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Chapter 2

Author: Luca Rowan
Early the next morning, Vivian posted the new menu in the work group chat. Besides lunch, she'd added afternoon tea—old brew, Opera cake, and imported fruit.

The chat immediately blew up with excitement as my colleagues showered her with praise.

"Long live Vivian! You're an absolute angel!"

"Thanks, Vivian! At long last, we don't have to eat pig feed. This is what happens when you have a well-connected heiress on your side!"

Vivian replied with a smiley face.

I pulled up the catering service's official website and checked the afternoon tea prices. A single slice of cake cost 65 dollars, a cup of coffee was 35 dollars, and a handful of imported strawberries came to 50 dollars.

One of my colleagues was already asking for seconds. "Add another box for me. I want to take it home for my daughter."

Vivian readily agreed, and a string of similar requests soon followed.

Vivian deliberately tagged me in the group chat. "Do you want to order with us today? I can order for you while I'm at it. I wouldn't want you accusing me of leaving you out again."

I sent a curt response. "No thanks. I can't afford it."

The group chat fell silent for a split second before erupting into a frenzy of messages.

"What do you mean, you can't afford it? The company's footing the bill to improve our meals. What's with the attitude?"

"LMAO, she's just bitter because she isn't getting any kickbacks anymore. What a buzzkill!"

Marcus chimed in as well. "Vivian is just trying to do something nice and improve everyone's quality of life. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill."

I closed the group chat and double-checked the order list. There were 13 people in our branch, and all 12 of them—excluding me—had signed up for the new meal plan.

…

The lunchboxes arrived at noon. The office was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of gourmet food. My colleagues gathered around Vivian, snapping pictures and posting them on social media to show off their fancy meals.

I picked up my bowl of oats and headed to the pantry. I'd just topped it off with hot water when Vivian sauntered in after me. "Everyone's eating together outside. Why are you hiding in here all by yourself? Who are you giving attitude to?"

"Do I need your permission to decide how I spend my lunch break?"

Vivian stared at me for a couple of seconds before dumping the rest of her cold coffee into my bowl of oats. The brown liquid spilled over the rim, drenching my cuffs.

I looked up at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

She flashed me a faint smile and stepped backward toward the door.

Marcus rushed over when he heard the commotion. He took one look at her before shifting his attention toward me. "What happened this time?"

I flatly said, "She dumped her leftover coffee into my lunch."

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. "I didn't do it on purpose. I just lost my grip! Marcus, is she still holding a grudge against me because I took over the lunch orders?"

Marcus reached for my bowl and seized my arm. "I'm doing this for your own good, Claire. Mr. Kincaid cares a lot about teamwork. If you refuse to fit in, it will reflect badly on your performance review at the end of the month.

"Now, apologize to Vivian. Learn to get along with everyone and stop giving everyone attitude all day. You're making yourself a laughingstock!"

I flung his hand away and asked coldly, "The lot of you only make four grand a month. How many days do you think you can afford to eat meals like this?"

Marcus looked at me as if I were a madwoman. "What are you on about? Lunch is provided by the company. Why would we have to pay for them?"

Vivian stepped forward, lifting her chin triumphantly. "I've already spoken to my uncle. Marcus will take care of the rest. My uncle is the General Manager, while Marcus is the Human Resources manager. How hard could it be to upgrade the employees' meal plan? Claire, we're here to work, not to help the company boost its profits by eating cheap fast food!"

My colleagues nodded in agreement. "Vivian's got brains and connections. Unlike a certain someone who acts like they're the company's successor and insists on pinching pennies for the company!"

I looked at Marcus. "In that case, you can sign the handover form, too."

Marcus sneered. "God, you're such a pain. Hand it over. I'll sign it."

I took in their greedy faces, a faint smile playing on my lips. "Are you sure?"

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    A month later, Dad sat at the head of the table in the executive boardroom on the top floor of the company's headquarters and looked at me. "Have you decided whether you're ready to take over the reins at headquarters?""I have." I closed the folder in front of me. "But not right now." Several board members exchanged glances.One of them casually piped up. "That's understandable. Ms. Blackwell has only just completed a year of rotational assignments at the operational level, and such a major incident has already occurred under her watch. It's a little too early to have her parachute straight into headquarters right now. I'm afraid it would be difficult for her to earn the respect of the people below her." I slid a report toward the center of the table. "We've officially secured the deal with the client. It's a three-year contract worth 15% more than we originally projected. Since I took over the branch's restructuring a month ago, I've reduced overall operating costs by 11%, and

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  • For Fancy Lunch, My Team Lost Their Wages    Chapter 7

    The following morning, the branch's grandest multipurpose conference room was packed to capacity. The client was the company's most important business partner of the year, and Dad, the CEO, attended in person. Mr. Kincaid had been waiting at the elevators since early morning. He personally welcomed the guests before pulling out the chair at the head of the table for Dad. Vivian wore a brand-new dress and stood before the projector, wearing a smile more polished than anyone else's. The humiliating scene from the day before, when the entire team had mobbed her and demanded that she reimburse them, seemed as if it had never happened. Before the presentation began, Dad looked up at her and asked, "How long did it take you to put this proposal together?" Vivian straightened her back. "Two weeks. I burned the midnight oil every day during that period, cross-checking all the data."Dad nodded and fell silent. Vivian began, "Now, I'll walk everyone through our key client expansion s

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  • For Fancy Lunch, My Team Lost Their Wages    Chapter 5

    "I was the one who coordinated the catering arrangements. Mr. Kincaid's aware of it." Marcus took half a step forward, his tone confident. "The new proposal was intended to improve employee welfare. The approval process is still underway." Ms. Rhodes didn't respond. Instead, she flipped through the document in her hand to the last page. "The company has never approved this additional budget." The air in the room instantly froze. Mr. Kincaid immediately turned to look at me. "She's in charge of the catering arrangements. I don't think we've gotten to the bottom of this yet." Marcus took the cue and chimed in. "Exactly. I can testify to that. If there are discrepancies in the catering expenses, she should be investigated first." Vivian hid behind him, nodding vigorously. "That's right; she was in charge of ordering lunch. I'm just an intern. I don't know a thing!"Voices of agreement rose around us immediately.I didn't bother defending myself. I simply took a folder out of m

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