Chapter 2

The air felt like it had frozen solid. I could practically feel all those stares coming at me from every direction. Some were shocked; some looked sympathetic, but most just seemed eager to watch the drama unfold.

I even caught a few colleagues who never liked me, grinning with barely concealed glee at my misfortune.

I looked at Roger.

He was my boss, the guy I'd brought in huge profits for.

After the initial shock, he just shot Rowena a resigned glance before turning away, silently letting this ridiculous drama play out.

In his eyes, my pride as the top sales rep didn't even compare to his girlfriend's sudden craving for "security."

My heart went completely cold.

So be it.

I took a deep breath. Just when everyone expected me to storm out or start yelling, I gave them a smile that outshone Rowena's with its calm confidence.

I lifted my glass ever so slightly, as if the words I'd just heard were nothing but an amusing proposal, not a slight at all.

"Ms. Daniels, 'woof' doesn't exactly sound classy," I said, my voice ringing out and snapping everyone out of their shock.

I paid no mind to Rowena's sudden freeze or the flash of surprise in Roger's eyes. Taking my time, I pulled out my phone, brought up my payment app, and strolled right up to her.

"A thousand bucks per call, fair deal. I'll give you a hundred 'woofs', nice and tidy, 100 grand," I said.

I kept my smile wide, my tone as breezy as if I were just hashing out another routine business transaction. "Feel free to pay cash, whatever works for you. Ms. Daniels, would you prefer to put down a deposit or pay in full after I'm done?"

The whole private room went dead silent, like everyone had been hit with a freeze spell.

Rowena just stood there, mouth hanging open, looking like she'd swallowed a fly. She probably never in her wildest dreams thought I'd respond like this.

Next second, someone just couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a laugh.

And just like that, it was like someone lit a fuse; the whole room exploded with deafening laughter.

"Ms. Poe, you're a total badass."

"Holy shit! You can really pull that off?"

"A thousand bucks a pop, a hundred pops for 100 grand. That's genius business right there."

"Ms. Poe is the sales queen for a reason. That comeback was epic."

My colleagues were laughing so hard they were practically falling out of their chairs, slapping the tables and stomping their feet. The tension and awkwardness from before were completely wiped away by this sudden twist.

Amidst all the chaos and laughter, I caught Roger, the guy who'd let this whole circus play out. He gave the tiniest smirk, barely there.

That little smirk was like an icy knife, cutting right through me.

Figures. He couldn't care less.

So be it.

Now, nothing was holding me back from whatever I decided to do next. No strings, no regrets.

"You... you..." Rowena spluttered, her face flipping between anger and embarrassment. With everyone laughing, she was left totally humiliated, unable to salvage her dignity.

Roger finally stepped in to defuse the situation, his tone carrying a trace of casualness. "Rowena, knock it off. Gina's just joking around with you."

"I'm not joking, Mr. Ferguson," I cut him off, my voice steady as I fixed my sharp gaze on Rowena. "Ms. Daniels, 100 grand for a hundred 'woofs,' right here in front of everyone. No catch, totally fair. Are you in?"

Rowena was backed into a corner. With Roger signaling her and everyone whispering, she could only grit her teeth and, hands trembling, pull out her phone.

"Fine... I'll pay you," she stammered.