Deep down, it was just an excuse to comfort James. Even Jacob was taken aback and thrown into a
loss. He didn't know what to do at that moment.
Various thoughts and scenes flashed through his mind all at once. He calculated every possibility and
recalled everyone's face when suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
Without wasting any more time, he called his assistant Cindy.
"I'm in the meeting room. I need to see you right now." Although Jacob's tone was calm, his words still
sounded like a threat.
So, after the call ended, Cindy rushed to the meeting room, without a single halt just to get there as
soon as possible.
The other employees who saw her run with all her might were aroused in awe and admiration. True
enough, it was not really easy to be an assistant of the CEO.
Cindy was panting when she reached the meeting room. After gathering up her breath and fixing
herself, she knocked on the door.
"Come in," Jacob invited in a calm tone. This scene seemed to be a déjà vu, but he couldn't point out
exactly when this happened before.
"Mr. Jacob, what can I do for you?" Cindy asked eagerly after stepping foot inside.
"I want to ask you something, and I expect you'd give me an objective and fair answer." Jacob looked
at Cindy straightly as he uttered that sentence.
And as Cindy met his gaze, she knew that whatever it was, this wouldn't be easy. "Yes, sir. I will do my
best to––" She obviously wanted to show her loyalty to him.
However, before she could even finish her words, Jacob interrupted her with a gesture.
Because of this, Cindy awkwardly stood in front of him with her lips pursed into a thin line.
Jacob narrowed his eyes and stared at her for three seconds. Then, slowly, he asked, "Cindy, how
have I been treating you?"
His sharp eyes carefully observed the change of expression on her face. Even the slight twitching of
her lips wouldn't escape his sight.
Just moments ago, Cindy was extremely nervous, but upon hearing his question, she suddenly got
confused.
"Mr. Jacob, what is this for? Are you suspecting me of something?" Cindy's face was stiff. Even if she
had lost the document, Jacob wouldn't suspect her loyalty.
"No, I just want to know your opinion on how I have treated you in the past." Jacob sported a poker
face, and no one could tell the emotion in his voice.
Meanwhile, Cindy gazed at him in a daze and found no trace of any antic or gag in his face. So, for a
mere moment, she calmed down.
"You have been so nice to me, Mr. Jacob. But I don't know why you're asking me this question." Cindy
swallowed and reverted back to being nervous again.
"Since I have treated you well, then why did this happen?" Jacob frowned, feeling too painful to
address the elephant in the room.
Just now, he didn't want to admit that it was Cindy's fault, but her pitiful glance made his heart sink.
When she answered his question, she didn't even look at him. And right there and then, he confirmed
that she was really guilty.
"Sir, no. It's not what you think!" Cindy almost yelled out of panic while her face flushed in
embarrassment.
"Well, do you have any explanation? Tell me. I'd like to hear what reasons you have." With his hands
on his chest, Jacob felt the chill run down his spine.
He shouldn't have completely believed the people around him. Especially Cindy, who was in charge of
everything. The mere thought of it terrified Jacob to the core.
Initially, he just wanted to test Cindy, but he didn't expect that she was really the one to blame.
"No, sir. Please hear me out." Cindy hurried to explain her side. If she hadn't been rational, she would
have blurted it out.
"Sit down and tell me. You have a day to explain," Jacob said calmly after heaving a deep breath.
Cindy timidly sat in front of him. Because she had been standing so stiff for quite a while now, her legs
had gotten a little sore.
"What's going on?" Jacob looked out of the window blankly as he asked those words. This incident had
almost lost the company a very important order. And he was not going to lie––it made him very
disappointed. But if truth be told, he was disappointed because his trusted assistant failed him.
No one knew how Jacob felt right now, not even Cindy because he'd never let anyone see through him.
It was difficult to establish trust between two people, and once it was destroyed, the rift could never be
repaired anymore.
"Before I explain it, I want to say one more thing, Mr. Jacob. It has something to do with what happened
to the company."
Cindy's voice was very calm, as if she had expected this to happen. Or perhaps now, she finally
understood the whole story. So, she had nothing to worry about anymore.
Because the real situation might be far more complicated than what they had imagined. Moreover, this
might even cause a domino effect, which could undoubtedly hurt the company.
"I'm twenty-eight years old, and I'll be thirty next year. I'm from a rural area, and I've worked hard to get
admitted to a university in this city. People in my hometown think that I make a lot of money here."
When Cindy said this, her eyes were filled with so much loneliness. Maybe everyone wanted to be a
hero in others' eyes, but only she knew how lonely she really was.
Jacob didn't say anything but looked at her quietly. At that moment, he seemed to understand what
Cindy's difficulties were.
After all, they were the same. They both worked so hard to make others feel proud.
"Only I know how terrible my life is. I get up at five every day and take a taxi from the suburb to the
company. When I got home in the evening, it's already past eleven. Every night I'm so exhausted that I
fall asleep the second I slump on my bed. I've been living this life ever since I graduated."
Cindy smiled bitterly as she recalled what she had gone through.
Everyone had their own unique story, and Jacob knew that Cindy's life might be just the same as other
ordinary people's.
"I have persisted for seven years, and now I finally have a sense of accomplishment. I know that as
long as I work hard, my life will get better."
Cindy smiled again. This time, it was not bitter or sad anymore. Perhaps, it was a reminder of how
strong of a woman she was.
"I have lived alone for seven years. Because I'm not pretty and I'm picky, I haven't met my right partner
yet. And I've been wishing to meet someone special."
Cindy finally stopped smiling, which made Jacob feel that it was the real beginning of her story.
"Every day, I pray that I have someone to live with me. At first, I only wanted to find someone I like. But
unfortunately, I was too self-abased in college, so I didn't dare to take the initiative. When I graduated, I
got busy with my work and didn't have much time to pay attention to those around me."
Cindy paused as tears now welled up in her eyes. Until now, she still didn't have anything to brag about
her life.
"The past few years, I've been on several blind dates. You see, my family is also very anxious to have
me settle down. By now, I've become as familiar with blind dates as I am with food." Cindy lightly
chuckled at that last remark––an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
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