Jessica didn’t bother hiding the contempt on her face.

"As for me? I’m the daughter of Royce Osborne, president of Zenith Consortium. That identity alone is enough to crush you so completely you’ll never recover."

I stared at her, genuinely baffled by where all this confidence was coming from. At this point, I was honestly starting to wonder whether my uncle had secretly fathered an illegitimate daughter behind the family’s back.

I interjected, "I heard Mr. Osborne has a niece he absolutely adores. Practically treats her like his own daughter. As our prestigious new Top Performer, I assume you've crossed paths with her?"

Jessica’s expression froze for half a second. Then she rolled her eyes dismissively.

"That’s my cousin, obviously. Of course, I’ve met her. But she lives overseas most of the time and rarely comes back. Even I don’t see her often." She looked me up and down mockingly. "A nobody like you would certainly never get the opportunity."

I let out a cold laugh. "Really? Then if you’re so classy, why are you stealing someone else’s accolade and bonus?"

I tilted my head slightly. "Or what? Are you simply a fraud posing as an heiress?"

"You—" Jessica’s face turned red with fury. "Everly, don’t push your luck! Your Top Performer title was revoked because you weren’t worthy of it. Mine was earned through genuine merit!"

"Merit?" I stepped toward her slowly, my gaze fixed on hers. "Do you mean the merit of gaming on the clock? Or perhaps those indulgent two-hour lunches and making sure you're out the door by five sharp?

"Maybe the merit to stare at a computer all day and produce a presentation with nothing but the word ‘Proposal’ typed on it?"

My voice wasn’t loud, but the weight of my words was enough to strip away her dignity in front of everyone.

Speechless and fumbling for a comeback, Jessica instinctively turned a desperate gaze toward Emily, silently pleading for intervention.

A flash of irritation crossed Emily’s face, like she was frustrated Jessica had embarrassed herself this badly. Then Emily looked at me sternly. "Everly! Watch your tone. This is a professional setting, not a circus. You don’t get to scream and cause a ruckus here.

"Don’t think landing a few successful projects gives you the right to act however you want. Strong performers replace weak ones all the time. You need to accept that someone more capable has surpassed you instead of throwing a tantrum."

Every eye in the venue turned toward me. They were all waiting to watch me make a fool of myself over a $600,000 bonus.

$600,000?

Even eight million wouldn’t matter to me. What I wanted was fairness.

Rather than erupting or engaging in an argument, I merely offered a smile, one with a cold, mocking edge.

"Fine. I accept it." I glanced at Jessica. "The Top Performer title should belong to the more capable person after all."

The second I returned to my desk, two company-wide HR announcements were sent out.

"Due to serious violations of company policy involving the abuse of corporate funds for excessive personal spending, Everly Pearce is hereby removed from her role as Sales Manager. Her suspension is effective immediately, pending a full review.

"Conversely, junior staff member Jessica Osborne has shown remarkable dedication to safeguarding company interests throughout her probation, providing significant value to Horizon Ventures. Effective immediately, she has been promoted to a permanent position and appointed as the new Sales Manager, assuming responsibility for all projects formerly managed by Everly Pearce."

Within seconds, Emily’s mention popped up in the company group chat, tagging me directly.

"Everly Pearce has set a dismal example for this team by wasting company resources and ignoring protocol. Consequently, her monthly bonus is revoked. Additionally, she must post a written apology to this chat. Consider this a warning to everyone else."

I was livid with anger.

First, they stripped me of my Top Performer title. Then they took my bonus. After that, they publicly paraded me as a cautionary tale just to establish Jessica’s authority.

The office descended into a sudden, heavy silence, and even the frantic pinging of the group chat died away.

Eyes darted toward me from every corner of the room. I caught looks of genuine sympathy and flashes of indignation on my behalf, though some colleagues were clearly relishing the unfolding drama.

The unread messages sat there motionless, as if everyone was waiting for me to humiliate myself publicly and grovel for forgiveness.

A few seconds later, Emily tagged me again. "Did you not see the message?"

I still didn’t reply.

Meanwhile, the notifications kept coming nonstop, almost obsessively.

Amelia privately messaged me. "Everly, please stop being stubborn. Just apologize. Your job is on the line."

I managed a smile at her, but it only brought me to tears.

With stiff, trembling fingers, I tapped out my reply on the screen.

"Understood, Ms. Hopkins. I will firmly keep this lesson in mind. I promise I will never recklessly indulge in $10 on a slice of cake. The next time the company provides afternoon tea, I'll be sure to just stick to water".

My apology message hit the company group chat like a grenade.

On the surface, it sounded polite, but it was obvious how disappointed I was in the company. After that, I revoked all my access permissions from the company systems and began my suspension period.

Emily moved me to a desk beside the restroom under the pretense that I should stay in my lane. I spent my days there, a spectacle for everyone passing by, subjected to a mix of mocking glares and pitying looks.

Meanwhile, Jessica proudly took over my old office seat and started bossing everyone around in the department.

However, my role was far more complex than she realized.

I had personally managed every project assigned to me from its inception to its conclusion, mastering every intricate detail of planning and execution.

Jessica, meanwhile, knew absolutely nothing.

Within days, over a dozen clients filed complaints demanding that their accounts be returned to my management. They threatened to scrap their contracts entirely, leaving Horizon Ventures on the brink of staggering financial penalties.

Emily finally panicked. For the first time in days, she came over to my desk.

"Everly, these projects were originally yours. There are some technical issues right now, so I need you to coordinate with the clients and smooth things over."

