I lead my team to develop a new drug formula that passed its first clinical trial. It becomes the key to the company's IPO. So, the board votes unanimously to award me an additional 5% in shares.

But at the celebration party, my shares turn into three hams.

I assume it is a prank by my colleagues.

But to my surprise, Draco Faraday looks at me with disgust and says, "Don't think I don't know. You used your position as team leader to assign all the experimentation to Avery. Then, you take the credit for the results. This reward should go to her. As for you, you should be satisfied with the ham!"

Seeing Avery Blake looking both flattered and overwhelmed, I am rendered speechless.

I argue, "Avery is an art major. Does she even understand chemical formulas?"

Draco's expression darkens. "Cross-disciplinary expertise is her strength, not a weakness. I won't argue with you this time. If it happens again, I'll fire you!”

When I try to defend myself, he snaps, "Starting today, Avery is the team leader. You should get a taste of how it feels to be exploited."

I look at him in disbelief for a moment before nodding forcefully with a sneer. "Fine. From now on, I won't assist if the projects run into any issues. Don't regret it."

Draco looks at Avery approvingly."The only thing I regret is not making Avery the person in charge sooner."

The moment those words fell, my colleagues all raised their glasses toward Avery Blake.

"Congratulations, Ms. Blake! Lead us to greater success from here on!"

"Avery, you're amazing! Studying abroad really sets you apart, unlike some people who only know the same old tricks!"

I said nothing and simply stared at them.

Melissa Richmond, Avery's ever-loyal follower, let out a mocking laugh. "Some people really have no talent at all, but when it comes to throwing attitude, they're absolute pros."

Someone chuckled and chimed in, "Cut her some slack. Anyone would fall apart after watching ten million dollars in shares turn into a hundred and fifty dollars' worth of ham. I wouldn't be able to take it either."

Melissa added self-righteously, "Avery earned this with her own ability. It's not like she climbed up through connections."

"Mr. Faraday has remarkable insight. Avery is exactly the kind of talent the company needs. At this pace, going public is inevitable."

Avery smiled modestly. "It's a team effort. I only played a small part."

Draco Faraday gently took her hand. "You always downplay yourself, Avery. It's the greatest blessing of my life to have met you."

As I watched the two of them standing there like the perfect couple, a chill crept through my chest.

Back then, Avery had used Draco to steal the Faraday family's proprietary formula, driving Faraday Pharmaceuticals to the brink of collapse. His parents had been so furious and heartbroken that they died with deep resentment.

I had been the one who remained in the lab day and night to develop a better substitute that brought the company back from the edge.

Even so, Draco had been entirely convinced by her words, believing she had acted out of unavoidable circumstances.

It was laughable.

When I didn't respond, Avery walked over to me. "Ms. Gunner… No, Erica. Even though you used to overwork me, I still want to thank you. You helped me get familiar with the company's research very quickly."

She handed me a bag of ham.

"This is what you deserve."

Melissa frowned immediately.

"Avery, you're too kind. You're still defending her." She shot me a disdainful look. "Besides, she's so proud. She probably doesn't even think something like this is worth anything."

Avery then turned to Draco and put on a pitiful look. "Draco, does Erica not like me? She won't even accept the gift you prepared. Maybe I should just return the shares to her."

She pulled the share transfer agreement from her bag and deliberately made a show of tearing it.

Draco immediately grabbed her hand. His expression darkened as he snapped at me, "Erica Gunner, that's enough. Avery is someone I personally brought in to help. Can you stop making a scene?"

I gave a cold, humorless laugh. "I'm making a scene? She and her friends have been taking turns mocking me, and you're saying that's my fault?"

Draco grew increasingly irritated. "If people don't like you, you should ask yourself why. With that temper, it's no surprise no one wants to deal with you."

"Avery is both beautiful and kind. This time, she has returned with exclusive international patent rights. She might even help us compete for the Erisian Peace Prize."

"Wow! Does that mean we're going to be famous? By then, not only will the company go public, but we could even expand tenfold!"

"I can finally buy my son a house and get him married!"

"Avery, thank you so much!"

The flattery around us only grew louder. I let out a faint scoff. "You should be careful. Things that seem perfect often collapse just as easily."

Draco's expression darkened as he lost his temper. "Whatever the case, she's still better than you, a useless showpiece who only knows how to exploit others. Take your ham and get out!"

I swallowed my anger and met his gaze. "Fine. If anything goes wrong in the lab going forward, go ask your capable, cross-disciplinary Avery. Don't expect help from a so-called showpiece like me."

Just as I was about to go to sleep, Draco called.

"Your office will be given to Avery from now on. You'll move to the common area."

He let out a sigh. "Avery is someone I personally brought in to help. Her expertise will help the company go public faster."

"Fine," I replied.

I had no interest in engaging further and hung up the call immediately.

What I didn't anticipate was that Avery would push the door open and walk in the moment I arrived at the office the next day.

She scanned the private office with a satisfied look, as though the room already belonged to her.

"Erica, thank you for stepping aside on your own. This will be my office from now on."

She then turned to the security guards and barked, "Why are you still standing there? Help her move her things out."

The guards trailing behind her stepped up.

