During a crucial meeting with a major client, I stepped out for a quick bathroom break. But Veronica, my fiancé Ryan’s secretary, saw it as an excuse to fire me. “This client is incredibly important! And you were in the bathroom for eight whole minutes! That’s disrespectful to our client! The company has to let you go!” I almost laughed. Didn’t she know today’s big client was my good friend? “I’m on my period today. I’ll explain it to the client. You don’t need to meddle.” I shook off her hand, intending to head back to the office. To my surprise, she was wearing ten-centimeter heels, lost her balance, and tumbled to the floor. She glared up at me. “How dare you push me? My dad is the CEO of Miller Corp, and I’ll have him fire you right now!” I froze. My useless dad… when did he suddenly get another daughter? I couldn’t believe Veronica was audacious enough to threaten to fire me, all because I spent eight minutes in the bathroom. What truly shocked me, though, was her brazen claim to be my father’s daughter, right in front of me! She was just a mere secretary; who gave her the guts to lie so openly? Yet, many employees who overheard Veronica exchanged uneasy glances and whispered among themselves. “No wonder Veronica became President Ryan’s secretary the moment she joined the company! She has connections!” “Miller Corp just became our biggest client. If we upset them, our company would go bankrupt in minutes. It’s perfectly normal for the Miller heiress to come to our small company for a ‘life experience’.” “VP Stella is in deep trouble this time!” “The Sales Manager merely argued with Veronica the other day, and President Ryan fired him instantly. That just shows how important Veronica is to President Ryan.” As everyone murmured, Veronica slowly got to her feet. She shot me a furious glare, her voice laced with menace. “Stella, I’m giving you one chance.” “If you get down on your knees and apologize to me, I’ll pretend this never happened…” Before she could finish, I cut her off impatiently. “If you’re not well, go get checked out. Don’t waste my time here. Move!” I was tired of dealing with her. My impression of Veronica was already terrible. Days ago, when I was away on a business trip, she’d just joined the company, and Ryan promoted her to his secretary that very day. I voiced my concerns, but Ryan just shrugged helplessly. “You’ll be away for about a week. I’m the only one left in charge here, and things are too much to handle. I temporarily made Veronica my secretary to help lighten the load.” “When you get back, if her work isn’t up to par, we can just find a new secretary, right?” Veronica’s behavior today practically screamed “arrogant and overbearing.” Someone like her absolutely couldn’t stay in the company. Good thing the executives were having a meeting today. I’d just announce her dismissal later. Lost in these thoughts, I reached out to push past Veronica, who was blocking the conference room door. But that’s when it happened. My hand hadn’t even touched her, when she let out a piercing shriek. At the same time, she wildly flailed her hand, and a sharp slap landed squarely on my face. Then, she dramatically stumbled against the conference room door, crashing to the floor inside. The entire performance made it look like I had violently shoved her into the room. I had to admit, Veronica was quite the actress. Playing the victim while simultaneously slapping me — it only strengthened my resolve to kick her out of the company. However, what unfolded next completely caught me off guard. The executives, who were mid-meeting, gasped, staring at me and Veronica on the floor with bewildered expressions. Ryan’s face contorted in a furious grimace. He lunged forward, and in a flash, slapped me across the face. I was stunned! Ryan and I had been together for years. This was the first time he’d ever laid a hand on me, and it was all because of another woman. His face etched with concern, Ryan tenderly helped the feigning, delicate Veronica to her feet, then turned to me, roaring: “Stella, what the hell is wrong with you?” “How dare you touch Veronica? Are you out of your mind?” “What are you waiting for? Get over here and grovel for an apology!” I stared at Ryan, incredulous. “Apologize for what?” I shot back. “Do you even know what just happened?” “Ryan, you just blindly hit me for her sake, you—” Before I could finish, Veronica, still feigning vulnerability, spoke to Ryan. “President Ryan, VP Stella was in the bathroom for eight minutes. I just told her about the company’s new policy, as you instructed, but she attacked me before I even finished.” “I know VP Stella doesn’t like me, but she can’t just violently assault me like this!” “My dad never even laid a hand on me growing up. If he finds out I was hit here, he’ll be furious!” Veronica’s last statement instantly made Ryan and the executives tense up. Ryan whirled on me, yelling: “Stella, I’m ordering you right now: apologize to Veronica immediately, or you can expect to be fired!”
