Chapter 3

3

Me: "???"

Vivienne might look down on her, but what does that have to do with being a greeter at an auction?

As a loyal employee, I couldn't let my boss be slandered.

I told her sternly, "My boss has never thought that, and I'd appreciate it if you stopped obsessing over her."

Serenity watched me with red eyes for a long time before finally walking away.

That afternoon, while the finance department was reporting to Vivienne, Garrison suddenly burst into the office.

He slammed his fist onto her desk.

"Vivienne, what the hell are you trying to do?"

"What am I doing?"

Vivienne looked completely lost. "I'm trying to figure out how these consolidated financial statements actually consolidate?"

"Stop the act!"

Garrison pointed at me and shouted, "Ever since you hired this little henchman, Serenity has been crying all day! Don't tell me it's not your fault!"

Who are you calling a henchman!

I'm the Chief Executive Assistant!

"What does that have to do with me?" Vivienne was stunned. "I've been in the office all week. Check the security cameras! If she cries, it's my fault? If she trips, did I break the sidewalk? If she overeats, did I cook the meal?"

"You're still making excuses!" Garrison was fuming. "Serenity keeps defending you, telling me not to come here. And you? You won't even admit what you did. You're just full of lies."

"But I literally didn't do anything!"

Vivienne felt like her head was going to explode, but she tried to stay calm. "She's not defending me; she's just stating the obvious―"

"Shut up!" Garrison narrowed his eyes. "You're beyond help, Vivienne. I'm done with you. Winter is coming for the Sterling family."

He let out a cold huff and stormed out.

Vivienne was still in a daze. She shook her head hard.

"Anyway... back to the point. How do these consolidated statements work again?"

When Garrison said "winter is coming," he meant he was going to destroy her.

According to the rules of these stories, Garrison would now start targeting Vivienne.

His "targeting" meant announcing a total boycott―no Miller-affiliated companies were allowed to work with the Sterlings, and he even started poaching their rivals.

These tactics were petty and childish.

But to Vivienne, it was a massive humiliation and a crushing blow.

"How could he do this to me? I'm innocent!"

She was on the verge of a breakdown. "It's all that Serenity girl's fault. I'm going to ruin her."

Seeing Vivienne drifting back toward the dark side, I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Get it together!"

This was an unfair disaster, but compared to the original plot, it was still a light blow.

Vivienne had just started breaking free from the script; I couldn't let her get sucked back in.

"But Garrison misunderstood me."

She cried like a heartbroken child. "He called me malicious. Fine! I'll show him exactly how malicious I can be!"

Honestly? I could see her point.

But no!

Thinking about the future of the Sterling family and Vivienne's tragic end, I gripped her hands and comforted her. "Men are like stray dogs. If you chase them, they run."

"Be the steak instead. Make them beg for a bite."

Vivienne wiped a tear. "That was a solid metaphor."

To distract my boss, I used her credit card to buy premium subscriptions to every streaming site. I made her watch endless dramas where the female lead wins back the man's heart by becoming a powerhouse.

Vivienne stayed up all night watching. Her takeaway was: "Beauty, brains, and a little bit of mystery. That's how you win without even trying."

Well... it's a start!

Beauty was easy. Vivienne was already high-society royalty with top-tier looks. She just needed to ditch the obsession and dress for herself.

The hard part was the brains and mystery.

I brought in the best glam squad in the city. Based on her new "Girlboss" persona, I had them design a sophisticated, regal look for her.

I also hired an image consultant to train her every move.

Over time, Vivienne Sterling became the most famous female CEO in the city.

Take right now, for instance. Vivienne was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, sipping coffee.

Languid. Ethereal.

Every candid photo looked like a magazine cover.

I happily posted a picture on her social media.

Caption: "A quick break after a long day of ruling the world."

Three minutes later, an uninvited guest burst into Vivienne's office.

Following my instructions, Vivienne suppressed her excitement. She stayed calm, holding her coffee with elegant poise.

"Garrison, what a surprise..."

"Vivienne, are you serious right now?"

Me: "..."

Vivienne: "..."

Garrison was livid. "You keep posting these photos just to show off that Serenity is poor? Is this petty mockery really worth it to you?"

Mockery?

?

A CEO taking a photo with a cup of coffee is mockery?

Vivienne's expression went cold. Garrison threatened her, "You're drinking coffee from the very shop where Serenity works part-time. You took a picture just to brag, and Serenity has been crying all day because of it."

"I'm ordering you to apologize to her, or else―"

"Security!"

Garrison was dragged out by the guards. Before he left, he shouted, "Vivienne, you'll regret this!"

The Garrison and Serenity of the original book were a classic pair of over-dramatic leads.