Chapter 3

At her words, colleagues outside the office widened their eyes. A chorus of whispers erupted.

"No way! iIs Anya really that desperate? Trying to keep him with her body?"

"Playing the victim after causing the scene. No wonder Chloe snapped."

"I heard he dumped her because her mom's a cleaner. Chloe's the CEO's daughter! Anya's just swinging from the corporate ladder to the... other kind."

A few voices rose in my defense, but they were swallowed by the tide of speculation.

If I didn't clear this up today, my reputation would be ruined.

But before I defended myself, I had to get revenge for that bubble tea!

I grabbed a cup from the table and splashed it over Chloe.

She looked like a drowned rat, her makeup smeared and running, like some kind of ghost.

Derek, who had been watching the whole spectacle, played the knight in shining armor, grabbing her and glaring at me to defend her.

"Anya, that's enough! You're harassing a colleague, disrupting the office, and insubordinate."

"Apologize to Chloe, or clear your desk!"

Seeing him abuse his petty power like this, I was filled with regret.

Two months ago, the Director of Sales position had opened up. It was a bloodbath. Derek hadn't even made the GM's shortlist.

I was the one who vouched for him. It took a week of pleading with my mother just to get Derek in the door.

The condition was simple: his team's performance had to double within three months of his promotion, or he was out.

I agreed without hesitation. With my client portfolio and connections, hitting his target would be easy.

Just yesterday, I'd closed a fifty-million-dollar deal with a personal contact.

I was about to hand him that victory and then he saw my mother in her cleaner's uniform. His whole demeanor shifted. He dumped me on the spot.

The next day, he stole my promotion and handed it to Chloe, the intern I couldn't stand.

So much for the deal. Let him pack his bags and get out. He's earned his failure.

A faint, humorless laugh escaped me. I met his gaze.

"Is that your final decision?"

Derek's ego couldn't tolerate being questioned. His temper ignited.

"You heard me. Apologize or get out."

Since the day I joined, I'd been desperate to prove I was more than just the founder's daughter. Dating him only doubled the pressure. I'd poured everything into propping him up.

The truth was, I was exhausted. And suddenly, profoundly done.

"Fine. Tell HR to prepare my paperwork."

Ignoring him, I walked out of the office.

Back at my desk, my friend Grace gave me a thumbs-up.

"Whoa, girl, you're fearless! That was so satisfying to watch."

But soon, her face clouded with worry.

"It was satisfying, but with the economy being so tough, jobs are hard to find. Aren't you being too impulsive? Will you regret this later?"

I smiled meaningfully.

"Don't worry, I'm not the one who'll be regretting anything."

After changing into clean clothes in the restroom, I bumped into Chloe.

She smirked with schadenfreude.

"Serves you right for being so prideful and ticking off Derek. HR is already in the office, you know. Even if you regret it now, you can't stay."

I couldn't be bothered to engage her, but she followed me.

"Hey, actually, staying might not be impossible. If you begged me on your knees, maybe I'd be nice enough to ask my CEO dad to let you stay. How does that sound?"

I had no respect for this clown, but her repeatedly impersonating me crossed a line. Now she'd see what I was truly capable of.

I stepped closer, staring her down.

"Chloe, are you really the CEO's daughter?"