Chapter 3

Chloe laughed.

"You think that's enough to make us trust you?"

"You can still send messages without leaving."

"As long as you don't help us, you're trying to sabotage us."

The others caught on and surrounded me, not letting me leave.

Just then, Ethan arrived.

He gave me a cold look, instantly standing with Chloe and mocking me sarcastically.

"What's the use of just keeping your head down and working? Chloe does side hustles while working, and every quarterly evaluation she easily ranks above you. Aren't you embarrassed?"

"She's kindly giving you a hand. Don't be ungrateful. When you fail again, you'll hide away crying endlessly. No one will care about you then."

The whole team roared with laughter.

"No way, so that's why she works overtime so desperately! Turns out she's jealous!"

"She's not helping us because she's afraid we'll actually get high scores, right?"

My heart ached, and even breathing became difficult.

During the first promotion exam after joining the company, the company prepared a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus for first place.

At that time, my father's heart disease required surgery, and our family was scraping together money everywhere.

I worked overtime desperately, studied day and night, wanting to use that fifty thousand dollars for my father's surgery. But in the end, I came in second.

First place went to Chloe. At the awards ceremony, she held up the fifty-thousand-dollar bonus sign with a brilliant smile.

Only I knew she had cheated. She had gotten the test questions in advance from an insider at the third-party testing agency.

When I got home, I cried until my eyes were swollen.

Ethan knew about my guilt and frustration. He came to see me with gifts, tenderly handing me tissues.

"Grades obtained through cheating won't last. Nina, don't blame yourself. I believe in you. You'll definitely succeed next time."

We grew up together. I thought we had become indispensable to each other's lives.

Until one late night after overtime, I saw him kissing Chloe in the stairwell.

I took a deep breath.

Gathered my things.

Ignored everyone and went home after work.

"My uncle is the group's vice president. If you don't help us, I'll make sure you can never stay at this company."

Chloe's voice came from behind.

All the colleagues were shocked.

"Wow! Chloe is usually so low-key!"

"With that connection, even if our answers are discovered, we won't be afraid!"

"Chloe is still the best! Personally helping us---what is Nina even worth!"

"She deserves to be fired! When you deliver food in the future, remember to tell us. I'll give you extra tips!"

Laughter erupted behind me.

Chloe's expression was contemptuous.

But I was unusually calm.

In my previous life, her uncle was taken away by the company's compliance department on exam day.

Accepting bribes from suppliers, facilitating illegal benefit transfers---he was immediately dismissed and handed over to judicial authorities. Tens of millions of dollars in illegal gains were confiscated.

Their entire family lost everything overnight and could only survive by driving for Uber.

I wasn't threatened. My steps didn't stop.

Chloe immediately changed her expression. Before she could speak, Ethan stepped forward first.

"Since you're so antisocial, I'll have to use special methods."

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"I've already had someone pick up your parents. When you can see them depends on your performance."

My heart lurched.

All my blood ran cold.

"Ethan, are you crazy!"

"You dare lay hands on them?"

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