The Love That Is Taken

Karin Wants to Resign

“I won't ask you who you know from. I thought my voice was loud enough that someone heard it and then made it into gossip.”

The secretary nodded. Joshua then let out a long sigh and told of his household conflict. He was no longer embarrassed to be frank with these men. After all, he had now become a gossip headline in his own office! Telling Karin everything would probably make her heart feel a little more relieved.

Karin was stunned to hear the curses of her superiors. It turns out that his guess was wrong all along. He thought that his leader was living happily with his beautiful and wealthy wife. Hearing Jonathan's current story, he so put his pity on his boss. Suddenly the girl thought of her own fate.

“Sorry, Sir,” he said carefully. “If you so resign next week, then what about my fate?”

“You will keep working here, Karin. As secretary of director. Your job desc remains the same as before. Only your leader is different.”

“May I know, who is the replacement for Mr Jon?”

“Most likely Mr. Simon, my father-in-law. Because he is the owner of the company. But because of his health condition that has not allowed him to work hard, it could be that Theresia will be withdrawn to help here. Because in the end he is the one who will inherit his father's company.”

“Then Mr Jon will work where?”

The one asked took a long breath. His gaze glared at the ceiling of his office room. “To be clear I have no idea what to do, Rin. My priority now is to sue for divorce from Theresia and get my work done so that next week can do handover with Papa.”

“Can...ehm..., I also resigned, Sir?” ask Karin shyly.

Jonathan was astonished to hear the girl's question. “Do you follow resign?”

The girl replied in a stammering manner, “Tan..Tante Rosa recommends I work here so that I can..ehm..sent to Mr. Jon in his place. I've also been suitable to work under the Father, so.gimana, well. I... feel uncomfortable adapting again to the new boss...”.

The leader could only gawk at the answer of his secretary who felt that it did not make sense. Strange reason, he murmured in his heart. Not comfortable adapting to a new boss? Didn't he only work here for a month and a half? In fact, he got out of his old job that had been a year in his life to move here! Then he should have been used to adapting to the new leader, right?

“Today, honestly I don't understand what you mean. You have changed jobs before. It should be common to adapt to a new boss, right?”

The one being asked became dumbfounded. Rightly too, the inner girl felt astonished by herself. Why would I force myself to work for Mr. Jonathan, huh? But it doesn't feel good if you don't see him here….

Jonathan who saw his secretary unable to speak finally took the initiative to reveal other important things.

“Know, Karin. As was the custom of other conglomerates, my father-in-law had asked me to sign a treasure-sharing agreement before I married his son. It stated that I would not get any gono-gini property if one day divorced Theresia. I am only entitled to the income I receive during my time at the company. So I'm really starting from zero now..”.

“It's okay, Sir. I'm sure you'll soon find a way to get back up. I will always support Mr. Jon no matter what.”.

Suddenly Karin covered her own mouth with her hand. Crazy one! What am I anyway? Karim, Karin…. Are you not in your right mind? inner wonder. Instantly his face flushed like a boiled crab.

He then said in a firm tone, “Try to consider your decision carefully, Rin. There's still time. No hurry. I feel bad about Miss Rosa if you stop working just because you empathize with me. Now get back to work. Don't forget to find the data of the three male lawyers I asked for earlier. Who will you have lunch with?”

“Self, Sir.”

“Alright,” break up the boss quickly. “Later noon please accompany me to eat chicken penyet. We go alone without a driver.”

“Ready, Sir.”

Karin's heart flowered to hear his superior's invitation. He tried to hide it by hastily parting out of the room. Jonathan stared at his figure until it disappeared from behind the door. The girl is as good and innocent as that, she murmured inwardly. How could he have feelings for me? Don't fantasize, Jonathan. Let's go back to the real world. Get your job done, fight your wife's divorce, and rise again from your downfall!

***

“So Mr is the son-in-law of Mr Simon Hidayat, the owner of the paint factory and the leading property developer?” ask the first lawyer Jonathan visited after lunch with Karin.

“Betul. Do you know my father-in-law?”

The lawyer with the thin mustache let out a long sigh. “Pak Simon used to use the services of my late brother who also works as a lawyer, Mr. Jonathab,” he said while staring at his prospective clients with sad eyes.

“Oh, late brother Father?”

“Betul. As a result of the many civil cases that were passed on to my brother with considerable material compensation, the deceased was able to send his younger siblings including me, sir. Before he died from lung cancer, he told me to be ready to help Mr. Simon Hidayat if he needed the services of a lawyer. The guy is straight said my sister.”

“Did my father-in-law ever use the services of Mr?”

The lawyer shook his head. “Never, Mr. Jonathan. He seemed to entrust his company's cases to other, more senior lawyers. But I feel I have to carry out the trust of my late brother. Always ready to help Mr. Simon Hidayat if needed. And that is tantamount to not opposing the interests of him and his family. So regarding the divorce lawsuit that Mr. Jonathan wants to file against his daughter, please forgive.

Jonathan bit his lips in disappointment. But he tried to accept the lawyer's decision freely. He regretted that person while saying thank you. Then the lawyer led him out of his office.

It looks like Karin is sitting waiting in the lobby that is not large in size. “Come, Karin. We go,” take the boss with a gloomy look. Karin nodded and followed her superior leaving the place.

Arriving in the car, Jonathan immediately told a brief story about the lawyer's refusal to handle his case. “I'm sorry, Sir. I did not know that the person turned out to know Mr. Simon,” Karin said regretfully.

“Not your fault,” said the boss comforting his heart. “He is not on the list of lawyers the company has ever used. Who would have thought that her late brother used to work for my father-in-law.”