“Okay, I’m on point!”
Sava stood in front of the large mirror in her bedroom, turning from side to side. Both hands busily smoothed out the blazer she was wearing, making sure there wasn’t a single wrinkle showing.
Then she leaned closer to the mirror. Her lipstick was perfect. Not too red. Not too pale. Natural, but still gorgeous. Sava nodded in satisfaction.
“Lipstick: totally natural, but still gorgeous.” She pointed at her own lips with her index finger. “My skirt isn’t too short, right?” Sava looked down and checked the length of her skirt one more time. “This feels just right to me.” She looked back at the mirror, both hands on her hips. “Pretty.” Sava winked at her reflection. “Smart.” One finger rose again. “Competent.” Her smile slowly faded. “Unemployed.” Sava froze. “…” She quickly shook her head. “No.” Sava pointed at her own reflection with a serious expression. “Job seeker.” She nodded. “There. Much classier.” Sava grabbed her bag from the bed and slipped her phone inside.
“But seriously, Nayla is insane…” She stopped in front of the door. “I’m going straight into an interview with the CEO.”
Sava hugged her bag to her chest. Worry began to show on her face. “And according to Nayla, her boss is terrifying.”
She started counting on her fingers. “Cold.” A second finger. “Mean.” A third finger. “Perfectionist.” A fourth finger. “She said if anyone’s even a minute late, he can turn them into a walking corpse.” Sava stopped. “Wait, did Nayla say that, or did I add that part?” She shrugged. “Either way, he’s scary.” Sava took a deep breath. “But stay calm, Sava.” She slapped both cheeks. “You can do this.” She opened the door. “All you have to do is sit down.” One step. “Answer the questions.” The next step. “Don’t talk too much.” Sava stopped. “Don’t embarrass yourself.” She nodded firmly. “And don’t let them find out that you’re actually still confused about what kind of work you want to do.” Sava fell silent. “…” Then she lifted her chin. “I’m a professional.”
One hour later Sava stood in the lobby of the company’s building, both hands gripping the straps of her bag. The building was far larger than she had imagined. Glass walls soared overhead, the floors gleamed, and the people passing around her all looked busy with their own affairs.
Sava looked up. “It’s huge.” Her eyes followed the building’s height until her neck nearly ached.
Then she looked at the people around her. Everyone was dressed formally. Everyone walked quickly. Everyone looked like they knew exactly what they were doing. Sava looked down at herself, then back at them.
“Why does everyone look so successful?” She sighed. “I’m successful too, I guess.” Sava nodded slowly. “At least I made it as far as the interview stage.”
A receptionist called out from behind the desk.
“Sava Kirana Larasati?”
Sava immediately turned. “Yes?” She pointed at herself to make sure. The receptionist smiled politely. “Mr. Alden is waiting for you in his office.” Sava’s smile vanished. “Now?” The receptionist nodded. “Yes, miss.” “Wasn’t I interviewing with Nayla? I mean, the HR department here?”
“I’m only carrying out my duties,” the receptionist replied with a polite nod.
“That crazy Nayla! She just turned me into lion bait in a cage!” Sava cursed as she walked. Sava glanced at the elevator, then back at the receptionist. “Mr. Alden, the…” She stopped. “CEO?”
The receptionist nodded again.
Sava drew a long breath. “Oh, God.” Her hands clenched the straps of her bag. She then headed toward the elevator. After only a few steps, Sava turned back again. “Miss?”
The receptionist looked up.
“If I don’t come back…”
The receptionist furrowed her brow.
Sava pointed at herself with a serious expression. “Please tell my mom I love her.”
The receptionist fell silent. Sava fell silent too. “I’m kidding.” She smiled awkwardly. “Just trying to break the tension.”
Sava hurried into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, she leaned her back against the wall.
“Damn.” Sava rubbed her face. “I want to go home.”
A few minutes later, Sava stood in front of a large door. The nameplate beside it made her swallow hard.
ALDEN PRADIGTA ADINATA—CEO
Sava narrowed her eyes. “Even his name sounds intimidating.”
Her hand rose. She was about to knock. It stopped. Dropped. Rose again. Stopped again. Sava sighed. “For heaven’s sake, Sava.” She massaged her temples. “You’re just here for an interview. You’re not getting married.”
