The line went quiet except for Willem’s uneven breathing.

“I’ll let you think about it,” she chuckled, “but only for a minute or two. I don’t think this should take too long, to be honest.”

As the wheels turned in Willem’s brain, he found himself at a crossroads. On one hand, it was a clear no-brainer. She had enough dirt on him to make this demand. Enough to destroy everything about him.

Yet, he did not like the idea of rehiring her. At all.

Bring her back? Really?

“L-l-look. I don’t know if I can do this, Asibi,” he stuttered. “I-I-I’m not sure…”

A pause.

“Ummm… are you saying you can’t?” she asked, feigning confusion. “Or you won’t?”

Willem leaned forward in his chair, trying to regain some semblance of control. Clearing his throat, he started again. “Asibi, listen… I know why you’re doing this, but… lemme set the record straight. Your dismissal was justified. This was not a matter of me trying to pick on you or humiliate or embarrass you. The truth is, you refused to develop yourself. You became static. And at TransGlobal, that’s non-negotiable. You know what we’re dealing with: technology that changes on a regular basis. That’s why we’re always about upgrading and all that stuff.

“It’s nothing personal, I promise: it’s the nature of this industry. You either adapt and upskill or you’re out. You didn’t seem ready to do the former, so I had to let you go. And look, when your Project Manager has become stagnant, it’s worrisome. Others are watching. If you want an apology, then fine, I’m sorry if I humiliated you. But I did what I did for the good of my company. That’s all.”

Done with his speech, he sighed and leaned back. Closing his eyes, he silently prayed, Please, at least, let the apology touch her heart so she reasons up…

She was silent for a moment, then she chuckled softly. “Static?” she asked, her tone light and amused. “Willem, I’m sorry, but… I didn’t see the point in developing. I mean, why bother? I had a job, and that was enough. Isn’t that what work is for? To get paid and go home?”

Willem’s jaw dropped. This had to be a joke.

“Are you serious?” he asked, his disbelief evident. “You didn’t see the point? You didn’t see the point in developing yourself? Asibi, this is TransGlobal Dynamics, for God’s sake! We thrive on innovation, on growth, on embracing change. That’s the entire foundation of this company!”

“Massa, please, spare me the lecture,” she snapped, her voice turning cold. “I know exactly what you think of me. But guess what? None of that matters now.”

Willem ran a hand down his face, trying to suppress the frustration bubbling inside him. How could someone this smart and intelligent have zero ambition and desire for personal growth? He just could not understand.

A few moments of silence, and with an idea in mind, he spoke up again.

“Okay, you know what? Fair enough. If you want back in, I can work on that. But listen, I’m willing to offer you a position in IT. Clearly, you have the skills for it. Your hacking alone—”

“Not interested,” she interrupted, her tone sharp.

He blinked in disbelief. “What do you mean, not interested? Asibi, look, as much as I despise you right now, I can’t deny this: you have a gift for this kind of work. Look, it’s a win-win for us. For you, it’s a step forward, a fresh start-”

“I don’t want a fresh start, Willem,” she snapped, cutting him off again. “I want my old job. That’s what I demanded from the beginning. Same title, same responsibilities, same salary. That’s it.”

“That’s not possible, for the love of God!” Willem exclaimed, his voice rising. “You’re asking me to reinstate someone who outright refuses to evolve with the company! Do you understand how absurd that is? Do you understand how much this hurts TransGlobal?”

“Oh, I understand, Willem. I understand perfectly,” Asibi responded, her voice calm and deadly. “And you know what else I understand? I also understand what will happen if you don’t. To you and to TransGlobal.”

Willem fell silent, his chest heaving. This was really turning out to be one awful evening. This woman did not seek any negotiation whatsoever; there was no room for compromise, even if it made logical sense. It was a clear case of ‘my way or the high way’.

“You have a hell of a lot to lose, Willem,” she continued, her words slow and deliberate. “Your company, your reputation, your family. It’s all hanging by a single thread. So, I’ll ask you again. Are you going to give me what I want? Or are you going to destroy the lives of Eugenia, Billy, Wilma, Rosemary and every single employee of TransGlobal?”

Willem bowed his head.

This was hopeless. He had been backed into a corner and locked down, with no other route of escape. There was no way out, not without risking everything.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, he spoke.

“Fine. You’ll get your old job back. Consider yourself reinstated.”

Asibi’s delighted laugh filled his ear, sending a chill down his spine. “Awwwwww, thank you so much, Willem! I knew you’d see reason eventually. It’s such a pleasure when people heed my demands.”

“Whatever. Are we done now?” he asked, his tone laced with frustration.

“Oh, not quite,” she replied sweetly, her tone making his stomach churn yet again. “There’s one more thing.”

“What now?” Willem asked, his patience wearing thin at this point. There was only so much more he could take.

“It’s about Rosemary,” Asibi stated, her voice losing its playfulness. “End the affair. Immediately.”

Willem’s breath hitched, and for a moment, he couldn’t respond.

“I mean it, Willem,” she continued, her tone now serious. “I don’t like her, she’s a pretentious little bitch. But you’re being unfair to her, using her as an outlet for your selfish little hungers. And it’s a slap in the face to sweet Eugenia. You know that as well as I do.”

“You’re lecturing me about fairness?” he finally snarled, his voice low and bitter. “After everything you’ve done tonight? You have the audacity to tell me what’s fair?”

“I’m not the one cheating on my wife with my secretary here, Willem,” she replied sharply. “Look, I could care less about you. But I do care about your wife. She’s a lovely woman by all accounts, and it’s just disgusting that you’re out here jamming your third leg into some fianga girl you call a secretary. She deserves better. So end it. And if you don’t end it, I’ll make sure everyone knows. And I do mean everyone. Shall I send Eugenia the videos first, or would you prefer your board of directors?”

Willem sat in silence, the weight of her words gagging him totally. He sighed once again. He had no defense, no counterargument to her words. And he certainly did not fancy the idea of the board of directors seeing him pants down in his office with his secretary.

“Fine,” he muttered after a long pause. “I’ll end it with her.”

“That’s a good boy,” Asibi cheered, her tone brightening. “You’re finally learning how to listen. This will be better for everyone, Willem. Trust me.”

He didn’t respond, gripping the armrest of his chair in rage.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added, her voice cheery again. “I’ll be expecting a contract first thing tomorrow morning. Everything in writing, of course. You can get a courier to send it to my home. Once that’s done, I’ll reinstate your systems and delete all the, uh, ‘extra material.’ You have my word on that.”

Willem didn’t respond, too emotionally exhausted to speak any further.

“Oh, you don’t know how happy I am right now, Willem! This feeling of joy in my soul, it feels better than se… nahh, on second thought, I don’t think it is. I mean, considering how Rosemary was throwing it back on you in the video, it must be sweeter than this feeling. Ah well, let’s hope I get a man who wants to get me naked soon enough. Then I can really know how it feels, haha! Alright then, sleep tight, Willem. You’ve got a busy day ahead tomorrow. And a re-employment contract to draft. Bye!”

The line went dead.

Willem set the phone down slowly, his hands trembling. The air-conditioner was off, but he felt a deep chill in his bones, as thoughts of dread and regret and wonder reverberated around his brain. This felt like a rollercoaster through the corridors of hell and back, only to land in purgatory.

He shook his head slowly as his fingers massaged the sides of his temple. I can’t believe this just happened… I can’t believe this just happened…

Well, that was one hell of a psychological chess game, and we all know the winner here. How does this end? Let’s see…