To save up for the down payment of our home, my boyfriend, Joseph Hackley, and I join the same high-paying company.

In our very first month, we secure an order worth billions of dollars.

I am thrilled as I go to share the good news with Joseph.

Instead, I accidentally overhear him talking with his friend.

"Are you sure everything will still go smoothly if we let Mabel go and sign that three-billion-dollar order?"

Joseph replies, "Relax. I am the department manager. One word from me, and I can kick Stephanie out of the team. There's nothing she can say about it."

His friend says, "Good. Then I will contact the client beforehand. Mable can officially become a full-time employee immediately and rank first in sales performance."

My heart sinks to my stomach.

Sure enough, on the day of the signing, the contract in the safe mysteriously disappears.

When I rush into the conference room, I see Joseph holding Mable's hand as he introduces her.

He says, "The true lead person behind this project is Mable. Without her, you would never have seen such a perfect proposal plan. Stephanie does not understand anything. I've already removed her from the team."

Hearing his words, I snort in anger.

Remove me from the team?

Little does he know that the client is my father!

The moment those words left his mouth, Joseph Hackley exchanged a smile with Mabel Smith, as if the three-billion-dollar partnership was already in their bags.

However, he seemed to have forgotten something. Back when this deal was still being negotiated, I was the one grinding day and night, running around, securing clients, and sourcing materials.

While I was stuck working overtime till midnight, Mabel was out getting her nails done. While I drank myself into stomach bleeding at business dinners, Mabel was enjoying luxury oil spa treatments.

Now, she wanted to swoop in, take credit for my work, sign the contract, and ride a three-billion-dollar project straight into a promotion. I called that a dream.

Just as Mabel was about to sign the papers, I shoved the conference room door open and stormed inside. "Hold it!"

All eyes in the room were on me. A flash of disbelief crossed Joseph's eyes.

Mabel grabbed his hand and muttered under her breath, "Didn't you say you drugged her with sleeping pills? Why is she awake this early?"

My heart dropped. No wonder Joseph had been unusually attentive last night, insisting on cooking me a plate of pasta as a reward for all my hard work. There were truffles in it, and I was allergic to them.

Not wanting to disappoint him, I had pretended to eat a few bites before going to the bathroom to throw up. I never expected that tiny decision would end up saving me.

The moment I walked in, Joseph immediately grabbed my hand. "Sorry for the scene, everyone. Please, continue with the signing."

He turned to me. "Stephanie, can you not do this right now? Whatever it is, we can talk after the contract's sealed. This is Mabel's first major project!"

I laughed coldly. By the time the signing was over, it would be too late to say anything.

I snatched the contract from the table and stared straight into Mabel's eyes. Calmly, I asked, "So, you're saying you secured this project entirely on your own?"

She subconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. "Ms. Stone, I know you're my senior. Ever since I joined the company, you've helped me a lot. People even joked that we were like mentor and student.

"But that doesn't mean you can barge in and sabotage my client deal because you're jealous of me."

She bit her lip, instantly putting on the look of a young employee being bullied by an older senior in the workplace.

Another cold chuckle escaped me. What a clever little diversion.

First, she dodged my question entirely. Then, she turned around and slapped a label on me instead. Now, everyone would think I had barged in out of jealousy to humiliate her in front of the client.

I looked at her icily. "You're just an intern who hasn't even finished probation. There's no way the company would hand a core three-billion-dollar client account to you.

"So, tell me, can you swear that you secured this client entirely with your own effort? Did you write that proposal plan yourself?"

My voice couldn't be firmer.

The client representatives who had come to sign the deal exchanged uneasy glances.

"There's no funny business going on here, right? They actually let an intern handle a key client account? This isn't some shell company, is it?"

The moment he heard that, Joseph could no longer sit still. "That's enough, Stephanie! Everyone in the company knows you've been oppressing Mabel under the excuse of being her mentor.

"If it weren't for you, she would've become full-time a long time ago. Elliot, get Stephanie out of here now!"

The second he gave the order, Elliot Manson, the manager, actually rushed in and dragged me toward the door. I couldn't believe what was happening.

"You're covering for him just because you're his friend!" I told Elliot. "This is illegal and—"

Before I could finish, he clamped a hand over my mouth. "Illegal? Well, guess what? Mabel is the law here. Barging in and trying to steal her credit—you're the one breaking the rules here."

Back in the conference room, the moment I was dragged away, Joseph immediately turned to the client representatives with a smile.

"Just a minor interruption. Let's move on. Mabel is the most outstanding intern we've ever had. Honestly, the fact that we're willing to give such an important project to an intern only proves how open-minded and supportive our company culture is."

Pinned against the door outside, I let out a muffled grunt. "Let go of me! Let go!"

The next second, Elliot kicked me straight into the restroom. "Quit screeching like a hen! This is a company, not some place where you can make easy money just by opening your mouth!"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "But I'm the one who handled that project! You guys are stealing it from me!"

His face immediately darkened. "Landing clients is all about capability. I only care about the results, not the process."

With that, the restroom door slammed shut. I pounded on it hard, but no one answered.

Forcing down the rage boiling inside me, I took a deep breath. Fine—we were all about results, huh?

I pulled out my phone and immediately called Dad. "Hey, Dad. Change the profit split to 70-30 for the three-billion-dollar project with Empire Group."

The call ended. Within three seconds, the restroom door was kicked open with a bang.

Mabel stormed in furiously. "Stephanie, did you make them change the profit split? It was 50-50 before, and now it's 70-30! The chairman said if I can't close this deal, they're docking 500 thousand from my commission!

"Why don't you just die, you fucking bitch?"

Even Elliot came rushing over. "Stephanie, get over there right now and apologize to the client! Do you even realize how much the company stands to lose with a 70-30 split? You're siding with outsiders against your own company! This is atrocious!"

