Chapter 3

Less than thirty minutes after hitting send, my desk phone rang.

"Hello, Chloe? This is Ethan Ross."

The CEO was calling my desk directly! The entire office instantly went dead silent, ears perked.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ross."

"I just read your proposal. Brilliant work! Incredibly innovative! Proceed with your plan immediately. If you need any executive clearance, come straight to me."

"Thank you, Mr. Ross!"

The moment I hung up, I caught sight of Brenda. Her face had turned entirely pale.

In her wildest dreams, she never imagined that after pushing me into a corner, I wouldn't beg for mercy—I'd bypass her completely, reach the top floor, and earn the CEO's personal endorsement.

She stormed over to my desk, leaning down and hissing through clenched teeth:

"Chloe, you're really playing dirty, aren't you? Going over my head like that!"

I looked up, wide-eyed and completely innocent.

"Brenda, didn't you tell me to figure it out myself?"

"I found a way to save the company serious money, and I wanted to share it with leadership right away."

"That's called looking out for the company's bottom line. How is that going over your head?"

"You..." She trembled with rage, her finger shaking in my face, unable to find words.

I didn't waste another second on her. I printed out the budget approval signed directly by Ethan Ross and held it out to her.

"Brenda, please sign off on the procurement requisition. Mr. Ross is waiting on the timeline."

I leaned heavily on the name "Mr. Ross."

Brenda had no choice. Trembling with humiliation, she scribbled her signature on the form.

Watching her swallow her fury was pure satisfaction.

Trying to bully me in the workplace?

You're way out of your league.

From there, event prep went off without a hitch.

My uncle's ranch was already a thriving hotspot. To help me out, he pulled out all the stops, dressing the grounds even more spectacularly than my mock-up designs.

On the day of the gala, every vendor and business partner was raving.

"Mr. Ross, your team has incredible vision! This beats sitting in a suffocating hotel banquet room any day!"

"Seriously, the setting is gorgeous, the food is incredible. I'm definitely bringing my family here this weekend!"

Ethan Ross beamed with pride. When he took the stage to speak, he called me up personally.

"A major reason tonight was such a triumph is thanks to an exceptionally talented rising star on our team—Chloe!"

"With a modest budget, she delivered an unforgettable experience!"

I looked across the lawn at Brenda, whose face was twisted with raw jealousy, and felt an immense rush of victory.

After the gala wrapped, Mr. Ross dropped a massive bonus announcement into the executive group chat, praising me by name.

First thing the next morning, HR blasted out an official memo:

[In recognition of Chloe's outstanding leadership during the Annual Vendor Gala, senior management has approved her accelerated promotion to Assistant Administrative Manager, effective immediately.]

Assistant Manager!

I was officially Brenda's direct second-in-command!

The news detonated across the office.

Mia grabbed me in an ecstatic hug: "Chloe! You're an absolute legend!"

Colleagues rushed over to shower me with congratulations. People who hadn't looked my way all week were suddenly kissing the ground I walked on.

My eyes drifted over to Brenda, standing rigid in the far corner, her face thunderous.

I knew this wasn't over.