Chapter 28

Samuel just finished a teleconference meeting with branch leaders in several regions. Sipping the coffee available in his cup, the slant-eyed man was immediately startled by Axton's sudden arrival.

Without permission or even knocking on the door as usual, Axton walked hastily. He walked over to her, approaching the position where Samuel was sitting.

"Sir, I'm sorry if I just barged in. But there's something you need to see."

Not to mention that Ben had time to continue what he wanted to show. From the direction of the door again entered another figure who turned out to be Randa. The man threw a worried look exactly like what Axton had shown before.

"Why is your face so weird?"

"Have you checked the office news today?"

Samuel at that moment also shook her head. Since morning, he has been busy taking care of work and also meetings between branch leaders. There is no time to deal with news or gossip that is currently circulating in the office environment.

"What office news do you mean?"

"The employee whatsapp group is excited about gossip about you and Ariana."

Samuel drew her face in. He doesn't understand even more because so far he hasn't even joined any of the chat groups based on the WhatsApp application.

"What's the gossip about?"

Axton, who had been silent, now took over again. Holding out his cell phone, the man showed the news Randa meant.

"This is what Mr. Randa means. The office group is getting excited because someone is spreading photos of Mr. Samuel with Mrs. Ariana."

Samuel took Axton's cell phone. Take a close look at it yourself, then shortly give a response.

"Ariana already know about this?"

"Looks like it, sir."

"This is one office, all employees must be talking about things that are not," said Randa. "You just read the writings of your employees. You're all mocking Ariana. You've just lost lambe turah."

Samuel checked Axton's cellphone again. Read one by one the employee comments and it is true what Randa said. More accusing and gossiping Ariana which is no-no.

"Oh my gosh, why did Ariana enter Pak Samuel's resort room?

"Want to do perverts, times."

"Eh, Ariana's pretty, so it's only natural that Mr. Samuel is smitten."

"But Pak Samuel already has a wife, wow, how could he even have an affair with his own secretary?"

"It's possible Mr. Samuel didn't really love his wife. It's like in Korean dramas too. Married because of business or an arranged marriage. That's why he doesn't want to show his wife's face to us."

"Afraid of being teased. So the figure of his wife is kept a secret."

"But seriously, this is Ariana, it turns out Mr. Samuel's mistress."

"Uh, in the photo, why is Mr. Samuel carrying Ariana all kinds of things? Where are they going?"

"Want to go somewhere else, maybe."

"Could be. Who knows, because he didn't want to be found out, he took Ariana out in the middle of the night."

"But it seems that Ariana is unconscious."

"Oh, really?"

"Could it be that Ariana has often slept with Mr. Samuel?"

Samuel squeezed Axton's cellphone with eyes full of emotion. He never thought that this is the model of conversation between employees when gossiping about something that happened in the office.

"Then you saw Ariana, didn't you?" asked Samuel later.

"I think it's lunch, sir. It's a group, they are even excited about wanting to beat up Ariana in the cafeteria."

"Labrak Ariana? What the heck!"

Samuel immediately got up from her seat, without much thought and stepped out of the room.

"Sam, where are you going?" Randa shouted as soon as she saw Samuel, who suddenly strode out of her study.

"I'm going to the cafeteria," said the man.

Together with Axton, Randa followed Samuel from behind. Also curious, what will his cousin do when he arrives at the scene.

Meanwhile, Samuel, deliberately took a big step. He became worried himself and at the same time afraid that the employees would do something wrong with the woman whose status was his wife.

Sure enough, when he arrived at the cafeteria, from the outside Samuel could see a crowd of employees and female employees spilling over like a night market. The noise was clear. He also saw that in there, there was Ariana who seemed to be pointed at by one of her co-workers.

"You don't have to dodge," Clarissa said. "If there's nothing to do with anything, why did Ariana use all kinds of things to enter Mr. Samuel's room? Surely she's having an obscene relationship, right?"

"Just admit it, Ariana. You're Mr. Samuel's mistress, right?" accused Dinda, pointing right at Ariana's face.

"Who said Ariana was my mistress?"

Samuel who was already exasperated decided to immediately enter. Followed by Axton and also Randa behind him.

Instantly, the noise that had filled the room immediately turned silent. Especially when Samuel walked closer. In fact, the man bravely grabbed Ariana's wrist, then held it tightly right in front of all the employees who were there.

"Who has spread the rumor that Ariana is my mistress?" asked Samuel again. His loud voice echoed throughout the cafeteria. The man's eyes wandered. Staring intently at all the employees gathered there.

"You need to know and you need to remember, Ariana is not anyone's mistress. Not a naughty woman, let alone a bully like you accuse her of," said Samuel with emphasis. His face was clearly annoyed and at the same time excited to find his wife being the butt of almost all the employees in the cafeteria. "Ariana is my wife. The legal wife. The woman I married recently. Which means she is the wife of your leader. Besides, it's good that my beautiful wife is called a mistress!"

