Status: Complete
The Heart Does Go On
Chapter 30 - "Why are you so happy?"
I skipped happily to Kaiba’s limousine after school on Friday. I was in a happy mood, Joey had left me alone since the encounter on Monday, and I had received little homework for the weekend. Also, I had this gut feeling that tonight was going to be a good night. I hadn’t had one of those gut feelings for a long time, so it made me feel like I was walking on sunshine.
“Why are you so happy?” Kaiba smirked, picking up on my good mood.
“I don’t know. I just am.” I smiled, jumping into the limousine.
“Today I want you back in Accounting – your father has indicated he needs someone to record all of Kaiba Corp.’s transactions into the cash receipts and cash payment journals, in order to prepare this month’s reports.” Kaiba explained to me.
“Okay.” I shrugged.
Recording cash receipts and cash payments was a daunting job, but it required little skill and thinking. Perfect job for the end of the week.
“I heard your Accounting class got the results back from your major test. How did you score?” Kaiba asked me, making small conversation.
“Um, I originally got 100%, but the teacher cross marked my paper with another teacher, who marked it down to 96%. I think I only got marked down because the other teacher was jealous that half of her class failed, but either way I can’t complain of 96%. I still got the highest mark of the year level.” I replied.
“Well done Ella.” Kaiba commented.
We discussed our schoolwork, until the limousine pulled up outside Kaiba Corp.
We waited for the elevator together, as I was going to floor 3 and Kaiba was going to floor 12.
“Ella, I want you to see me in my office before you leave tonight, okay?” Kaiba asked me, as the elevator arrived at ground floor.
“I can if you want. But the cash receipts and payments are very straightforward; I have nothing to report to you.” I replied, smiling a little.
“Ella, please. Just come.” Kaiba asked, sounded pained.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. That was a very weird comment to come from Kaiba, and I decided not to press it.
We said our short goodbyes as I departed onto the accounting floor.
***
I had nearly transferred all of the corporation’s receipts and payments into the cash journals, when Joel approached me. Joel was the only recent Accounting grad to survive the Kaiba firing cull, and that’s because he wasn’t completely hopeless. That, and he had been working for Kaiba Corp. since he was 15, he used to mail out the order confirmations as a grunt for Gozaburo.
Joel was 23, and he apparently had a small crush on me according to Dad. Apparently he always asks Dad about me, and talks about me a lot, which annoys Dad because usually Joel is apparently a good worker, but has been slacking off a bit later.
“Hey Ella, are you going to Kaiba’s office?” Joel asked me.
“Um, after work. Why?” I asked him.
“Because in about 5 minutes there’s going to be a massive walk out to Kaiba’s office to give him the details about our strike.” Joel explained to me.
“Really? I didn’t hear of any strike.” I replied.
“That’s because Kaiba’s been buddying up to you, and keeping you close by in his office. You haven’t been around to see the abuse and the mistreatment that happens around here.” Joel shrugged.
“Uh ok.” I replied, not really liking his ‘buddying up’ comment.
“But, who can blame Kaiba. You’re gorgeous.” Joel said, and I was saved by one of his friends dragging him off to Kaiba’s office.
As I looked around after all the employees had walked out, I noticed that only a fair few had walked out. Curious for more information, I left the cubicle I had been allocated to and went to my father’s office.
“Dad,” I said, walking in “I was just wondering, what’s up with this apparent strike?”
“Kids these days have no balls. It’s mostly the technological and product based departments that are going to strike on Monday, but a few of the financial departments are walking out too. They think Kaiba is doing an ill job with employee relations, they don’t know how the workforce was 20 years ago.” Dad grumbled.
I decided to keep out of this one. Whilst Kaiba was nice to me, and all I’d seen from him was he kept a firm grip on employees, maybe he was a complete prick to employees.
“Feel free to go though. I know you won’t be striking, but seeing employees confront an employer can be quite interesting.” Dad said, and I quickly ran out.
