LOGINMy gaze drifted to the stain on his sleeve. The sour smell made it obvious that it was dried vomit, and only then did I remember the rumors.They said Yvette's condition had worsened and that she had lost control of her bodily functions a few days ago. Preston had been taking care of her day and night.Judging by the stain on his clothes, the rumors were true, and he had chosen the wrong side.Three days earlier, the entire company had crowded around me, apologizing so dramatically that the firm next door nearly reported us for staging some kind of cult ceremony. It had taken the police showing up to calm things down.After that, the public theatrics stopped and were replaced by quieter attempts to curry favor.Meanwhile, I had firmly taken my seat as general manager.After the morning meeting, I returned to my office and said to Mitchell, "Review the layoff list I gave you. You can notify them tomorrow. As for Preston, he has his own placement."Mitchell wiped sweat from his fo
Dad had already investigated everything. Yvette was someone Timothy allowed to impersonate me to pressure me into giving up my inheritance.Fortunately, Dad couldn't bring himself to push me that far and decided to give me one final chance.Timothy's scheme unraveled soon after, and he was quietly removed from the company.When I stopped him that day, he immediately held the bouquet out to me and pleaded, "Annabeth, I was helping you out! If I hadn't stepped in, would you have concluded your training and returned to the company this quickly?"You went through some hardship, sure, but pressure builds character. You shouldn't bite the hand that fed you!"He demanded to be reinstated, but I didn't hesitate to reject him."Maybe being removed was my dad's way of building your character. Timothy, you can't have your cake and eat it too."With that said, I walked past him and deliberately bumped his shoulder on my way out.When I glanced back, I caught the dark flicker in his eyes be
Timothy dared not offend me. Just as he was about to speak, Preston's arrogant laughter interrupted him. He looked at me with disdain, pointing at the slight tear in my clothing."A so-called heiress is wearing bargain clothes from a thrift store, hoarding garbage bags, living in a rented apartment, and sharing meals to save money. This is the first time I've seen anything like it!"Preston knew me well and quickly exposed my spending habits to everyone present. What he didn't know was that I had done it all deliberately."I joined the company for experience, not to show off. What's wrong with dressing simply to blend in? And I live in a house I bought in full, a valuable old property downtown. It's not some run-down rental."When I explained myself, no one believed me.Preston was especially smug, laughing and applauding sarcastically as he praised me for my imagination.Influenced by him, Mitchell scolded me with frustration. "There's a limit to lying. You've been in this compa
Although Timothy was a part of the Saccone family, we had never gotten along since childhood.His father had only been an adopted son of the Saccone family and held no inheritance rights, so Timothy had resented me from a young age.Yet he was the one who had arrived to save me in my moment of crisis.I was about to speak, to tell him everything I had endured during this time, but he cast an icy glance at me and slapped me hard across the face.The sharp sound echoed through the room as he glared at me. His jaw was clenched. "Yvette is a member of the Saccone family. How dare you mess with her!"Yvette immediately brightened, clinging to his arm and shaking it coquettishly. "Timothy, please help me. This audacious nobody hired people to assault me. She even tried to ruin my innocence!"Her words left me stunned. My mind was blank as I began to question whether my memory had failed me.Everyone crowded around Timothy with flattering smiles, hoping to leave an impression. In their
The faint scent of perfume lingered near my face. When I turned, I saw long curled lashes and familiar features. It was Yvette who had saved me. She took my hand and led me into a quiet alley, panting as she asked if I was hurt."Cassandra was fired for taking kickbacks. If you go out now, you're done for! Stay here and wait for me. I'll distract her!"Before I could respond, she lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried off. Sure enough, voices could soon be heard in the distance.Why would Yvette save me?Just as the question formed in my mind, several vagrants with lecherous expressions appeared at the entrance of the alley.It was a dead end. I kept retreating, but there was nowhere to escape.Looking past the men, I saw Yvette standing at the alley's entrance. She held up her phone and recorded my humiliation while speaking to someone on the screen."I can't believe how stupid she is! How could she trust me after she's gotten on my bad side? What do you have to say about th
Cassandra advanced on me with a vicious expression. She went behind me and forced my knees downward, trying to get me on the ground.Caught off guard, I fell hard onto the floor, and pain shot through my body."Stop pretending! Ms. Saccone is pregnant. You're lucky she's fine after you bumped into her! What if something happened to the baby? Can you take responsibility for that?"I refused to kneel, struggling to remain upright, and I was forced to get on all fours as Yvette peered down at me from above.She feigned concern, moving as if to help me up, only to withdraw her hand halfway. "I can forgive you, but I deserve an apology."The people around us praised her kindness while holding me down to prevent me from getting up.As I felt their grips tighten around me, a bitter ache spread through my chest.These were the colleagues I had treated with sincerity, people I had once considered family. Now, they had become weapons aimed at tearing me down.Out of the corner of my eye,