Ariana immediately turned around. Throwing looks of disbelief that Samuel actually announced their relationship to all the working staff at Palma.

Meanwhile, all the employees who had gathered in the cafeteria immediately jumped in surprise. Look at each other. Never expected what their boss just said.

While Dinda and Clarissa immediately got nervous themselves. Confused what to do because the two of them who previously accused and even continued to intimidate Ariana.

"Axton," Samuel called right then. "Search until you find out who dared to take a photo of me and my wife secretly while in Lembang. Also find out who was the first to spread the photo. Let me teach you an appropriate lesson for those who can't respect other people's privacy."

After giving the order, Samuel's gaze turned to another direction. The man now stared intently at Dinda and Clarissa who were standing right in front of him.

"And you two are now dealing with me. What you did before, was not the least bit tolerable."

"Sir, I beg you. Please forgive me and Clarissa," Dina squeaked. The woman's face that had been so bold now turned pale. "We both really didn't know that Ariana was Mr. Samuel's wife."

"In fact, if you don't know anything, it's better for the two of you to keep quiet. Instead of spreading fake news. Even accusing Ariana personally."

"Please forgive us both, sir." This time Clarissa joined in the begging. Hope Samuel gives a chance to forgive what they've done.

"To be honest, I personally am not the forgiving type. But if my wife wants to forgive your actions, maybe I can consider your punishment."

After those words were spoken, Samuel then grabbed Ariana's wrist. Take him out of the crowd in the cafeteria to immediately move to his office.

Even Randa and Axton also did the same thing. As soon as they saw Samuel leave, the two of them followed suit to quickly return to their respective rooms.

***

"Why are you silent?" said Samuel when she found Ariana, who had been silent all this time.

After the incident in the cafeteria, he asked his wife to enter the room. Not in the slightest allowed the woman to get out before she finished the work she was finishing.

"It's okay," said Ariana slowly.

"It's okay that woman means that there's something wrong, Ariana. It's the same as admitting I'm fine even though I'm actually not okay," Samuel chattered at length. The man seems to know the common traits that women often show.

"Don't be so sensitive."

"I'm basically sensitive. Where in the world is there a guy as sensitive as me."

Ariana chuckled. He's the laziest to serve Samuel when he's narcissistic like this.

"I'm just surprised, you can talk to all employees about our current status."

"Yeah, so what? Anyway, now or later, in the end they will know."

Ariana sighed. What Samuel said was true. It's all just a matter of time. And maybe, today is the right time for all employees at Palma to openly find out about the marital status of Ariana and Samuel. Although previously the higher-ups already knew.

"The problem is, I don't feel comfortable going to work. They must be shy about me now."

"It's still good if you're shy. If those who weren't close before pretend to be close because they want to be sycophants, how about that? Later you will be drenched."

"Drenched? What's up, Samuel?"

"That's true, isn't it? Do you lick most of it or not get wet on your body?"

Ariana wanted to swear. At a serious moment like this, her husband even had time to joke around.

"Well, you don't need to think about it, let alone dramatize it," continued Samuel. "You should be grateful that I admit that your wife is not a mistress like they accuse her of."

Samuel then finished her work. Glancing at the clock on his wrist, it was five o'clock in the afternoon. Quickly he stood up, then approached Ariana who was sitting on the sofa.

"Let us go home."

Ariana nodded. The woman then went out to her desk to get her bag and other items.

The two of them this time both entered the leader's special elevator. Just before the elevator door actually opened, Samuel immediately grabbed Ariana's hand. Friendly holding. Eager to point out on purpose to anyone they cross paths with on their way out later.

"Samuel, what are you doing hand in hand?" whispered Ariana with bulging eyes.

"So you don't get lost."

"Good grief."

"Besides asking questions. Yes, so that it looks romantic in front of other employees. We just went public."

"But I'm uncomfortable. Besides, I don't like romantic guys either."

"Gosh Ariana. You are like a physics formula, aren't you."

"Hah?"

"Yes, very difficult to understand."

"Well, you look like the lottery formula. It's really hard to guess."

Samuel chuckled, his wife might as well have answered his words.

"But, Ariana, everywhere girls like romantic boys. You're weird, you don't even like them."

"I'm not a trailer truck. That's why I don't like being towed like this."

Samuel laughed, but soon the man spoke again.

"Okay, from now on until a year from now, just get used to this."

"Do not be crazy ----"

"Stop. Don't protest."

Samuel didn't care about Ariana's protests. As soon as the elevator door opened, with a happy smile the man took his wife intimately. Passing all the employees who were passing by to immediately go to the car.