Chapter 4
It was two in the morning. The phone rang twice before Harlan picked up.
It was noisy on his end, but his cold and distant voice still cut through the commotion, “What is it?”
“Why did you kick me out of the work group?” I asked.
He responded carelessly. “The proposal was approved”
1 Jet of
out a sarcastic laughs. “And that’s your
your reason?”
“Tamara will handle everything from now on. His voice was calm, as if he were discussing something trivial
1 was so furious I laughed. “You gave my achievements to Tamara! You really think she can handle it?”
He paused pitiful
for a moment, but before he could answer, a delicate voice interrupted. “Harlan, my hand hurts—” It was
as Tamara, sounding soft and
Without hesitation, Harlan hung up.
The words Lhad yet to say got stuck in my throat.
I put down my phone and sighed.
Good thing I wasn’t that innocent.
If I really were Harlan’s girlfriend, I’d probably be infuriated to death by now.
I didn’t bother calling him again.
His stance was obvious—no matter how much I argued, it wouldn’t change anything
But I couldn’t let all my hard work become someone else’s stepping stone.
I opened Ashton’s chat window and typed: [The proposal went through!]
Just as I sent the message, his call popped up. I answered, and the best thing he said was, “Thut proposal was your work, wasn’t it?”
I was taken aback. “How did you know?”
“Tr’s your style,” he replied, “But why bin’t your name on it? Did someone seal the credit?
I silently admired his keen instincts. “Yeah”
“Got it,” he said gently. “I’ll look into it tomorrow. Don’t worn
I smiled. “Im not worried.”
worry.”
He chuckled. “Why are you back in this industry? If Harlan treats you like this, have you considered switching jobs”
His straightforwardness made me laugh. “Come on, Ashion. I signed a non–compete agreement”
His voice carried a hint of amusement. “Join my company–111 pay the penalty for you.”
I neither
agreed
nor refused. “We’ll see,”
“Oh. He didn’t sound disappointed. Insteal, he asked, “Why are you still up!“.
touched the tip of my nose. “Slept too much during the day”
He paused briefly, then suddenly asked, “That night when you left early–was it because Harian made you drink? Did your stomach act up again?”
Ha sharpress was almost terrifying
I didn’t want him to worry, so I denied in “No, just had something urgent to lundle”
He hesitated for a moment before simply saying. “Alright. Get some test
“Okay” called ligtely “Good night“
I hung up the phone but still couldn’t sleep all night. Yet when I arrived at the company the next morning. I felt surprisingly alert.
Chapter 4
The elevator stopped on the first floor. As the doors d
slid open and I was about to step in, Harlan and Tamara walked out
1 paused for a moment, my gaze
ze instinctively falling on Tamara’s hand
Aside from a small band–aid wrapped around one of her fingers, there wasn’t a single visible injury.
Tamara saw me, too, She hesitated slightly before greeting me awkwardly. “Good morning, Charlene”
1 lifted my eyes and looked at Harlan. “You were so anxious yesterday–1 thought it was something serious. Turns out it was just a tiny cur?”
The moment I finished speaking. I noticed Tamara’s lips turn a shade paler.
113 3
She hurried to explain, “Charlene, don’t misunderstand. I accidentally knocked over a glass and cut my hand, so-
She seemed unsure of how to continue, growing anxious as she tugged at Harlan’s sleeve.
Harlan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at me. “Come to my office at ten Ill explain
With that, he led Tamara away y without waiting for my response.
I didn’t bother asking where they were going–Tamara had already given me the answer. “Charlene. Harlan and I are going to grab breakfast. Do you want anything? I can bring it back for you.”
Then, as if remembering something, she bit her lip and added, “Your stomach hurts. You should eat properly.”
I looked at her. When she smiled, dimples appeared at the comers of her lips, making her seem incredibly endearing.
No wonder she had Harlan wrapped around her finger
I shook my head. That won’t be necessary.”
Tamara nodded with a soft “Oh.” But she still smiled and said, “I bring you a coffee then.”
I didn’t respond. She simply took Harlan’s arm and left, excitedly asking him what he wanted to eat.
Back at my desk, I noticed my colleagues casting me complicated glances.
Yet, not a single one of them approached me to speak.
I didn’t care. When ten o’clock arrived, I went to Harlan’s office.
Tamara was still there, sipping her coffee. When she saw me, her face turned red. She quickly set down her cup and murmured, “Harlan, I’ll get back to work now.”
Harlan nodded in response, and she quietly left.
Once the door closed, he finally looked at me.
He ulted his head slightly, eyes locked on mine. “You’re upset that I gave your proposal to her?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Should I be happy!”
He said, “Charlene, Tamara needs credit.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “If she needs credit, she should do the work herself. Why take mine?”
He didn’t explain. Instead, he stared at me deeply and said, “I’ll compensate you,
“No need” My gaze remained indifferent, but inside, I couldn’t help but find it laughable. After all, who that proposal truly belonged to was still up
for debate
Harlan studied me for a long time before finally saying, “Just this once, Charlene. Let her have this
I smiled. “It’s not up to me. Let’s see if the can keep it
Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away.
When I returned to my desk. Tainara gave me a flatering smile. “Charlene, want some coffee?
As the spoke, she posted a cup of coffee toward me. I glanced at it—iced.
Her exparusina immediately stiffened with embarrassment. She hot her lip. “Are you still inad at me?”
6:56 PM |
Chapter 4
I looked up at her. “Are you hoping my stomach takes longer to heal?”
Tamara froze. Retracting the coffee, she murmured, “I didn’t mean to”
I nodded. “I’m not like you—still recovering from stomach pain yer drinking iced coffee.“
She glanced at the cup she had already sipped from, and her face turned visibly paler
Not long after, a message from Harlan popped up on my phone. [Next time Tamara gives you something, just accept it.]
I stared at the text, annoyed.
I didn’t reply,
y, but after a while, another message appeared. [She’s sensitive. Don’t let her overthink.]
I let out a quiet scoff and closed the chat window, Looking straight at Tamara, I said, “If you have a problem with me, just say it to my face. No need to run to Harlan and complain.”
Tamara’s face went pale. She lowered her head pitifully, as if I had truly wronged her.
It took her a while before she finally spoke in a soft voice. “I’m sorry, Charlene. I didn’t mean anything by it”
I couldn’t be bothered to talk to her any longer. Standing up, I went to get myself a cup of water.
By the time I returned, Tamara was gone. I didn’t care, but Natalic took the opportunity to jab at me. “Charlene, you’re really petty, huh? How could you bully an inter”
I smiled. “I admire your big heart, though you still don’t have a single decent achievement after being here for an entire year”
Natalie
was livid, looking like she wanted to curse me out, but before she could say anything, she suddenly switched to a smile.
I hadn’t even had time to wonder why–when I turned around, I saw Harlan, tall and poised.
Beside him stood Tamara, her eyes red from crying
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