It is very early in the morning. Peter walks down the empty cubicles in the almost deserted Global Plaza headquarters, expecting to be the first in the building. As Peter puts his laptop at a random desk in the large open office, he notices Sean tucked away in a meeting room. Peter has yet to meet Sean in person, and Peter has a lot of questions for him. So he decides to take the opportunity to have a chat with Sean. As he walks towards Sean, who is intensively staring at his screen, Peter feels his heart pounding.
Peter takes a deep breath, opens the door, and enters the room. Sean looks up, his expression cold and unreadable. Peter sits down, feeling the weight of Sean's gaze upon him.
"Peter, it is good to meet you finally," Sean says, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "We need to talk about the state of the project."
Sean remains in his seat, not taking the initiative to shake his hand, so Peter decides to sit opposite Sean. Peter nods and tries to keep his composure, but he can feel the sweat on his palms.
"Juliette's work is a disaster," Sean continues, his voice rising in anger. "I need you to take over her responsibilities as quickly as possible, and we can't afford to waste any more time."
Peter listens carefully, taking notes and trying to control his emotions. He knows Sean is a demanding boss, but he hadn't expected him to be so harsh.
Peter tries to stay focused on the task at hand as the meeting goes on, but his mind keeps wandering back to Juliette. He knows he needs to learn more about her work and why she is unaware of his takeover.
"Sean, can I ask you something?" Peter says tentatively, looking down at his notebook.
"What is it?" Sean replies, his eyes narrowing.
"Well, I am just wondering about Juliette," Peter says, trying to keep his tone neutral. "I am curious about her work and why she is not informed about my takeover."
Sean scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Juliette's work is irrelevant," he says dismissively. "She does not need to be informed because she is soon leaving the project. You need to focus on your responsibilities."
Peter feels a pang of frustration. He knows Sean is trying to push him to work harder, but he cannot shake the feeling that he is missing something important.
"Look, I know that the deadline is tight," Peter says, leaning forward. "But I need to know more about what Juliette has done so far, and it will help me get up to speed faster and avoid any potential pitfalls."
Sean sighs, shaking his head. "Fine, I'll give you a brief rundown," he says begrudgingly. "But I do not want you are getting distracted by her; your priority is to take over the data migration."
Peter nods, grateful for the information. He writes down everything Sean says, trying to piece together a picture of what Juliette has accomplished. As the meeting ends, Peter cannot help but feel a sense of unease. He knows he needs to move quickly to succeed, but Peter cannot shake the feeling that he is missing something important.
"I understand that the deadline is tight," Peter says, trying to keep his voice even. "But I need to know what Juliette has done so far, so I can pick up where she left off."
Sean snorts, shaking his head. "You need to trust your gut feeling," he says dismissively. "I need you to focus on getting the job done, and the clock is ticking."
Peter feels overwhelmed and stressed, wondering if he can meet Sean's expectations. He leaves the meeting feeling unsure of what to do next. As he walks out of the room, he can feel the weight of the task ahead of him pressing down on his shoulders like a heavy burden, feeling more confused than ever. Sean tells him to trust his gut feeling, but Peter feels nothing in his gut. He is overwhelmed with the task ahead and tries to figure out how to proceed.
As he walks back to his desk, Peter thinks about Juliette and the work she has done. He knows Sean has lost all trust in her, but he can't help feeling like there is more to the story.
He leans back in his chair, his thoughts swirling with doubt and uncertainty. Peter knows he needs to devise a plan, but he needs to figure out where to start. He is dependent on the ideas from Juliette for how to do the handover, and he can't help but wonder if Sean will ever trust him to do the job right.
He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. He needs to find a way to trust himself and his instincts, and he needs to have confidence in his abilities and trust that he can get the job done.
But as he sits there, his mind blank and his gut empty, he can't help but feel like he's in the middle of a storm with no clear path forward. He feels lost in a sea of uncertainty, without knowing how to navigate the choppy waters ahead.
He glances over at Juliette's empty desk, feeling a sense of longing. He knows he needs her help, but he doesn't know if she would offer it.
Peter feels like he needs to talk to someone who understands the challenges he's facing. He grabs his phone, walks into one of the many deserted meeting rooms, and calls Vanessa, hoping she can provide guidance.
"Vanessa, it's Peter," he says, tense.
"Hey, Peter, how are you this morning?" Vanessa replies, her voice calm and reassuring.
Peter sighs, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "I just had a tough meeting with Sean," he says. "He is a difficult boss to work for, and I'm not sure I can meet his expectations." He tells Vanessa about his first encounter with Juliette, the miscommunication that Sean could have avoided, how Sean feels about Juliette and the pressure he puts on Peter to get everything back on track.
Vanessa listens patiently, offering words of encouragement and support. "Don't worry, Peter," she says. "I'll be visiting Global Plaza next week, and I can talk to Sean about your concerns. We'll figure something out."
Peter feels relieved at the thought of Vanessa's visit. He knows that she is a good listener and can help him navigate the tricky waters of Sean's management style.
"Thanks, Vanessa," he says, feeling grateful. "I appreciate your help."
Vanessa smiles, her voice warm. "No problem, Peter. That's what I'm here for."
As they end the call, Vanessa suggests having dinner with Peter to discuss things. Peter feels relieved, knowing he will have someone to confide in and share his concerns with.
When Peter returns to his desk, he sees Juliette behind her laptop. Peter walks over to Juliette's desk, feeling a sense of nervous anticipation, not having any plan for handling the situation.