12 The Forbidden Rule

“Hey, girls!” I came into the group video call with my two best friends.

Lillian and Jennifer. We’ve been friends since university started and went through university together. Throughout the four years, we helped each other and worked hard towards graduation.

“Hi, hi. I can tell by how cheerful you are that you have some good news to share. Am I right?” Lillian said with a bright smile.

“Yup, yup. Even I can tell that much as well. So…tell us!” Jennifer demanded.

“I got the job!” I announced proudly before clapping my hands and laughing with joy.

“Oh wow!” Lillian cried out happily.

“Congratulations!!!” Jennifer exclaimed almost at the same time as Lillian as they both heard my good news.

Although we all acted so excited, it was a fact that I was the last person out of the three of us that landed a fulltime job after graduation. Lillian was the first to get a job as part of the PR team at one of the leading cosmetic and personal care companies. The job suited her style so much that I envied her at the time.

Soon after, Jennifer got a job working on a design team for a jewelry and accessories company; I remember we celebrated by eating a buffet for dinner and watching a late-night movie together. Just the three of us. Those were the good times.

After those two got their job, things got hectic for them, and we saw each other less than before. I missed them but was happy that they were adjusting well to their new phase of life and job. Now, it was finally my turn.

“Thank you! Since you’re both ahead on this new job curve, don’t forget to tell me some tips and tricks. I’m actually quite nervous about this!” I admitted truthfully.

“Sure thing. You can count on us…although I would say that I’m still pretty nervous at work. Everyone is just so much more experienced, you know? My team is also small, so I was the only new joiner in this batch…” Jennifer said with a loud sigh.

“I quite like my job so far. The seniors in my team are so friendly and helpful. I haven’t gotten the hang of everything yet, but I think I’m getting there. Don’t worry, Risa. I’m sure you’ll do fine as always,” Lillian said comfortingly.

I chatted with the girls until my mother returned from her food shopping trip. We enjoyed dinner with Auntie, who, as I had guessed, was brought home by my mother. After dinner, I walked Auntie back to her house before rejoining my mother.

That night, we prayed before my father’s photo and told him the good news. I wondered how he would react and what he would say to me if he were still alive. I don’t remember him at all, so it was difficult for me to imagine his reactions.

That night, I watched as my mother went to sleep with a smile on her face. I’m sure she was tired from her work but still went out to buy food for us. She was pleased, and I felt incredibly proud of myself. The day that I could support our family was fast approaching.

…

After signing the job contract, I formally became an employee of Jessen & Hills, and today marks my first day of work. Today is orientation day. Every new joiner must go through a short 2-day orientation course. On the first day, HR would review everything from the company’s history, rules and regulations, employee benefits, and everything else we needed to know. The second day was reserved for team-building activities, with the primary objective of getting new joiners to know each other.

I sat in an auditorium with a significant stage in front and a projector screen. This was a different auditorium from the one I was in when I was a candidate. Considering its size and state-of-the-art technology, I shouldn’t be surprised that this building had multiple auditoriums.

Suddenly, the lights in the auditorium dimmed, and a middle-aged woman walked up on the brightly lit stage. Although she was old, she still radiated activeness and poise. The woman was dressed in a black business suit with an expensive matching skirt, and her hair was swept up in a stylish knot at the back of her head.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Jessen & Hills. My name is Nina Leslie, and I am the head of Human Resources at this company. It is an honor to welcome all of you here today. Today, we will review our company's history, mission, and motivation. Then my colleague will take you through the various details that will help you have a smooth transition into this company,” the woman said in an evident voice. Everything about her was professional yet warm and empathetic.

“Before that, I would like to inform you of an iron-clad rule that this company would like all its employees to uphold strictly at all times. In this company, romantic relationships between employees are strictly forbidden,” the woman announced somberly.

“What?”

“Seriously?”

“In this time and age, this rule still exists?”

“I thought this company was supposed to be modern…”

“No big deal, right? We can always date someone outside the company…”

“Isn’t the rule a little weird?”

I heard various murmurs around me as everyone expressed shock and discontent over the no-dating rule. I didn’t think that this rule was necessary. If we are supposed to be professional enough, then we should be able to separate our personal from our professional lives. However, I understand the company's point of. It could be counterproductive or cause unnecessary conflict and tension if employees dated each other. Especially when the relationship went sour…

--To be continued…