Chapter 2

Aidan Rios, a senior employee, said sarcastically, "Jeremy, Bryan is right. His girlfriend comes from a wealthy family. Who knows, the company might end up counting on her to bring in some big deals down the road!

"Have you been single for so long that your mind has become twisted and you can't stand seeing other people happy?"

A male intern who had just graduated chimed in. "Exactly, Jeremy. If I were you, I'd volunteer to help. You're single anyway. You'll just go home and sit there by yourself. How miserable. Why not stay at work and keep yourself busy instead?

"No wonder you can't find a girlfriend. With such a petty personality, what woman would ever want you?"

They kept talking over each other, their voices ringing in my ears like a swarm of flies. At that moment, I finally realized there was no point in trying to reason with these people.

I slammed my palm down on the desk, and the sudden noise made all of them flinch. "Shut up, all of you! Since you care so much about the bigger picture and want to boost the national marriage rate so badly—"

I pointed at Aidan and the intern. "Fine. Aidan, since you're so enthusiastic, you can cover Bryan's shift. You already have kids, so you don't need to help boost the marriage rate anymore."

Then I turned to the intern. "And you. You think being single is so miserable, right? Then you can stay behind and work during New Year's too. Maybe one of the cafeteria ladies will see how hardworking you are and fall for you.

"Since this is such a great opportunity, you two should be fighting over it. Why push it onto me?"

The noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Aidan's face darkened, while the intern shrank back and didn't dare say another word.

Seeing that no one was backing him up anymore, Bryan kicked a chair in frustration. "I don't care. Ms. Robertson has already signed off on the list. It won't do you any good even if you go to admin!"

I grabbed the duty schedule off the desk and looked at him coldly. "Fine. Then let's go see Ms. Robertson."

The moment we walked into the office of our director, Angela Robertson, Bryan immediately put on a pitiful expression.

He sighed and said, "Ms. Robertson, I didn't mean anything bad by it. I just noticed Jeremy doesn't really have plans most of the time, so I thought I'd give him a chance to earn some extra overtime pay.

"Besides, I've already bought the tickets. They cost several hundred dollars. Not only did Jeremy refuse to help me, but he even yelled at me."

Angela was a strong, capable woman in her fifties. She had always had a soft spot for young guys like Bryan who knew how to put on a convincing act.

She frowned, tapped her desk, and looked at me. "Jeremy, it's such a small issue. Did you really have to bring it all the way to me?"

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Ms. Robertson, this isn't a small thing. It's a matter of principle. If anyone who wants to slack off can simply put someone else's name on the schedule, then what's the point of the company's attendance system?

"Besides, I already booked my own trip, and it can't be refunded either."

I lied. I hadn't actually booked anything yet, but there was no way I was backing down now.

Angela's frown deepened, clearly annoyed that I wasn't giving in. "Jeremy, you need to learn to be flexible. Team spirit is very important. By refusing to cooperate, you're putting me in a difficult position."

Bryan chimed in beside her, his words a mix of threats and bribery. "Jeremy, how about I pay you an extra five hundred dollars? I'm begging you. Stop being so selfish, okay? We're both men. Don't be so petty about it."

The two of them worked together perfectly. I was the one being wronged, yet somehow I became the troublemaker.

I had thought Angela, as the leader, would be reasonable about an issue clearly covered by company policy, like holiday duty, but she turned out to be just as disappointing as Bryan.

I took another deep breath and looked at Angela and Bryan seriously. "Ms. Robertson, if the company is mandating that I work the shift, please issue a written notice and cover the losses from canceling my trip. If this is simply Bryan's personal request, then I'm sorry, but I won't agree to it."

The office fell silent for a few seconds. Angela probably hadn't expected that someone like me, who usually kept my head down and worked quietly, would push back so firmly today.

She narrowed her eyes, a hint of malice appearing in her expression. "Fine, Jeremy. Since you refuse to go along with the arrangement, hand over the Starhaven Technologies project you've been working on."

I froze. "What did you just say?"

Angela picked up her coffee cup and spoke casually. "I said, transfer the project to Bryan. This project is important, and it needs someone who understands the bigger picture and knows how to handle things flexibly.

"Someone as petty as you isn't suited to working with major clients. Bryan has been performing well lately. Let him take over. You can use the opportunity to get some rest."