Chapter 1

During a company team-building event, my fiance, Frederick Scott, took Beatrice Sutton to the hospital after she sprained her ankle. He ignored me even though I had fainted from a seafood allergy. I nearly lost my life in the private room.

After I was discharged, I received a text message from Frederick.

He texted, "Beatrice left you a gift on your desk to thank you for what happened."

I looked around and finally spotted a crumpled meal coupon stuffed in the corner of my desk. If Frederick hadn't deliberately told me, I would've thought it was just someone's trash.

"So this is the gift Beatrice gave Ellie? From what I remember, this meal coupon is handed out everywhere on the street."

"I wouldn't even want this kind of junk if someone gave it to me, and yet someone actually used it as a gift."

The colleagues around me whispered among themselves, and their words were laced with sarcasm.

"Stop talking. Mr. Scott is here."

They scattered in an instant, and Frederick walked over to me. "Did you receive the gift from Beatrice?" he asked.

I picked up the coupon without any expression. "This is the gift you were talking about?"

Frederick looked embarrassed. "You know Beatrice's family is poor, and she has a seriously ill brother to care for, so she can't afford an expensive gift. You shouldn't be too picky."

I ignored him and tossed the coupon into my drawer. I was about to continue working when Frederick suddenly pulled me into his arms.

He coaxed me gently. "I know you're angry, but Beatrice's brother is my close friend. I promised him I'd look after her."

I pushed him away and said coldly, "I know. And since Beatrice is weak, taking her to the hospital was the right thing to do."

Frederick froze for a moment, clearly not expecting my response.

Then he added, "Why don't we go to the beach this weekend? The one you've always wanted to visit. Let me make it up to you."

I was about to refuse, but Frederick went ahead and booked the flight tickets on the spot before I could say a word.

I paid him no further attention and continued organizing my files.

Just then, I noticed that one of my files was missing. That was the proposal I'd spent a whole week working overtime on for my promotion, and it had just vanished into thin air.

I turned to Frederick and asked, "Where's my file?"

There was no need to guess. In the entire company, the only person besides me who could've gotten access to such confidential files was the man standing in front of me.

"I gave the file to Beatrice. She needed a proposal to use for her promotion to department manager," he said.

I froze upon hearing that. "You gave my proposal to Beatrice? What about me? Weren't we set on me being appointed as the department manager?"

"Her brother needs money for treatment, and the manager's salary is higher. You should make a sacrifice and give her the position. From now on, you can help her with her work, too. It's not that much anyway."

My whole body trembled.

I had worked relentlessly for three months, pulling countless late nights for the department manager position. All I needed was this proposal to secure the promotion. Yet with just one sentence from Frederick, all my effort turned to ashes.

Beatrice put in no effort at all and still ended up as my superior. And now I was expected to shoulder the work of two people just so she could sit back and relax.