Chapter 3

She had no idea I'd already had enough of her double standards.

I'd just uncovered a massive mistake Tristan had made. I was even planning to give her some dignity and handle it in private.

But if she was dead set on making me the scapegoat, then I had no reason to keep up appearances.

I tossed the documents I'd printed earlier onto the table.

Proof that Tristan had sold Opaline Corp's confidential information.

"I can follow the rules and eat the pasta with worms. But according to company policy, shouldn't Tristan be fired and held liable for selling company secrets?"

The room erupted.

Everyone stared at the documents in disbelief.

No one expected Tristan to stab the company in the back after Wendy had practically bent over backward for him.

With everyone watching, Tristan's eyes turned red.

"Wendy, I'm sorry. I got drunk and someone tricked me into it. I didn't mean to."

For a mistake that serious, Wendy barely reacted.

"You've completely lost control of your drinking. You're not allowed to drink anymore."

Then she looked at me. "Dylan, I just realized the rule about tripling performance penalties for being one minute late is unfair to top performers like you. I wasn't thinking clearly last night. That rule is canceled. Meeting adjourned."

Just like that, she erased the punishment.

No one would be penalized.

Everyone in the room understood exactly who she was protecting.

And it wasn't me.

As she turned to leave with Tristan, I picked up the plate and stepped in front of them.

"Hold on.

"If that rule's canceled, Tristan is still last place.

I held the plate toward him.

"You're the one who insisted on enforcing company rules. You came up with this punishment yourself. Don't tell me you're backing out now."

The other co-workers immediately piled on. "It's just a punishment. We've all been punished before.

"Go ahead and eat. We're only looking out for you.

"You're so skinny. Think of it as extra protein."

Tristan stared at the worms still wriggling in the pasta.

His face went white.

He nearly threw up.

Wendy rubbed his back and snapped at everyone else.

"I said the meeting is over. Why are you all still standing around? Get back to work. Do I need to personally escort each of you out?"

The crowd quickly scattered.

When she saw me still standing there, her tone softened. "Don't worry. Mistakes will be punished. No one gets special treatment.

"Tristan, come to my office later and write a ten-thousand-word reflection report. You're not leaving until it's finished."

I almost laughed.

Her favoritism wasn't exactly new.

I didn't even bother arguing.

I grabbed my phone and headed for the door.

She had been comforting Tristan, but the moment she saw me leave, she panicked and hurried after me.

Pulling me into a corner, she held up a medical report. "Look. Tristan really is allergic to worms.

"If I wasn't worried about things getting out of control, would I have let you take the hit?

"Honey, for the sake of the company and our family, can you let this go just this once?"

Back when she found out I was allergic to peach, she'd shoved allergy medicine into my hand and made me eat it anyway.

I wasn't going to die, after all.

But when it came to Tristan, suddenly everything was different.

I opened my mouth to cut her off.

Her phone rang.

She answered immediately.

Tristan's aggrieved voice came through the speaker. "Wendy, I drank a lot yesterday. The worms freaked me out, and now my head really hurts.

"What should I do?"