Knock. Knock.
“Come in.” The deep voice from inside immediately tensed Sava’s shoulders.
She opened the door. “Good morning, sir.”
Sava stepped inside with the most professional smile she could manage. Behind a large desk, a man was reading a document. His white shirt was neat. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His desk was spotless, with not a single thing out of place. Alden didn’t answer right away. His eyes remained fixed on the document in front of him.
Sava stood a few steps from the desk. Her smile began to stiffen. “Sir?”
Only then did Alden look up. The man’s gaze immediately landed on Sava. Then slowly moved downward. Blazer. Skirt. Shoes. Then back to her face. Alden’s brow furrowed. Sava caught the expression. She instinctively looked down at her clothes. Was there a stain? No. Was her zipper undone? No. Was her skirt on backward? No. Sava looked back at Alden. The man raised one hand and pointed to the chair across from him.
“Sit.”
Sava nodded. “Yes, sir.” She walked to the chair and sat down. Carefully, Sava placed her bag beside her feet. Then she took a folder from inside it. “Here’s my résumé, sir.” Sava offered it with both hands.
Alden accepted the folder and opened the first page. Several seconds passed. Then his gaze rose again.
“Do you know the proper dress etiquette for an interview?”
Sava immediately frowned. She looked at herself.
Then she looked at Alden.
“Is something wrong?”
Alden looked her up and down once more. “Are you applying to be a PA or an LC?”
Sava froze. Her eyes widened. “…” One second. Two seconds. Then both her palms slammed onto the desk. “Wow, seriously?” Sava stared at Alden in disbelief. “This is harassment!” She immediately stood and grabbed her bag. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m not going through with this interview.” Sava had just started putting her résumé back in her bag when Alden’s voice stopped her. “Sit.”
Sava stopped. Slowly, she turned. “Sir, you just—”
Alden placed the résumé on the desk. “I didn’t touch or comment on your body.” His voice remained flat. “I was talking about your dress etiquette, Sava.”
Sava fell silent. Her jaw tightened. Thousands of words crowded her mind, desperate to get out.
Can’t you say things without using comparisons that make people want to throw a chair at you?
However, Sava eventually took a deep breath. She sat back down, with slightly more force than before.
Alden opened her résumé again. “The position you applied for is personal assistant.”
Sava crossed her arms over her chest. Alden continued as he read the résumé.
“You’ll meet clients, attend meetings, receive guests, and work in a professional environment.” Alden looked up. “I’m evaluating whether your appearance is appropriate for the workplace.”
Sava nodded stiffly. “Yes, sir.”
Alden raised an eyebrow.
Sava immediately changed her expression. “Absolutely, sir.”
Alden returned to the résumé. “Sava Kirana Larasati.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re a psychology graduate?”
Sava nodded. “Yes.”
Alden turned the page. “Why do you want to be a personal assistant?”
Sava fell silent. She had prepared an answer. But when the question came directly from Alden’s mouth, every answer she had rehearsed suddenly sounded stupid.
In the end, Sava answered honestly. “Because I don’t want to be a psychologist.”
Alden stopped turning the page. His eyes lifted. “Why?”
Sava shrugged. “There are a lot of reasons.”
“For example?” Alden asked, his face cold and expressionless.
Sava sighed. “While I was in college, I thought I’d get used to dealing with other people’s problems.”
Alden waited.
Sava fiddled with her fingertips. “But after graduating, I realized I wasn’t sure I wanted to pursue that profession.”
“So you spent four years in college just to not work in that field?”
Sava immediately looked up. “When you put it that way, it sounds like I wasted four years of my life.”
Alden stared at her impassively.
Sava raised both hands. “Sorry.”
Alden looked back at the résumé. “What did you do after graduating?”
Sava immediately sat up straighter. “Now that’s the interesting part.”
Alden raised an eyebrow.
Sava pointed to the résumé on the desk. “That’s the part I find interesting.”
Alden looked at her. “Are you conducting the interview, or am I?”
Sava fell silent. “…”
She smiled faintly. “You are, sir.”
“Continue.”
Sava nodded. “After graduating, I’ve never worked formally.”
Alden looked at her. “Never?”
“Never.”
“For an entire year?” Alden asked again, sounding surprised.