I looked up at her casually. "Ms. Hopkins, are you sure you’ve got the right person? I’m suspended."

She stiffened for a second before replying awkwardly, "Suspension doesn’t mean you stop working. Company policy is that whoever starts a project sees it through."

I spread my hands lightly. "That’s going to be difficult. I already removed all my system access."

Her expression changed instantly, her eyes blazing with anger. "You were suspended, not terminated. Why would you revoke your permissions? Submit a request to restore them immediately."

I looked at her calmly. "Weren’t those your words, Ms. Hopkins? 'Stay in your lane'. I’m just following your instructions."

Her face darkened in embarrassment, but she still forced herself to stay patient. "Fine. We’ll restore your position first. Just contact the clients and stop them from canceling their contracts."

I smiled faintly, tilting my head slightly. "Shouldn’t the more capable Top Performer handle this kind of thing? I’m just a woman who relies on her looks, remember? I don’t have that kind of ability."

Crimson flooded her face as she fought to hold back her anger. "Everly, that was just office banter. Are you really taking it this seriously?"

I kept smiling, but there wasn’t a trace of warmth left in it. "So, taking away my Top Performer title and $600,000 bonus was office banter, too? And calling a $10 slice of cake excessive spending was also just a joke?"

Every sentence landed squarely across her face. Her complexion shifted rapidly, flushing a deep crimson before draining to a deathly pale color.

Silence stretched between us as she remained speechless. For a person of Emily's stature, offering an apology to a mere employee was an alien concept.

Just then, Jessica came running over excitedly. "Ms. Hopkins! Zenith Consortium agreed to the investment!"

Emily’s eyes lit up instantly. "That’s great!"

She looked at Jessica like she’d personally saved the company. "Jessica, you really are Horizon Ventures’ lucky charm. With Zenith Consortium backing us, clients will be lining up to work with us."

Then she turned toward me and shot me a vicious glare. "Everly, you’re fired. Go process your exit paperwork immediately."

I nodded calmly. "Fine. Then I expect the company to compensate me according to labor regulations."

Emily exploded instantly. "Compensation? After the losses you caused this company?" she shouted furiously. "Just wait until we sue you!"

Jessica looked at me viciously from beside him. "Everly, I’ll make sure the entire industry blacklists you."

I merely smiled faintly. "Sure, I’ll wait."

I quietly packed up my things and walked out of the company I’d poured myself into for the past year. I hadn’t relied on connections or family influence to get where I was.

Everything Horizon Ventures had become today was built with my own hard work and merit.

Instead, I was fired. It felt as if my heart had been rolled around in a pile of ice shards. It was both cold and painful.

My colleagues came out one after another to see me off, offering words of comfort.

Amelia said tearfully, "Everly, you’re so talented. You’ll succeed wherever you go. Don’t take what Jessica said to heart. You'll definitely find a new job."

I smiled quietly. Jessica? She didn't have what it took.

The moment I left the building, my phone rang. It was my uncle whom I hadn't heard from in two weeks.

"Everly, I'm signing a deal with Horizon Ventures next week. I'm heading to Africa for work and won't be able to attend."

I replied gloomily, "Uncle, I’ve resigned."

There was a pause on the other end. "Did you run into trouble at work? Do you need me to step in?"

"No, I want to go back to Zenith Consortium and take charge of this project."

After hanging up, I curved my lips into a smile.

The show has only just begun.

My appearance at the signing ceremony took my former colleagues by surprise, especially Emily and Jessica, whose gazes were as sharp as daggers.

Jessica looked at me with disdain. "What are you doing here? You’ve been fired. You have no right to be part of this signing!"

I shot her a side eye. "Just because I’m not an employee of your company, does that mean I can’t be here? Isn’t there a possibility that I’m representing Zenith Consortium as the client?"

She sneered with contempt, "Everly, are you kidding me? My father is the CEO of Zenith Consortium. I am the client, and I’m fully authorized to sign on his behalf! How dare you claim to be the client? A lowly woman like you isn’t even fit to clean the toilets at Zenith Consortium!"

The moment her words left her mouth, they instantly drew countless stares.

"So she’s Mr. Osborne’s daughter. No wonder she’s so poised."

"She dares to offend Mr. Osborne’s daughter? She must not want to make it in Harbor City anymore."

"She looks like a nightclub hostess. She’s definitely a gold-digger!"

"She doesn’t look like Mr. Osborne’s daughter at all. She’s so confident."

Jessica stood in the center, basking in the adulation, and the flattery was making her feel on top of the world. She looked at me, her smile growing more defiant, and ordered the security guards, "Throw that wench out of here! We’re signing the contract right now, at this very moment!"

Several security guards approached me, but I calmly took out an authorization letter and held it above my head. "Jessica, without this, how are you going to sign the contract?"

Everyone froze, their eyes fixed on my hand.

"Isn’t that Mr. Osborne’s signature on the document? How did it end up in her hands?"

I walked past the stunned Jessica and made my way directly to the podium, picking up the microphone.

"I hereby announce that Zenith Consortium Group is canceling the cooperation agreement with Horizon Ventures."

Emily’s pupils contracted sharply as she glared at me. "Everly, who do you think you are, daring to speak on behalf of Mr. Osborne?"

I looked at her and said calmly, "Didn’t I just tell you? I represent the client."

Jessica stared at me in disbelief. "Everly, how did you get my father’s authorization letter? Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to make decisions for my father?"

I met her gaze directly and spoke with deliberate, sharp clarity, "Because he happens to be my uncle."