The sound of the waves splashing against the shore, the clear blue sky, and the calm breeze are vivid in Mia's memory. She is just a little girl, standing barefoot on the warm sand, when she hears his voice.
"Mia, promise me... when we get older, you'll marry me!" he says, so seriously it makes her giggle.
Without thinking twice, she answers, "I promise!"
For a moment, everything feels perfect — simple, like the world is theirs. But the memory slips away like a dream, swallowed by the blaring crash of an alarm clock.
BRRRING! BRRRING!
Mia shoots upright, her heart pounding against her ribs. Her breath catches as she panics, realizing that she's late.
"Crap! I'm late for work!" Panic surges through her as she scrambles out of bed. The day's chaos crashes down around her, but it's familiar—something she's become used to.
She quickly pulls on her clothes, grabs her things, and rushes out the door. The morning is a blur of rushing through streets and catching the bus. In no time, she's at the office building, her heart still racing.
Mia works for one of the biggest fast food companies in the country, MD Fast Food — or MDFF for short. She's part of the Sales and Marketing team as an assistant graphic designer. As much as she tries to focus on the job, one thought always lingers: Ben Mercado. The mysterious guy who seems to dislike her for reasons she doesn't fully understand.
But today, she thinks, it'll be just another ordinary day.
That is, until she steps into the office... and everything changes.
By the time she stumbles into the office, breathless, Mia casts a desperate glance at the clock. She's not late. Not yet, anyway. The team leader hasn't even arrived.
Plastering a bright smile across her face, she calls out, "Good morning, everyone! Good morning, Jay!"
Jay looks up from his desk and grins. "Hey, Mia!"
Mia continues her rounds, trying to maintain her composure, stopping briefly at Ben's desk. "Good morning, Ben," she says, trying to sound casual. But he barely glances up, giving a curt nod. His indifference stings, and she mutters under her breath, "Such a snob," before moving on. She can't help it. It's always like this with him.
"Good morning, Jell—" she starts to say, but Jella's desk is empty.
Before Mia can wonder where Jella is, a frantic voice slices through the air.
"Mia! Mia! Mia!"
Mia jumps, spinning around to find Jella rushing toward her, her face as pale as paper. Jella's wide, terrified eyes send a ripple of unease through Mia's stomach.
"Jella, you scared me!" Mia gasps, clutching her chest. Her pulse quickens, worried something serious has happened.
Jella grabs Mia's arms, her fingers trembling.
"Bad news! Really bad news!"
Jay quickly steps in, his voice steady. "Jella, breathe. Calm down first."
Jella inhales a shaky breath.
"Mr. Wang... he resigned yesterday. He's moving to New York with his fiancé!"
Mia stares at her, stunned. She hadn't expected this. She doesn't want to believe it.
"Wait, what? Are you serious?"
Her heart sinks. Mr. Wang had been the heart of their team — kind, generous, the kind of leader you actually wanted to work hard for. The thought of him leaving feels like a punch to the gut.
"It's such a shame," Mia whispers, trying to hold back the sudden rush of emotion. It's hard to process that someone she respected so much is leaving so unexpectedly.
Jella nods, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I can't believe it. It's such a loss."
Before Mia knows it, they're both sniffling, clinging to each other like kids on the first day of school. This news hits hard. The team won't be the same without Mr. Wang. The thought of it makes Mia's stomach churn with uncertainty.
Jay, ever the calm one, offers a soothing voice.
"Let's be happy for him. He deserves it."
Mia swipes at her tears, managing a shaky smile. "Yeah... you're right." She wants to believe that, but it's hard. She feels like everything is changing too quickly.
Just then, the office door creaks open.
Mr. Diaz — their CEO and the son of the chairman — strolls in with his usual easygoing charm. His presence always lightens the mood, but today, Mia feels the heaviness in the air.
"Good morning, everyone!" he calls out.
They all stand up quickly.
"Good morning, Mr. Diaz!"
He chuckles, but there's an underlying seriousness in his tone as he adds, "Relax, everyone. No need to act like I'm royalty every time I walk in."
The playful glint in his eyes fades as he grows serious.
"As you've probably heard, Mr. Wang has resigned for personal reasons. We all admired him greatly, and his departure leaves a big hole in our team. But," he continues, "life moves on. And so must we."
He pauses, letting the weight of his words settle. Mia's heart is still heavy, unsure how to feel.
"Today, I'm pleased to introduce your new team leader. Please welcome Kevin Garcia from our suburban office."
The door swings open again. Mia's stomach tightens as a tall figure enters.
And in walks Kevin Garcia, flashing a bright, professional smile.
"Good morning, everyone," Kevin says confidently. "I'm Kevin Garcia, and I'm excited to work with all of you. Let's do our best together."
Mia's heart drops into her stomach.
Kevin Garcia?
Her new team leader?
Mia freezes, her mind struggling to catch up. No way... this has to be a nightmare. Kevin Garcia — the same guy she had a complicated past with — is now standing there... as her new boss?