My dress wasn’t never meant to be sultry “seductive” at all! It’s what I wear so I can meet clients at any time. How could my dress be as not decent as Elsa makes it sound?

Besides, what kind of “pretty face” stays up all night writing project proposals, with dark circles she can barely hide?

Seeing that Elsa wouldn’t let the matter go, Elias sighed helplessly. “Ms. Torres, from tomorrow on, wear pantsuits to the office.”

I glanced at the extremely hot weather outside before nodding without much expression.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t feel bitter.

When I was young, after my mother passed away, I nearly drowned from my own grief and distraction. It was Elias Weber who saved me. So when I decided to gain some experience before inheriting my family business, I chose to work in his company.

Even when the Webers’ group was at its lowest point, I stayed by Elias’s side, helping him bring it back from the brink of death. The two of us were simply boss and subordinate. We were friends, work colleagues.

One time, he even joked with a smile, “If we’re both still single at 30, I’ll throw you the grandest wedding ever.”

I never took that seriously. But now, I suddenly realize—he’s not as good as I remembered him to be.

Elias invited the executives from Stars Bright Group to a dinner party at an exclusive club. As one of the core person-in-charge of the project, I was also invited to attend.

What I didn’t expect was that Elsa Abend would be there too.

She was wearing an out-of-place sailor-style school uniform while sitting beside Elias. While I was discussing the project details, Elias nodded in agreement with my points.

Perhaps feeling left-out, Elsa pouted and said in her sickeningly sweet voice, “Ms. Torres, you're so impressive, huh? You can help Eli land such a big deal.”

“I wonder, did you drink your way to success? We really should thank you for all your sacrifices for the company.”

The room immediately fell silent.

Then, I replied lightly, “Ms. Abend, you really like to joke around. This project’s success happens because of Mr. Weber’s leadership, the executives’ decisions and our team’s professionalism.”

Elsa smirked suggestively. “Oh, I must’ve missed something then. You're so capable Ms. Torres! I bet you've handled plenty capable men too.”

“You must have a great tolerance for alcohol. Don’t be so uptight, now. Come, have a few drinks with the gentlemen.”

Her vulgar humor wasn’t just childish, it was downright stupid!

Elias frowned at that. “Elsa, that’s enough.”

She stomped her foot playfully, lifted a glass of wine and held it toward me. “Eli, do you like this vixen so much now? You even protect her when I just ask her to drink?”

Then, while pretending to lose her balance, she deliberately spilled the wine all over my chest. The cold liquid soaked through the fabric instantly. Soon my curves got revealed.

Elsa gasped while her malicious smile was impossible to hide. “Ms. Torres, my hand slipped! I’m so sorry!”

“Anyway, you’ll be drinking with them later, right? Being a little wet just adds to the fun.”

Her words were full of mockery as if I were nothing more than a cheap hostess.

Everyone always assumed there was something more than friendship between Elias and me, we were close enough but not lovers.

But I knew better what think about him. I had always seen Elias as someone I could trust completely.

When the company’s finances collapsed, I stayed up for months, fighting for investments until I landed one. I even drank with clients until I got sick and bleeding from the stomach. And when I was caught in an earthquake while traveling for work, Elias rushed into the disaster zone against evacuation orders just to find me.

Even my father was surprised that someone who has high trust issue like me could trust anyone so deeply. Now, that same man didn’t lift a finger to stop Elsa’s unacceptable behavior.

I looked down at the mess on my chest, as my eyes were turning cold.

A few business partners quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Ms. Abend, that joke went too far. Ms. Torres is one of our key partners. She's not here to just get drunk.”

“Mr. Weber, it seems your employee need better discipline.”

“Ms. Torres is a talent that even our company would be dying to have. Mr. Weber, you’d better appreciate her.”

The mockery I had imagined never came. Instead, everyone was praising my professionalism.

I looked up at Elsa and smiled slightly. “Since Ms. Abend wants to drink, I’ll join her.”

I asked the waiter to bring two large glasses and filled them both with vodka. I drank mine in one go without difficulty. At that, Elsa stared at me in shock.

I pushed the other glass toward her. “I’ve finished mine, Ms. Abend. Don’t tell me you’re afraid?”

When I was three, I secretly drank an entire bottle of my father’s treasured Lafite from his wine cellar in France. This Vodka was nothing to me.

Elias glanced at me with displeasure and said quietly, “Ms. Torres, stop joking. Not everyone can drink like you do.”

The moment he said that, I knew he was trying to defend Elsa.

I put down my glass and nodded politely to the executives. “Excuse me, I need to fix my makeup.”

