Chapter 2

Before long, Jade's voice called from inside the office.

"Hey you, new girl—get in here."

I stepped inside. She was touching up her makeup in the mirror, not even glancing my way:

"Why are you standing all the way over there? Come here and rub my shoulders. They're killing me."

I walked over and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"What, you didn't eat today? Put some muscle into it!" she snapped immediately.

I barely increased the pressure when—

"Ow! Are you trying to hurt me?!" She swatted violently at my hands, knocking over the freshly poured hot coffee beside her.

Most of the scalding liquid splashed onto my hands and clothes.

"Useless! Can't even do one simple thing right! Get out of my sight!" She dabbed at imaginary coffee stains on her fingers with a tissue, voice dripping with disdain.

My hands throbbed with searing pain.

Just then, the assistant rushed in, positioning herself protectively in front of me and forcing a smile at Jade:

"Miss Evans, please don't be upset! She's new and still learning the ropes. I'm so sorry on her behalf! It's not worth getting worked up over—if you get stressed, Mr. Chris will be upset with us, and we can't afford that."

As she spoke, the assistant discreetly tugged my arm, whispering:

"Go now. Don't argue with her here—it won't help."

Seeing the assistant's subservient attitude, Jade's expression softened slightly. She capped her lipstick slowly:

"Hmph, at least someone here knows their place. Fine, I want to check on the launch event setup. Show me the way."

Check on the launch event?

The assistant looked uneasy: "They're still setting up the venue. It's pretty chaotic right now... Maybe it's better to wait until later?"

"Better to wait?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "I decide what's better. Frederick said I could oversee company matters whenever I want."

She clicked toward the door in her heels. As she passed me, she paused, eyes sweeping over my coffee-stained clothes and red hands. A cruel smile twisted her lips:

"Some people really think bringing a meal makes them Cinderella. Frederick Chris 's name isn't something you can just latch onto. Smart girls know when to disappear."

With that, she sashayed off.