“Miss Foster, kindly bear in mind that the Hart Group is not a wet market where you can secure a deal by haggling. Director Hart has already mentioned that the draft from Chase Group is rather crude. The Hart Group has doubts about Miss Stark’s attitude in seriously treating the design. If this continues, the collaboration between the Hart and Chase Groups will end at this stage.” Leo did not hold back when he made the announcement in front of the two staff members from the Hay Group. I was utterly humiliated in front of Sasha and her designer! Furthermore, I did not get to meet Director Hart at all today!
Elsie had been venting her frustration at Myra throughout their return journey to the company. Watching her lose her temper, Myra could no longer endure it no matter how good-natured she was. “I do not know what I have done to have hurt the company,” she stated coldly.
“How dare you fight back! Do you know what the Hart Group commented about you? They said that you are irresponsible because you don’t even know how to edit the design draft and that it looks too crude! Myra, you are a piece of work. How dare you fool me with a subpar draft? Are you trying to land me into trouble because you aren’t happy that I am your superior now?! Will you gain any benefit if the Chase Group loses the Sunny Bay Project?! You seem to be close with the person in charge from the Hay Group; you can’t be—”
“Miss Foster!” Myra raised her voice to interrupt Elsie. I think I finally have an idea of what’s happening now—the quality of the design draft from the Chase Group is not satisfactory. Hence, the Hart Group is unhappy about it. How could she use that as an excuse to blame everything on me?
Myra was shaking with fury at this point. “Miss Foster, we are both designers. How could you not be able to tell that something is wrong if I were to hand you a design draft of subpar quality? Why would I dig my own grave?”
“Who knows? You could have switched the design draft in the process! Besides, the Hart Group specifically mentioned that you have provoked them, which is why they are finding fault with the Chase Group!”
Nobody knew how it happened, but it seemed that the Design Department Director learned about their fight when both of them were at each other’s throats. It happened that he was chatting with Sean at the time, so they both came over to the Design Department.
Initially, Elsie was afraid of Sean when she saw him due to what transpired between them two days ago. Well, I am right this time, though. Besides, he demoted Myra to be my assistant. Isn’t that his way of caving in first? Hence, she ran to him, but she did not have the courage to reach out to him.
Instead, she complained, as though she had been wronged, “Director Chase, you transferred Myra over as my subordinate, so I was kind enough to nurture her. However, she has embarrassed me in front of the Hart Group and they now have a bad impression of the Chase Group. For the Sunny Bay Project this time, the Hart Group has specifically singled her out as being irresponsible. They claimed that her design draft is crude and they even threatened to end their collaboration with the Chase Group!” She blurted everything in one go while shoving the blame onto Myra. She acted as if she had long forgotten the identity of the person who idly loafed around while refusing to participate in the beginning.
Myra smiled bitterly because she knew that she should not harbor any hope for justice. Nevertheless, she was filled with anticipation anyway. She looked up at Sean, whom she had not seen for some time, before she explained with a hoarse and gravelly voice, “I drew the design draft with seriousness, so I do not have any idea how it progressed to this stage. However—”
“Apologize to Miss Foster.” Sean interrupted her before she could complete her sentence.
A stunned Myra looked at the handsome but cold man standing in front of her. “D-Director C-Chase, this matter—”
“Miss Stark, you have been working in the company for two years now. Aren’t you familiar with the rules?” Sean glanced at Myra and his icy gaze sent shivers down her spine. “You have to apologize first since you’ve made a mistake. On the other hand, since your mistake has affected our company’s project progress, the company has no choice but to consider the options of either firing you or sending you an attorney’s letter, Miss Stark. We might have to involve the solicitors to handle this matter.”
Involving the solicitors to handle this matter, he says? I have never been so humiliated before in my life! There is just a small issue with the project, but Sean is using this as an excuse to punish me without taking into account our relationship as husband and wife! Furthermore, even if the blueprint is crude, the only possible issue is that I lack certain abilities. He can’t possibly expect me to bear the responsibility alone!
“Why should I apologize to her?” Myra suddenly burst out in laughter, but her facial features were contorted into an ugly grimace. “If Miss Foster hadn’t sent me away when we went to the Hart Group for the meeting today, the Hart Group would have reprimanded me even if that was their intention. In that case, she would not have felt embarrassed. As for the crude quality of the design draft… If Miss Foster had helped out with the design draft, do you think that the Chase Group would have been ridiculed based on her capabilities?”
She was clearly mocking Elsie with her sarcasm, causing the latter’s expression to drastically change. “Myra, how dare you accuse me! You are at fault now. How dare you blame others! I am disgusted by such a cruel and vindictive woman such as yourself!”
“Did you call me cruel and vindictive?” Myra started trembling in anger. I have never competed with anyone in the company, nor have I tried fighting for anything. However, this woman, who has snatched my husband away, is playing the victim while accusing me of being cruel and vindictive.
She lifted her hand to massage her temples and her expression instantly turned cold. ”Miss Foster, may I know who drew the design draft? When we went to the Hart Group for the meeting earlier, you stopped me from joining. You said that I would embarrass the Chase Group with my status in the company. Do you have the audacity to claim that you didn’t say that?”
“I…” Elsie’s pupils constricted in shock when she heard that, but she stubbornly straightened her back. “Do you think people here would believe you, especially since you are making no sense?!”
“I am making no sense, did you say? In that case, should I assume that whatever you’ve just told Director Chase, was purely nonsense, Miss Foster?!” Myra glared at Elsie. Myra’s anger had stopped her from being bullied further. “Why don’t we compare the data of the design drafts? Nothing is more convincing than the truth—”
“Enough!” An angry voice boomed loudly and it interrupted her speech.
An impatient Sean icily gazed at her. Myra felt herself shudder and her heart instantly sank.
“Miss Stark, since you are the one who made a mistake first, you will be deducted three months’ worth of salary. Furthermore, since your negligence has cost the Chase Group our collaboration project with the Hart Group, the Chase Group will—”
“Who says that I have cost us the collaboration project with the Hart Group?” Myra clenched her fists tightly when she saw Elsie gloating. Her palms were clammy, but that was nothing compared to the heartache she felt. She looked at Sean and her heart started to fall apart in despair. After that night, he doesn’t even bother to treat me courteously in public. He does not want to divorce me, but he wouldn’t give me the chance to explain myself…
“Earlier, Miss Foster merely claimed that if this were to continue, the Chase Group would not be able to work with the Hart Group. It means that there is still hope of the two companies working together.” Myra endured the excruciating pain in her chest while holding her tears back. She gazed directly into Sean’s eyes while trying her best to maintain her last shred of dignity. “Since it’s my fault, I will secure the project!”
“Miss Foster, it is easier said than done. Why should we trust you in securing the collaboration with the Hart Group?” Myra was about to leave, but Elsie stopped her.
Myra turned and her eyes were bloodshot by that point. She stared at Elsie unblinkingly. “Since I secured the collaboration in the beginning, it has nothing to do with you even if I were to lose it in the end, Elsie!”
“How dare you!” Elsie’s face flushed with anger, but Myra had already turned to leave the place without another backward glance. This is how I feel each time I leave Sean. I always leave while feeling the hurt that he has inflicted upon my whole body, but he has never tried to stop me. I always leave alone…
Elsie, who was behind Myra, stomped her feet in anger. “Director Chase, you saw it yourself! Myra is just too arrogant!”
Well, Sean has reprimanded Myra severely in front of me this time. This is such a sweet and happy feeling. Elsie assumed that she had now reconciled with Sean, but she missed her mark when she reached out to tug at his sleeve.
