Bitter & Sweet
The Part 44
Chloe pulled her hand out of Matthew's grip, but in vain, as Matthew tightened his grip, and held her on his lap.
"Chelle! ... Do you still intend to stop being my assistant?" matthew, suddenly.
Chloe was silent for a while, while recalling the job vacancy as an assistant offered by the President of JT Corp, a company engaged in retail business.
"Yes, I think so ... I want to try a new experience, by working in a different place" Chloe replied.
Matthew then turned to the side, and looked at Chloe fixedly. "Do you have a plan for where you're going to work?"
"Yes ... There is an offer to work as an assistant. And most likely I will accept it" Chloe replied, again.
"Isn't it still the same job?!" mathew said, as if he could not believe what he heard.
"True you," said Chloe, then pulled her hand from Matthew's grip which felt a little loosening, then continued to say,
"But it's an open company. So in my opinion, the atmosphere while working there will definitely be much different, when compared to the working atmosphere at McLean property....
... In addition, the officials who served there, and who offered me a job, also I have known for a long time. So I guess, I won't have any trouble adjusting to that place."
"Aren't you going to change your mind?"
Matthew seemed to be unconscious again if they were in the cinema room, until he raised his tone when he asked Chloe.
Suddenly, almost all the visitors who were in the room to watch it, then looked at Matthew and Chloe, while giving a sign that Matthew was not noisy in there.
Matthew, visibly riled up, stood up from his seat and seemed to be trying to walk out, holding onto the seatback lined up there.
Seeing that, Chloe immediately stood up and caught up with Matthew.
"Why are you following me?" Matthew yells at Chloe, until the eyes of the people in the room return to him and Chloe.
Chloe then pulls Matthew's shirt collar, with both hands. And when Matthew was a bit down, Chloe then whispered in his ear.
"It was your attitude, which made me choose to stop working at McLean property."
Chloe then removed her grip from Matthew's shirt collar, but Matthew kept his head down and brought his face closer to one side of Chloe's face.
"If I were nice to you, would you survive being my assistant?" matthew asked, whispering in Chloe's ear.
Chloe knew, if she immediately denied Matthew, then Matthew would probably lose control and make a fuss there.
Thus, Chloe simply fell silent, while helping Matthew walk over, so that they could quickly get out of that viewing room.
After they were outside the movie theater, and Matthew was getting ready to get in the car, Chloe then said,
"You don't have to bother with pretending to be nice. Because I've made up my mind to stop being your assistant."
"Chelle! ... I like you! I don't want anyone else to replace you by my side!" said Matthew.
"Pffit...!" Chloe laughed as she hurriedly covered her mouth with the back of her hand, then let out a long sigh. "Please, Sir! ... Don't say no!"
"What do I have to do to prove it?" matthew asked, sounding like he was talking seriously.
Matthew likes Chloe? Seriously? That's not to be trusted by Chloe.
Because according to Chloe, Matthew who does not like to be touched by strangers, would only find it difficult, when he had to work with others who would later replace Chloe.
Still coupled with Matthew's temperamental attitude, which magnifies the possibility of Chloe's successor to betray him, will certainly only worsen Matthew's crisis of confidence.
Just imagining all the possibilities when Chloe was replaced by someone else, of course, can make Matthew tired.
Thus, it was no wonder, if Matthew wanted to let go of his frustration, just to talk to Chloe.
Chloe shook her head and almost laughed, helping Matthew into the car.
After closing the door, Chloe then rushed into the car from the opposite side, then said,
"You can't possibly expect me to believe it, right?!"
"You're just being nice to me, that's already very surprising. Moreover, until you say that you like me?!
... Nevermind! Don't try to make me laugh! Because you're not talented to be a comedian."
"Chelle! ... I'm not playing around!" matthew said, with his voice rising, but Chloe did not want to think about it, and instead shifted their conversation.
"Where are you going now?" chloe asked who had started driving, pulling the car out of the parking lot of the movie theater.
"I hate you!" matthew said, then turned his face away, and looked out the window beside him.
"Pff.ht...! That's what I believe" said Chloe, laughing.
"I'm not going to give you a recommendation" Matthew said.
"It's okay. Without your recommendation, I would still be accepted to work there. Because the company's top brass asked me directly" said Chloe, with a big smile.
From the end of her eyes, Chloe could see that Matthew was now staring at Chloe, and looked furious.
"If I find out which company asked for you, then I will pressure that company, so that they cancel your acceptance there....
... I'm not gonna sign your resignation, and I'm gonna hold your last paycheck either." Matthew was threatening Chloe.
"Hm ... I know people in state government offices, who can take care of the rights of the workforce. So, you'll just do the pointless thing, because I can definitely handle it."
Chloe who remained unwilling to lose, and spoke up against Matthew with a wide smile, seemed to be able to make Matthew completely inflamed.
"Cloe!" matthew said, with his voice rising. "Then, I'll say it to daddy."
"Please! ... You're still a kid who needs help from your parents" said Chloe hurriedly, then laughed out loud.
Matthew seems to feel very anxious about Chloe's behavior as if just mocking him, until he suddenly pinched one of Chloe's cheeks.
"Auch! ... That's hurt!" Chloe grimaced in pain, while brushing aside and avoiding Matthew's hand. "What do you do? ... That's dangerous! I was driving!"
"Stop the car now!" matthew said, stern and sounding serious.
Fortunately, Chloe was driving at only moderate speed, so she didn't have much trouble pulling her car to the side of the road, according to Matthew's sudden direction.
"Chelle! ... Why don't you reconsider? I'm not even being rude to you anymore....
...I am no longer demanding that you stay away from David, even though I am very upset to see him still trying to get close to you....
... Then what's the reason? There's no way you're asking me to believe that you only remember my abusive actions in previous times" Mathew said at length.
While looking at Matthew, Chloe snorted softly, then said,
"The sir! ... You want to know the reason why I chose to keep moving to work, even though it feels like I've told you before....
...To be honest, it is true because your behavior was the first to trigger the idea for me to try a new job. But for the next, it was the result of my repeated thinking....
... I think if I try to work somewhere else, it's the best for me. In addition to adding experience, maybe I can also learn something new there."
"So you'll stick with your stance?" matthew asked, as if he still couldn't believe Chloe's statement.
"Yes," Chloe replied, briefly.
This time, Matthew seemed to let out a long sigh, and exhaled slowly, as if he could indeed accept Chloe's decision.
"If it is in accordance with your original plan, it means that the remaining time is no more than 2 weeks. You better help me prepare your replacement."
After he finished talking, without waiting for a response from Chloe again, Matthew then immediately turned his face away, and looked towards the window beside him.
"Good, Sir!" sahut Chloe, give the certainty. "Where are you going now?"
"I'm planning on having dinner out with you. But I don't know where the good restaurants are, which we can visit without any reservation needed" Matthew replied, while still looking out the window.
"I can make reservations at Mister Nathan's restaurant. But there's a dress code, so we have to go home first to change."
Chloe spoke while watching the rearview mirror, to get her car on the highway crossing, among other road users.
"We go to the shopping center first! ... Since there was still time to shop, I wanted to buy something there" Matthew said.
"Good, Sir!" sahut Chloe's.