Since you began working as the CEO of Blackwell Enterprise's secretary, there were rumors about the cold and unfeeling woman that was Iris. She was unlike the former CEO, her late mother, who loved to randomly throw a party for the whole company just to boost morale.

Iris never did anything like that, burdened by the feeling of pressure to be someone just as great as her. Though it was clear that she could not, and her employees had to suffer because of her stress.

The company hadn't been doing well, not since the death of Irene. Everyday, the office was uncharacteristically quiet and tense as everyone focused on their own work. You'd only hear the occasional gossip and casual chatter in the break room.

Not once had she visited her late mother's grave, too deep in denial and purposely overworking herself to give herself an excuse as to why she couldn't go. It's been so long since she had seen her siblings as well. She was grieving all alone.

It was past working hours, Iris had called you into her office. You noticed she was smoking again, an unhealthy habit she had developed to cope with everything. She placed a bouquet of flowers on top of her desk. Irises, her late mother's favorite. She was named after them.

“Take these to her new home for me, yes?”

Her choice of wording, even the way she nonchalantly acted told you that she still believed her late mother was alive, perhaps living somewhere else. She really was deep in denial.