Chapter 2
The next morning, the moment I walked into the office, I could tell something was off.
The receptionist and coworkers passing by all looked at me with a strange mix of curiosity and sympathy.
My assistant, Lily, spotted me and immediately pulled me into my office. She shut the door behind us, her face tense with worry.
"Ms. Shaw, something serious has happened. Early this morning, James' fiancée, Emily, showed up. She's sitting in the lobby now, saying she's waiting for you."
My heart dropped. A strong sense of dread hit me all at once, and I felt my temples start to throb.
"What is she trying to do now?" My voice had already gone cold.
"She said," Lily hesitated, lowering her voice, "that you still refuse to back down, and that you sent James a lot of harassing messages last night. She came here today to beg you, in front of the whole company, to let them go."
I immediately pulled out my phone and checked my call logs and messages. Aside from a few work group notifications, there was no record of any private contact between James and me.
"Where is she now?" I grabbed the desk phone, ready to call security and have her escorted out.
"She's still downstairs, stopping every employee who walks in and crying to them about how you're using your position as CEO to pressure James, and how you're ruining her marriage.
"The whole company is talking about it now. They're saying you can't let go of your ex, that your feelings turned into resentment, and that you're using this deal to force him back into a relationship."
Lily hadn't even finished speaking when my office door was shoved open.
Emily stood in the doorway, a crowd of coworkers craning their necks behind her, nearly blocking the entire hallway.
"Ms. Shaw, I made you some soup. No matter how busy you are, you really shouldn't be messaging James in the middle of the night."
She walked in and set a thermos down on my desk with a hard thud.
"He's too soft to turn you down, but I don't tolerate this kind of thing."
I looked at her coldly. "Ms. Clark, I don't recall sending James any messages."
"Of course you wouldn't admit it." She let out a bitter laugh, then suddenly turned to the people at the door, her voice trembling with tears.
"Everyone, look at her. She always acts so superior. She thinks being CEO gives her the right to bully people like us, to interfere in other people's relationships without any restraint."
As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of printed pages from her bag and slammed them onto my desk.
"These harassing messages you sent, and you still dare to deny it? Olivia, how can you be so shameless?"
I bent down and picked up a few sheets. The profile picture and username were mine, and the messages were embarrassing, full of pleading and blatant flirting. But the number they were sent from was an unfamiliar virtual number.
"I didn't send these," I said calmly.
"And you're still denying it." Emily completely lost control, pointing straight at me. "Do you think faking a few messages will drive us apart?
"I'm telling you, James showed me all the screenshots last night. His heart belongs to me. He told me to ignore you, you crazy woman."
By now, people from the entire floor had gathered, whispering and pointing.
"I can't believe Ms. Shaw is like this. She always seemed so proper."
"You never really know someone. Throw away your dignity over a man, seriously?"
"That Ms. Clark is so pitiful. Her fiancé is being harassed by his boss, and she still has to come here in person to beg."
I looked at the woman in front of me, acting almost unhinged, and for the first time felt what it was like to be completely unable to defend myself.
Just then, James rushed in. He grabbed Emily, his face dark with anger.
"Emily, stop this. Come back with me. We'll talk about it at home."
But Emily clung to the edge of my desk like it was her lifeline, refusing to move.
"I'm not leaving. She has to promise, in front of everyone, that she'll never bother you again."