Chapter 2

Her voice was piercing, and busy colleagues craned their necks to look, whispering amongst themselves.

This was the twentieth time today I'd been gawked at like a monkey in a zoo.

Ever since she and Derek suddenly declared themselves a couple this morning, Chloe had been like a radar, constantly tracking me.

When I felt cold and changed into a red jacket, she shrieked in anger:

"Anya, have you no shame? You know Derek loves red, so you wear red? You're trying to get his attention, aren't you? How pathetic can you be?!"

I just called her "nuts" and kept working.

When I got up to use the restroom, she suddenly blocked my way.

"I won't let you go! Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You only went because Derek just went to the restroom!"

"I'm telling you, he said he'll never get back with you, he loves me! Going there won't change a thing!"

I really had to go, so I pushed her aside, but she still followed me, chattering incessantly.

"My man already warned you off, and you still went to the restroom to hook up with him? Do you know what home-wreckers like you would face in the old days? Public shaming, humiliation!"

I locked the door and took a quick pee, but her mouth still didn't stop.

"Just give up, Anya. A man as amazing as Derek will only ever be mine. Your mom's a cleaner, you're trash, you..."

I couldn't stand her craziness anymore and decided to text my mom, asking when my junior-level internship would end so I could be transferred.

She appeared out of nowhere, snatched my phone, and read my message aloud.

Seeing that I'd saved my mom's contact as "CEO," she clutched her stomach and burst into mocking laughter.

"Your cleaning lady mom, and you saved her as 'CEO' in your phone? That's hilarious!"

"Anya, remember this: you and your mom are trash. You belong in a dumpster, wasting space, wasting air. You should just die, die soon..."

I slapped her across the face. My team members also spoke up for me.

"Chloe, your mouth is spewing pure sewage! Did you forget to eat, or is your breath always this foul?"

"Yeah, it's like a garlic bomb went off, so gross..."

Seeing everyone on my side, she reluctantly returned my phone.

After two hours of blessed quiet, her "affliction" apparently returned.

I didn't want to stoop to her level; she seemed like someone with serious mental issues.

But her incessant badgering was too much.

I held up three fingers and swore to the heavens.

"Chloe, relax, nobody's trying to steal that loser from you. No, let me be clearer: I wouldn't take him even if he came with a bow on top."

"But if you slander me again, I'm calling the police."

I thought she'd back off, but instead, she snarled and threw her bubble tea at me. The sticky, sweet drink splattered all over me.

The culprit, however, screamed like the victim.

"Anya, you bitch, who are you trying to fool?"

"You say you don't want to hook up with Derek, then tell me, where did that hotel key card on the table come from?"