Chapter 3

My resignation request was rejected.

The Head of Human Resources came to see me with an apologetic expression. "Emma, Mr. Grant says your project handover isn't finished yet, so you can't leave."

"Then I'll complete the handover," I said.

She hesitated before answering. "The problem is Mr. Grant hasn't assigned anyone to take over your work."

The message was obvious. Alexander had no intention of letting me leave.

I returned to my desk, and Olivia's profile suddenly appeared on the company messaging system. She had sent me a friend request.

Her profile picture showed her posing intimately with Alexander, smiling with the confidence of someone who believed she had already won.

I rejected the request without hesitation.

A second later, a message from Alexander appeared on my screen. [Accept it.]

The message carried the same unquestionable authority as every order he gave at work. I stared at the screen for a moment, then accepted Olivia's request.

Her message arrived almost immediately. [Emma, please don't be angry with Alex. He's only thinking about the company. Your project is important, and he doesn't trust anyone else to handle it.]

She managed to absolve herself completely while making Alexander sound thoughtful and responsible. I responded with a simple OK sticker.

Another message followed. [Emma, are you free for lunch? Let me treat you. I want to make up for everything that happened.]

I was about to refuse when Alexander messaged me again. [Have lunch with us. We need to clear the air.]

There was little point arguing.

They chose an upscale restaurant near the office.

Olivia arrived with her arm looped through Alexander's, smiling at me with polished warmth. "Emma, order anything you like. Lunch is on me."

She pushed the menu toward me and played the gracious hostess perfectly.

Throughout the meal, she fussed over Alexander, recommending dishes and reminding him to take care of himself.

Olivia placed another item on his plate and smiled affectionately. "Alex, try this one. It's easier on your stomach. You work too much and never take care of yourself."

Then she turned to me with an apologetic expression. "Emma, please don't blame Alex for making you stay. He's a workaholic, and your project matters to him.

"I'm the one who causes trouble. I keep distracting him with our problems and making him deal with things he shouldn't have to. I'm sorry."

Every apology somehow redirected the blame toward me, making it seem as though I were the one stirring up trouble and causing a scene.

Alexander seemed pleased with her performance. The way he looked at Olivia carried a softness I had never seen directed at me.

"You overthink things, Olivia. Emma and I are strictly boss and employee. Stop imagining problems that aren't there," he said.

He looked at me again, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather. "Emma, when Olivia comes to the office, help her out if she needs anything. She isn't in great health, and she startles easily. Don't make her uncomfortable."

I chewed my steak and nearly lost my appetite.

This was the same woman who had insulted me in the cruelest terms and hidden a camera near my seat, yet somehow Alexander still saw her as fragile and harmless.

By the time lunch ended, my stomach felt worse than before.

Olivia appeared at the office again that afternoon.

She settled into Alexander's office like she owned the place, sending me out for water one moment and asking me to print documents the next.

I completed every request without expression.

Near the end of the workday, Olivia approached my desk holding a flash drive and wearing an apologetic smile. "Emma, could you copy the proposal from this drive onto your computer and send it to Alex? His computer is having trouble transferring files."

I accepted the drive. "Sure."

I plugged it into my computer and opened the folder. There was a single presentation file inside, so I opened it and prepared to forward it.

The transfer bar reached the end, and my screen suddenly turned blue.

A line of cold system text appeared across the center. Seconds later, every file on my desktop vanished, including the project documents I had spent the last two months managing.

Olivia covered her mouth and gasped dramatically. "Oh no. How did that happen? Emma, I'm so sorry. I didn't know the drive had a virus. I swear I didn't do it on purpose."

She grabbed my arm and kept apologizing, looking as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

The commotion drew Alexander out of his office. The moment he saw my blue screen, his expression darkened. "What happened?"

Olivia immediately moved behind him, crying as she explained. "Alex, it's my fault. I didn't know there was something wrong with the drive, and now Emma's project files are gone."

Alexander looked at me without the slightest trace of doubt, only disappointment and anger. "Emma, don't you know basic computer security? Why would you plug in an unknown drive without checking it first?"

I looked at him and found myself unable to say a word.

He had already decided I was guilty without asking a single question.

Olivia peeked out from behind him and watched me with a timid expression.

There was a faint, unmistakable gleam of satisfaction hidden in her eyes.