Chapter 3
"Who approved the change in the author list?" I asked.
Charles didn't look at me. "The process team handled it temporarily."
"The process doesn't move me to the appendix on its own."
He frowned, "Evelyn, we can't afford any internal drama before the company goes public. Investors want to see stability and a clear story.
"You've been in this industry long enough, and you know both the spotlight and the work behind the scenes matter."
I gave a small, cold smile.
There was no warmth in my eyes.
"Behind the scenes," I echoed.
"Don't get me wrong," he said, rubbing his temples. "Vivian needs a chance to get back on her feet. She went through a lot before coming back, and her mental state hasn't been great."
Here we went again: she needed.
And of course, it was another chance for her.
Out of nowhere, the memory of Vivian's first day at the company three months ago flashed through my mind.
It was pouring that day. She stood at the door of Charles's office, wrapped in a pale trench coat, eyes rimmed red.
Charles had postponed my meeting for two whole hours for her.
Later, he told me she'd returned from abroad and had no one she could trust.
I asked what her role was at Cloudspire Technologies.
He said she was listed as a brand consultant, not involved in any core projects.
I didn't think much of it at the time.
I was too busy.
Busy cramming the Z17 model into a margin of error tight enough to sell, busy patching up technical notes for the auditors, busy combing through every single number in the IPO paperwork, again and again.
I set up Vivian's onboarding account myself.
I was the one who set up her access.
Only gave her access to the brand database.
And now she was up there on stage, presenting my prototype.
I looked down and saw the pen cap had pressed an angry red mark into my palm.
"Give me my phone," I said.
"We'll talk after the press conference," Charles replied.
"Charles Graham," I called him by his full name.
Only then did he look at me.
For a split second, I caught a flash of impatience in his eyes.
It was gone in a heartbeat.
If I were still the kind of person who made excuses for him, I might have convinced myself I was imagining it.
But I didn't look away.
He paused, then slipped the phone into his pocket. "Just do as I say for now."
Applause broke out in the front row.
Vivian stepped off the stage from the side.
Her face was paler than before, and her eyes were rimmed red.
Her assistant tried to steady her, but she brushed the assistant off and walked straight up to me.
"Evelyn, if you're upset about this, I can go talk to the host right now," she said.
Her voice was soft.
But in the narrow hallway, her words carried enough for the people around to catch.
"I didn't mean to take what's yours. Charles thought I'd be better at handling the media. If you want, I can back out," she said.
As she spoke, a single tear rolled quietly down her cheek.
So silent that anyone could barely notice it.
It fell onto the cuff of her dark blue suit, leaving a small, dark mark on the fabric.
I stared at that dark spot.
That suit was made for me.
On her, the shoulders were a bit too wide.
She wore something that was never hers, yet somehow, she managed to make everyone believe she was the one being wronged.
Charles instantly frowned, "Vivian, don't overthink it."
He handed me my phone, but not for me to reply to the banker back.
He needed his hands free to help Vivian.
Vivian shook her head. "I'm fine. It's the way Evelyn looks at me that makes me feel uneasy."
The staff around us awkwardly looked away.
I stayed silent.
That was when Charles's mother, Emily Graham, walked over.
She was dressed in a deep red suit, a pearl brooch pinned at her chest, her hair perfectly styled.
When she saw Vivian's red-rimmed eyes, her face immediately darkened.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Vivian lowered her head. "Emily, it's nothing. Evelyn is a bit unhappy with how things were handled."
Emily patted her hand. "You always put others before yourself."
Then she turned to me.
Her gaze swept from the script I was holding to the Technical Advisor badge pinned to my chest, lingering for a moment.
"Evelyn, this is a big day. Don't make a fuss over a spot on the stage," Emily said.
She said just a spot on the stage.
Suddenly, my throat tightened.
How many sleepless nights had I spent for this spot?
When the company couldn't pay salaries, I mortgaged the house my mother left me and wired the money straight into the company account.
Charles wrapped his arms around me outside the bank and promised that when Cloudspire went public, I'd be right there by his side.
Back then, I said, "Okay."
I always said yes.
Emily kept talking, "Vivian got back, and everyone in the industry is watching her. You're family. Why try to steal the show from her?
"Women need to know how to play it smart. If you're too aggressive, men can't handle it."