The other executives quickly chimed in. “Stella, this is clearly your fault. Just swallow your pride and apologize. It’ll prevent unnecessary trouble.” “Veronica is the heiress to Miller Corp. She’s here for a ‘life experience.’ She’s a valuable asset to our company, we absolutely cannot afford to offend her.” “Stella, you’ve been away on a business trip for the past few days, so it’s understandable you don’t know Veronica’s identity. But you shouldn’t have gotten into a conflict with her the moment you returned! Apologize now before things escalate!” “If Mr. Miller finds out Veronica was bullied in our company, we’ll be in serious trouble!” I ignored the executives, who were worried about their own interests and pushing me to apologize. My gaze was fixed on Ryan. My voice filled with sorrow and indignation, I spoke. “You’re going to fire me?” Ryan and I had been together for five years. This company? I poured all my savings into starting it with him. My love life and my career—these past few years, everything had revolved around Ryan. I thought we’d walk down the aisle together, that we’d spend the rest of our lives in happiness. But now, I realized it was all just my wishful thinking! He slapped me for Veronica, and now he wants to fire me from the company? What does that say? It says I mean nothing to him! Five years of my youth, completely wasted. In this moment, I truly felt worthless. Seeing my eyes welling up, Veronica shot me a smug, taunting smile, then feigned sincerity. “It’s fine, Stella doesn’t need to get on her knees and apologize to me.” “I’m not the type to be overbearing. Just pour me a cup of tea and sincerely apologize in front of everyone, and that’ll be enough.” “I won’t tell my dad about this.” At her words, Ryan and the executives visibly relaxed. Then, Ryan glared at me. “What are you waiting for? Go and pour Veronica some tea and apologize!” I responded coldly. “What if I don’t apologize?” “Are you really going to fire me?” Seeing my refusal to back down, Ryan’s anger flared. He slammed his hand on the conference table, yelling at me: “Stella, do you really think I wouldn’t dare to fire you?” “Perfect. All our company executives are here today. Let’s take a vote.” “Raise your hand if you agree to fire Stella!” With that, Ryan was the first to raise his hand, without a hint of hesitation. The other executives exchanged glances, avoiding my gaze, and one by one, raised their hands. I smiled, a bitter, twisted smile. These executives… some I’d poached from other companies, some I’d personally promoted. And now, to protect their own interests, they didn’t hesitate to stab me in the back. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, yet at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief, of liberation. Actually, I had returned to the company today planning to take Ryan back to my family’s estate. A few days ago, while I was away, my dad had already rejoined the Miller family. I hadn’t been able to make it back in time. So, when I finally returned today, my first thought was to take Ryan to meet my family and formally introduce him to them. Now, it seemed, there was no longer any need! I took a deep breath, unpinned my company badge, tossed it on the floor, and turned to leave. This place, once a testament to so much of my hard work and devotion. Now? There was nothing left to cherish here. But Veronica wasn’t willing to let me leave so easily. She sneered. “VP Stella, did you forget something?” “Since you’ve been fired, shouldn’t your shares be returned to the company?” Before I could respond, Ryan nodded. “That’s right, I almost forgot about that!” “Stella, you can’t leave without handing over your company shares!” “I won’t let you leave empty-handed. I’ll give you a million dollars for your shares…” Ryan and Veronica’s words made me sick to my stomach. A million dollars for my shares? Ryan’s playing a smart game, isn’t he? Why had I never noticed what a despicable scumbag he was before?
I stared at Ryan with cold eyes, my face devoid of emotion. “When this company was founded, you didn’t put in a single cent. It was my family’s savings, over a million, that built the company’s framework.” “To cut costs, I personally paid out of pocket to take clients out, buy them gifts, and treat them to meals.” “To help us get through the toughest times, my parents worked three jobs a day, and every penny they earned went to support the company.” “The company’s market value has grown dozens of times since we started. I can’t claim all the credit, but at least half of the company’s success today is thanks to my family’s sacrifices.” “Now you’re not only firing me, but you want to buy my shares for a measly million dollars?” “Ryan, you can’t be this heartless!” My words made Ryan’s face flush. Perhaps feeling I had publicly shamed him, he glared at me in a fit of rage. “The company’s success today is entirely due to my brilliant foresight!” “Your family’s support back then was negligible.” “Fine, I’m done arguing with you. Two million for your shares, how about that?” With that, Ryan pulled out a share transfer agreement and tried to get me to sign it. Well, well, well. He’d even prepared the share transfer agreement in advance? Clearly, Ryan had been eyeing my shares for a while! Why would he do this? Soon, I understood. The beneficiary on the share transfer agreement wasn’t Ryan—it was Veronica! In that moment, everything clicked! No wonder Ryan’s attitude toward me had changed so drastically. He wanted to cozy up to Veronica, the fake heiress! I sneered at Ryan. “You’re quite generous, aren’t you?” “Transferring my shares to Veronica? Are you trying to butter up Miller Corp?” “Ryan, you’re usually so sharp, what’s gotten into you this time?” Ryan’s brows furrowed. He spoke in a low, stern voice. “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath, looking around the conference room at the executives with a mocking gaze, my tone full of disdain. “Veronica says she’s the Miller Corp heiress, and you all just believed her?” “Did any of you bother to verify that with Miller Corp?” “A bunch of fools, you’ve been scammed and you don’t even know it!” My words left the executives present utterly stunned. Ryan, however, snapped at me. “Stella, stop spouting nonsense!” “The day after Veronica started, Miller Corp signed a huge order with us, becoming our biggest client.” “If Veronica wasn’t the Miller Corp heiress, why would Miller Corp actively seek us out to sign orders?” “Watch your words. Slandering the Miller Corp heiress could land you in jail faster than you can blink. Miller Corp’s legal team is no joke.” Ryan’s words left me speechless. After my dad rejoined the Miller family, he specifically arranged for Miller Corp to sign cooperation orders with *this* company. What did that have to do with Veronica? If I hadn’t been working here, Miller Corp wouldn’t have given a second glance to this tiny company. Perhaps sensing the executives’ uneasy expressions, Veronica, desperate to prove herself, snorted at me. “Stella, someone of my status shouldn’t have to prove anything to you.” “However, to truly convince you, I’ll have my family come here right now, so you can see with your own eyes if I’m the real Miller heiress!” Her words made me pause. What gave her such confidence? Could it be… could she really be my dad’s secret daughter?
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