Chapter 2

2

Just as I was about to lose it and burn the whole place down, a colleague grabbed my arm.

She whispered urgently in my ear.

"Ava, do not fight her. You cannot win against the daughter of the richest man in the state."

"The company needs this deal with the Summer Group. We are all counting on her to make it happen."

I was so angry that I actually laughed.

I pulled out my phone and swiped to a photo of me and my father, shoving it in front of everyone.

"She says she is Stephen Summer's daughter and you all just believe her?"

"Well, I say I am his daughter too. Do you believe me?"

"Look, here is the proof."

Everyone looked at the photo, then started glancing back and forth between me and Vera.

The atmosphere became incredibly tense and awkward.

Finally, a colleague broke the silence in a low voice.

"But last week, I saw Mr. Summer drop Vera off at the office personally. He even patted her head."

"Yeah, I have a photo of that too," another person added, showing me their screen.

I froze when I saw the image.

Could my father really have a secret love child behind my mother's back?

I stared at the photo over and over, unable to process it.

I immediately dialed my father's number, but it went straight to voicemail.

I stood there with a frown, unsure of how to react.

Seeing my hesitation, Vera let out a mocking laugh.

"We all know how you really got those sales records, Ava. I do not need to say it out loud."

"As for that photo... you probably begged for a selfie at some public event."

She left the rest unsaid, but the look of respect in the eyes of my coworkers was being replaced by suspicion.

I was fuming, but I didn't have any more evidence on hand.

It wasn't like I carried my birth certificate and family registry in my purse.

I gritted my teeth, lost my appetite, and walked out of the restaurant.

But the next day at the office, things got even worse.

My seventy-thousand-dollar bonus had been deposited into Vera's account.

The company sent out a mass notification tagging her, congratulating her on the performance.

Even my title of Top Salesperson had been handed to her on a silver platter.

I stared at the approval form for the bonus on my desk and let out a cold snort.

Since she wanted to play dirty, I was more than happy to play along.

I grabbed the notification and marched into Gary's office.

"Mr. Lane, what the hell is the meaning of this?"