Chapter 2

After ending the call, I left the restroom and was met by complete chaos.

My desk had been moved beside the restroom, and the surface was piled with trash and half-eaten food. My personal belongings were soaking in a pool of foul-smelling broth.

Passing colleagues covered their mouths and grimaced in disgust.

“Disgusting. Having a walking jinx in the office is enough to ruin everyone’s luck.”

Then one of them deliberately raised her voice.

“Someone like her should stay in the restroom and wash away her bad luck instead of coming out here to cause trouble for everyone.”

“Exactly. Go on, get out of here. It's making me sick.”

Their exaggerated reactions made my stomach churn.

These people had always fawned over me, calling me Alex this and Alex that. Whenever a good project came along, they never hesitated to crowd around me.

No wonder people always said the world could be cruel and fickle.

I never once believed it before, but today had certainly taught me a lesson.

I took a deep breath and forced down my anger before suddenly remembering the photograph of my grandfather on my desk.

I fought back my disgust as I reached into the pile of trash and pulled out my belongings, only to discover that the photograph was missing.

I hurried toward my old office.

Just as I reached for the door, I heard flattering laughter from inside.

“Denise, I knew you were a lucky charm from the moment you joined the company. It looks like my instincts were right.”

“Exactly. Denise looks like someone blessed with good fortune. She’s nothing like certain people who act so high and mighty but are really just walking bad luck. Someone like her will drag the whole company down sooner or later.”

“Good thing we moved her desk. I almost missed my sales target this quarter. I bet her bad luck was rubbing off on me.”

I stood outside the door, chilled to the bone by their vicious remarks.

Jasmine Warren.

Two years ago, doctors diagnosed her daughter with a rare illness, and Jasmine nearly resigned because she couldn’t cope.

I saw how much she was struggling, so I brought her onto my projects and gave her the easiest assignments.

I even voluntarily gave up ten percent of my profit share for her.

Back then, she clasped my hand with tears in her eyes and called me the savior of her entire family.

In retrospect, I found my small act of kindness laughable.

I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. The sight inside made me tremble uncontrollably.

The picture frame lay shattered across the floor, and my grandfather’s photograph was pinned beneath Denise Lowe’s foot.

“Denise, I’ve never done anything to wrong you. Why would you treat my grandfather’s photograph like this?”

I rushed over and pulled the photograph out from beneath her foot.

“Move!”

I stepped aside, and Denise fell to the floor. Her hand landed on the broken glass, and blood immediately began pouring from the wound.

My colleagues immediately turned accusing looks on me.

“Alex Smith, how could you be so vicious? Apologize to Denise right now.”

Denise rose to her feet, clutching her injured hand as her voice grew tearful.

“Don’t blame Alex. I was the one being thoughtless. I drew the grand-prize ticket, which meant Alex didn’t get the bonus.”

She turned to me with a concerned expression.

“Alex, I didn’t want to bring this up, but I don’t want our coworkers getting the wrong idea about you. I know your father is deep in gambling debt, and you desperately needed this money to help him.”

The moment she finished speaking, the office erupted.

“I knew there had to be a reason she worked herself to the bone. So, her dad’s a gambling addict.”

“Like father, like daughter. She must be just as rotten. No wonder she brings such bad luck.”

“Top salesperson, my ass. She’s out entertaining clients until midnight every day. Who knows how she lands those deals? I can’t believe she’d sleep with those potbellied middle-aged men.”

The vile accusations struck like knives.

I swept my gaze across the room and let out a cold laugh.

“You do realize spreading rumors is against the law, right? If you can’t provide evidence, I can sue you for defamation!”

The office fell silent for a moment before everyone burst into laughter.