Chapter 6) A glimmer of hope

A few days had passed, and I still hadn’t seen William. It wasn’t easy to accept that despite being a deserving candidate, I didn’t receive the promotion. The injustice gnawed at me.

Lost in thought, I heard my name being called.

“Lily Stephens?”

I looked up. My manager stood at the entrance of the floor, his expression grim.

“Yes, sir?” I said, rising quickly.

“Come to my office,” he said curtly.

I felt a chill run down my spine. Something was wrong.

Nany leaned over and whispered, “What’s going on?”

I gave her a nervous shrug and made my way to his cabin. I knocked lightly.

“Come in!” he snapped.

I entered and greeted him politely, “Good morning, sir. What’s the matter?”

He didn’t answer with words — just picked up a file and flung it onto the desk in front of me.

“What is this? Explain everything!”

I picked up the file, my hands trembling. The data… it was completely wrong. Pages filled with inaccurate figures and poorly written summaries — but the topic was mine. I remembered working on this file for months. I’d poured my energy and dedication into it.

This wasn’t just any project. This was my promotion file.

I opened my mouth, then froze. My eyes darted to my USB drive — the one where I had stored the original data.

Before I could reach for it, he turned his laptop toward me. “Don’t bother,” he said coldly. “I’ve already checked your USB. Take a look for yourself.”

I plugged it in.

What I saw turned my blood cold.

Instead of my files, the drive contained only one thing — a pornographic video.

I gasped. “Sir! I… I swear, I don’t know who did this. This isn’t mine! Someone must have tampered with it. I would never—”

“A conspiracy?” he interrupted with a mocking laugh. “Lily, do you think you're the CEO or the Prime Minister, that someone would go to such lengths just to ruin you?”

He leaned back in his chair, clearly furious but controlled. “When I joined, I didn’t know your history here. But as I got familiar with the team's past records, I checked your performance data. Your work was clean. Then I saw this. That’s why your name was pulled from the promotion list.”

I stood there, stunned.

This wasn’t William’s doing?

Then who…?

I looked at my manager, pleading. “Sir, why would I sabotage my own work? Why would I destroy the very file I need to get promoted? I’ve worked hard for this.”

He studied me quietly for a moment, then sighed. “Do you have any enemies here?”

I shook my head. “I’ve never had any conflict with anyone. I just do my job and keep to myself.”

“That’s exactly why you might have enemies,” he said. “Lily, you’re disciplined, punctual, and your work stands out. That doesn’t earn you only praise — it earns jealousy too.”

I nodded slowly, finally realizing the truth of it.

He motioned for me to sit. “From now on, don’t share anything about your work — not even with friends. Trust me, friendships are fine, but when it comes to your progress, keep things to yourself. You lost this round. But the chance will come again. Be ready — silently.”

Afternoon

I stepped out of the cafeteria, feeling sick. My stomach was fine — it was my mind that was churning. Who could do this to me? Who would stoop so low?

As I walked back, lost in thought, I bumped into someone.

William.

He looked as cold and perfect as ever in a sharp black suit, his stride confident, flanked by his secretaries.

Our eyes met for a brief second.

And then… nothing.

He walked past me like I didn’t exist.

I clenched my fists, trying not to let the sting show. Gone were the days he treated me like I mattered. Gone was the man I once trusted. All of it — fake.

Back at my desk, the atmosphere had shifted. Everyone was talking, excitement buzzing through the office.

Nany rushed to me. “Lily! There’s good news. Everyone’s promotions have been postponed. They’re rechecking all files due to a system error!”

I blinked. “What?”

“Yeah!” she said, smiling. “They’ll review everything again.”

Recheck?

The word echoed in my mind.

Recheck. Recheck. Recheck.

My heart skipped. Did this mean… I had a second chance?

My manager gave me a knowing look and gestured for me to follow him. I didn’t hesitate.

Inside his office, he said calmly, “Don’t get too excited. You’ll have to resubmit everything — from scratch. You have twenty-three days. And you still have your regular work. Everyone else will resubmit the same file. You? You need to build it all over again.”

I bit my lip. “I can do it, sir.”

He nodded. “I believe you can. But keep this between us. Don’t tell anyone. If anyone asks, say you’re not applying this time. Let them think whatever they want. You’ll be transferred once promoted — it won’t matter what they believe.”

I smiled, genuinely grateful.

He added, “And don’t share even a single line of your new project with anyone.”

“Yes, sir.”

Back at my desk, my colleagues surrounded me.

“Don’t worry, Lily,” one of them said. “You’ll get the promotion this time.”

I smiled politely. “Thank you. But I’ve decided not to apply this time. I’ve got some personal things going on. I’ll stay back with all of you.”

They nodded sympathetically, offering comforting words I didn’t believe anymore.

Inside, I had made my decision.

I would work in silence. And I would rise quietly.