Chapter 2

"You were the one who struck first. That’s even more unacceptable," Emily said coldly. "Apologize to Jessica right now and transfer $10,000 to her as compensation for emotional distress, and we’ll consider this matter settled."

I almost laughed from sheer disbelief. I looked at her directly. "Ms. Hopkins, are you seriously asking me to apologize and pay her?"

Emily’s expression darkened uncertainly.

Beside me, Amelia quickly tugged at my sleeve. She lowered her voice nervously. "Everly, back down. Jessica is Royce Osborne’s daughter. You can’t afford to offend her. Ms. Hopkins is counting on her to secure the Zenith Consortium partnership."

I let out a short, mocking scoff. "She claims Royce Osborne is her father, and everyone just takes her word for it? What, did she show a birth certificate at HR?"

Amelia hurriedly pulled out her phone and opened Jessica’s social media page. "See for yourself. Mr. Osborne personally dropped her off at work on her first day."

I glanced at the photo on the screen and nearly dropped the phone.

Standing beside my handsome uncle in front of a luxury car was Jessica.

The caption read: "Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop me off on my first day, Dad! I won’t let you down."

I immediately called my uncle, but all I got was the automated message saying his phone was powered off.

Watching my continued defiance, Jessica’s face twisted into a look of cruel triumph. "You'll be sorry, Everly. I'll make sure you pay for this."

Her threat materialized the following day at the company awards. The Top Performer title, along with the $600,000 bonus I had earned, was abruptly handed to Jessica.

The swap was so rushed that they hadn't even finished updating the presentation. My name was still visible right under her photo.

It was outright theft.

Rage surged through my chest as I stood up immediately.

"On what basis was the Top Performer selected?" My voice rang through the silent venue. "This month alone, the projects I handled generated over a billion in total sales and brought in tens of millions in profit for the company and outperformed second place by over five million in profit margin alone.

"Jessica hasn’t closed a single deal since joining us. So I’d really like to ask management, what exactly gives you the right to hand my title to her?"

The entire room fell silent.

The Finance Director and Sales Director exchanged uneasy looks, neither daring to speak.

Jessica looked at me arrogantly. "Because your projects came from unethical means, obviously. Horizon Ventures won’t reward someone with such a lack of integrity."

She crossed her arms leisurely. "Right now, we’re only stripping you of your Top Performer title. But if you continue using disgusting methods that damage Horizon Ventures’ reputation, then what’s waiting for you next is termination."

I was shaking with anger. I scanned the row of executives; these same people had once lauded my professionalism and skill, yet now they bowed their heads, refusing to meet my gaze.

Turning my attention to Emily, I asked directly, "Ms. Hopkins, do you stand behind this decision?"

The public confrontation clearly galled her. She frowned impatiently. "Everly, Horizon Ventures must weigh various factors. You shouldn't disrupt the ceremony over such a triviality. You need to think about the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture?" My eyes burned red as my voice trembled. "The bigger picture is me working every single day of the year without a break? Staying in the office until midnight? Killing myself to secure these projects, only for my achievements to become someone else’s credit overnight?

"Someone spreads baseless rumors about me, wipes out all of my accomplishments with a few words, and Horizon Ventures just stands there pretending not to see it?"

I stared at her. "So tell me, where’s the fairness? Where’s the justice in this? You’re treating an employee who made enormous contributions to this company as if she were nothing. Don’t any of you feel a shred of shame?"

Emily was left speechless by my questions.

Nevertheless, Jessica showed no guilt whatsoever. She lifted her chin smugly and looked at me like I was naive.

"Fairness?" She laughed dismissively. "Everly, don’t be childish. In this world, fairness belongs to whoever has power. You want justice? Then go find yourself a rich father to back you up."

Her smirk grew. "Too bad you don’t have one."