Chapter 4

The second promotion came even more suddenly than the first, and hit harder.

Only two months had passed. Frieda had barely learned the ropes of the deputy supervisor job, and things with Theo had thawed a little, when a bombshell went off in the office.

Val Lambert, singled out for his ability, was being transferred to corporate headquarters into a senior post. And on his way up, he had personally recommended Frieda for full supervisor of the Warehouse Department.

From ordinary employee, to deputy supervisor, to supervisor, all in the span of three months. That rocket-fast climb dropped every jaw in the place.

The afternoon the appointment came through, Theo marched straight into Frieda's office.

He slammed a document down on her desk with a bang, eyes bloodshot, like an angry bull.

"Frieda! You tell me right now, damn it. What kind of dirty method did you use?"

The office went dead quiet in an instant, everyone's ears pricked.

His shout stunned her for a beat, then her own temper flared. "Theo, watch your mouth. This is the company's decision. What are you yelling at me for?"

"The company's decision?" Theo let out a cold laugh and jabbed a finger at her face. "Don't give me that. I've been here twenty years, worked myself to the bone. Seniority, ability, name one thing I'm worse at than you."

Everyone in this company knows it. The last person Val promoted before he left was you.

"If you've got nothing to hide, then say it in front of everybody. How you gave the gift, what you gave. Go on, say it."

"Yeah, Frieda, come on, tell us," Henry chimed in from outside, all snide singsong. "Let us learn something too."

The coworkers had crowded around the doorway now, pointing, murmuring to each other.

Those looks, some curious, some jealous, some contemptuous, closed around her like a net with no gap to breathe through, trapping her in the middle.

She looked at Theo's face, twisted with envy, looked at the coworkers outside who wanted the scene to blow up bigger, and a humiliation and rage she had never felt before surged up in her.

Why should she have to take this?

Why should she carry the blame for something she didn't do?

She slammed her hand down on the desk and stood up, her cold gaze sweeping over every one of them.

"Fine. You want to know? I'll tell you."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a decision that left no room for argument.

"Theo, you think I don't deserve it? Then let's find out.

Starting next month, your performance and mine get counted separately. Whoever's warehouse zone has the lower error rate and the higher turnover is the one who's more qualified. You dare to compete?"

She turned to Henry and the others outside.

"And the rest of you, you think I got here on connections? Then open your eyes and watch.

Watch whether Frieda Fox has what it takes to hold this seat. From now on, anyone who wants to throw shade or drag their feet on the job, don't blame me for going by the book. I'll handle it straight by the rules."

Her words landed hard and left everyone silenced. Theo couldn't get a word out under her stare, his face going white, then red.

"As for Val..." Frieda drew a deep breath, pulled out her phone, dialed Val Lambert directly, and pressed speaker.

The call connected quickly.

"Hello, Director Lambert, it's me. Frieda."

"Frieda. What is it?" Val's voice came through, warm.

She looked around at every pair of eyes in the office and asked, one word at a time, "Director Lambert, I just want to ask you in front of everyone here. This promotion of mine, was it because I do my work well?

Or is it the way they're all saying, because I gave you some kind of 'big gift'?"

The whole office was silent as death, everyone holding their breath, waiting for the verdict from the other end of the line.