Meanwhile, you shut yourself up in your home. For the rest of the day, you neither meet nor talk to anyone else. Anger dissipates into frustration, and by the next morning, you're existing in a cloud of gloom.
"What do you mean, Mom's not reachable?" you ask Monica, sipping coffee in your living room, head resting on a palm. You, Monica and Lily are seated around a dust coloured high table in the kitchen area. Though you are still a little stiff with Monica for not seeing this latest Ribbon fiasco coming, you can't be mad at her. It would be like she getting mad at you for not producing a hit single. Sometimes, things just don't work. And that's that. So, you direct your frustrations towards sustaining the gloomy atmosphere of the apartment in general.
"She picked up the phone, said 'I know' and hung up on me," Monica replies. "But she sent me this video by some scientists and workers from R&D."
"And?"
"And it looks like DK didn't manage to convince them of his managerial expertise. They want him out. Of course, they have no vote in the matter."
"But the sentiment -"
" - will influence other Board members."
You nod slowly.
"All this management politics will negatively affect the actual groundwork, won't it?" you surmise, worried.
"It will slow things down, yeah..." Monica pauses, then she adds after a minute, "maybe we're being too defensive for our own good, Y/N. Maybe you should go all out - before it gets worse."
You cast her a doubtful stare.
"Call a meeting of the directors. Show up yourself."
"Really, Monica. I'm in a dump and you're demanding initiative from me?" you grumble into your coffee mug.
"Now is as good a time as any to get in there yourself and kick him out. I know we were trying to prevent a scene by not publicly associating you with Prakriti and letting your mum handle things - but he's taken the key position. Better for you to go in and have a small scene now than a big one eventually - or have the whole organisation go down," she pauses, "you do have that sort of sway, Y/N. They will listen to a proposal if it comes from you."
You scowl. She does this thing - as though you are not aware of your own power.
"And what exactly am I supposed to tell the Board?"
"I've got ideas. We can discuss them when you're out of your - slump."
You snort. It's not that the thought of addressing an actual Board meeting hasn't crossed your mind - but as great a public speaker as you are in your fantasy - the prospect of doing it in real life makes you very, very nervous. The musical stage is another matter - but here - neither management nor environmental science are your areas of expertise.
The idea makes your head hurt. Anyway, there are other things you want to ask Monica.
"Did you find out who bought Ribbon?" you query.
"It's some company called Paradime Records, but I can't get hold of the owner."
You let your head fall on the table and wail.
"Look on the bright side, Y/N. You can release the Pink Diamond re-recording now,"
You lift your head, bemused. "You got the sole writing credit that day. Ribbon's sale is limited to the masters. You can do as many re-recordings, remixes of your sole credits as you want, remember?"
"I didn't realize I still get Pink Diamond...wow. Yeah. Okay," you concede and grin for the first time in twenty-four hours. In the chaos of everything, you forgot that one little detail. Of course, you own the song now. That little victory elates you enough to say, "just let me have this morning to crib, Monica, I'll pretend everything is breezy later...what's on for today, Lily?"
Lily puts down her latte, "there's the SiriusXM video conference in the afternoon - and then you're free?" she ends in a question, unsure how could there be a free slot in such a packed month.
"I am?"
"Today's 9th March," Monica remarks. You raise an eyebrow. "Y/N, 9th March!" Lily adds with emphasis.
"OH! Oh..." you slam your head on the table again. "Not today..." you wail again.
"Have you texted him?" Lily asks.
"No..."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" she blurts.
You hastily type in a basic happy birthday.
"Should I add a flower emoji?"
"Please don't," Lily says.
You follow her advice and after sending the message, rest your head back on the table. You're not ready for this at all. It's not that you don't want to see Yoongi. Quite the contrary, you want to update him on the latest shitfest that you're facing. But a social gathering is not what you can take. You sigh.