Office Diaries

"Yummm…" Jay crowed as soon as their food arrived. 

Regardless that he and Marian ate here just a week ago, he couldn't help his mouth from watering, anticipating his early dinner. He really loved the food here. Marian was the same, or so he thought. Glancing at the lady in question, he noticed that she wasn't as enthusiastic about the food as he was and he sighed. Maybe this big sister was sulking because he had laughed when he was told that she resigned. 

"Big Sis, you're not angry at me right?" he asked and watched as she turned to him with sad eyes.

"You might be thinking that I'm kidding. I'm not," she told him seriously, and the secretary gave up. 

There was no sense arguing with a pregnant woman, he realized. He just decided to humor her.

"Well, if you've already decided, then there's nothing I can do about it," he said as he twirled the pasta with his fork. "So when are you planning to resign?"

"Jay Co," Marian called his name as she gave him a pointed look. "You're not listening to me again. I didn't say I will resign. I said I resigned, which meant I already submitted my resignation letter and won't be reporting to work tomorrow."

"No shit," Jay retorted as he blinked several times absorbing the other's words. "But big sis, that's too sudden! Shouldn't you give the office some notice— some time to find someone who'll replace you first before you leave?" he asked hurriedly.

He couldn't just let her leave like that. "What about the president? What about me?" he continued and if possible, his big sis' smile turned more melancholic.

"Jay Baby, today is my last day. I cited emergency resignation due to health reasons. I can't continue working there anymore," she told him and the young man suddenly felt desperate. 

"But Sis that's unprofessional!"

"I know," she answered him with that self-derisive laugh which made him worry more. "There's no difference anyway. For the past month, I've been such a mess at work. I mix up doc.u.ments, and I forget to relay important messages. I've been very unprofessional. I don't deserve my position anymore."

"But – " Jay wanted to protest some more but she shook her head.

"No more Little Bro. Don't try to change my mind anymore. I've already decided. Besides," she paused. "It hurts working there. I'm not happy with my job anymore."

Seeing as Marian's thoroughly upset, Jay decided to shut his mouth and started eating. He still continued to glance at her from time to time though. 

"What about the baby?" he asked softly afterwards. Without a job, how could she support her child? 

"Have you turned senile, Jay Baby? Have you forgotten my family background?" she asked him teasingly, and jay mentally kicked himself.

How could he have forgotten? Marian James was a real-life princess. She's the only daughter of Arcus Iris International's chairman and founder. He forgot that she was only working as a PA for the experience. She would have to return to her family's company to work sooner or later. 

"But the father… the father might want to support his child too," he stated and her eyes widened for a split second before they settled and she looked away.

Jay wondered if she already finally remembered how she ended up pregnant. She had never talked about it with him again. 

"It's okay Jay, my baby and I will be fine. I don't want anything from his father except friendship and his happiness," she said softly as her eyes misted and it was Jay's turn to look at her with wide eyes. 

"Big Sis, you remember now? You remember who the father of your baby is?" he asked and she nodded.

'Great! So it means it will be fine to tell the president about his condition', Jay thought just as she spoke again.

"Yes, I remember now. There's no need to hide it anyway as I remember, I was the only one drunk that night. Please don't blame yourself, little brother," she said and he frowned.

"Why would I blame myself?" he asked and she raised a brow at him.

"Stop grilling me Jay Co. I'm just saying that even if this is your baby, you don't have to worry about it," she announced sounding very much annoyed that she'd been forced to speak the fact aloud.

"Excuse me?" the secretary asked, unsure if he heard the other correctly making her more annoyed.

"Jay Co, you stupid donut! I said I know you're my baby's daddy!" 

"EH?" 

Dear God in heaven just what did I do? 

Jay's jaw dropped in shock before his eyes rolled backwards, his body sliding sideways from his chair and then dropping on the floor on a dead faint as he g.r.o.a.n.e.d. 

"Why is the daddy me?"

===

The hallway was dark, saved for the light at the end. Following it, he realized the light was coming from a partially opened room. As he came nearer, he could hear the tinkling sound of a music box playing to the tune of Brahms's Lullaby. Curiosity winning over him, Jay pushed the door so it would open wider as he stepped inside. 

The interior, with its walls filled with dozens and dozens of multicolored stuffed animals told him that this was a child's haven— and he was right. On the far side of the room sat a white crib with a colorful mobile dangling above it, revolving as it made noise. Now he knew where the lullaby was coming from.

But why am I here?

He wondered as he looked around the room once more just as a figure in a frilly white robe moved at the corner of his eye and he turned to look. Marian walked towards the crib as she glanced at him with a shy smile on her face. 

"You're back, Jay," she called softly as she bent over the crib to retrieve a moving bundle which he noticed was a baby.

"Big Sis?" Jay almost choked on the name, his eyes bulging as she once again threw him a shy smile. 

"I told you not to call me Big Sis anymore— not when we already have a child," she continued coyly making his eyes wider, his face turning pale in his horror. 

"It's not mine! I didn't do anything! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!"

At a hospital nearby, a young man was writhing on a bed trapped in a bad dream. 

"No…not me…not meeeee," he g.r.o.a.n.e.d in his slumber and Ken Park sighed as he reached out and tapped the man on the cheek to wake him up.

"No! It's not me!" Jay screeched as he opened his eyes and sat up. 

Upon seeing the vice president, the distraught secretary jumped from the bed and enveloped the other man into a desperate hug. 

"Big Bro, I didn't do it. I'm innocent!" he wailed while the other tried to shake him off.

"Jay Co, get a hold of yourself," Ken snapped as he pushed the other away from him. 

The secretary was way taller than him and it was awkward that the same tall person was clinging to him now like a baby. 

"What's going on?" another voice asked and Jay visibly cringed. Susie had joined them in a few seconds, walking towards them as she turned from her lover to the secretary. "What?" she prompted again and Ken sighed. 

"Like what I've been saying these past few days – I don't know," he answered as he gave the secretary a pointed look.

"I didn't do it," Jay promptly answered which made the other sigh once more. 

"Jay, we've been called here by a frantic Marian a couple of hours ago saying you'd collapsed," the vice president informed him which made him look around him as if searching for someone. "She went home already. She shouldn't be staying here in her condition," Ken explained and his eyes danced in amus.e.m.e.nt when the secretary visibly relaxed. 

He reckoned the PA did something outrageous again making the poor guy like this.

"Thank God," Jay stated as he extricated himself from Ken.

"What happened? Why did you collapse?" Susie asked and Jay placed a hand on his heart as he breathed in and out audibly. 

"Marian nearly killed me in shock," he announced making the couple chuckle at his antics. "She's got another harebrained idea of her child's paternity."

"Why? Who did she say the father of her baby is this time? Martians?" Susie teased. 

They all still hadn't recovered from Marian's "immaculate conception" idea, and it seemed she came up with something ridiculous again. But her smile vanished upon seeing the seriousness of the younger man's face.

"Not Martians," Jay deadpanned. "Me. She's now thinking I fathered her child," he continued.

"WHAT?" the couple chorused in shock and the other nodded solemnly. 

"Exactly," Jay said wearily. "I really hate to b.u.t.t into the president's and her business, but as seeing as those two idiots happily drag me into their woes time and time again, I guess I will really have to meddle. I had just about enough."

"Poor you," Susie nodded sympathetically. "So what do you have in mind?" she queried, and she and Ken watched as the secretary's jaw clenched, his eyes turning into slits as his mouth thinned into a determined line. 

"Desperate times call for drastic measures. I will happily tell them the bottom line myself," Jay answered, and the others could only open their mouths in an 'O' as they nodded.