Chapter 3

The next morning, I opened my computer and found the proposal gone.

Wiped clean. Not even a copy left in the recycle bin.

When the conference room door opened again, the sound of happy handshakes and easy deal-making spilled out.

No surprise there. Gilbert Corp had landed the project.

Everyone crowded around Wayne Fox, asking how he'd cracked such a tough nut.

Wayne shot me a look, smug all over his face.

"You have to know what the client wants, of course. Read their angle."

"Not like some people, who only grind away and never think to adapt."

While I was running myself ragged out there, chasing down what the client actually wanted, he'd been lying around in Katherine's office playing games.

While I was pulling all-nighters on the proposal, he'd been swiping Katherine's card for the most expensive spa treatments.

One word from Katherine about letting him have his way, and he actually believed he'd done any of it himself.

I snapped the pen in my hand and shot to my feet.

Katherine came striding over from across the room, fury on her face.

"Adrian!"

She flung a stack of files straight into my face.

The sharp edges of the paper opened a thin cut. Small, but it stung, hot and raw.

"What have you been doing all day? You can't even get a simple data check right."

"This company isn't a place for you to slack off and coast."

I looked at where her finger jabbed. It wasn't even the section I handled.

Katherine drew a sharp breath, her index finger drumming against the table.

"Starting today, you give your position to Wayne Fox."

"You're demoted to a regular employee. Move your desk out to the staff hall."

I looked at her, cold, and then I laughed.

So it wasn't enough to steal my work. She wanted to use me as a stepping stone to push Wayne up too.

This time she'd given him everything.

My heart felt like a hand had closed hard around it.

For once, I nodded, obedient.

"Fine. I'll move right now."

Tomorrow was the day I officially left.

Might as well pack early, so I could walk out light when the time came.

Katherine went right on, announcing loudly to the room.

"To celebrate landing the project, we're holding a celebration dinner tonight at the Grand Meridian Hotel."

"Wayne's already arranged the seating. Everyone clock out early today."

The room broke into cheers.

That evening, every employee took the seat assigned to them on the list.

I was slower packing up, so by the time I got there, the banquet hall was almost full.

Wayne sat pressed close to Katherine, on her right.

Every dish in the bowl in front of him, Katherine had served with her own hands.

"The bones in this fish weren't picked out clean."

"That was careless of me. Eat this piece, there's nothing in it."

"I want some of that beef."

"There's garlic in it. You won't like it."

...

I watched for a moment, then followed the name cards to the seat in the farthest corner.

The most out-of-the-way spot, and the farthest from Katherine.

By the time the dishes circled around to me, there were only scraps left.

I set down my chopsticks and drank a few sips of water.

By the end of the meal, my stomach, which hadn't acted up in a long time, was cramping with hunger.

Someone let out a sigh, I don't know who first.

"Some people's CEO husbands really do look pathetic."

"If I were him, I'd have stepped aside long ago. Clinging to the position like that, hide as thick as a city wall."

I gripped the side of the glass, my knuckles going white.

I'd just opened my mouth to say something when a whole glass of red wine came pouring down over my head.