Yet, Elsa followed me into the restroom. “Anne, do you hate me that much? You’ve been with Elias for so long, yet you never won his heart. You’re just a cheap woman he uses for pleasure!”

I ignored her and that made her furious. She tried to push me. Out of instinct, I stepped aside and caused her to miss.

Suddenly, Elsa slapped herself!

I stunned frozen when Elsa burst into tears and ran out.

Sensing trouble, I hurried after her. By the time I reached the VIP room, she had already thrown herself into Elias’s arms.

“Eli, Ms. Torres hit me. I just wanted to apologize to her in the restroom, but she called me your obedient pet and said I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Elias was stunned. His eyes were full of shock and doubt when he looked at me. Elsa cried so much, but she managed to twist the truth with each of her words.

Elias frowned, holding the crying Elsa and asked uncertainly, “Anne, what’s going on?”

“Mr. Weber, do you really believe such a clumsy setup?” I laughed in disbelief and sighed. “There was someone else in the restroom earlier. It's Mrs. Blackwood from Macros Atom Group. Why don’t you ask her?”

Elsa’s crying stopped abruptly. Her face turned pale. “Eli, women understand women best. She only got close to you because she has bad intentions!”

She continued, “Anne looks down on me. She wants to be the one who get the title Mrs. Torres!”

Elias grew more upset by her tears. He looked at me with disappointment. “Elsa is still young and inexperienced. Even if she said something wrong, you shouldn’t have hit her.”

In the past, when another company tried to frame me, Elias had stood firmly by my side. He said that he'd always believe me. But now, it seemed even our strong partnership couldn’t compete with his hopeless romantic.

Seeing that I stayed silent, Elias decided to end things quietly.

He put an arm around Elsa’s shoulders and said tiredly, “Anne, it’s just a small incident. Do you have to make such a scene in front of everyone?”

“You’re my employee. You should know your place—focus on your work and stop thinking about things that don’t belong to you.”

“This matter ends here. Tomorrow, I want a written reflection on my desk.”

With that, he held the crying Elsa and left the room.

I stood on my spot while watching Elias and Elsa walked further away. A long sigh escaped my lips afterwards.

Mr. Port, an old acquaintance, handed me a cup of sober-up tea and said meaningfully, “Ms. Torres, someone with your talent shouldn’t have to endure false accusations. Know that Stars Bright Group will always welcome you.”

For some reason, an image of Elias at twenty flashed before my eyes.

Back then, he was full of confidence. He faced a collapsing company without the slightest fear. His eyes were firm as he pointed to the tallest building in Capitol.

He said, “Anne, I’ll make sure the Weber Group will get it's spotlight again.”

And Elias did it. But in the process, he became someone I could no longer recognize. He couldn’t tell right from wrong anymore. He's no longer worth to be my partner.

I took out my phone and sent a message to my father: [Cancel next week’s partnership with the Weber Group. I’ll announce it myself at the press conference.]

***

The signing ceremony with Stars Bright Group was held in our company’s conference room. Cameras from the media were all aimed at the stage.

I carefully checked the process and contract details, making sure everything was flawless. This was my last project with the Weber Group. I had to end perfectly.

Elias arrived with Elsa. The latter was dressed in a famous brand. She was practically announcing to everyone that she was the hostess.

The ceremony went smoothly until the final step, when the final contract was to be projected on the big screen for signing.

Elsa eagerly volunteered to run the PowerPoint. But the next second, a series of indecent photos appeared on the screen!

In those photos, a woman who looked exactly like me was naked, tangled up with different men in suggestive poses.

The conference room fell dead silent before breaking into an uproar.

Elsa gasped and sobbed, pretending to panic. “I—I pressed the wrong button! Ms. Torres, I’m so sorry! I don’t know why your computer has so many… private photos!”

Her words sounded like an apology, but I know she was framing me. She made it look as if those photos were mine.

She even went and tell a fake medical report showing my name, claiming I had a shameful sexually transmitted disease.

Elsa dramatically gasped, “Ms. Torres, I’ve heard rumors about your messy private life, but I didn’t think they were true! You’re not spreading that disease around the business circle, are you?”

This woman was trying to destroy my reputation in the dirtiest way possible!

A wave of humiliation crashed over me.

Elias’s face darkened as he ordered the staff to turn off the screen. But the whispers and disgusted glances around the room still cut into me like knives.

“Didn’t expect Ms. Torres to be that wild in private. Nice body, though.”

“No wonder she climbed the ladder so fast—she must have her methods.”

“Mr. Weber’s company just lost face. She really did sleep her way up.”

The ceremony ended abruptly. I straightened my back and walked to my office amid the murmurs.