Chapter 3

Back at my desk, I packed my things and got ready to leave.

Chloe suddenly rushed over and snatched my laptop away.

My face went cold. "That's my personal property. Give it back."

She ignored me and started flipping through the laptop, lifting her brows with a sneer.

"I'm short on inspiration for my celebration party proposal, so I'll borrow your computer and see if I can get some ideas."

"There are private things on there. I'm not lending it to you."

I reached for it, but she nimbly dodged backward.

Two male planners beside her immediately stepped in front of me and said with obvious disdain, "Victoria, Samantha's wedding is the company's top priority. It's just your computer. Why are you being so stingy?"

"Yeah, have a bigger picture. Borrowing it won't cost you a chunk of flesh!"

Chloe wore a smug smile and casually opened my chat box, then deliberately turned the screen toward everyone.

"Victoria isn't supposed to be so busy she doesn't even have time to sleep?"

"So she's busy flirting with Howard! Everyone, come look. They're talking so hot and heavy!"

A few coworkers immediately crowded around, pointing at the laptop.

"Wow, you really can't judge a book by its cover. Victoria looks pure on the outside, but she chats with her boyfriend so openly. She's really pretty freaky."

"No wonder she's so good at wedding proposals. Turns out she's been head over heels for a guy, and she's just using her love-brain to find inspiration?"

"Whoa, she's hidden it well! I knew it. How else could she have landed Samantha's contract? She must have slept her way into it through the agent."

As soon as he finished speaking, a wave of laughter broke out across the office.

I was shaking with anger, my fingertips trembling. Clenching my teeth, I took out my phone, opened the video recorder, pointed the camera at the crowd, and said coldly, "Keep talking! Every bit of slander and every private invasion you do today, I'll record all of it and hand it over to the police!"

The crowd instantly went quiet, one by one slinking away and shrinking back to their desks.

From the corner, one of the planners I had personally trained muttered in a low voice, "Tch, can't even take a joke. What a petty person."

"Acting so high and mighty. And now she's using the police to scare people."

When Chloe heard that, she turned to me with a standard fake smile on her face.

"Victoria, we're all coworkers who see each other all the time. It's just a joke. Was it really necessary to record video?"

"If people hear about this, they'll say you're petty and cold."

Another coworker immediately chimed in, their voice not loud but sharp enough to sting.

"Exactly! Chloe's way more thoughtful than Victoria as our head planner. I've been sick of Victoria acting so superior for ages!"

My chest felt like it was stuffed with fire.

Normally, all the wedding proposals my coworkers made had to be reviewed by me before being sent to the clients in the end.

To be responsible for a couple's once-in-a-lifetime wedding, and also to help my coworkers grow into strong planners, I had always been strict with my reviews, never daring to be careless for a second.

But to them, that responsibility had become nitpicking, and over time they had built up a stomach full of complaints.

Chloe had only been at the company a few days, and she had dragged coworkers off after work to drink all night without caring about the wedding timeline for the client.

The next day, everyone showed up late together and delayed important work.

She said a few soft words to Harrison in his office, and the whole thing was brushed aside as if nothing happened.

So everyone stood on her side and treated her like a savior.

I stared coldly at Chloe. "Give me the computer back."

She was startled by the chill in my eyes, but in the next second the corner of her mouth curled into a provocative smile.

Then, Chloe deliberately loosened her hand.

Crash! The laptop slammed hard onto the floor.

I looked at the laptop with the shattered screen, and slowly smiled.