Mina expressed her curiosity again. "Oh, is that so...?" Mina paused, then approached me slowly as if begging, "...can you tell me what Mr. August wanted from you?"

I grimaced, gently pushing Mina away from me. Worriedly, I said to her, "I can't, Mina. I'm sorry, it would be very inappropriate for me to disclose that. I would feel bad towards Mr. August."

"Oh... yes, you're right. Of course, such things shouldn't be blurted out carelessly, right?" Mina looked disappointed with my answer, clearly shown on her face. She returned to her desk, and so did I. We resumed working, dealing with the piled-up documents on our desks.

"How can my life be peaceful if Mr. August is like this? This relationship is so different from when I was with John. I didn't expect Mr. August to be John's uncle—my ex-boyfriend—who had cheated on me." My heart ached thinking about all this, but I couldn't deny their close relationship as uncle and nephew.

The relationship between Mr. August and me was indeed different from my relationship with John. So different that it felt strange. When I was with John, I felt like his servant. Now, with Mr. August, I was treated as someone special and close. This treatment made me happy but also anxious.

Maybe it was all because our relationship started from a deal I made for Uncle Martin. Foolishly, that man was the leader at my workplace. Of course, this affected my presence in the division. While everyone gossiped and spoke ill of Mr. August, I, the listener, now knew many things directly about him.

I no longer needed to hear rumors and conversations from them. Just knowing Mr. August held a higher position than John was enough. Naturally, this bothered John, and he showed a jealous face about our relationship.