The Bank Project Teaser
The bank project entered their lives the way storms entered Singapore.
Not with drama.
With a calendar invite.
Jiawen saw it at 10:11am, right after she finished updating SkyFreight’s post go-live FAQ and right before she took her 3:20 pantry break.
New Meeting:
Bank Client – Compliance Workflow Rollout (Internal Kickoff)
Organizer: Marcus Tan (Delivery Director)
Required: Faris Zulkarnain
Optional: Chong Jiawen
Location: MR 4C + Teams
Time: Next Monday, 9:30am
Jiawen stared at the invite until her breathing changed.
Optional.
She hated that word.
Optional meant you were not necessary.
Optional meant you could be removed without consequence.
Optional also meant someone had to decide whether you belonged.
She scrolled down.
The meeting description was a wall of acronyms.
Compliance.
Audit trails.
Approval workflows.
MAS timeline.
UAT windows.
Cutover.
And one line that made her stomach drop.
High visibility project. Stakeholders include CIO office.
High visibility.
A polite phrase for: everyone will be watching.
Jiawen’s fingers hovered over the accept button.
She didn’t click.
She stared at the word “Optional” like it had insulted her.
Then, as if the universe wanted to test her timing, another Teams notification popped up.
Sharon (Bank CIS): Eh Jiawen! I saw your name in bank kickoff optional list. Congrats?? 👀
Jiawen’s cheeks warmed.
Her face betrayed panic.
How did Sharon see so fast?
Did everyone’s calendar run on gossip-speed?
Jiawen typed back with forced casualness.
Jiawen: Idk lah, optional only.
Sharon replied immediately.
Sharon (Bank CIS): Optional is how they test you 😂
Sharon (Bank CIS): Don’t overthink. Just show up and be sharp.
Don’t overthink.
Jiawen stared at the words.
She laughed silently.
Overthinking was her cardio.
She looked up instinctively.
Across two rows of monitors, Faris sat at his desk.
He was on a call, voice low, posture steady.
He looked like nothing could shake him.
Jiawen hated him for it.
Then she loved him for it.
Because his steadiness had become the ground she stepped on.
She checked the invite again.
Required: Faris.
Optional: Jiawen.
Her chest tightened.
It wasn’t jealousy.
It was fear.
Because if she joined, people would talk.
If she didn’t join, she would lose growth.
If she joined and did well, people might still say she only got in because of him.
If she joined and failed, she would drag him down too.
Jiawen exhaled slowly.
Her phone buzzed.
Faris.
A WhatsApp message.
Faris: Pantry. 3:20.
Jiawen stared.
Even his routines were now predictable.
She typed back.
Jiawen: Okay.
Then she added:
Jiawen: I got a scary invite.
His reply came quickly.
Faris: What invite?
Jiawen swallowed.
She typed:
Jiawen: Bank compliance rollout kickoff. You required. I optional.
A pause.
Long enough for her heart to thud.
Then his reply came.
Faris: We talk later.
Jiawen exhaled.
Later.
Always later.
A small anchor.
At 3:20pm, Jiawen walked to the pantry with a tight chest and a mug she didn’t remember filling.
The pantry was quiet.
The kettle hummed.
The window showed the city bright and indifferent.
Faris was already there.
He stood by the counter, holding two mugs.
One for him.
One for her.
He slid one toward her without speaking.
Jiawen sat down and wrapped her hands around it.
Warm.
Steady.
Faris sat opposite her.
His expression was calm.
But his eyes were attentive.
“Show me,” he said.
Jiawen pulled up the calendar invite on her phone and slid it across the table.
Faris glanced.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“The bank project,” he murmured.
Jiawen blinked. “You already know?”
Faris nodded once. “Marcus told me yesterday. He said I’ll lead.”
Jiawen’s stomach tightened.
Lead.
Of course.
Faris had been in the company four years.
He was steady.
He was known.
He was safe in the eyes of management.
Jiawen looked down.
Her fingers tightened around her mug.
“I’m optional,” she whispered.
Faris’s eyes softened.
“That’s normal,” he said.
Jiawen looked up sharply. “Normal means what? They use me as trial?”
Faris’s mouth twitched faintly. “Maybe.”
Jiawen narrowed her eyes. “You’re too calm.”
Faris shrugged. “Because it’s not personal.”
Jiawen scoffed. “Everything feels personal when you’re the optional one.”
Faris stared at her.
His eyes softened.
Then he said, quietly, “Do you want to join?”
The question made space.
It didn’t assume.
It didn’t push.
It didn’t decide for her.
Jiawen swallowed.
“I want,” she admitted softly. “But I’m scared.”
Faris nodded slowly. “Of what?”
Jiawen exhaled.
Her voice came out small.
