Chapter 10

• After getting ready, Poppy headed downstairs and saw her parents there. Both of her parents smiled at her.
• "Good morning, Mom, Dad," Poppy greeted.
• "Good morning, Pop," her mom replied.
• Poppy approached her mom and saw her enjoying the fried rice made by her aunt. It looked delicious, with crispy fried shrimp. She noticed her dad was also enjoying the same dish. It was unusual for her aunt to make fried rice; usually, they had salads and sandwiches for breakfast.
• "Are you ready to leave?" her mom asked, seeing her daughter was all set to go.
• "Yes."
• "Don't you want to have breakfast first? Aunt made fried rice, you know."
• "No, I'll have breakfast at the office."
• "Do you want to taste it first? It's delicious; it's your dad's request. He's been wanting fried rice since yesterday."
• "Dad suddenly wanted fried rice," Poppy remarked.
• Her dad laughed, "Just a craving, Pop."
• "Do you want to try it?" her mom asked as she scooped some fried rice onto a spoon.
• Poppy nodded, "Sure."
• Her mom then fed Poppy a spoonful, and it really did taste delicious. She quickly finished and headed outside because Nathan was already waiting to pick her up. She left the house and saw Nathan's SUV parked in front of her home. She opened the gate.
• She looked at Nathan as he lowered the power window, his usual well-dressed self. She gave him her best smile, opened the door handle, and settled into the seat, fastening her seatbelt.
• "Good morning, sweetheart," Nathan greeted.
• "Good morning, dear," Poppy replied.
• A few seconds later, the car left the area. Nathan glanced at his girlfriend, honestly not fully supportive of Poppy taking the job as a secretary. He knew that there was often a negative perception associated with secretaries. Additionally, he saw Poppy working overtime frequently. His thoughts concerning Poppy had been all over the place, and he was simply afraid that Poppy might cheat on him, especially after learning that she and her boss had been to New York together. He promised himself that he would make a sacred commitment to Poppy and make her his own.
• Poppy glanced at Nathan. "Has Indra left for Canberra last night?" she asked. Nathan had mentioned that his brother Indra was going to Canberra for his studies.
• "Yes, he has," Nathan replied.
• "I hope he'll enjoy it there," Poppy said.
• "Let's hope so," Nathan added.
• Nathan turned on the car's audio system with his left hand, and they listened to music during the journey.
• "What time will you be home today?" Nathan inquired.
• "It depends on when the boss finishes work. Are you working overtime today?" Poppy asked.
• "It seems like it," Nathan replied.
• "Oh, by the way, my mom asked when you'll come home again."
• Poppy smiled, "Let's plan for the weekend, okay?"
• "Sure," Nathan agreed.
• "Sweetie," Poppy began.
• "Yes?" Nathan turned to look at her.
• "I think we should get engaged."
• Poppy felt a lump in her throat as Nathan proposed engagement. She knew that engagement was an official commitment indicating that the couple was on the path to marriage. She looked at Nathan quite seriously and swallowed hard, feeling uncertain despite having once hoped to marry Nathan. Deep down in her heart, she had some doubts.
• Poppy nodded and smiled, "Yes, that's what I've been hoping for. Let's get engaged soon."
• Nathan reached for Poppy's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll talk to my parents at home about it. I want us to get married and formalize our relationship."
• Poppy nodded again, "Okay."
• ***
• A few minutes later, the car finally arrived at the office tower. Poppy unfastened her seatbelt and looked at her boyfriend.
• "You're so enthusiastic about work," Nathan commented.
• "Yes. Be careful on the road," Poppy replied.
• Poppy exited the car, glancing at her circular watch, which showed 8:05 AM. She walked towards the lobby and then to the Tous Les Jours bakery. She bought some bread, a routine she followed before heading to the office. The bread Harvey liked was the k-red bean bread, a simple-looking bread with red bean filling. Its appearance was plain, but the taste was anything but. Ever since Harvey asked her to buy this bread on her first day as a secretary, she had grown to like it more than any other kind.
• Afterwards, she entered the elevator with other employees. The elevator took her to the upper floors. She looked around at the coworkers sharing the elevator with her. Soon, the elevator doors opened, and she walked down the corridor, observing other employees arriving as well.
• "Poppy."
• Automatically, Poppy turned around as she heard her name. She looked at Harvey approaching her. She didn't expect Harvey to arrive at the office this early. He was usually in the office by nine or ten, but it wasn't even eight yet.
• "Good morning, sir," Poppy greeted. Harvey's early arrival was out of the ordinary.
• "Good morning," Harvey replied.
• ****