Chapter 1

"And me!" exclaimed the mug on the table. "Tomorrow, I'll tip myself over and give the back of his hand a nice blister."

The ceiling light let out a cold snort. "I'll fall down on his shiny bald head and smash him good."

Upon hearing these words, I was stunned and began to wonder if working overtime had caused me to hallucinate.

The keyboard kept clattering away, and another line appeared on the screen.

"What are you still standing there for? Pack up and go home to sleep. Why are you still killing yourself here?"

I instinctively lowered my voice. "Wait… Everyone, calm down. Where did you hear this? How come I haven't heard a peep? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Mistaken? No way!" said the mug, shaking with rage. "How much more naive can you get? Not only is Daniel Cook going to fire you, but he's also going to make you cough up every penny you've earned over the years!

"The company is about to go public, and he's planted a time bomb right in the prospectus you're holding. Once you sign it, you'll take the fall. By then, you'll be looking at massive compensation and jail time—the whole nine yards."

The office chair creaked in agreement. "He said since you have a lucky streak, you can't just leave and let some other company get the better of it. He's hired a professional team to take you down. He doesn't think your luck will hold up to the point of keeping you out of jail."

My hands started to go cold, as if I could already feel the icy bars of a cell.

"But Daniel has always been good to me." I was still grasping at straws, even though my throat had gone dry.

"Like hell he was!" the keyboard clattered dismissively. "The keyboard in Daniel's office is a good buddy of mine. It said he just finished drafting the lawsuit against you yesterday. Go see for yourself! The password for the computer is 015374."

Seeing how certain they all sounded, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of doubt.

I took a deep breath before creeping stealthily into Daniel's office.

Sure enough, the password worked.

On the desktop, a file named "Lawsuit Regarding Eloise Holt's Job Misappropriation and Commercial Disclosure" stood out glaringly.

I suddenly felt a chill in my chest, overwhelmed by the sense that I'd been backstabbed. Then, my heart began to race.

I pulled out my phone and quickly took photos.

"Eloise, look at me!" The safe in the corner suddenly spoke, startling me. "The password is the same. I've got something even juicier."

I pressed the numbers with trembling fingers.

The safe door sprang open, and what was inside stunned me.

My whole body went cold, yet my limbs moved nimbly as I whipped out my phone and started snapping photos like crazy.

Then, I packed all the files and immediately sent them to Dominic Freedman, a top-tier lawyer in the industry.

Back when he was still unknown, I'd helped him out thanks to my lucky streak. Thus, he still owed me a favor.

"Dominic, my boss is setting me up to send me to prison. I want to sue him before he makes his move. I've sent you the evidence. Please hurry—it has to be done before the company goes public."

After sending the message, I clenched my teeth, unable to suppress the rage building inside me.

I'd given five years to this company, and I finally waited long enough to see it go public. Yet, the moment Daniel didn't need me anymore, he was going to fire me?

Did he really think I'd just take it lying down?

Composing myself, I returned to my desk to grab my bag and leave.

Suddenly, Daniel's familiar voice came from the doorway. "Eloise? Are you still working? I really appreciate it. Don't you worry—once the company goes public, I'll make you a COO."

Hah, more like he'd make me a convict!

Daniel walked into his office with a smile. However, a few seconds later, he stormed back out with a darkened expression.

"Eloise, did you go into my office and touch my things?"

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay calm. "No. I've been right here, working on the prospectus."

"Impossible! My mug has been moved, and you're the only one in the office right now. Company policy states that entering my office without permission and touching anything constitutes forfeiture of your annual bonus and immediate termination. I'm pulling up the security footage right now!"

A vicious look came into his eyes as he marched toward the computer with the surveillance feeds.

My chest suddenly tightened.