Sava nodded. “Yes.”
Alden leaned back. “So what did you do during that year?”
Sava raised one finger. “Training.”
Alden frowned. “Training?”
“Yes.” Sava pointed to the résumé. “Quite a lot of it.”
Alden opened the résumé again and looked at the section she meant.
His eyes moved down the list one item at a time. “Business communication.”
“Yes.”
“Business administration.”
“Yes.”
“Office management.”
“Yes.”
“Executive assistant training.”
“Yes.”
“Project management.”
Sava nodded. “That’s right.”
Alden turned the page. “Public speaking.”
Sava nodded again. “That’s right.”
Alden stopped reading and looked up. “Why did you take so many courses in different fields?”
Sava was quiet for a moment. This time, she didn’t immediately crack a joke. “Because I was trying to figure out what I was suited for.”
Alden looked at her.
Sava continued. “After graduating, I realized I still didn’t know what kind of work I wanted to do.” She rubbed her fingertips together. “If I started looking for a job without any experience, I wouldn’t have much to offer besides my degree.”
Alden didn’t interrupt.
“So I ended up taking several courses. I liked the ones related to administration, communication, and especially business.”
“Business?”
“Yes.” Sava began counting on her fingers. “Basic digital marketing, an introduction to business, and project management.”
Alden raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to become an entrepreneur?”
Sava shrugged. “I did once.”
“You did?” Alden asked in surprise.
“Yes.”
“And now?”
Sava shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have the capital,” Sava answered spontaneously.
Alden fell silent.
Sava nodded confidently.
“A very realistic reason.” Alden lowered his gaze again. “So during this past year, you tried out different fields?”
Sava nodded. “That’s right.”
“And now you’re applying as a PA.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Sava looked at Alden. This time, she answered without hesitation. “Because I feel that the skills I learned over the past year can be useful in this position.”
Alden lifted his gaze.
Sava began to explain. “Almost all of them can be applied directly on the job. Executive assistant training and office management are the foundation—for managing schedules, handling confidential documents, and even acting as a gatekeeper for your boss. Business communication and public speaking help bridge communication with stakeholders or represent you in meetings.” Sava paused briefly and pointed to the papers in Alden’s hand. “Project management is for handling events and overseeing special projects so they stay on schedule. Business administration helps me prepare presentation materials and analyze reports. So I wouldn’t just be an assistant who types—I could really be your right-hand person.” “And psychology…” Sava stopped.
Alden waited.
Sava pointed to her own head. “To understand people.”
Alden stared at her for several seconds. “Understand people?”
Sava nodded. “A PA isn’t just someone who manages schedules.” She pointed to the résumé. “You have a schedule. You have clients. You have employees. You have people who’ll be contacting you.” Sava leaned forward slightly. “If I can’t understand people, all I can be is a walking calendar.”
Alden fell silent.
Sava leaned back again. “And I don’t think you need a calendar.”
Alden raised an eyebrow.
Sava pointed at the desk. “You need a person.”
The room suddenly fell silent. Alden studied Sava. For the first time since the interview began, the woman didn’t sound like she was joking. There was conviction in her eyes. Alden looked back at the résumé. “You have no work experience.”
Sava nodded. “That’s right.”
“You’ve never been a PA before.”
“That’s right.”
“You’ve never worked at a company.”
Sava nodded again. “That’s right.”
Alden placed the résumé on the desk. “Then why should I choose you?”
Sava fell silent. The question changed her expression. She didn’t answer right away. Her fingers, which had been moving constantly, now rested motionless in her lap.
A few seconds later, Sava looked up. “Because I really don’t have any experience yet.”
Alden looked at her.
Sava continued in a calmer voice. “But I didn’t come here empty-handed.” She pointed to the résumé. “I’ve spent the past year learning.” Then she pointed to herself. “I know I still have a lot to learn.” Sava took a breath. “But if you give me a chance, I can learn quickly.”
Alden didn’t answer right away.
Sava waited. Then she added seriously, “And I won’t say I can do something if I actually can’t.”
Alden narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure?” Sava nodded.
“I’m sure.”
“Can you work under pressure?”
“Yes.”
“Can you accept criticism?”
“Yes.”
“Can you follow rules?”
