Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 54

These past few days, Ines had been relieved from her banking errands as Amelia assigned her back to the task of spot-checking accounting documents - still a rather low-skilled job. But Ines didn't complain; she accepted her tasks with a calm demeanor.

Right before lunch break, Jaime suddenly came in to check on the work progress. Ines was so focused she didn't even notice there was a person standing behind her until she heard a voice.

"Hey Jaime." Ines stood up to greet him.

Jaime nodded, glanced at the work in her hands, and frowned slightly, "This is all you've been doing these past few days?"

Ines got up with a smile, dodging his question. "Actually, I feel pretty fulfilled. Some of this stuff I was a bit rusty on, so doing it again feels like I'm learning a lot." Jaime knew this was just Ines being polite and rubbed his forehead in slight annoyance, "You were recommended by Aaron, as his trusted sidekick. He's been looking forward to you joining us, and you're a priority to cultivate. It's a waste to have someone with your experience doing an audit assistant's job, it shows a lack of confidence in your ability."

Ines blinked in surprise, "Aaron Swanson wrote a recommendation letter for me?"

She had no idea about this. Ever since Aaron confessed his feelings, she felt awkward around him and hadn't contacted him since she arrived in A City. She hadn't expected him to write a recommendation letter for her. Jaime shook his head with a smile and an unspoken admiration in his eyes, "It's typical of Aaron to do things quietly. He's got a lot of connections in A City, so as long as you're in this field, he'll know your whereabouts." It was clear that he and Aaron were close.

Ines finally understood, feeling a bitter sweetness in her heart. She couldn't respond to his kindness anymore.

Jaime went straight into Amelia's office. Seeing his serious demeanor, Ines couldn't help but feel helpless. It seemed Amelia was in for a rough time.

She could guess Amelia's feelings towards her, probably worried she might take her place.

To be honest, Ines wasn't that ambitious. She was just a restless person looking for something to do.

As Jaime left, her colleagues started to gather around, "Wow, Ines, you've been keeping a pretty low profile. So young and yet with years of experience."

"Having you do an audit assistant's job is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"No wonder you could complete so many bank confirmations in just two days."

"Jaime seemed pretty upset. Ms. Young is in big trouble now."

Some were gloating, others showed pity. Ines just smiled.

Inside Amelia Young's office.

Jaime sat on the sofa, Amelia poured him a glass of water, and sat opposite him, "What brings you here today?"

Jaime didn't look happy, "Amelia, you're not usually petty, so I don't understand why you're being so shortsighted this time. I told you when Ines came, but you had her doing audit assistant work. You're a veteran, surely you understand basic task delegation."

Amelia looked surprised, "Did she complain to you?"

Jaime shook his head, "You're overthinking; I noticed it myself. Ines seems like a hard worker, she didn't even notice me standing behind her for ages. If I hadn't come today, I might not have noticed

how you're treating the person I hired with a high salary."

"I'm not used to working with strangers. If she wants to be my partner, she has to earn my trust. I need to observe her for a while longer," Amelia stated firmly.

Jaime said, "I don't know what to say to you anymore. Look at your dark circles. You're a woman; you don't need to be this workaholic, and so serious. Delegate some of your work to others so you can spend more time with your family. That's what you should be doing right now. The issues at home are directly related to your work attitude; you should reflect on yourself and not treat work like it's your life."

Jaime saw Amelia's face change and quickly stopped talking. He had a helpless feeling towards his subordinate, and a bit of sympathy. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

She was good at her job, but too stubborn, career-oriented, and didn't understand how to care for her family.

Most men liked gentle and mature women, so how could they stand someone so strong-willed for long?

"If that's what the director wants, I'll do it," Amelia said calmly.

Jaime looked at her, not sure if his words had sunk in. He sighed, "Amelia, it's best if you can understand. I might be your boss, but I'm also your friend. I've seen you come a long way over these years, and I just hope you can sort out your personal life without letting it affect your work, or using work to torture yourself."

He paused before adding, "I may have been a bit harsh just now, don't hold it against me. I've been holding these words back for a long time, and took this opportunity to say it all. You should think it over. Only when both career and family are successful can one be considered a winner in life."

"I know, I'll handle it," Amelia Young nodded.

Having said all he needed to, Jaime didn't say anything else. He just left after saying goodbye to Ines.

As soon as he left, Ines' phone rang. It was Amelia calling her to her office. She pointed at a pile of documents on the table, "After you finish your current tasks, take over these. Look it over, if there are no questions, you can leave."

Ines stared at the pile of work materials with a little dismay. It was clear this was no longer just simple grunt work but tasks that were meant to be on Amelia's plate, and now they were dumped onto her. She asked a bit uncertainly, "Am I supposed to do all these?"

Amelia gave her a sarcastic glance, "Isn't this what you wanted? Losing your nerve now?"

Ines shook her head, "No problem, I'll get it done."

She opened her mouth to say something, but swallowed her words seeing Amelia's cold demeanor. She knew she was misunderstood, but she really didn't know how to explain herself.

Sometimes, explaining didn't always make people believe her, and it was better to keep mum.

She sighed silently. It seemed that sometimes, attention from the boss wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Amelia was already biased against her, and now her impression of her was probably worse.