Chapter 3

Jessica didn’t bother hiding the contempt on her face.

"As for me? I’m the daughter of Royce Osborne, president of Zenith Consortium. That identity alone is enough to crush you so completely you’ll never recover."

I stared at her, genuinely baffled by where all this confidence was coming from. At this point, I was honestly starting to wonder whether my uncle had secretly fathered an illegitimate daughter behind the family’s back.

I interjected, "I heard Mr. Osborne has a niece he absolutely adores. Practically treats her like his own daughter. As our prestigious new Top Performer, I assume you've crossed paths with her?"

Jessica’s expression froze for half a second. Then she rolled her eyes dismissively.

"That’s my cousin, obviously. Of course, I’ve met her. But she lives overseas most of the time and rarely comes back. Even I don’t see her often." She looked me up and down mockingly. "A nobody like you would certainly never get the opportunity."

I let out a cold laugh. "Really? Then if you’re so classy, why are you stealing someone else’s accolade and bonus?"

I tilted my head slightly. "Or what? Are you simply a fraud posing as an heiress?"

"You—" Jessica’s face turned red with fury. "Everly, don’t push your luck! Your Top Performer title was revoked because you weren’t worthy of it. Mine was earned through genuine merit!"

"Merit?" I stepped toward her slowly, my gaze fixed on hers. "Do you mean the merit of gaming on the clock? Or perhaps those indulgent two-hour lunches and making sure you're out the door by five sharp?

"Maybe the merit to stare at a computer all day and produce a presentation with nothing but the word ‘Proposal’ typed on it?"

My voice wasn’t loud, but the weight of my words was enough to strip away her dignity in front of everyone.

Speechless and fumbling for a comeback, Jessica instinctively turned a desperate gaze toward Emily, silently pleading for intervention.

A flash of irritation crossed Emily’s face, like she was frustrated Jessica had embarrassed herself this badly. Then Emily looked at me sternly. "Everly! Watch your tone. This is a professional setting, not a circus. You don’t get to scream and cause a ruckus here.

"Don’t think landing a few successful projects gives you the right to act however you want. Strong performers replace weak ones all the time. You need to accept that someone more capable has surpassed you instead of throwing a tantrum."

Every eye in the venue turned toward me. They were all waiting to watch me make a fool of myself over a $600,000 bonus.

$600,000?

Even eight million wouldn’t matter to me. What I wanted was fairness.

Rather than erupting or engaging in an argument, I merely offered a smile, one with a cold, mocking edge.

"Fine. I accept it." I glanced at Jessica. "The Top Performer title should belong to the more capable person after all."

The second I returned to my desk, two company-wide HR announcements were sent out.

"Due to serious violations of company policy involving the abuse of corporate funds for excessive personal spending, Everly Pearce is hereby removed from her role as Sales Manager. Her suspension is effective immediately, pending a full review.

"Conversely, junior staff member Jessica Osborne has shown remarkable dedication to safeguarding company interests throughout her probation, providing significant value to Horizon Ventures. Effective immediately, she has been promoted to a permanent position and appointed as the new Sales Manager, assuming responsibility for all projects formerly managed by Everly Pearce."

Within seconds, Emily’s mention popped up in the company group chat, tagging me directly.

"Everly Pearce has set a dismal example for this team by wasting company resources and ignoring protocol. Consequently, her monthly bonus is revoked. Additionally, she must post a written apology to this chat. Consider this a warning to everyone else."

I was livid with anger.

First, they stripped me of my Top Performer title. Then they took my bonus. After that, they publicly paraded me as a cautionary tale just to establish Jessica’s authority.

The office descended into a sudden, heavy silence, and even the frantic pinging of the group chat died away.

Eyes darted toward me from every corner of the room. I caught looks of genuine sympathy and flashes of indignation on my behalf, though some colleagues were clearly relishing the unfolding drama.

The unread messages sat there motionless, as if everyone was waiting for me to humiliate myself publicly and grovel for forgiveness.

A few seconds later, Emily tagged me again. "Did you not see the message?"

I still didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, the notifications kept coming nonstop, almost obsessively.

Amelia privately messaged me. "Everly, please stop being stubborn. Just apologize. Your job is on the line."

I managed a smile at her, but it only brought me to tears.

With stiff, trembling fingers, I tapped out my reply on the screen.

"Understood, Ms. Hopkins. I will firmly keep this lesson in mind. I promise I will never recklessly indulge in $10 on a slice of cake. The next time the company provides afternoon tea, I'll be sure to just stick to water".