WHAT IF???

Chapter 10: Sleepless

Sam licked her lips while gazing at mine, a subtle gesture that didn't go unnoticed. "That's a good one," she replied, leaving me startled. Uncertain if Sam was referring to the document or something else, I immediately stood up, flustered, and replied, "I'll just get a glass of water."

Quickly, I left the room, feeling the weight of Sam's gaze following me as I went. Sam shook her head with a smirk, then turned back to the documents, leaving the moment behind.

As I returned, I noticed Sam gazing at her clock, realizing the time was too late for me to continue working. "You can leave now, Mon. Go rest, and I'll take care of the rest," Sam said, her tone considerate.

I was shocked, realizing the workload was still unmanageable and would take her several more hours to finish. "But there's still so much to do,"

Sam reassured me, "It's okay. So by the time I get home, Kirk will already be asleep."

Surprised by this revelation, I responded, "Oh, yeah, of course, you're staying at the same house."

Sam confirmed, "Yes, we are, but we sleep in separate rooms."

Curious, I asked, "What's the sense of being married if you sleep separately?"

Sam teased, walking towards me and crossing her arms before placing her hands on the table. As soon as she reached me, she paused, contemplating whether to discuss her marriage. Choosing to avoid the topic, I simply agreed, "I should be going."

Sam helped me tidy up the table, and as I bid farewell and goodbye, Sam continued to work on our tasks diligently.

The next morning, as I passed by Sam's office, I noticed that she was already hard at work, even though our office hours hadn't officially started. Yha and Noi noticed my curiosity about Sam and greeted me.

"Good morning, Mon! How was your day yesterday? We never saw you after you entered Sam's room," Yha teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

"No, I left her here still working," I replied, feeling a pang of concern for Sam. "I didn't want to leave her alone, but she insisted on staying."

"Huh, what? But I came here at 7 in the morning, and she's already here. Did she sleep?" Noi asked incredulously.

The three of us exchanged concerned glances and looked towards Sam's office, wondering if she had gone home at all the previous night.

As we talked, Yha's phone rang, and it was Sam calling. Yha answered and listened for a moment before turning to me. "Sam's asking for you, Mon. Can you go in?" she said, relaying Sam's message.

I nodded in confirmation, quickly fixing my things. Instead of heading directly to Sam's room, I hurried to the pantry to grab a cup of coffee for Sam, knowing that she likely hadn't gotten enough sleep.

As I entered Sam's room, I saw her sitting on her chair with her elbows resting on her desk and her head in her hands. It was clear that Sam was taking a minute to nap while waiting for me. I approached her quietly, setting down the cup of coffee on her desk before gently calling her name to wake her up.

"Sam?"

Sam slowly opened her eyes, lifting her head and apologizing, "I'm sorry, Mon, I didn't hear you coming." I replied, "I brought you coffee, take a sip first." I took a seat in front of her as Sam accepted the coffee and took a sip. "Thank you, Mon," she said, "I think I need this. I'm not feeling really well."

Furiously, I replied, "But of course you won't feel better! What time did you leave last night, or should I say, did you go home at all? Have you slept?" My concern for Sam's well-being was evident in my tone.

Sam replied, "Yes, I did sleep. I went home at 2 AM, but I left the house at 5:30 in the morning before Kirk woke up." She continued to sip her coffee, her exhaustion evident in her demeanor.

Concerned, I said, "Sam, you need to take care of yourself. Working late and not getting enough rest will only make things worse."

Sam stood up, coffee in hand, and walked to the other side of the room. She continued, "Mon, can you take a look at this? I finished it last night so we can send it back to the supplier for their review. Please ask them if they can send their feedback within the day so we can revise if there's any or..."

Interrupting Sam, I replied, "Sam, hold on. Why don't you relax and take a rest for a bit?", adding to my suggestion, I said, "What if you leave the office early today so you can take a full rest, especially since it's the weekend tomorrow? Staying late and going to work early, not getting enough sleep, Sam, you could end up getting ill from all of this."

Continuing with genuine concern, I added, "Look at your puffy eyes, Sam. I'm genuinely worried about you. Your health is more important than work right now." 

I scolded Sam gently, expressing my concern for her well-being. It was clear that I wanted her to prioritize her health over work, even if just for a moment.

Sam turned to me as she heard my concern, and she asked, "You're worried about me?" I replied, "Yes, I am. After all, you're still my friend."

In a somber tone, Sam affirmed, "I'm only a friend to you." Her words carried a hint of sadness, leaving an unspoken tension in the air.

Mon replied, "How about this? I will take care of this, and you take a rest for a bit. Call me if you need anything." I packed up and left Sam's office, leaving her teary-eyed with my confession that she's now only a friend to me. The unspoken emotions lingered, creating a poignant atmosphere in the room.