Library

Maghanap

Home / Emotional Realism Maikling Kwento / Sabotaged at the Tender: My Bid Turned Into a "Paid Surrogate" Advertisement / Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

Lahat ng Kabanata ng Sabotaged at the Tender: My Bid Turned Into a "Paid Surrogate" Advertisement: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

9 Kabanata

Chapter 1

Just as I ended the call, my fiance, Dwayne Woodruff, flung his teacup at me. The porcelain shards sliced into my calf."Damn it, Evelyn! Is that all you've got? You're always whining and tattling. Do you think you're still a baby?"Without warning, he lunged toward me, his fingers reaching for my phone. "You'd better delete that video!"Clutching my phone like a lifeline, I retreated as fast as I could. "And why on earth would I delete it? Just so you can keep twisting the truth?"With tears in her eyes, Katherine Cadwell ran over. Her legs faltered as she positioned herself between us. "Dee, please calm down. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have joked with Ms. Brown like that…"As she spoke, she hurriedly grabbed a cup of coffee from the table. It looked like she meant to offer it to me to calm me down.But before I could react, her hand trembled. The scorching coffee splashed across the laptop I had set aside just moments earlier.With a sharp sizzle, the screen went black in

Chapter 2

"The above slide shows our preliminary concept for your company's development over the next three years…"I fumbled through my explanation of the draft proposal. I couldn't remember much of the data, so I was forced to improvise on the spot.The audience's laughter grew louder. Dennis couldn't help but roll his eyes.My cheeks burned, and my palms were slick with sweat.As I steeled myself to deliver the final summary, a voice suddenly cut me off."My apologies, Mr. Newman, and to all of you here," Dwayne said, a calm, confident smile on his face. Without me noticing, he had already picked up another microphone.The audience immediately fell silent, every eye turning toward him."Since Evelyn just returned to the country, she isn't familiar with our business operations yet. On top of that, she's not feeling well today. That's why her performance is below par."With just a few words, he had shifted the blame onto my so-called "sickness". I was stunned at how easily he had washed

Chapter 3

In the pitch-black storage room, the air was nearly suffocating.The sting of betrayal and failure wrapped around me like an invisible net, sending shivers through my entire body.After what felt like an eternity, the lock turned again.A harsh, blinding light poured in. Katherine strode forward, her smile one of pure triumph.She had changed into a more luxurious suit—one of the limited-edition pieces from my own closet.A document rested in her grip. It was the letter of intent I had been desperate to receive."Look at this, Ms. Brown! It's obvious Mr. Newman really likes my proposal," Katherine announced, her voice thick with pride.She crouched down, waving the document right in front of my eyes."Also, Dwayne asked me to pass this message along. Starting tomorrow, I'm taking over as Project Director at Brown Group."I stared at her, disbelief written all over my face. I had been fighting for that position ever since I had returned to the country."Dwayne has long believe

Chapter 4

I hit the ground hard, my body convulsing uncontrollably. I tried to call for help, but my throat failed me, letting out only a dry, rasping sound.Through my blurred vision, I saw Dwayne standing perfectly still. His striking features showed no trace of concern, only sheer contempt.He probably thought this was just another one of my acts to gain sympathy.Katherine let out a gasp and pretended to rush forward to help me. "Ms. Brown, are you okay?"Before I could react, her foot shot forward, connecting squarely with my gut.Pain surged through me, forcing me to curl into a ball. I couldn't even cry out for help."Oh dear! I'm terribly sorry! How clumsy of me!" Katherine yanked her foot back, her face suddenly brimming with concern. "Ms. Brown, did that hurt?"Her performance was flawless. It almost seemed as though that kick had been nothing more than an accident.Dennis frowned, clearly irritated by the incident. The remaining clients murmured among themselves, pointing thei

