Chapter 2

2

The next day, I dragged my exhausted body into the office.

As soon as I pushed the door open, Winston's roar hit me.

"What the hell is wrong with you? We have a major client visiting today and you are late?!"

He pointed his finger right at my nose.

He acted as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.

Calling this place a company was a stretch; it was really just a boutique studio.

The staff consisted entirely of Winston and his trust-fund friends he grew up with.

I only worked here because he was short-staffed and needed my help.

None of us even had formal employment contracts.

I was fluent in several languages and handled high-end sales for the firm.

Lateness was a daily habit for everyone else in this room.

But when it was me, it was treated like a sin.

"Lowe, do not get worked up over something so small," one of them said.

"Yeah, it is Cindy's first time being late, and the client called to cancel anyway."

"Just do not let it happen again," another added.

They chirped in one after another until Fiona made a pouting sound.

"Hey big guy, stop being angry. I am literally dying of boredom over here!"

Winston's expression shifted instantly as he walked over and rubbed Fiona's hair.

"Hold on, let me log in and I will help you level up your character."

Playing games during work hours was standard procedure for them.

The snowy roads had been slick, and I had taken a nasty fall on my way in.

By the time I limped to my desk and pulled out my chair, Fiona suddenly darted over and sat in it.

She quickly opened the computer and logged into her game.

"Wow, it feels so much better here! My stomach does not even hurt anymore!"

"A comfortable seat is the only way I can stay motivated."

"Winston, can I work from this desk from now on?"

Fiona looked up at Winston with a look of pure, manufactured innocence.

Her role in the company was basically being a trophy; she did nothing useful.

She just handled minor tasks like printing or basic filing.

This desk happened to be the one closest to Winston's private office.

Winston smirked. "Of course. You can sit wherever you want."

In their little circle, Fiona was the spoiled princess.

With everyone watching, he shifted his gaze to me and pointed toward a dusty corner.

"Move your stuff over there. I am tired of looking at your face."

I nodded, feeling drained. "Fine. Whatever."

Ironically, he was the one who had insisted I sit next to him when I started.

"My wife is so beautiful, I need to keep an eye on her at all times," he used to say.

Memories flashed through my mind like a ghost.

I sniffled and quietly moved my things to the new spot.

"Fiona is not feeling well, so you are going to handle her reports today."

"Be precise. If you mess up, I am holding you accountable."

I had barely turned on my computer before Winston issued his command.

Fiona's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth to hide a gloating smile.

Winston looked me up and down, his brow furrowing.

His sharp words echoed through the studio.

"And stop faking that limp. It looks fake and desperate."

The room went silent, save for the sound of the heater humming.

I thought I had numbed myself to the pain.

But my heart still felt like it stopped beating for a second.

I stayed silent for a long time.

Eventually, I just shook my head and closed the call window on my screen.

The person I had been talking to was the major client who had supposedly cancelled.