The moment I arrived at the office the next day, I heard Theodore's voice drifting out of the break room.

He was surrounded by a few coworkers, putting on his usual pitiful act as he sighed dramatically. "You have no idea. Meg probably thinks I'm too old for her now. Ever since I forgot her favorite designer brand last time, she's been giving me the cold shoulder.

"Her sister entrusted me to take care of her before she passed away, but that doesn't mean I can buy her everything she wants. Still, what can I do? I'm her brother-in-law."

It was the same old routine he always used, and I had long since grown numb to it.

With my mug in hand, I stopped at the doorway and gave him a cold look before silently turning to leave.

Theodore clearly hadn't expected me to stay so calm. After I walked away, he leaned over and whispered something to the others, instantly making the group burst into snickers.

Over the next two days, Theodore kept finding ways to make things difficult for me.

Sometimes, he would claim there was something wrong with my reports and force me to redo them. Other times, he would say the client wasn't satisfied with the proposal and make me stay late to revise it overnight.

Even an idiot could tell he was intentionally picking on me.

Late that night, while I was still buried in overtime work, Joyce came in with a cup of coffee and quietly set it on my desk. She stood there for a moment before finally saying, "Megan, I need to talk to you."

The serious look on her face made me pause. I nodded lightly. "Go ahead."

She pulled over a chair and sat across from me, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to do it.

I didn't rush her. Instead, I picked up the coffee and took a sip.

"Megan, I'm sorry…"

Her unexpected apology threw me off. Before I could even question her, a sudden wave of dizziness crashed over me.

My body went weak. My vision blurred, and my eyelids grew heavier with every passing second.

I snapped my gaze toward Joyce. She wouldn't meet my eyes. Her face was full of guilt.

"You… Why?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she choked out an apology. "Megan, I'm sorry… My mother is sick, and I still have to support her. I can't afford to lose this job…"

A wave of bitter resignation swept through me, and I slowly closed my eyes.

Theodore really was ruthless.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. A familiar scent of tobacco lingered in the air. Theodore was here.

"Meg, don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too stubborn," he whispered in my ear. "As long as you give in to me, I guarantee no one in the company will dare bully you again. I can even give you that overseas assignment."

He reached out, trying to touch my face.

I jerked my head away and used all my strength to kick him hard. "Get the hell away from me!"

Theodore's expression darkened instantly, and he shot me a vicious, furious look.

"You're picking the hard way, then."

Just as he raised his hand to strike me, the door suddenly flew open.

Joyce hurried in, looking pale with panic. "Mr. Wesley! Something's wrong! Ms. Taylor arrived early. She's waiting in the meeting room right now!"