Chapter 2

After a moment’s hesitation, Nova had no choice but to sigh heavily and sign her name.

“Lucien, you’re really too domineering. Being with you is just so stifling.

“Stef is really different from you…”

I did not give her a chance to keep rambling. Instead, I turned and walked out of the office.

Nova had probably long forgotten that I was the one who had kept this company afloat from the very beginning.

It was I who, bit by bit, had grown the company from a small workshop into what it is today.

As the company grew strong and successful, her pride grew with it. At some point, she had fallen for a younger assistant and started to resent my assertiveness.

If I had not been so assertive, her company would have gone out of business long ago!

Back at my desk, I took a deep breath, turned on my computer, and prepared to finish the unfinished project proposal.

However, the moment I opened my computer, I immediately noticed something wrong.

My permissions as Sales Manager had been restricted. I could no longer access the project files for our key clients.

Without any hesitation, I immediately called HR.

“What’s going on? Is there a system glitch?”

I demanded sternly. But all I got in response was a cold, dismissive “job reassignment” from HR.

In an instant, it dawned on me. It was Nova’s doing.

No wonder everyone at the office had been acting so awkwardly toward me earlier. It seemed Nova had already announced this so-called “job reassignment” long ago!

I hung up the phone immediately. Just as I was about to stand up to demand an explanation, Stef beat me to it and walked over to my desk.

When he saw me, he feigned surprise and covered his mouth. “Oh my gosh, Lucien, you’re at work this early today? It’s only 1:00 p.m.”

Hearing his insincere remark, I could not help but frown.

Sales was a profession with inherently irregular hours. After all, we visited client offices every day. It would be unsurprising to see us rarely present at the office.

As the top salesperson, I worked flexible hours and did not need to clock in. That was an unwritten rule in this company.

When I did not respond, Stef thought I was feeling guilty, so he raised his voice even higher and continued.

“This morning, the company took a close look at last month’s attendance records and found that you, Lucien, were either late or left early almost every day last month. Even so, you still earn a higher salary than anyone else in the entire office!

“Ms. Potter got so angry that she adjusted your position and transferred some of your projects to me.”

I scoffed. “Transferred them to you? What could you possibly do?”

To my surprise, Stef let out a cold laugh and looked at me with disdain. “Ms. Potter has the utmost confidence in my abilities.

“After all, last month, my sales figures were top in the entire company, while yours were at the bottom!”

I was stunned.

I had clearly closed a 5-million-dollar deal last month, did I not?

“That’s right, Stef is really impressive. He closed several major deals for the company last year.

“Stef has never ignored the company’s rules and regulations either, unlike Lucien. He’s always late or leaves early. He’s a real pain in the neck.”

The whispers of my colleagues reached my ears. My doubts grew heavier and heavier.

I looked at Stef. His eyes flashed with a barely perceptible flicker of panic.

I immediately caught on.