Chapter 2

A waiter quickly brought a set of disposable cutlery.

Arthur gestured with his chin toward the space next to Chloe. "Elena, stand right there."

Chloe smirked, and the others at the table chuckled along.

The Head of R&D even went so far as to slide his chair over, leaving a wider space for me to stand and wait on them.

Rage surged to my head. "Mr. Sterling, every single penny the Tech Department requested this year went into product upgrades."

"Purchasing records, R&D logs, test reports—everything is documented and fully transparent."

"If you think that deserves punishment, then I have nothing to say."

"Oh, listen to Ms. Elena Lewis," Chloe said lazily, using her fork to place a piece of sashimi into Arthur’s bowl.

"As if your department is the only one working, and the rest of us are just freeloaders?"

Her words actually triggered a memory.

The Sales Department spent five million on a "service upgrade" this year. They burned through that cash without a second thought.

And the result? A major account they had been chasing for six months fell through.

Five million dollars down the drain, and third-quarter sales plummeted by thirty percent.

I stared at her and sneered.

"I don't know about the other departments, but Sales has definitely been freeloading this year. You couldn't even keep your loyal clients."

Chloe’s face turned pale instantly.

"Elena! That five million was a strategic investment approved by Arthur himself. Are you questioning his decision?"

Viper. She immediately deflected the blame onto Arthur.

As expected, Arthur’s expression darkened.

Just then, the waiter stood beside me with the cutlery.

Arthur waved his hand, signaling the waiter to hand them to me.

I didn't take them. "Mr. Sterling, the value of the Tech Department is not measured by standing and serving food."

"If that's what this company believes, then I’d rather skip this dinner."

I turned toward the exit.

"Elena," Arthur’s voice boomed behind me.

"If you walk out that door tonight, don't bother coming back to work tomorrow."

My footsteps froze.

My daughter, Barbara, has congenital heart disease. She just had her second surgery last month.

To pay for it, we sold our house and our car.

Everyone in the upper management knew this.

Arthur was bringing this up now because he knew he had me by the throat.

But I couldn't jeopardize Barbara’s treatment.

Slowly, I turned back around and took the cutlery from the waiter.

"Elena, I want some fish," Chloe mocked, covering her mouth as she laughed.

My grip on the fork tightened. I picked up a piece of fish and placed it on her plate.

"Here you go, Chloe," my voice sounded dry and hollow, barely recognizing it as my own.

Chloe smiled smugly, picked up the fish, and put it in her mouth.

Pfft!

The next second, she spat the fish right into my face.

The chewed-up meat hit my skin. The fishy stench rushed into my nose.

In that instant, I felt the blood in my veins run cold, then boil.

"Ugh! It's overcooked and dry!" She pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"Elena, your serving skills are just like your tech products—rough and useless."

The table erupted into laughter again.

Arthur joined in. "Elena, did you hear that? You need to learn from Chloe."

"Tech is one thing, but interpersonal skills and service mindset need to keep up with the times."

"Don't just stand there. See what Chloe needs. Have some initiative."

Spit and wet fish clung to my cheek, sliding down my skin.

The buzzing laughter filled my ears.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I bit my lip so hard, refusing to let them fall.