I Was Abandoned by My Fiancé and Betrayed by My Best Friend—A Story from Rock Bottom - Chapter 39.2

Several days had passed since I began working with the new secretary, Miharu Udo.

She handled her secretarial duties flawlessly and, in this short time, was performing at a level close to that of my previous secretary.

That alone was impressive enough, but there was more.

She was always one step ahead of my schedule and meticulously followed up on completed tasks.

Above all, the impression she left on visitors and business partners had improved dramatically.

For me, that was the biggest benefit. Something my previous secretary had never achieved.

Moreover, she occasionally voiced her own opinions, skillfully taking the lead and leaving a favorable impression on others.

By the time negotiations ended, the other party’s expressions had softened, and they left with words of gratitude.

She had reached a level even I couldn’t attain.

I found myself repeatedly thinking what a strangely captivating girl she was.

Yet, her personality was straightforward and sincere.

Of course, we didn’t always see eye to eye.

And she didn’t hesitate to express her opinions openly, even to me.

She had a strong sense of self and conviction.

That was another part of her that drew me in.

I couldn’t wait to see what she would think, feel, and do from now on.

I wanted to listen carefully and understand every word she spoke.

I wanted to know how she would respond to every question I posed.

I wanted to observe and absorb every gesture, every glance, every expression, every reaction.

I took Udo along to handle a customer complaint.

The complainant was Yōko Shinoda, president of Yasaka Trading—someone we didn’t want as an enemy.

We were thrown off by her unpredictable and unapproachable behavior.

But then Udo stepped in.

She listened carefully to President Shinoda and responded thoughtfully.

At one point, it seemed she might even persuade her.

But what happened next was astonishing.

She discarded all the progress she’d made and shifted to an apology.

Even I was taken aback.

I quickly offered support, but I never expected we’d end up accepting all of the other party’s demands.

Yet, in the end, that decision proved to be the right one.

Her compassionate concern for consumers moved President Shinoda.

And as a company, we issued a public apology to consumers nationwide.

At first, criticism poured in, but it quickly subsided, and we earned back their trust.

It was a perfect example of “losing the battle to win the war.”

And she had won over President Shinoda, transforming her from a complainer into a fan.

To this day, the relationship between Luminarie Cosmetics and Yasaka Trading remains strong.

The trust and bond we gained then continue to contribute significantly to the company’s growth.

I also received various kinds of help from Reika Kujo, my childhood friend.

Somehow, the topic of the new secretary came up, and she became interested.

She actually came to the office and met Udo in person.

I watched nervously, but it seemed she took a liking to her.

Udo and Kujo exchanged contact information and began communicating.

And Kujo agreed to share information about Udo with me.

She also offered all sorts of advice, which was a huge help.

Thanks to her, I was able to learn much more about Udo.

One day, I decided to have Udo accompany me on a sales call.

She accomplished far more than I had anticipated.

Her intuition and instincts were razor-sharp.

It was hard to believe she was just a twenty-three-year-old woman.

If I had gone alone that day, I would undoubtedly have run into trouble.

—As these experiences continued, I found myself drawn to her even more, both professionally and personally.