Chapter 5

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in a hospital's VIP ward.The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, and an IV was attached to the back of my hand. I could feel the cool liquid slowly seeping into my veins.Meanwhile, the man from earlier was seated on the couch by the window. With a laptop on his knees, his fingers danced effortlessly across the keyboard.Noticing I was awake, he closed the laptop and walked toward me."How are you feeling?" His voice was even, betraying not a flicker of emotion.I parted my lips, my throat aching and dry. "How long was I out?""12 hours," he replied, pouring me a glass of warm water. "The situation is partially under control. Your father brought me in to manage this PR crisis. I'm Irwin Fletcher, by the way."Irwin was a leading crisis management expert in the industry. Though I had heard of him before, I had never met him in person. I couldn't believe Dad had actually called him in to help."The news has been completely rem

Chapter 6

Blood trickled from the corner of Dwayne's mouth. He struggled to his feet, still desperately trying to beg for forgiveness.Just then, a shrill female voice echoed from the doorway."How dare you hit my son?"Dwayne's mother, Mariah Silverstone, stormed in like a sudden gust of wind.She didn't bother asking what had happened. The instant she saw Dwayne on the ground, she flew into a rage, pointing her finger straight at me."Damn it, Evelyn! You're nothing but a walking jinx. As soon as you returned, you dragged Dwayne down with you. How did my son even get tangled up with someone as cursed as you?"Mariah didn't say a word about the awful things Dwayne had done. Instead, she shamelessly pinned all the blame on me."It was just a bidding meeting. What's the big deal? Everything fell apart because of your own incompetence. How dare you try to make it Dwayne's fault? I absolutely won't allow it!"Mariah still carried herself like my future mother-in-law. In her eyes, she had ev

Chapter 7

Just as Mariah and Dwayne completely broke down, the door burst open again.Katherine rushed in, tears running down her cheeks. She probably still thought she could manipulate everyone by playing the innocent victim."Dee! Are you okay?" she exclaimed, collapsing beside Dwayne. Seeing the cut on the corner of his mouth, her eyes immediately burned into me."Evelyn! How can you be so cruel? You knew that Dee and I truly love each other. How could you use your family's influence to tear us apart like this? It's clear that you're just jealous of us."Dad let out a cold laugh. "And when exactly did the two of you become an item? Is your idea of true love seducing someone else's fiance at their engagement party?"I couldn't help but scoff at Katherine's outrageous words."Am I supposed to be jealous of a woman who survives on handouts and shamelessly intrudes on someone else's relationship? Katherine, when did your audacity get so completely out of hand?"Katherine's expression darke

Chapter 8

After driving away that group of troublemakers, the room finally returned to a state of calm.Irwin handed me a document. It was a completely new bid proposal."I've already scheduled a meeting with Mr. Newman tomorrow. This will be your chance to prove yourself again."He spoke with an air of confidence, as though this matter were hardly worth worrying about.Still, I knew that being able to salvage an opportunity that had seemed lost and reschedule the meeting within just 24 hours demanded extraordinary connections and influence.Three days later, Dad came to me with the latest update.Woodruff Group had declared bankruptcy, and Jerry was officially charged with fraud and embezzlement. He was facing multiple charges and was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.Meanwhile, Katherine was permanently blacklisted from the industry for leaking trade secrets and committing corporate fraud.Due to academic dishonesty and unethical conduct, her degree was revoked. All the f

Chapter 9

A year later, Brown Group held its annual business summit.I stood in the spotlight as the newly appointed CEO, addressing thousands of business leaders and reporters from the stage.In just 12 months, I had undergone a complete transformation.Halfway through the summit, a sudden commotion erupted at the back of the hall.A drunken, disheveled man forced his way past the security guards. Like a lunatic, he charged toward the stage.It was none other than Dwayne.With a thud, he sank to his knees a few feet from the stage. From across the crowd, he cried out my name, his posture steeped in humiliation."Evie, I messed up. I really did. Please forgive me! I can't live without you! Please give me one more chance!"The entire hall erupted into chaos.In an instant, a flurry of camera flashes exploded, zeroing in on me and Dwayne.The business tycoons in the front row exchanged startled glances. Murmurs soon began to ripple among them. After all, such personal conflicts rarely er

I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App

DMCA.com Protection Status