Structural Damage

Chapter 15 - Consequences

Warning: One hell of a rollercoaster ride 🎢🎢🎢 One bottle of Pinot Noir, one or two glasses as needed. Or white wine, with the same dosage 😏

Se Ri heard a faint knocking. She wasn't sure where it was coming from. She slowly lifted her head, realizing she had fallen asleep at her desk. The knock was at her office door.

"Just a second," her voice was gravelly, barely audible, her throat was dry. She pushed back her chair and tried to smooth down her hair and clothes. She walked over to the door, unlocked it, twisted the handle to allow it to open slowly.

Her secretary, Myeong Sun, slowly entered the office, a cup of coffee in her hand, "Good morning, Ma'am. The security let me know you had not left last evening. I thought you might need a little something to start your day," she extended her hand with the coffee toward her boss. Se Ri took the cup, nodding in appreciation. "It's been some time since you elected to spend the evening in the office, Ma'am. What can I do to help you get ready this morning?"

Se Ri stared blankly at her while she lowered herself onto the couch, "What time is it?" She took a sip of coffee, hoping that the caffeine would start to kick in and wake up her brain.

"A little after six, I came in early when I knew you were here all night," Myeong Sun answered as she walked toward the bathroom. She disappeared around the corner, Se Ri could hear cabinets opening and closing and the scraping of hangers. A moment later, Myeong Sun reappeared in the doorway, "I have everything ready for you. There were still clothes here, along with toiletries and makeup, so you can take a shower, and no one will be the wiser that you were here all night. Come along, now."

Se Ri could not believe it, Myeong Sun was taking care of her, again. She had to do this after she decided to leave her ex-husband and the subsequent hours she put in to get over that debacle. She also did this when the project in Yongsan was going horribly wrong, and Se Ri had to work long hours to salvage the mess. She pulled herself off of the couch, walking towards the bathroom, Myeong Sun took the coffee cup from her hand, offering to refill it for when she exited.

The bathroom door closed, once again, Se Ri was left with her thoughts as her mind began the race that it did not quite finish the night before. She undressed and stepped under the stream of hot water, letting it wash away the built-up anxiety. Once her hair was washed and she felt as if she were clean enough, she stepped out, dried off, dressed and prepared herself for the workday. She put her clothes from the previous day in the laundry bag under the counter, checked herself in the mirror one last time, and stepped into her office.

As promised, Myeong Sun left a fresh cup of coffee on her desk, along with a copy of her calendar for the day and messages that needed to be returned. She took a deep breath, pulled her chair up under her desk and began working on the stacks of things she had started on the night before. But her mind would not let anything go, she pushed back from the desk, reaching for her purse, grabbing the resignation from Seo Dan that she had stuffed there the night before. She walked over to the couch, gently unfolded the letter and began to read.

Ms Yoon,

It is with a heavy heart that I have come to the decision to resign from my position of General Counsel with Yoon Design Group. While I deeply respect you and the work that you do, I feel that I have maximized my potential and no longer offer anything substantive to the company, or its continued growth. It is imperative that I do not encumber your path to success. Therefore, I believe you will be better suited with new lifeblood in the role of General Counsel.

I would like to tender a three-week notice for my departure, although, with the need for discretion in this role, I do understand if you would need for me to depart earlier than that. I do have several recommendations for associates on staff that would be ideal candidates to promote. I would welcome an opportunity to discuss with you if you are inclined.