Chapter 2

Renly's torment lasted twenty days.

It wasn't until he and Trisha Cunning became an official couple that my personal hell finally ended.

"Did you guys hear? Someone filed an anonymous complaint against Renly Wilton!"

"For real? What was the complaint about?"

"No idea. The department head went looking for him first thing this morning, all pissed off, but he was nowhere to be found. That just made her angrier."

My coworkers were whispering amongst themselves.

I started my work, pretending I didn't care.

Renly knew I was thin-skinned, that I hated being the subject of gossip.

Whenever I resisted him or went against his wishes, he'd start spreading vicious rumors around the office.

Like how I'd seduced older men back in school. Or that I used to be in the adult industry. Or that my hymen was surgically repaired several times.

All my coworkers looked at me with naked disgust and did their best to avoid me.

Every time I tried to explain, they'd offer the fakest agreement, then turn around and mock me even more viciously behind my back.

In over twenty years of life, I'd never been treated like garbage by everyone around me. Going to work every day felt like a fate worse than death.

I wanted so badly to tear up my employment contract, to rip their lying mouths apart, to just jump straight off the top floor of the building.

Close to noon, Renly swaggered into the office. He noticed the looks the other coworkers were giving him and a flicker of confusion crossed his face.

When he saw our supervisor, Ms. Laurie, yank him into her office in a fury, a long-lost smile finally touched my lips.

The office soundproofing was terrible. Ms. Laurie's shouting echoed through the whole floor.

"Are you coming in late every single day? Do you think you own this company? You just show up whenever you feel like it and disappear when you don't!"

"And you set up an old phone to clock in remotely? If you don't want this job, then get the hell out!"

"I'm docking fifty percent of your monthly pay! And this is going out as a company-wide warning. From now on, anyone who's late is going to be called a 'Renly Wilton'!"

Everyone was fighting to hold back their laughter, taking no small amount of schadenfreude—everyone, that is, except for Renly, whose face was a deep, angry red.

Before this, Renly used to brag to his colleagues that he had connections, that he only needed to work half days.

After laying into him, Ms. Laurie stormed off.

Renly watched her retreating back with a murderous hatred. It was a look I knew all too well.

I quickly dropped my head and pretended to be busy.

A second later, his gaze shifted to me, like he was sizing up the culprit. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity.

Long enough for my neck to go stiff and goosebumps to erupt all over my body.

When Renly finally turned away, I let out a tiny sigh of relief and couldn't help but lift my head.

I never expected him to whip his head back around and glare right at me!

My head shot back down. My heart skipped a beat. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

Renly eventually went back to his desk.

But I knew it. He was already plotting his revenge against me.