Chapter Text
"Have you heard about the rumors?"
"What rumors?"
"That Mr Wing and Miss Rosa are dating."
It was an afternoon in Themis Law Firm, 3 PM, the crucial time when people started to be tired from work and began to seek coffee in the pantry. However, where there are people gathering, there will be people talking.
And it happened that today's topic was about two of the infamous senior partners in the law firm.
"You know, Clara from HR said that she saw both of them on Saturday Night, dining together at a fancy place!"
"How did she know?"
"She was having dinner with her boyfriend, and the place they picked was secluded, so Clara almost didn't see them until she finished dinner."
There were like 5 people talking in the pantry, attorneys, paralegals and also one from accounting. They gushed how they both match each other, how smart they were and how their child in the future would be so wonderful, getting those genes from their smart and beautiful parents.
The thing was, Rosa was also in the pantry,... Hiding behind the refrigerator.
It hadn't even been 6 months yet since Rosa became a senior attorney. The law world in Stellis City and in the country is in uproar, since now there are two people getting the title of Youngest Senior Attorney, both receiving the title at age 28.
It was nerve-wracking for Rosa, but she had climbed her way up to receive that title. After years of studying for the examination, she finally passed the test. Then, right after the results were out, multiple invitations from law firms across the country tried to recruit her. There are even some overseas firms who offer her a promising future career too. When she received all that, it went through her mind, did Artem get all of these offers too? It's overwhelming but in a great way.
However, she has no intentions to live overseas, and also had a rival slash friend that she wanted to work together with. Therefore, when the proposition from Celestine came, she picked up the offer fast. The pay was above her expectation, the working contract was also good and she got her own office, company card, company car, basically the benefits are so pleasant. So she gave no second thought about joining the firm. Besides, being on the same side with both Artem and Celestine is one of her ideal work arrangements.
And now, here she was crouching between the refrigerator and the counter on the corner of the pantry. She was taking some coffee from the pantry, since her office ran out of it, but sadly she spilled her coffee all over the floor. While she was cleaning it up, some people came in and started conversing, or more accurately, gossiping. When she realized that she was the one in their conversation, two thoughts came to her: 'Did they not see me here?' 'Is this place such a blind spot?'
And her conclusion was, 'I should pretend to be as silent as a corpse.'
Her sudden appearance would be very awkward, and embarrassing for both of her and the people chit-chatting. It hadn't even been 6 months since she joined, not everyone had warmed up to her, and she just didn't want anyone to be awkward around her, when she is the one giving them their job assignments. So, she decided to stay as quiet as a mouse, and wait until they are finished with their "heated discussion".
However, minutes passed and it felt like the conversation wasn't going to end at all. Rosa's legs were starting to go numb, pins and needles creeping up. She started to re-evaluate her decision and thought about just standing up and saying hi to them, but then, would they be creeped out by how she was eavesdropping in their conversation the whole time? Wait, why would they be creeped out,... they were the ones that started to gossip about her in the first place...
As she continued on debating between herself, she felt like cursing at how this mess chose to come to her today. However, she couldn't curse at them. Or rather, she shouldn't do it for the reason that she should have cursed herself first.
When there is smoke there is fire, and she knew that she herself was the one fueling it.
Actually, not only herself, the other infamous youngest senior attorney was a part of it.