Sava nodded. “Yes.”
“Can you work with a difficult person?”
Sava stopped. Her gaze slowly rose to Alden’s face.
Alden waited.
Sava finally nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you sure?” Sava smiled faintly. “Sir…” She pointed at herself. “I’m a psychology graduate.”
Alden said nothing.
Sava nodded firmly. “If it’s just a difficult person, I still have my training.”
For the first time, Alden’s expression shifted slightly. It wasn’t a smile. Just the faintest twitch of an eyebrow.
Sava caught it. Her eyes immediately narrowed. “You almost smiled just now, didn’t you?” Alden’s expression went flat again.
“No.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Sava eyed him suspiciously. “I’m pretty sure you did.”
Alden closed the résumé.
“Sava.” “Yes?”
“Don’t talk so much.”
Sava immediately pressed her lips together. She nodded.
Alden glanced at his watch again. Then he picked up Sava’s résumé. He read through the training section he had skimmed earlier. The various fields looked random. Yet together, they painted a picture of someone who had genuinely spent the past year trying to find skills she could use.
Alden set the résumé down. “You can start tomorrow.”
Sava froze. “…”
Alden looked up. “Is there a problem?”
Sava slowly pointed at herself.
“Me?”
Alden frowned. “Yes.”
“Starting tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Working?”
Alden stared at her for several seconds. “No. Playing.”
Sava’s eyes went wide. “You can joke after all!”
Alden closed his eyes for a moment.
Sava immediately covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
Alden opened his eyes again. “Starting tomorrow.”
Sava looked at him. Then at the résumé on the desk. Then back at Alden. “I got the job?”
Alden sighed. “If you didn’t, why would I ask you to start tomorrow?” Sava leaned back in her chair. “Oh, my God…”
Alden frowned. “What now?”
Sava covered her face with both hands. “I got hired.”
Alden looked at her. “Weren’t you looking for a job?”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
Sava lowered both hands. “I didn’t expect it.”
“Why?”
Sava pointed at Alden. “Because you looked like you didn’t like me.” Alden stared at her impassively.
“I don’t have to like you to hire you.”
Sava fell silent.
She nodded slowly. “That’s true.” Sava stood and picked up her bag. “Okay, sir. In that case, I’ll—”
“Sava.”
Sava turned back. “Yes?”
Alden glanced at her clothes. “Wear something more appropriate tomorrow.”
Sava followed his gaze. She looked at the skirt she was wearing, then back at Alden.
“Sir.” “What?”
Sava held back a smile. “Can I wear a nightgown tomorrow?” Alden closed his eyes.
Sava let out a small laugh. “I’m kidding.”
“Leave.”
Sava raised both hands. “Yes, sir.”
She walked toward the door. Her hand had already touched the handle when she stopped. “Sir?”
Alden looked up. “What now?”
Sava turned with an innocent expression. “Are you always that harsh when you talk?”
Alden looked at her. “Leave, Sava.”
Sava snickered. “Yeah, yeah.” She opened the door. But before she could actually leave, her mouth started moving again. “You’re really harsh. Aren’t you afraid you’ll age faster?”
Alden immediately raised his head. “I heard that.”
Sava froze. Slowly, she turned around. “You heard me?”
“Yes.”
Sava smiled stiffly. “Your hearing is excellent.”
“Leave.”
Sava nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”
The door closed. As soon as she was outside, Sava leaned her back against it. Her eyes closed. One hand pressed against her chest. “Insane.” She let out a long breath. “I was only in there for fifteen minutes.” Sava opened her eyes. “And I already want to quit.” She immediately took her phone from her bag and searched for Nayla’s name. The call hadn’t even connected before Sava canceled it. “No.” She shook her head. “I’ll just text her.” Her thumb moved quickly. Sava: NAYLA. Message sent. Sava: YOUR BOSS IS INSANE. Sent. Sava: He asked if I wanted to be a PA or an LC. Sava stopped typing. Her face flushed again as she remembered Alden’s words. “Jerk!” She started typing again. Sava: I hope he runs into a cockroach every day. Nayla’s reply came in. Nayla: You got the job? Sava frowned. Sava: Unfortunately, yeah.
Nayla didn’t reply again. Sava walked away, her annoyance plainly visible on her face.