Chapter 36
ASHAL
"Welcome sir." Everyone chimes as I make my way into Rollins Media. It’s been days since I’ve worked directly from my office. When I step in, there are gifts and flowers from different departments festooning my desk and sofas. The copywriting team left me a brand new hoverboard. The marketing team stocked my personal fridge with my favorite drinks and snacks. Tears glisten in my eyes at the show of love from my employees.
"Thank you so much guys. You didn’t have to."
"No, but we wanted to." Elyon, my creative lead quips. He beams at me. "We’re glad to have you back sir, hale and hearty."
I pat my eyes dry. "Okay. Enough now. Let’s all get back to work. We have a major campaign coming up. I need great ideas. There will be juicy rewards for the team that knocks this right out of the park."
Everyone coos with excitement as they retreat to their working desks. I sink into my chair and take a deep breath. Gosh, it feels good to be back.
Remote working is not my style. I love the power and control that only emanates from my high-back executive chair. I love hearing the hum of activity from the bull pen filtering in through my half open door.
I love the clomp of my secretary’s shoes over the tiles as she comes to reel out my schedule for the day. I love imagining lunch breaks in the staff cafeteria and eating with everyone.
We are like a family here. We are nothing like the HQ where everyone walks with an imaginary status symbols embellished on their forehead. Here, there’s no power tussle, just a family and their leader.
I am glad I dragged myself out of bed today. I need the distraction. With a lot of faces milling around me, it will be a while before I recall my dead child or Olivia’s bruised body. I’ll feel less likely to commit self-harm with so many people around. When I get my head straight with a few hours of deep work, I’ll go see Olivia.
Just after two meetings with all my team leads trying to strategize for the next quarter, I settle back into my office to prep for lunch when an expected visitor beams at me from the door.