“Of people thinking I’m there because of you,” she whispered. “Of HR saying no. Of messing up. Of… being talked about.”
Faris’s jaw tightened.
He leaned forward slightly.
“You’re not there because of me,” he said calmly. “You’re there because you’re good.”
Jiawen blinked.
Her eyes shimmered.
Her face betrayed it.
She looked away quickly.
Faris continued, voice steady. “But yes, people will talk. They already talk. The question is whether we let it control our decisions.”
Jiawen swallowed.
Her chest tightened.
Faris reached for his mug.
Took a sip.
Then he said, quietly, “If you join, we do it properly.”
Jiawen blinked. “Properly how?”
Faris’s expression sharpened into work-brain.
“Safeguards,” he said. “You won’t report to me on paper. If they put you on the project, we can request a second reviewer–Priya or another senior–so no one can say I spoon-feed.”
Jiawen stared.
Her throat tightened.
He was already planning to protect her credibility.
Not by hiding.
By structure.
By process.
It was the most Faris thing.
Jiawen let out a small laugh.
“You’re writing contract again,” she whispered.
Faris’s mouth twitched. “Because I’m serious.”
Jiawen’s chest warmed.
Then she frowned.
“What if HR says no because optics?” she whispered.
Faris nodded slowly.
“Then we accept,” he said. “But we ask. Professionally. We don’t let fear make the decision before they do.”
Jiawen stared.
Her face betrayed worry.
“And if they say yes,” she whispered, “then everyone will talk more.”
Faris’s eyes softened.
He leaned forward, voice low.
“Jiawen,” he said gently, “people will talk even if you breathe. Reza will talk if you blink. The only thing you can control is whether you do your job well.”
Jiawen’s mouth twitched.
A laugh escaped her despite herself.
Faris’s mouth softened too.
Jiawen exhaled slowly.
The tightness in her chest eased.
A little.
Because he wasn’t dismissing her fear.
He was giving it a shape.
A plan.
Something manageable.
She looked at the invite again.
Optional.
She hated it.
But she also knew–optional could become required if she proved her worth.
Jiawen swallowed.
“I’ll attend,” she said softly.
Faris nodded once. “Okay.”
Jiawen rolled her eyes. “Stop okay.”
Faris’s mouth twitched. “Cannot.”
Jiawen smiled faintly.
Then she hesitated.
“Faris,” she whispered.
He looked at her. “Hm?”
Jiawen’s cheeks warmed.
Her face betrayed vulnerability.
“When you lead… don’t… act like you don’t know me,” she said softly. “I understand being professional. But… don’t erase me.”
Faris went still.
The words landed in his chest.
He swallowed.
His eyes softened.
“I won’t,” he said quietly.
Jiawen stared.
Faris continued, voice low. “And you also… don’t shrink. Don’t act small because you’re scared people will talk. If you belong, you stand like you belong.”
Jiawen’s throat tightened.
She nodded slowly.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Faris nodded. “Okay.”
They sat in the pantry for a moment longer.
Warm mugs.
Quiet window.
A small bubble of calm inside a building full of glass.
Then Faris’s phone buzzed.
He glanced down.
His expression tightened.
Jiawen noticed immediately.
“What?” she asked softly.
Faris hesitated.
Then he showed her the screen.
A Teams message.
Marcus Tan:
Need to be mindful on staffing. HR asked about your declared relationship. We’ll discuss on Monday.
Jiawen’s stomach dropped.
HR already asked.
Of course.
High visibility meant high scrutiny.
Faris locked his phone.
He looked at Jiawen, eyes steady.
“We handle,” he said.
Jiawen swallowed.
Her chest tightened.
She nodded.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Faris nodded. “Okay.”
As they walked back to their desks, Jiawen felt the office air-conditioning hit her skin.
Cold.
Uncaring.
But her mind was already in motion.
Bank project.
High visibility.
Stakeholders.
Optics.
And her own fear, walking beside her like a shadow.
Yet under the fear was something else.
A stubborn spark.
Because if this was the arena where people would judge her, then she wanted to walk into it properly.
Not as Faris’ girlfriend.
Not as the cute junior.
Not as an optional add-on.
As Chong Jiawen.
And if the office wanted to move seats to control stories, then she would write her own story in the only language corporate respected.
Competence.
Clarity.
Results.
That night, when she got home, Jiawen accepted the meeting invite.
Her finger hovered over the response.
Then she clicked:
Yes – Attending.
Her heart thudded.
Her stomach flipped.
She texted Faris one line.
Jiawen: I accepted.
His reply came a minute later.
Faris: Good.
Jiawen rolled her eyes, smiling.
Then she stared at her screen, the bank invite sitting there like a new door.
She didn’t know what would happen when she stepped through.
But she knew one thing.
She wasn’t going to wait for anyone to upgrade her from optional.