Just as they were stacking the documents on the desk to carry them away, I snapped, "Stop! What are you doing?"

Avery gave a light chuckle. "What do you think we are doing? We are helping you pack. Erica, all of this junk is taking up too much space."

The guards roughly carried everything out and dumped the materials haphazardly in the hallway.

Avery grabbed my trophy and tossed it casually near the trash can.

"Erica, achievements are in the past. It is better to focus on the present," she said mockingly.

When I noticed the trophy lying next to the trash can, I shoved her aside and bent down to retrieve it. Just then, Draco rushed over and kicked me hard, sending me crashing backward. The trash can overturned, and its contents splashed over me.

He turned to comfort Avery gently, then looked at me with disgust. "Erica, I already told you yesterday that the office belongs to Avery now. Why are you still refusing to move out? Avery was kind enough to help you pack your things, and you actually dared to hit her.

"How is that any different from a jealous woman throwing a tantrum?"

I struggled to my feet, forcing down the pain, and enunciated each word, "Is this what you call helping me pack, by dumping all my belongings in the hallway and even throwing them into the trash?"

Draco froze on the spot. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Avery sniffled. "I just saw that these items were covered in dust, so I thought… I don't want the office anymore. I can just work in the storage room."

Draco immediately pulled her into his arms and said softly, "No, it's fine to throw away Erica's junk. It will stop her from staying idle all day."

I stared at the trophy half-buried in the trash and let out a bitter laugh. Draco had it specially made when I brought in the company's first major investment. He had called it his most precious possession.

Now that Avery was back, it was reduced to worthless junk.

When I said nothing, Draco scowled.

"Look at you now," he said, giving me a disdainful look. "You spend all day around chemical reagents and carry that harsh smell with you. There is nothing feminine left about you."

He took Avery's hand and declared to everyone around them, "What happened before was a misunderstanding. Anyone who brings it up again will be dismissed from the company."

Then he turned back to me. "You make it sound so noble, but the truth is, you only helped me because you saw I could rise again. Don't think I don't know how you deliberately dragged out the project just to pressure me into marrying you."

The crowd immediately broke into a heated discussion.

"Ms. Gunner has been leading the Alphalink Project for years, but progress has been rather slow. Could it really be…"

"People's true intentions are hard to read. Who knows what is really going on behind the scenes?"

"If the shares end up with Avery, Mr. Faraday must have been deceived."

Their remarks dripped with sarcasm, fueled by the satisfaction of exploiting my misfortune and a blatant distortion of the truth.

It seemed they had all forgotten that this laboratory had been built from the ground up.

Every piece of equipment and every research decision had been shaped by my unwavering effort over countless days and nights.

Draco said in a self-righteous tone, "Erica, are you really prepared to let everyone else's efforts go to waste because of your own selfish motives?"

Avery looked toward the wall filled with certificates and awards and sighed. "Draco, I think these hollow honors have blinded Erica. How can she confront reality while holding onto past achievements?

"Why don't we burn these certificates? It will not only help Erica, but also remind us not to remain stuck in the past."

How could she say that? Those trophies and certificates were the result of my journey and the entire team's effort!

Draco nodded immediately. "Avery is right. Since she refuses to face reality, we will help her confront it."

He then instructed the guards, "Get rid of these eyesores. Burn them."

"Stop!" I shouted sharply as I stepped forward to block them.

Avery moved closer and pulled me aside. "Erica, if you keep this up, how is Draco supposed to manage the company going forward?"

The guards immediately began tearing the certificates down from the wall.

Anger surged through me. I grabbed a wooden stick and swung it toward Avery.

"Erica, how dare you!" Draco shouted from behind me.

His expression turned vicious as he seized a fire extinguisher from the corner and slammed it hard into my back.

I let out a sharp gasp of pain. My vision blurred, and I dropped to my knees.

Before I could recover, Draco's face darkened further as he snapped at the guards, "Douse her. Let her see who's really in charge."

It was a plastic drum used in the lab for storing toxic chemical waste.

Although the guards hesitated, they still lifted the container and poured its contents toward me without delay. A sharp, pungent odor filled the air instantly. I forced myself to endure the pain and staggered aside in a desperate attempt to avoid it.

The liquid hit the ground and immediately began to hiss with a sharp sizzle.

The onlookers' faces went pale as they quickly backed away in panic.

If it had struck me directly, the outcome would have been unthinkable.

As Draco looked at my disheveled appearance, he warned coldly, "Erica, if you dare cause any more trouble, I will have you thrown out of this lab immediately."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Draco, how can you treat me like this for a woman who once betrayed you and left without a word?"

He gave a mocking laugh. "Erica, if you hadn't interfered back then, I would have been with Avery a long time ago. Avery never betrayed me. She left because she had no choice, all for the sake of helping me accomplish something greater."

My lips trembled, but I said nothing.

At that moment, Linda Hartwell, a senior staff member, suddenly stepped forward. She pointed at Draco and said angrily, "Draco, do you have any conscience at all? Have you forgotten how Erica helped you build this lab from the ground up?"

Draco's expression turned dark instantly. He could not stand being reminded of how dependent he had once been on me.

He turned sharply toward her and snapped, "Who gave you the right to speak here? If you don't want to work, then get out!"