170 That's Just How It Is

"Shall we give this to the PR Department then?" Jake asked upon receiving what Amber has searched.

Amber shakes her head, "Not yet, let me wait for something before we handle this problem."

"I'm finally free!!"

Just then Alissa exclaimed upon entering Jake's office.

"It's just been an hour, quite short," Jake replied.

"One hour is short?" Amber asked.

"Don't get me started. The longest was half a day and mind you I am standing for half a day, that's really tiring," Alissa replied as she took a drink from the refrigerator.

She choked when her eyes landed on Timothy who was only watching the three of them.

"What… *cough*… are you… *cough*"

Amer laughed, "Why don't you cough first before speaking? That would be much easier."

Alissa just glared at her before looking back at Timothy.

"What are you doing here sir? Am I at fault for not going to the office for a few days?" she asked.

"No, you are suspended for a week right? So you not coming are not the case. You still have four days left," Timothy replied matter of factly.

"Wait, wait, what are you talking about?" she suddenly became flustered upon hearing his reply.

"What do you mean what I am talking about, we agreed that if you fall sick you would be suspended for a week."

"No… but… we didn't sign anything."

"Oh, are you backing out in a verbal agreement."

"Please you can't do this to me… I mean… we indeed verbally agreed but I have nothing else to do. My projects are being canceled one after another."

"You ask your president to fix it up then you will have them back."

"I have some stuff I need to finish in the office."

"You can finish it when you return."

"What am I supposed to do for another few days?"

"You can relax."

"No!!"

Timothy was stunned when she vehemently rejected the thought of relaxing.

"I want to keep going to the office!!"

She started looking like a child that was being rejected of her request.

"We already talked about it."

"Amber!!"

Seeing as she has no way out of this, she could only call for Amber for help.

Yet to the surprise of the two of them, she was already sitting down watching the two of them banter while eating some snacks.

"What are you doing?" Alissa asked.

Amber looks like she was watching a show.

"Watching the two of you?" Amber asked innocently.

"That's what I am asking, why are you watching us?"

"Well, the two of you started bantering and I find it funny," she grinned as she finished her snack and took a drink for herself.

"Stop that, can't you just help me with this instead of finding entertainment in my misery?" Alissa helplessly said.

"What am I going to do then?"

Amber blinked a few times before she looked at Timothy "Can't she?"

He just raised an eyebrow towards her with her question.

"He didn't want," she then said to Alissa.

Alissa didn't know whether to laugh or cry, was that even persuasion?

"Amber!!"

"Okay, shall we seat for now?" Amber finally sighed as she said this.

Alissa followed her still looking aggravated.

Amber chuckled, "Say Alissa, have you ever felt this way before?"

"Huh?"

"This, you are currently irritated because you can't do what you want to do. Have you ever felt this way before? With the hotel? With modeling?" Amber patiently asked.

Alissa thought for a bit before she slowly shook her head.

Amber just smiled at her.

On the other hand, Timothy understood her smile.

They had been talking about what Alissa wants to do with her life. And for the first time in a long while, she finally looked like she found it.

"But…"

All three of them looked at Amber who started speaking again.

"Do you plan on bringing more trouble for your friends over there?" she seriously asked her.

Alissa remained silent.

"You understand right? That if you insist on going those reporters would surely get wind of it. Then your colleagues would be inconvenienced by all of them. Are you sure you want that?"

Alissa meekly shook her head.

Timothy stared at them. Amber looks like an elder sister trying to console her younger sibling.

She had this patient look that was in complete contrast with her playful one.

"Quite amazing isn't she?" just then, Jake approach him and spoke with him.

Timothy looked back at him.

"Amber I mean, she knew how to handle so many things, how to approach a certain situation. Amazing isn't she?"

Timothy chuckled upon remembering Amber praising herself about how amazing she is.

He rejected her praise but now…

"Indeed, she is indeed an amazing person. In so many ways."

"I hope she is not troubling you so much though, she is a bit of a handful when she really starts," Jake chuckled as he said this.

"It was frustrating at the start but anyone would get use to it. She is not like those who is a handful that wouldn't even think about the situation," he replied honestly.

"I also forgot to thank you for giving Alissa a chance, a chance to explore more. Most companies didn't want to for she was still a famous person, they didn't want the trouble," he then said looking back at him.

"I was also skeptical at first but Alissa showed how hardworking she is and was not even throwing her weight around."

"We really are worried about her, she's like a falling leaf, going along with the wind. Not having a specific place to stop. And seeing how she is really enjoying this now, we are very much sure that she was indeed into the course she took during her university."

"We always hear her say that she wanted this and that she wanted that but it will always be because of this and because of that, not once have we heard that it was because she just wanted it."

He looked back at Timothy who also looked at him.

"The course was also because she wanted to help Amber in her entertainment company but somehow not that she experienced what it was doing, she actually found it entertaining enough that she didn't want to stop."

"I can see that, the way she became frustrated when I told her about our agreement," Timothy replied amusedly.

"Because this is the first time she actually found something so fun she didn't want to stop even when she was sick," Jake shook his head as he said helplessly.

"Just like a fish in the water," Timothy added.

"Thank you," Jake once again thanked him suddenly.

"About what this time?"

"For watching over her, the reason you came here was because you really are wondering right? She was just sick a few days ago, now she's included in a scandal," Jake said.

Timothy didn't reply when he realized it he was already right in front of the company.

"Her colleagues are also worried about her," he then said.

"Please pass my thanks then," was all Jake said, his tone not buying his reason

Timothy remembering what he and Amber talked about looked at Jake seriously.

"You knew of her revenge, you know how dangerous it would be…"

Then he stopped. He didn't know how to ask it.

Why are you still staying by her side?

Why are you still helping her?

Why are you putting yourselves in danger?

What is it in her that you were able to trust her so much?

"You want to know why we are still here? Simple it is because she never hid anything from us, her revenge, who she will take down, who she is, what is the reason."

"Though she is keeping quiet at how much she progressed with her preparations," he laughed upon saying this.

"She didn't hide how dangerous it would be and gave us a choice, will we help her or not? At the same time she also didn't pressure us, we can help her or not."

"And you chose to help her?" Timothy asked.

"We did, because somehow, setting our connections aside. She was someone whom you would want to help no matter what. No one would really be able to tell you the reason behind this."

"That's just how it is, we choose to trust, we choose to love, we choose to care, not because of a certain reason but because of so many reasons and at times, it is just what your heart says."

"If we get betrayed, if we were not loved or cared for in the end, we would surely get hurt but at the very least we didn't hate. At the same time we would get stronger."

"That's how she became stronger as well. She had so many companions who died but she still learnt how to get back up, that's why she can still stand right in front of us. She can still smile and be happy."

"Not because she forgot about them but instead she knew without getting back up, nothing will change, you will remain in misery, in sadness. If asked, do you really want to remain that way? Feeling sorry for yourself? About things you could have done or could have not done?"

"Life is too short for that, that was how she had always been, they can never return so you could only move forward. Just like a train ride, it is finally their stop while yours is still far ahead."

He looked at Timothy, "Go live your life, it is yours and yours alone. It is not something others should decide for you."