I got the lift, with many other employees up to floor 12, and was amazed at what I was seeing.
There were about 100-200 employees, all waiting around Kaiba’s office. While the floor was very spacious, the number of employees crowded in one area made things a little cramped.
Emma, Kaiba’s PA was trying to reason with the horde, I think she was saying that only a select few could go into Kaiba’s office because it did not have the capacity to hold up to 200 people.
I saw the group of people discuss who would go in to represent the needs of the employees. Finally, a group of 25 people to approach Kaiba were agreed on, while the rest would wait outside.
I made sure to stay back while I was a spectator to these events. I didn’t want Kaiba to see me and think I was going to be striking as well. After about 15 minutes of hearing angry banter between every employee willing to strike, the 25 representatives walked out of Kaiba’s office, and the group fell silent.
One of the 25 stepped forward.
“Mr. Kaiba is willing to deal with this problem tonight. He said he will send out a mass email to all employees tonight, about this strike we are proposing.” The person said.
“So do we strike Monday or not?” One person shouted.
“We may, or we may not. I propose we wait for this email and see if he is going to negotiate our requests. I think we need to create a list of all our emails so we can communicate tonight after the email is sent out.” The leader said.
“How about we move onto the conference floor and write a list of all our email addresses.” Someone suggested, and this was agreed on as the big group of people left in groups to go to the conference floor.
After about 5 minutes, floor 12 was empty once again. I approached Emma.
“Wow, that must have been a hassle to deal with.” I commented.
“Yeah, I guess it was. I feel for Kaiba though, would have been even more tough on him.” Emma replied.
“Uh, do you think it would be okay for me to go in? Mr. Kaiba did request for me to see him after work.” I asked Emma.
“I’ll page him and see.” Emma said, and pressed the button onto her intercom.
“Ella Campbell wants to come in, apparently you asked to see her?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, send her in.” Kaiba replied flatly, and I stepped into his office.
What I saw even made me feel upset. Kaiba was motionless, he held his head in his hands and no emotion was to be held on his face. He looked like a broken man. And I had no idea how to approach this situation.
“Why are you so happy?” Kaiba smirked, picking up on my good mood.
“I don’t know. I just am.” I smiled, jumping into the limousine.
“Today I want you back in Accounting – your father has indicated he needs someone to record all of Kaiba Corp.’s transactions into the cash receipts and cash payment journals, in order to prepare this month’s reports.” Kaiba explained to me.
“Okay.” I shrugged.
Recording cash receipts and cash payments was a daunting job, but it required little skill and thinking. Perfect job for the end of the week.
“I heard your Accounting class got the results back from your major test. How did you score?” Kaiba asked me, making small conversation.
“Um, I originally got 100%, but the teacher cross marked my paper with another teacher, who marked it down to 96%. I think I only got marked down because the other teacher was jealous that half of her class failed, but either way I can’t complain of 96%. I still got the highest mark of the year level.” I replied.
“Well done Ella.” Kaiba commented.
We discussed our schoolwork, until the limousine pulled up outside Kaiba Corp.
We waited for the elevator together, as I was going to floor 3 and Kaiba was going to floor 12.
“Ella, I want you to see me in my office before you leave tonight, okay?” Kaiba asked me, as the elevator arrived at ground floor.
“I can if you want. But the cash receipts and payments are very straightforward; I have nothing to report to you.” I replied, smiling a little.
“Ella, please. Just come.” Kaiba asked, sounded pained.
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. That was a very weird comment to come from Kaiba, and I decided not to press it.
We said our short goodbyes as I departed onto the accounting floor.
***
I had nearly transferred all of the corporation’s receipts and payments into the cash journals, when Joel approached me. Joel was the only recent Accounting grad to survive the Kaiba firing cull, and that’s because he wasn’t completely hopeless. That, and he had been working for Kaiba Corp. since he was 15, he used to mail out the order confirmations as a grunt for Gozaburo.