Watching him lose his temper, I quietly did the math in my head. If the deal had gone through under the original 50-50 terms, his commission would've been around three million dollars.

Now that the split had changed to 70-30, the company's profit margin would be slashed by at least half. Even if they managed to sign the contract, the board would definitely hold someone accountable.

After all the cuts and adjustments, Elliot alone would lose a full million from this deal. That amount was enough for the down payment on an apartment downtown.

But… what did any of that have to do with me?

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, mimicking Elliot's earlier words. "What proof do you have that I was the one who told them to change the profit split? Without evidence, this is slander.

"Besides, I thought the company cares about results more than the process. Whether the deal gets signed or not depends on capability."

He stared at me in shock.

My voice stayed calm. "That's what you taught me earlier. Right, Mr. Manson?"

Elliot's face flushed red from being cornered, but he couldn't force out a single rebuttal.

I walked back toward my desk. Before I could even sit down, Mabel suddenly burst out of the restroom in tears. Her sobbing instantly gathered the entire office's attention.

"What's wrong with Mabel? Why is she crying?"

Mabel choked on her tears, then, in the very next second, dropped to her knees. "I've let everyone down. I'm so sorry. I'll do everything to make it up to you all.

"It was my mentor who insisted on forcing the client to change the profit split. The chairman said that if the deal changes from 50-50 to 70-30, everyone's year-end bonus might get cut…

"So, please, don't blame my mentor, Ms. Stone. This is all my fault for not signing the contract sooner."

The coworkers stared at me in disbelief. Every single gaze was filled with resentment.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Stephanie? Are you trying to get everyone's year-end bonus wiped out?"

"You couldn't close the deal yourself, so you sabotaged Mabel's chance, too. Not only that, but you dragged the entire department down with you. Are you insane?"

As the entire office turned on me, Mabel curled her lips into a subtle smile. Still wearing that fragile, resilient act, she wiped away her tears. "Guys, calm down. I actually have a solution."

Supported by a few coworkers, she slowly stood up and casually dropped the hint. "As long as I ask my dad for help, this deal will go through."

At that, everyone's eyes lit up.

Joseph was the first to rush over and grab her hands. "Mabel, are you serious? Your dad's the chairman of the client company?"

She smiled shyly. "What can I say? My dad spoils me a lot."

At the drop of a hat, a group immediately gathered around her.

"Mabel, you're really something else. Unlike Stephanie, who went screaming in the restroom like some lunatic just because she couldn't close a deal."

"I know, right? Stephanie can't do anything right. Good thing she wasn't the one meeting the client, or she'd probably have even signed away her rights."

The office burst into laughter. Their gazes shifted toward me, layered with ridicule, contempt, and curiosity. I found it almost amusing.

"You said the chairman is your father, but if I remember correctly, his last name is Stone. Explain to me how you took the last name 'Smith' from him."

Mabel's face flushed red at my words. "I-I took my mother's last name."

Before anyone could doubt her words, a group of newly emerged defenders for Mabel, who had been fairly low-profile, spoke up for her.

"You won't understand it, Stephanie. You're broke, remember? Of course, a wealthy family protects their precious daughter. Do you really think they'd broadcast to the whole world that she's the real heiress?

"Besides, with the way you're questioning her, it sounds like you're implying you're the heiress instead."

One of the coworkers jabbed her nail straight into my shoulder, piercing through the fabric. The pain made me frown. I opened my mouth to argue, but then I noticed it was time to clock out.

Dad had already told me the proposal still needed another revision. I didn't have time to waste on them, so I turned and left.

The next day, however, my access card wouldn't register at the office entrance no matter how many times I swiped it.

Elliot looked at me, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

I frowned. "We're re-signing the contract with the client today. Why wouldn't I be here?"

He clicked his tongue impatiently. "I already removed you from the project team. Do you not understand plain language? Joseph and Mabel are now in charge of the project."

I looked at Elliot, but before I could speak, the space behind me was already packed with coworkers.

"What's going on? We still have to finalize the project plan for the next phase. Can someone just get out of the way already?"

"Don't be a roadblock. If you offend the client, not even working till you drop dead will be enough to pay them back!"

At that moment, Joseph also arrived at the company, impatiently honking from outside.

"Stephanie, I'm not even going to sugarcoat it. You throwing tantrums at home and snatching things is one thing, but stealing Mabel's performance at work, too? That's overboard."

Mabel rolled down the car window, her voice soft and hesitant. "Stephanie, everyone in the company knows you go out at night doing odd jobs for quick money. People even said you take condoms from the convenience box downstairs.

"I saw it a few times, but never reported you, and yet you don't appreciate it at all… Why are you still trying to steal my credit? Mr. Manson already removed you from the project, so stop clinging on and making a scene.

"Honestly, you're just making things ugly for everyone."

Stealing her credit?

Ever since Mabel joined the company, she had been quietly signing her name onto every project report behind my back. I had let it slide, thinking she was a year younger than me, hence the inexperience.

Now, she actually thought she could single-handedly land a three-billion-dollar contract after undermining me.

I pointed at my access card. "Are you going to open the door for me today or not? I'm going in to sign the contract."

Before I could say more, a young security guard at the entrance rushed up with a riot shield. A steel baton pressed me down to the ground.

"Where did this crazy woman come from? No troublemakers are allowed at the Empire Group's entrance—not under my watch!"

The sudden impact made the back of my head slam against the floor.

I trembled with rage all over and, finally, roared, "I'm the daughter of Chairman Arthur Stone! Don't even think about closing that deal when you're doing this to me!"

The words had barely fallen when a man's mocking laugh came from behind me. "Oh, really? I didn't know I had such a bratty daughter."