The day ticked on after that. While no one forgot, they were too busy to duel on the matters of that morning, especially the marketing department who had been notified suddenly to come up with other companies to partner with for the promotions of the new product. Though no one had commented on this, they were all thinking the same thing; Assistant Director Ifanga was trying to prevent Cent Advertising from gaining the contract. They had a meeting supposed to take place an hour before lunch when they would assess the new proposals. It was at that time many would know if the assistant director had the ability. The hour before lunch hurriedly arrived. Whether for fear that the excitement was not pumping at the right frequency in the marketing department, or that the entire department loose themselves in their work and forget the matter at hand, the hour arrived suddenly. Many scheduled to attend said meeting adjusted their clothes and carried too many files than this author thinks necessary, but who can prove it unnecessary?

As they passed through the halls back into the meeting room where the crime was uncovered that morning, eyes followed their steady steps; stable shoe heels clicking across the white marble floors; leather covering cold steel. As though saluting soldiers going out into battle, the sales department on the opposite side of the floor, through the glass diving of both departments, sent the marketing warriors off with their eyes.

The door to the meeting room closed and the team handling this promotional campaign sat and awaited the assistant director. No word was said as silence rolled through, to the discomfort of the air conditioner still humming cold air into the room. Time ticked on, but no discomfort was felt from the awaiting team. Whether by fault of anticipation or virtue of impatience, the time seemed to go on too long. But the team held their ground like soldiers stilled by the silence of war before the first order to charge.

The door clicked open and a peculiar-looking Assistant Director Ifanga walk in. And yes, peculiar. This was because, as much as the marketing department had seen this assistant director's rectangular head and ironically round face, they had never seen his nose in that shape, and bleeding too. A few thoughts danced through the room, such as, who hit him and why has he not gone to a hospital. But no one in the room felt their mouths long enough to engage in such questions when that is not what they truly wanted to know. Their eyes stayed on the nose for no more than a fraction of a second before they looked away, and descended upon the two team leaders seated at the table. It only took a few seconds for the assistant director to find his seat but the team leaders felt the heated stares already burnt through their corporate shirts.

"We have prepared the proposals for several companies that could easily replace Cent Advertising. My team is leaning towards those with a history of meeting up to demand at a short period of time." Team one leader said, passing over a file to the assistant director. The assistant director picked up the file but his eyes stayed on the team leader that had just spoken.

"You are quite excited, it seems," Assistant Director Ifanga commented, causing the team leader to pause.

"Not quite, sir, we are just pressed for time," he answered, "removing Cent Ad means finding a partner that can come up with a suitable proposal or one better."

"Wasn't Cent Ad your proposal last time, Mr Ikang?" the assistant director asked and everyone got an idea about his mood. He was throwing blame, and at the wrong person too.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"No sir, it was Miss Ekanem who proposed working with them," Mr Ikang corrected and Assistant Director Ifanga looked to the person in question, Team two Leader, Miss Imabong Ekanem.

"You were the one?" he asked and one could feel the heat rise from the young woman in question, causing the entire Team two to freeze. The woman sitting right next to the team leader, quite clear on their team leader's temper, pinched her to stay calm. It was the assistant director they were speaking to, she should not react no matter what.

"Yes sir, is there a problem?" she asked with a stiff smile.

"You were the one who proposed to work with them and you could not tell there was a problem? Are those the kinds of people we should be working with? Your team just went out and picked anything walking the streets? Did you not think you should vet them?" he asked. Team two stilled at his accusation as the woman seated next to the team leader retrieved back her hand that had been pinching the team leader; no need to hold back a cat from eating a rat.

"I am not aware of what you mean, Sir. To my knowledge, the last meeting we had with them seemed to have gone fine. I am yet to hear of any new development as it pertains to that company. Did something happen, sir?" she asked with a slightly confused look and the assistant director felt the entire team's confused eyes descend upon him. He was aware that Teams One and Two were combined into one to work on the marketing of the company's new sausage roll, and before that, these two teams never worked against each other unless competing for a project. He had already known that it was team two who proposed to work with Cent Advertising and wanted to teach them a lesson.

He knew his anger was unfounded, but there was an advantage to being the boss. He was aware that the entire company was laughing at him at the moment; he had also seen the forum. As far as he was concerned, this group's existence annoyed him.

When he stepped in and saw their leader's face, anger engulfed him, as something he had never thought about crossed his mind; it was because she was a woman. He almost suspected that Cent Ad had slept their way to getting on the list. Was she also one of the women he slept with?

Her response caused him to freeze. He may have been too angry to think straight before, but he finally paused at her words. How could he have forgotten? Before this woman was transferred to the marketing team, she used to be on the seventh floor.

He adjusted his seat under the burning confused eyes of team two. What confused eyes? They were daring him to say out loud what was wrong with Cent Ad since he was angry enough to lose reason.

It was as though their confused eyes were saying, "Say it, then. Tell us how your wife's pant was used as a handkerchief," worst of all, they were asking him to explain how that was grounds for throwing out their proposal. If he had just changed them without throwing blame, looking at the proposals to replace them they had prepared at his request without complaint, they would have acted as though they were letting the boss vent. Since he had brought it up, he had to explain how that idiot from that company pulled out his wife's lingerie during the meeting.

Even though his anger had been put in its place, he could not let go that she brought it up. He was still her boss.

"You were the one who brought them to work with us and you are asking me what went wrong? Should I do your job?" he asked her.

"I apologize, sir. I will look into them more closely to find out what went wrong. When I am done, I will write a complete self-review and post it on the company forum." she said and team two nodded in response, as though to say; we were wrong, allow us to apologise. But the assistant director felt his blood still. Was that not a threat? He had completely forgotten that the company forum had been locked and hurriedly told her to stop.

"No! Just replace them." he knew this woman would go above and beyond to make matters worse.

"Replace who?" a voice asked from the now opened door and many raised their eyes and regretted not buying some groundnut to snack on for this meeting. It was Marketing Director Ikanke.