CHAPTER 3
The Wrong Message
My third day working at Mahendra Group started off fairly quietly.
At least, until I opened my inbox on the computer.
“Oh my God...”
I stared at the dozens of emails I had to go through.
Some were about meeting schedules, others concerned project documents, and the rest, for some reason, felt like they had been written in a language only office workers could understand.
I took a deep breath.
“Relax, Nara. You can do this.”
I started opening the emails one by one.
By around ten, I had started getting used to the rhythm of the work.
Arka still hadn’t called for me since morning, either.
Strange.
Usually, there was always something he needed to ask me every few hours.
I glanced at the door to his office.
Closed.
“Hopefully, he’s busy.”
I went back to work.
Not long afterward, Maya showed up carrying two cups of drinks.
“Here.”
I accepted one of them.
“Coffee?”
“Yep. I heard you like it.”
I smiled.
“Thanks.”
Maya sat in the chair beside me.
“So, how are things with Mr. Arka?”
I nearly choked.
“Things?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re boss and secretary.”
Maya laughed.
“I know.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Because you don’t look nearly as scared as you did yesterday.”
I thought about it for a moment.
Maybe she was right.
Arka was cold, but he had never actually been rude to me.
He’d even reminded me to eat breakfast yesterday.
I smiled faintly.
“He’s actually pretty nice.”
Maya immediately looked at me.
“There it is!”
“What?”
“I told you.”
I shook my head.
“Don’t get any ideas.”
Maya laughed and went back to her desk.
I continued working.
But that brief conversation turned out to be the beginning of a small disaster.
It was getting toward late afternoon.
Arka was in the meeting room with several people from the project team.
I got a few messages from Maya.
Maya: Want to head home together later?
I typed a reply.
Nara: Sure. But I have to finish these documents first.
Maya replied again.
Maya: Is Boss still swamped?
I held back a laugh.
I typed quickly.
Nara: Yeah. My boss is like a walking refrigerator. So cold.
I hit Send.
A few seconds later, I realized something was wrong.
The recipient’s name at the top wasn’t Maya.
I froze.
I read it again.
Then twice.
And a third time.
Arka Mahendra.
I stopped breathing.
My hand slowly rose to cover my mouth.
“Oh my God...”
I had just sent a message to my own boss.
A message calling him...
a walking refrigerator.
I stared at the screen, hoping the words would disappear.
They didn’t.
Instead, a read receipt appeared.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
“This is a dream.”
My phone vibrated.
A message came in.
From Arka.
Arka: Refrigerator?
I nearly dropped my phone.
“I’m dead.”
I immediately typed.
Nara: I’m sorry, sir. Wrong recipient.
The typing indicator appeared.
Then disappeared.
Appeared again.
Disappeared again.
I waited, my heart pounding.
Then the next message appeared.
Arka: I know.
I let out a relieved breath.
But before I could feel safe, another message came in.
Arka: But why a refrigerator?
I covered my face with both hands.
What was I supposed to say?
I could tell him I was joking.
Or pretend my phone had malfunctioned.
Or...
I wanted to resign.
I typed slowly.
Nara: What I meant was...
I stopped.
What did I mean?
What was I supposed to say I meant?
I deleted it.
Then typed again.
Nara: I mean, you seem cold.
I stared at the sentence.
Then deleted it immediately.
Too honest.
I tried again.
Nara: I was talking about the refrigerator in the office.
I frowned.
That made no sense.
In the end, I simply sent:
Nara: I’m sorry, sir. I really did send that to the wrong person.
There was no reply.
I waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
Nothing.
I started thinking that maybe Arka had already forgotten all about it.
Until the meeting room door opened.
Several employees came out.
Behind them...
Arka.
His eyes immediately found me.
I quickly lowered my head and pretended to be busy on my computer.
Don’t look at me.
Please don’t look at me.
Footsteps approached.
They stopped right in front of my desk.
I slowly raised my head.
Arka was looking at me.
His expression was as impassive as ever.
“Nara.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Come with me.”
I swallowed.
“Where?”
“My office.”
I stood, my legs feeling weak.
Maya, watching from a distance, immediately raised her eyebrows.
All I could give her was a helpless look.
I followed Arka into his office.
As soon as the door closed, I stood in front of his desk.
Arka sat down.
I waited.
He picked up his phone.
Then looked at the screen.
“Do you often call your boss a refrigerator?”
I wanted to cry.
“No, sir.”
“So I’m the only one?”
I fell silent.
Arka looked up.
I had no idea how to answer.
In the end, I told him the truth.
“I’m sorry.”
Several seconds passed.
Then something I never expected happened.
The corner of Arka’s mouth lifted.
Just barely.
But I saw it.
He smiled.
“You really are strange.”
I blinked.
“Sir?”
“That’s enough.”
Arka looked back at his documents.
“Get back to work.”
I was still standing there.
“So... you’re not mad?”
“No.”
I let out a relieved sigh.
“Thank you, sir.”
I was about to leave when Arka called me again.
“Nara.”
I turned around.
“Yes?”
“From now on...”
He paused for a moment.
“...if you want to talk about me, make sure you send the message to the right person.”
My face instantly went hot.
“Yes, sir.”
I hurried out.
As soon as the door closed, I leaned against the wall.
I clutched my chest.
My heart was pounding like crazy.
But there was one thing that confused me even more.
Why had Arka...
smiled?
And why did that smile feel so much more dangerous than his cold expression?
I didn’t know the answer yet.
What I did know was that from that day on, I never again felt safe holding my phone near Arka Mahendra.
Because one wrongly sent message was apparently enough to make our relationship change, little by little.
To be continued...