Chapter 3

I blinked. "Jealous of you?"

"Jealous that I have a daughter!"

She spat the words at me. "You're in your thirties, single, with no boyfriend, and absolutely miserable. You hate seeing other people happy!"

Victoria's gaze shifted, looking at me with sudden suspicion.

Sarah got even bolder. "I've seen people like you before. You pretend to care about the rules, but deep down, you're just bitter!

You don't understand the sacred bond of motherhood, so you try to ruin it for the rest of us."

She wiped her tears and sneered.

"And you're jealous of my work performance too.

I ranked higher than you in the last quarterly review, didn't I? You've been bitter about it ever since!

Is that why you're taking it out on my kid's painting?"

She got more and more self-righteous as she spoke.

"I'll say it right here, right now: my daughter's painting is 100% original!

If you don't believe me, it's only because your mind is twisted and dark!"

I looked at her, slowly folding the document and putting it back in my pocket.

"Fine."

Sarah’s eyes lit up, thinking I had backed down.

I patted my pocket. "No signature, no center spot. I’ll find another painting for the main display.

Yours will go at the very end of the line, based on submission time."

Sarah's face turned completely black.

Victoria slammed her coffee cup onto the desk.

"Chloe! That is enough!"

I turned to look at her.

Victoria's face was stern, her tone much harsher than before.

"The rules are dead, but people are alive.

A sick child’s last wish, and you're really going to block it over a piece of paper?"

I remained unfazed. "I'm doing this for the company to avoid unnecessary legal risks."

She pointed a finger at me. "The kid has leukemia! Even if she did copy a little, so what?

Who would have the heart to sue a dying child?"

Sarah nodded like a bobblehead, her tears flowing right on cue.

Victoria looked at me with pure disappointment.

"Go put Sarah’s daughter's painting in the center spot right now. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility."

Hearing the Director's words, I still stood my ground.

"What?" she frowned. "My words mean nothing to you now?"

"Victoria, I won't hang that painting."

"I am the Director of this project. If I say we hang it, we hang it!" Her voice turned icy. "Are you going to do it or not?"

Sarah crossed her arms, a smug smirk playing on the corner of her lips.

I took a deep breath. "No."

Victoria’s face completely darkened.

"Fine, Chloe. You think you're so irreplaceable?"

She sneered. "You think this gala can't run without you?"

She turned to Sarah. "Come on, Sarah. I’ll hang it for you myself."

Sarah’s eyes gleamed. She quickly followed Victoria.

After taking a few steps, she turned back to give me a smug, mocking look that clearly said: "Who do you think you are?"

I pulled out my phone and took a quick picture of their retreating backs.

When they were physically hanging the painting, I took another one.

By 5:00 PM, the exhibition setup was complete.

I took a walk around the hall. Right in the center hung Lily’s painting.

It was a cartoon kitten. The brushstrokes were so smooth and professional that there was no way a seven-year-old could have painted it.

I took a photo of it. Then, I took a photo of the final setup approval form—the one Victoria had personally signed.