Joel was 23, and he apparently had a small crush on me according to Dad. Apparently he always asks Dad about me, and talks about me a lot, which annoys Dad because usually Joel is apparently a good worker, but has been slacking off a bit later.
“Hey Ella, are you going to Kaiba’s office?” Joel asked me.
“Um, after work. Why?” I asked him.
“Because in about 5 minutes there’s going to be a massive walk out to Kaiba’s office to give him the details about our strike.” Joel explained to me.
“Really? I didn’t hear of any strike.” I replied.
“That’s because Kaiba’s been buddying up to you, and keeping you close by in his office. You haven’t been around to see the abuse and the mistreatment that happens around here.” Joel shrugged.
“Uh ok.” I replied, not really liking his ‘buddying up’ comment.
“But, who can blame Kaiba. You’re gorgeous.” Joel said, and I was saved by one of his friends dragging him off to Kaiba’s office.
As I looked around after all the employees had walked out, I noticed that only a fair few had walked out. Curious for more information, I left the cubicle I had been allocated to and went to my father’s office.
“Dad,” I said, walking in “I was just wondering, what’s up with this apparent strike?”
“Kids these days have no balls. It’s mostly the technological and product based departments that are going to strike on Monday, but a few of the financial departments are walking out too. They think Kaiba is doing an ill job with employee relations, they don’t know how the workforce was 20 years ago.” Dad grumbled.
I decided to keep out of this one. Whilst Kaiba was nice to me, and all I’d seen from him was he kept a firm grip on employees, maybe he was a complete prick to employees.
“Feel free to go though. I know you won’t be striking, but seeing employees confront an employer can be quite interesting.” Dad said, and I quickly ran out.
I got the lift, with many other employees up to floor 12, and was amazed at what I was seeing.
There were about 100-200 employees, all waiting around Kaiba’s office. While the floor was very spacious, the number of employees crowded in one area made things a little cramped.
Emma, Kaiba’s PA was trying to reason with the horde, I think she was saying that only a select few could go into Kaiba’s office because it did not have the capacity to hold up to 200 people.
I saw the group of people discuss who would go in to represent the needs of the employees. Finally, a group of 25 people to approach Kaiba were agreed on, while the rest would wait outside.
I made sure to stay back while I was a spectator to these events. I didn’t want Kaiba to see me and think I was going to be striking as well. After about 15 minutes of hearing angry banter between every employee willing to strike, the 25 representatives walked out of Kaiba’s office, and the group fell silent.
One of the 25 stepped forward.
“Mr. Kaiba is willing to deal with this problem tonight. He said he will send out a mass email to all employees tonight, about this strike we are proposing.” The person said.
“So do we strike Monday or not?” One person shouted.
“We may, or we may not. I propose we wait for this email and see if he is going to negotiate our requests. I think we need to create a list of all our emails so we can communicate tonight after the email is sent out.” The leader said.
“How about we move onto the conference floor and write a list of all our email addresses.” Someone suggested, and this was agreed on as the big group of people left in groups to go to the conference floor.
After about 5 minutes, floor 12 was empty once again. I approached Emma.
“Wow, that must have been a hassle to deal with.” I commented.
“Yeah, I guess it was. I feel for Kaiba though, would have been even more tough on him.” Emma replied.
“Uh, do you think it would be okay for me to go in? Mr. Kaiba did request for me to see him after work.” I asked Emma.
“I’ll page him and see.” Emma said, and pressed the button onto her intercom.
“Ella Campbell wants to come in, apparently you asked to see her?” Emma asked.
“Yeah, send her in.” Kaiba replied flatly, and I stepped into his office.
What I saw even made me feel upset. Kaiba was motionless, he held his head in his hands and no emotion was to be held on his face. He looked like a broken man. And I had no idea how to approach this situation.