Anne was deep in her work, juggling tasks with ease—double-checking project deadlines, calling clients for contract renewals, compiling reports. Her focus was unwavering until a shadow lood over her desk, followed by a sharp tap.
She looked up, her expression cooling the mont she saw gan.
"Give this to Augustine." gan dropped a file onto the desk with a thud, arms crossed over her chest, her tone dripping with smugness. "The quarterly report. We t the client’s demands on ti and without extra pay. Funny, isn’t it?"
She quirked her lips into a sarcastic smile. "Soone once said it couldn’t be done without extra funding."
Anne knew exactly who gan was referring to. It was a deliberate jab, ant to humiliate her. But Anne remained calm.
That calm only seed to agitate gan more. "There are always people willing to work for lower wages," she said, the bite in her words clear. "The new team leader brought in fresh talent, more committed, more efficient. No unnecessary demands, no complaints. And look, the results speak for themselves. The new team leader is more capable than the forr one."
"Good to hear the demands were t on schedule," Anne said coolly. "I doubt the boss is concerned with how it was done as long as the outco ets expectations. Hopefully, the team stays on track and sees the project through successfully."
gan’s mouth tightened at the lack of reaction. But Anne had already picked up the file and was scanning it, her attention sliding off gan like rain on glass.
"Hopefully the rest of the project goes just as smoothly," Anne added without looking up.
That quiet composure was more infuriating to gan than any argunt could have been. She forced a tight-lipped smile, though it barely masked her irritation.
This wasn’t the response she had been hoping for. She had expected to see jealousy in Anne, maybe a hint of embarrassnt, sothing to validate her pride. But Anne looked completely unbothered, which was infuriating.
"They will," gan said stiffly, lifting her chin haughtily. "The team is doing well. After all, I am guiding them."
Anne gave a slow clap, her smile annoyingly pleasant. "That’s amazing," she said with a hint of sarcasm. "With a general manager like you, this company is in excellent hands. Keep it up. You might even win Employee of the Year."
gan’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you mocking ?"
"Uh?" Anne widened her eyes in mock innocence, placing her fingers dramatically against her lips. "Mock you? No, no...I’m just a secretary. Why would I risk my job by offending the company’s general manager?"
Though Anne hadn’t said anything outright insulting, every word felt like a jab. gan could feel it, and it only added fuel to the fire building inside her.
"You—" she snapped through gritted teeth. "You think just because you are Augustine’s wife, you are sothing special. But let remind you: you and your husband are nothing compared to ."
She jabbed a finger at herself. "I, gan Granet, will be marrying Denis, the rightful heir to the Beaumont legacy. And as his wife, I will beco the official hostess of the family. My children will inherit everything. The future belongs to us."
She sneered. "And you? You have nothing. Augustine’s father was a disgrace, a bastard with no rightful claim. So Augustine has no claim to the Beaumont inheritance. And with my father, the most respected lawyer in the city, backing us, we’ll make sure Augustine never sees a cent of that fortune. What do you have to be proud of? An orphan married to a bastard’s son—you are a fitting pair."
The mont those words left gan’s lips, a sharp slap cracked across her face. She staggered, stunned. For a second, she just stood there, hand pressed to her burning cheek, trying to process what had just happened.
Then the shock gave way to fury.
Eyes blazing, gan snapped her head toward Anne. "You hit ?" she hissed. "No one has ever dared lay a finger on . And you slapped ? Are you asking to die?"
"You insulted Augustine. That was the biggest mistake you have ever made," Anne shot back. "I can put up with a lot, but not anyone disrespecting my husband. You crossed that line. Be glad all you got was a slap."
With a growl of frustration, gan stomped her foot and lunged, reaching for Anne’s face.
But Anne was faster. In one swift move, she caught gan’s wrist and twisted it behind her back.
"Ahh..." gan yelped in pain, trying to wriggle free, but Anne didn’t let up.
With a burst of rage, she slamd gan’s head down onto the desk. The first blow left gan dazed, her thoughts scattering. A second bang followed as Anne yanked her by the hair and drove her head down again.
Dizzy and gasping, gan saw stars. She could barely stay upright. But Anne wasn’t finished.
"All this ti, you kept trying to get under my skin," Anne seethed. "I let it go. I didn’t care enough to fight back. You weren’t worth the trouble. But you just couldn’t stop, could you? And now you’ve gone too far."
She tugged at her hair even harder and lifted her head. "You wanted a fight. Now you’ve got one."
She smashed her head against the desk yet again.
gan’s vision swam, the surroundings tilting as her knees gave out. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her head with both hands, trying to hold herself together. Humiliated and beaten, her face flushed deep red.
Anne stood over her, cold and unshaken. "I hope that taught you sothing. Try coming at again, and next ti I’ll break your nose."
That was the last straw. gan’s pride wouldn’t let her stay down. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself up, pushing past the pain and dizziness. With a scream, she lunged at Anne once more.
But Anne was ready. She raised her hand and delivered a brutal slap.
gan hit the floor again. Her ears rang, her head spun. That slap had been worse than the first.
"Anne!" A voice bood.
Augustine had just returned from the eting when he saw the scene. Panicked, he rushed to Anne’s side.
Anne stiffened, nervous. She feared he would be angry with her and scold her. But instead, Augustine gently took her hand, inspecting it.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.
Anne blinked, caught off guard and speechless.
"She is the one who attacked ," gan shouted through tears. "Look what she did to ."
Augustine didn’t even look at her. His focus was entirely on Anne. "You okay?" he asked again, his voice softer.
Anne gave a small, sulky pout. "My hand hurts," she said, almost like a child seeking comfort.
"Co on. Let’s go inside," he said, guiding her toward his office.
gan’s voice rang out behind them, desperate and furious. "Augustine! How can you let this happen? She—"
"You are fired, gan," Augustine thundered.
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