What Happens Next?

Chapter 5

Aleiah

A once wise fish said, when life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep swimming. I might be crazy quoting Dory but her words bring so much wisdom that I genuinely had this posted on my bathroom mirror.

I waited on the far side of Sunnie's. A chic So-Cal-inspired restaurant in the middle of Global City. As I absent-mindedly fidget my pen, I can't help but notice how the vibe of this place never changed at all. I had so many memories in this place that it reminded me of that afternoon where my teammates held me a farewell lunch. Those were nice memories, but uncomfortable because the experience wasn't all pretty and great.

I purposely chose this location because somehow, I had the gut feeling that I might bump into someone from Bridge. It's been so long since I've really been in this area and the office was just right across the street. I tried to shake off my unsolicited recollection but you know how it is when you find yourself in a familiar place, memories just keep on flooding in. I love Bridge, don't get me wrong but I had to leave for a better opportunity offered by Hardman. At first, it sounded really sweet right but wrong. It was the start of my downfall because the truth was, the reason I had to look for another job was that I just didn't vibe with the people at Bridge. I love my boss, I love Jay. I used to tell Matt before how much I looked up to him and his fiance, Miles. Two millennials kicking life in the ass by putting up a startup and being successful at it.

I mean Jay was amazing but Miles was something else! She was a real game-changer and a goddess. She was a vice president of a major bank at the age of 30 then at 32, she quit to run a startup with Jay. And despite her busy schedule, she continued doing consultancy on the side while also being the brand ambassador of the World Turtles Organization. She saves turtles for crying out loud!

Both of them were the epitome of perfection so when it comes to management, Bridge was amazing. But the environment was just not working for me. My personality with the rest of the team differs so much that I find myself questioning my credibility from time to time and that affected my treatment towards Matt. My failures and insecurities got the best of me so I opted to just leave and look for another company.

Vanessa: I'm almost there. Just need to park.

Vanessa was Hardman's previous client until she quit her day job to focus on growing her farm spa. Even after her departure, we kept in touch. I just love how much she takes care of their farmers so now, we're back in business again as she tries to grow her farm spa into a bigger brand. Aside from the spa itself, they will start expanding the business by offering organic produce from their ranch.

Our meeting was brief, mostly she just told all about her vision and how she personally thinks the farm can employ more farmers. It was a project I wanted to invest in but I had to call our accounts team to fix the contract and close the deal. Vanessa left right away because she had to drive back to Batangas but I chose to stay a little while and finish my green tea while waiting for the traffic to subside.

I scrolled through the new brand references I prepared to help pass the time. Ideas and visuals shifted from direct selling to a more compassionate and toned-down approach after the pandemic. This was the worst year for any business. The economy is on the edge of survival and only a handful of start-ups will probably survive this year. Hardman is quite lucky because our key clients consisted of either fast-moving consumer goods or utilities.

As I exited the tab from MarketWatch, I heard familiar voices behind me.

"I understand Marie." The familiar voice said.

"This is also hard for me, but I think this is for the best. We've seen this coming." The girl said. "All professional services are down, and we have to accept the fact that businesses will not be returning to normal anytime soon."