Celebration Turned Betrayal

Of course not!

All these years, I’ve been utterly devoted to Daniel Walker—not just emotionally, but in my work as well. To secure more contracts for the corporation, I spent countless nights negotiating with clients.

And what did I get in return? A stinging slap and baseless accusations.

If his assistant could so easily fire me, then what was I in his eyes? Less than the dog he kept at her side?

“Do I look like someone who can’t separate feelings from work?” I muttered.

Michael Harris still wanted to press me for answers, but I was so fed up that I slipped away under the excuse of going to the restroom. He wasn’t the type to abandon me anyway.

Once I’d cooled down, I remembered that I had some private files left on my office computer. With no choice, I contacted my deputy to help me get back inside.

But just as I reached the office door, I ran into Emily Johnson.

“Who let Sophia Carter in here? Don’t you know she’s already been fired from the corporation?!” Emily barked.

Startled, my deputy stammered an apology.

“You don’t even have basic confidentiality awareness. You’re fired too!” Emily shouted.

“Fired? You don’t get to decide that! Bring Daniel here!” I snapped.

“Well, isn’t this convenient?” Emily’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’m the head of Human Resources now. Of course I can decide. Get your people out of here—she’s not allowed to stay another second!”

Sure enough, within moments Daniel came out of another office, fiddling with his shirt buttons. God knows what the two of them had been doing.

“Fine, we’ll leave,” I said coldly.

“You two can still make a written apology inside the company, and I might let this slide. But if you walk out, don’t even think about coming back!” Daniel threatened.

I ignored him and walked off with my deputy.

But for some reason, Daniel followed us out.

“Sophia, is it really that hard to bow your head to Emily?” he demanded.

“You’re just being spiteful, openly violating company rules. Can’t you be more reasonable?”

“If you had even half of Emily’s sense, I’d never have had to threaten you with termination.”

His words made me laugh bitterly.

That Cristal champagne was requested by the client. Was one bottle too much to trade for a thirty-million-dollar contract and long-term cooperation? I even risked my alcohol allergy to drink with them.

Yet he believed Emily’s story without question, hit me without asking, and somehow I became the one at fault?

“Scare me? There’s no need. You wanted me gone—well, I’m leaving now! Since you’re so eager to believe Emily’s lies, then there’s no point in saying another word, is there?” I shot back.

“My point is, Emily had it rough too—her hand swelled from slapping you. If you’re leaving, at least apologize to her before you go!”

That made my blood boil. If anyone owed an apology, it was Emily. She slapped me, and I was already being generous by not calling the police.

To say nothing improper was going on between them? Even ghosts wouldn’t believe it.

Yes, Daniel and I had been introduced because our families were close for generations. But was our bond really this fragile?

Emily had graduated and immediately become his assistant. Before her internship even ended, she was promoted to mid-level management. And now, in front of the employees, Daniel openly favored her.

Was I really that cheap in his eyes?

When I looked at him now, all I felt was disappointment.

My deputy clutched her box of files, crying the entire way and telling me about her family troubles.

So I brought her straight to Michael’s company.

“There. Now you’re still my deputy here, and I’ll even pay you a higher salary than before.”