Chapter 3

A sudden burst of loud laughter erupted right behind me.

It was Brenda, Jessica, and a couple of other sycophants who spent their days orbiting Chloe.

They crowded around the water cooler right next to my cubicle, holding their coffee mugs.

"Hey, did you see the trending gossip today?"

"Hahaha, that pop star's Botox is so stiff she looks like an inflatable doll!"

Their voices boomed, without the slightest consideration for anyone trying to concentrate.

They stood that close on purpose.

I drew a deep breath, blocking out the background noise.

"Oops, is it a little tight over here?"

Jessica let out an exaggerated gasp, intentionally slamming her hip into the back of my chair.

"My bad, Claire! Such a tiny walkway, you know?"

The circle of women burst into snickers.

Right on cue, Chloe’s melodious voice floated over from the front rows.

"Guys, keep it down a little, please!"

"Claire is trying to work in that tiny corner. The lighting is already terrible over there. If you distract her and she falls behind on her mockups, she’s gonna blame everyone else."

She made it sound like she was defending me.

Yet her tone was dripping with playful condescension.

"Well, at least it's quiet back there," Brenda sneered immediately.

"Only you would be so considerate of her, Chloe."

"Some people just don't know how to appreciate a favor. Stuck with a piece of junk computer? Totally had it coming."

They broke into another wave of laughter, louder than before.

I looked back. Chloe was leaning back lazily against my former chair.

She slowly spun the seat, casting a haughty glance across the shadowed corner where I sat.

A triumphant smirk curled on her lips.

She was relishing every second of watching me get isolated and humiliated.

Childish, petty bullying tactics. Absolutely pathetic.

I didn’t budge, nor did I waste my breath arguing.

Soon, it was time for the weekly team sync.

Richard walked in carrying a stack of project folders, his expression sour and displeased.

"Alright, everyone gather around. Quick meeting."

He slammed the folders onto the conference table with an aggressive slap.

Everyone shuffled over to take their seats.

I picked a chair at the far edge of the long table.

Richard’s eyes scanned the room.

His gaze lingered warmly on Chloe, before flicking toward me with naked contempt.

"We’re not going over numbers today. We're talking about work attitude."

He crossed his legs, twirling an expensive ballpoint pen between his fingers.

"This company provides a platform for work, not for throwing tantrums."

"Lately, I’ve been hearing toxic rumors around the floor."

"Certain people who just had their desks reassigned need to check their egos at the door."

Every word dripped with venom, aimed squarely at me.

"Your seat is temporary; raw ability is what talks."

"If your attitude is smaller than a pinhead, no desk in this office will save your career."

The meeting room fell dead silent.

Nobody dared to breathe, but countless eyes darted toward me.

Richard tapped the wooden table sharply with his pen, raising his voice.

"Take a good look at Chloe!"

"Under massive project pressure, moving to a new station, having to adjust to new hardware on the fly—"

"She didn't utter a single complaint, and her productivity practically doubled!"

"I reviewed her drafts earlier. Pure brilliance! Now that is what I call a real designer!"

Chloe immediately put on a display of modest, flustered humility.

She lowered her head, twisting her fingers together in her lap.

"Director, you’re too kind..."

"Everyone’s been so supportive, and I just didn't want to hold the team back."

"I'm sorry for taking up so much of your valuable time."

Richard nodded in deep approval.

"All of you could learn a thing or two from Chloe."

"Drop the emotional baggage and produce real deliverables."

"And don’t think hiding in a dark corner means I can’t catch you slacking off."

He suddenly pointed a stiff finger right at my face, barking fiercely.

"Claire! Where are your deliverables?"

"Don’t give me the excuse that an old computer kept you from finishing your deck."

"If you drop the ball on this deadline, consider your monthly bonus gone."

Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me.

I lifted my head without haste, meeting Richard’s aggressive glare with steady calm.

"My submission will be on time."

Richard blinked, visibly thrown off by how unbothered I was.

"It better be. Meeting adjourned."

The crowd broke into small groups and dispersed, each shooting curious or mocking looks my way as they passed.

Chloe lingered at the back of the pack.

As she brushed past my chair, she paused intentionally.

Leaning down, she whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear:

"Claire, the director might sound harsh, but he's only doing it for your own good."

She let out a soft giggle, turning on the heels of her designer pumps, click-clack, and strutted away.

Watching her retreating back, a chilling gleam flashed in my eyes.