In the middle of a high-level meeting, Brandon Gates' new assistant threw an entire cup of latte into my face in front of everyone.

"You're a slacker who does nothing all day but play games in the office. How dare you question my proposal?"

"You're fired! Get out!"

I wiped the latte from my face and stood up slowly, my gaze falling on Brandon.

He frowned, but deliberately avoided my eyes and stayed silent.

A slow smirk tugged at my lips as I pulled out my phone.

"Dad, did you hear that?"

"She told me to get lost."

——

On Monday, I was engrossed in a game when there was a sudden knock on my office door.

"Miss Lafferty, Miss Stone is calling all managers for a meeting in the main meeting room in ten minutes."

Jamie from the administrative department stood at the door, speaking in a hurried tone.

I didn't even look up, my fingers flying across the keyboard.

"Not going. Too busy."

In the half-year I'd been with the company, I'd never attended a single meeting.

Not because I didn't have to, but because I didn't want to.

"But … " Jamie hesitated. "Miss Stone specifically stressed that no one can be absent today. She said it was Mr. Gates' order."

My fingers froze. A moment later, my game character was obliterated by the boss.

As the screen faded to gray, I cursed inwardly and shut the laptop.

When I arrived at the meeting room, it was already packed.

The moment I walked in, several people shot me odd looks, whispering among themselves.

"Why is Miss Lafferty here?"

"Doesn't she always skip meetings?"

"Who knows? Miss Stone probably specifically requested it."

"Miss Stone has been picking on her. I bet there's going to be a show today."

***

I couldn't be bothered with the gossip. So, I picked the furthest corner seat and sat down, pulling out my phone to continue my game.

After a full half hour, Brandon and June Stone finally arrived late.

June was holding a stack of documents in her hands with a smug smile on her face.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting."

Brandon scanned the room, his gaze landing on me for less than a second before moving on.

"Today, Miss Stone has an important proposal to announce."

June cleared her throat and began to present her "revolutionary" marketing plan eloquently.

I half-listened while scrolling through my phone, but the more she spoke, the more ridiculous it sounded.

Not only was the proposed budget absurdly high, but it had absolutely nothing to do with our company's actual market.

"So, I believe we should invest 80 million and dominate the high-end market within three months!"

June concluded passionately.

Then, a smattering of applause broke out in the meeting room.

I couldn't hold back any longer. Without looking up, I interjected, "Eighty million for a bunch of useless exposure is worse than throwing the money off the company roof. That would be more of a gimmick and attract more traffic."

The meeting room instantly fell silent.

Brandon's brow slightly furrowed.

"What did you say?" June's voice sharply rose.

Only then did I look up and slowly reply.

"I said, your plan is full of holes."

"First of all, your target audience is way off."

"Second, you chose all the wrong marketing channels."

"And last, your ROI calculations are just plain wrong."

"Spending 80 million on this plan is basically flushing it down the drain."

"Actually, no. At least flushing it would make a sound."

June's face immediately turned crimson.

That woman suddenly grabbed the latte on the table and stormed over to me in just a few steps.

"You're a slacker who does nothing all day but play games in the office. How dare you question my proposal?"

She practically shrieked, then …

Splash!

The whole cup of latte went flying into my face.

The liquid streamed down my cheeks, instantly staining my white dress brown.

The meeting room fell into dead silence again. At that time, everyone held their breath.

"Summer Lafferty, as the CEO's assistant, you are fired! Get out!"

June said as she glared down at me.

Even so, I slowly stood up. I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and carefully wiped the stains from my face.

Then I turned to Brandon.

He frowned but avoided my gaze and chose to stay silent.

His gesture made me start to laugh.

I spoke on the phone on speaker. "Dad, did you hear that?"

"She told me to get lost."

The line went silent for two seconds before a deep, steady voice responded.

"Got it. I'll handle it."

The only reason I took this job was that my grandfather had arranged a marriage for me years ago.

Brandon Gates was my fiancé.

I was never a fan of arranged marriages, but my father wouldn't stop pushing. When guilt-tripping didn't work, he played the "disrespectful daughter" card.

So, I had no choice but to agree.

To help us "strengthen our bond," he made me join Gates Corp.

During the six months I worked for my fiancé's company, I spent most of my time playing video games, which made me look like a total slacker.

Still, I was secretly pulling strings behind the scenes. I utilised various connections and resources to enhance the company's performance. Before long, the business was thriving and even went public.

Gates Corp skyrocketed into the spotlight and Brandon himself landed a spot on Hartridge's wealthiest list.

Although I played a significant role in his success, we barely spoke.

We didn't go out very much and that's when I discovered he only knew me as his arranged fiancée. That man was completely unaware of who I really was.

