Chapter 2

The call ended. Within three seconds, the restroom door was kicked open with a bang.

Mabel stormed in furiously. "Stephanie, did you make them change the profit split? It was 50-50 before, and now it's 70-30! The chairman said if I can't close this deal, they're docking 500 thousand from my commission!

"Why don't you just die, you fucking bitch?"

Even Elliot came rushing over. "Stephanie, get over there right now and apologize to the client! Do you even realize how much the company stands to lose with a 70-30 split? You're siding with outsiders against your own company! This is atrocious!"

Watching him lose his temper, I quietly did the math in my head. If the deal had gone through under the original 50-50 terms, his commission would've been around three million dollars.

Now that the split had changed to 70-30, the company's profit margin would be slashed by at least half. Even if they managed to sign the contract, the board would definitely hold someone accountable.

After all the cuts and adjustments, Elliot alone would lose a full million from this deal. That amount was enough for the down payment on an apartment downtown.

But… what did any of that have to do with me?

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, mimicking Elliot's earlier words. "What proof do you have that I was the one who told them to change the profit split? Without evidence, this is slander.

"Besides, I thought the company cares about results more than the process. Whether the deal gets signed or not depends on capability."

He stared at me in shock.

My voice stayed calm. "That's what you taught me earlier. Right, Mr. Manson?"

Elliot's face flushed red from being cornered, but he couldn't force out a single rebuttal.

I walked back toward my desk. Before I could even sit down, Mabel suddenly burst out of the restroom in tears. Her sobbing instantly gathered the entire office's attention.

"What's wrong with Mabel? Why is she crying?"

Mabel choked on her tears, then, in the very next second, dropped to her knees. "I've let everyone down. I'm so sorry. I'll do everything to make it up to you all.

"It was my mentor who insisted on forcing the client to change the profit split. The chairman said that if the deal changes from 50-50 to 70-30, everyone's year-end bonus might get cut…

"So, please, don't blame my mentor, Ms. Stone. This is all my fault for not signing the contract sooner."

The coworkers stared at me in disbelief. Every single gaze was filled with resentment.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Stephanie? Are you trying to get everyone's year-end bonus wiped out?"

"You couldn't close the deal yourself, so you sabotaged Mabel's chance, too. Not only that, but you dragged the entire department down with you. Are you insane?"

As the entire office turned on me, Mabel curled her lips into a subtle smile. Still wearing that fragile, resilient act, she wiped away her tears. "Guys, calm down. I actually have a solution."

Supported by a few coworkers, she slowly stood up and casually dropped the hint. "As long as I ask my dad for help, this deal will go through."

At that, everyone's eyes lit up.

Joseph was the first to rush over and grab her hands. "Mabel, are you serious? Your dad's the chairman of the client company?"

She smiled shyly. "What can I say? My dad spoils me a lot."

At the drop of a hat, a group immediately gathered around her.

"Mabel, you're really something else. Unlike Stephanie, who went screaming in the restroom like some lunatic just because she couldn't close a deal."

"I know, right? Stephanie can't do anything right. Good thing she wasn't the one meeting the client, or she'd probably have even signed away her rights."

The office burst into laughter. Their gazes shifted toward me, layered with ridicule, contempt, and curiosity. I found it almost amusing.

"You said the chairman is your father, but if I remember correctly, his last name is Stone. Explain to me how you took the last name 'Smith' from him."