Chapter 3

I froze.

The workspace that should have been quiet had turned into a full-blown party.

I stood in the office doorway.

Ethan, who had been crying in front of me moments earlier, was now sitting right on top of my desk.

He held a glass of freshly poured champagne, rocking with laughter.

“Did you see that stupid look on Claire’s face?”

“She actually believed I was getting demoted. Then she started playing saint and tossed me a few lousy clients!”

“I wouldn’t use those moldy contacts to prop up a table!”

Lily sidled up with her glass, her face full of flattery.

“Exactly, Ethan. Who does she think she is?”

“She lands a few big clients and thinks she owns the place. She’s forgotten who actually signs the checks.”

Jason hovered around Ethan like an eager lapdog.

“Ethan is Richard’s own nephew, and he graduated from a top university overseas!”

“The sales director position should’ve been his all along.”

“That nobody Claire isn’t even fit to shine his shoes!”

Standing in the shadow of the hallway, I felt the blood freeze in my veins.

His nephew?

I stared at Ethan perched on my desk.

So it had all been fake.

The promotion email was fake.

The demotion notice was fake.

I was the only fool who had taken any of it seriously, while the entire company joined forces to humiliate me.

Richard emerged from the private office with a glass of champagne.

He smiled at Ethan.

“Well? How did you like the Halloween show I put together?”

“Feel better now?”

Ethan hopped off the desk and slung an arm around his uncle’s shoulders.

“That was incredible!”

“You have no idea. For two months, she’s made me memorize product specs every day. She even sent me out making sales calls in the blazing sun.”

“My own mother has never ordered me around like that!”

“Watching her drag her stuff back like some kicked dog? Best feeling of my life.”

Richard roared with laughter.

“Hard labor is all she’s good for.”

“Once she signs that billion-dollar contract with Hayes this afternoon, I’ll find some excuse to fire her.”

“Then that huge sale will go on your record!”

“Your uncle takes care of you, doesn’t he?”

Watching their ugly smiles, I felt my stomach churn.

Five years.

I had given up every vacation for this company.

I had taken a tiny operation on the edge of bankruptcy and helped turn it into a business with a real name in the industry.

I thought that if I worked hard enough, I would earn the respect and rewards I deserved.

Reality had just slapped me across the face.

I pushed open the door and walked in without expression.

The cheering stopped dead.

Everyone stared at me as though I were some kind of monster.

Ethan’s smile faltered, then his smug expression returned.

“Oh, Claire. You’re back.”

“That demotion notice was a misunderstanding.”

“My uncle said that to make Halloween more fun, every decision and every answer today means the exact opposite!”

He grinned. “So I actually got promoted!”

I laughed bitterly to myself. The opposite. That explained my ridiculous promotion notice.

Just then, Richard approached, his face dark.

He slammed a thick stack of documents against my chest.

“Claire, how dare you stand around chatting?”

“Get your ass into the conference room!”