***

I sank back into my seat in the corner, pulled out my phone and resumed the game I’d been playing before the interruption.

By then, my character had already respawned. I played on, fingers gliding across the screen as if the tension in the room had nothing to do with me.

June's face turned red, then drained pale with fury. She clearly hadn't expected me to brush off her authority so openly.

She slammed a hand on the table, her voice slicing through the room. "Summer! Just what do you think this place is?"

"Everyone else is focused on the meeting and you're the only one playing games?"

I smirked. "I've already hit all my annual targets. What's the harm in playing a little?"

"If you don't get out right now, I'm calling security!"

I said nonchalantly, not even bothering to glance up. "Do whatever you want."

The other executives exchanged uneasy glances.

Some lowered their heads, pretending to flip through documents, while others stole glances at Brandon, waiting for his reaction.

Finally, Brandon stood up.

That man was dressed sharply in a black suit today, with a serious expression on his face.

He glanced at me, a mix of boredom and impatience visible in his eyes.

"Summer, your performance has been good."

His voice was calm, yet it carried undeniable authority.

"But this is a company, not your home."

"Leave the meeting room immediately. Don't disrupt the meeting."

My fingers paused and my game character died again.

I looked up, meeting his eyes and curled my lips into a teasing smirk. "Mr. Gates, are you sure you want to kick me out?"

Brandon's brow furrowed, his tone turning even colder.

"I don't want to repeat myself. If you have any professional etiquette, you should know where to draw the line."

"What if I refuse to leave?"

"Then don't blame me for being ruthless."

Seeing Brandon take her side, June suddenly grew bolder.

June stormed up to me in a few quick strides and slapped the phone right out of my hand.

Smack!

My phone hit the floor, its screen instantly cracking into a spiderweb pattern.

"Summer, don't push your luck!"

She grabbed my collar and yanked it up forcefully.

"Mr. Gates has already spoken. What are you still doing here? Get out!"

From day one as an assistant, June had disliked me.

One day, as I passed by the CEO's office, I overheard her speaking loudly. "Mr. Gates, this company isn't a charity. Spending so much money to keep a slacker who does nothing but play games all day is completely unfair to the other employees."

Her voice wasn't thunderous, but it was just enough to be heard outside.

Brandon didn't respond.

But through the window, I noticed his hands pause briefly as he flipped through the documents.

After that, June Stone only grew bolder.

She started "casually" bringing up my so-called "outstanding achievements" during department meetings.

"Some people collect a high salary but can't even be bothered to attend meetings. I really wonder if they're here to work or just on vacation."

Soon, gossip about me started circulating around the company.

Some said I was a rich girl who got in through connections, others said I slept in the office all day and some even bet on when I'd be fired.

I knew about all of it. I just couldn't be bothered to care.

Unfortunately, the more indifferent I was, the more she overstepped.

This time, she seized the opportunity and became utterly arrogant.

I wasn't about to put up with her. So, I seized her wrist and gave it a forceful twist.

"Ah!"

June cried out in pain and instinctively released my collar.

As I broke free, her arm hit the edge of the meeting table. Her watch made a clear clinking sound against the solid wood surface.

She stumbled back two steps, looked down and her face instantly went pale.

A prominent scratch now marred the face of the pricey Patek Philippe on her wrist, catching the light unpleasantly.

"You … you … "

Her wrist trembled as she held it up, fury burning in her eyes.

"Summer, do you know how much this watch costs?"

"This was a birthday gift from Mr. Gates! It's a hundred thousand dollars!"

I calmly straightened my wrinkled collar.

"Whose fault is it when you can't stand steady?"

"Summer!" Brandon finally couldn't hold back and snapped, "You've gone too far!"

"Not only did you disrupt the meeting, but now you've intentionally damaged someone else's property."

"As CEO, I'm officially notifying you that you're fired."

"Now, pack your things and leave the company immediately!"

June shrieked, "Mr. Gates, you can't let her off easily! She has to pay for the watch!"

The meeting room went completely silent.

Everyone looked at me with pity or schadenfreude, as if waiting for a good show to begin.

"Fine, I'll pay."

"A hundred thousand dollars, right?"

I bent down to pick up my broken phone.

Although the screen was cracked, it still worked.

I dialed a number. Just as I brought it to my ear, June snapped, "What 100,000? It's 1 million!"

I paused and looked at her.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure!" June said haughtily. "A gift from Mr. Gates is already priceless!"

"Only making you pay 1 million is already letting you off easy!"

"Ask everyone here, am I right or not?"

June didn't back down.

She knew exactly how much I earned—there was no way I could afford that kind of money.

This wasn't about compensation. She just wanted to humiliate me.