My name is Evelyn Brown.

I represent the company in the IPO bidding process. Halfway through my presentation, I notice everyone in the room staring at me with puzzled expressions.

In that instant, I realize my PowerPoint slides have been swapped for a "Paid Surrogate" advertisement.

The wording is utterly humiliating. "I've lived the first 20 years of my life in a poor mountain village. I'm healthy and can promise a son. My price is negotiable."

I rush backstage, only to see the impoverished student my father, Eric Brown, has sponsored for years laughing uncontrollably.

Leaning against my fiance, Dwayne Woodruff, Katherine Cadwell says, "Oh, Ms. Brown, don't be upset! I was just teasing you to lighten the mood. You just got back home. Don't stress yourself out so much."

I grab her arm, insisting she come out and explain herself. But out of nowhere, Dwayne shoves me to the floor.

"You've just returned," he says. "We only pulled a little prank on you because we didn't want you to be too tense. If you can't handle even this amount of pressure, how can you be expected to take over the company?"

I can't help but scoff. Right in front of them, I send the live recording straight to my father, the CEO.

Without a second thought, I dial his number. "Dad, look at what your 'star scholarship student' just pulled. Can we have her and Dwayne kicked out of the company?"

Just as I ended the call, my fiance, Dwayne Woodruff, flung his teacup at me. The porcelain shards sliced into my calf.

"Damn it, Evelyn! Is that all you've got? You're always whining and tattling. Do you think you're still a baby?"

Without warning, he lunged toward me, his fingers reaching for my phone. "You'd better delete that video!"

Clutching my phone like a lifeline, I retreated as fast as I could. "And why on earth would I delete it? Just so you can keep twisting the truth?"

With tears in her eyes, Katherine Cadwell ran over. Her legs faltered as she positioned herself between us. "Dee, please calm down. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have joked with Ms. Brown like that…"

As she spoke, she hurriedly grabbed a cup of coffee from the table. It looked like she meant to offer it to me to calm me down.

But before I could react, her hand trembled. The scorching coffee splashed across the laptop I had set aside just moments earlier.

With a sharp sizzle, the screen went black in an instant. The backup I had saved of the final version of the presentation was destroyed along with it.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, Ms. Brown! I swear I didn't mean to…"

Katherine covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks like a broken string of pearls. She appeared even more panicked than I was.

My whole body shook with rage, but I couldn't force a single word out.

I knew every move she made was deliberate.

Dennis Newman's expression turned grim, the weight of an impending storm hanging over him. He was the most important client at the pitch.

Annoyed, he stood up and adjusted his suit. "Ms. Brown, it seems Brown Group isn't fully prepared. We'll have to call it a day."

As he turned to leave, a wave of despair crashed over me.

This wasn't just the first project I had taken on since returning to the country—it was also my first chance to prove myself to the board.

If it ended in failure, my reputation as the sole successor to Brown Group would be completely ruined.

I looked at Dwayne, hoping he would speak. He was my fiance—the man I trusted and leaned on without question.

But to my disappointment, he didn't even meet my gaze. Instead, he gave Dennis a sheepish, remorseful smile.

Turning his head, Dwayne whispered coldly, "Evelyn, do you have any idea what it means to consider the bigger picture? For the sake of your pathetic ego, you've destroyed months of painstaking work. Is that really what you wanted?"

A chill slowly crept into my heart.

To Dwayne, it didn't matter that I had just been humiliated in front of everyone. In his eyes, my so-called pride meant nothing.

The sting of betrayal and shame threatened to overwhelm me. Tears sprang to my eyes, but I clenched my lower lip, keeping them at bay.

With a deep breath, I pulled out my phone. Clinging to the last of my strength, I forced myself to stay calm.

In a last-ditch effort to save myself, I connected my phone to the projector. Facing the crowd's sympathy and ridicule, I retrieved the rough draft that I worked on all night from the cloud drive.

"Mr. Newman, please give me five more minutes."

A few mocking laughs rippled through the crowd.

Dennis' expression grew more impatient by the second. Nonetheless, he remained in his seat, eager to see what ridiculous performance I would put on next.

In the shadows backstage, Katherine leaned against Dwayne, a disdainful smirk curling her lips. It was clear she thought of me as nothing more than a pathetic clown.

"The above slide shows our preliminary concept for your company's development over the next three years…"

I fumbled through my explanation of the draft proposal. I couldn't remember much of the data, so I was forced to improvise on the spot.

The audience's laughter grew louder. Dennis couldn't help but roll his eyes.

My cheeks burned, and my palms were slick with sweat.

As I steeled myself to deliver the final summary, a voice suddenly cut me off.

"My apologies, Mr. Newman, and to all of you here," Dwayne said, a calm, confident smile on his face. Without me noticing, he had already picked up another microphone.

The audience immediately fell silent, every eye turning toward him.

"Since Evelyn just returned to the country, she isn't familiar with our business operations yet. On top of that, she's not feeling well today. That's why her performance is below par."

With just a few words, he had shifted the blame onto my so-called "sickness". I was stunned at how easily he had washed his hands of any responsibility.

"To avoid wasting everyone's valuable time, my personal assistant, Ms. Katherine Cadwell, will now present a more polished proposal our team has prepared."

Since when had Katherine turned into his personal assistant?

I froze, my mind going completely blank.

Dressed in a sleek business suit and high heels, Katherine gracefully walked onto the stage.

Her makeup was impeccable, and her hair was pinned back in a perfect updo. Her entire being exuded the confidence of a corporate elite.

Her polished appearance stood in sharp contrast to my disheveled state.

She stole a glance at me. Though her gaze seemed apologetic, a trace of smugness shone through.

Without hesitation, she deftly inserted a USB drive into the backup laptop. "Ms. Brown, thank you for your effort. I'll take it from here."

Her gentle, polite voice sent a chill down my spine.

Almost immediately, the projector displayed a PowerPoint that was impeccably designed. Aside from its elegant formatting and thorough data, it featured the very idea I had conceived.

It was the key concept I had painstakingly refined through countless sleepless nights—the finishing touch I believed to be wholly original.

But to my frustration, every bit of my hard work was now showcased in Katherine's slides, presented as though it were her own stroke of genius.

"This core concept is the result of seven consecutive nights of brainstorming with Mr. Woodruff and our team," she explained passionately, as though she had truly put in all that effort.

The clients who had ridiculed me just moments earlier were now stunned and impressed.

"This proposal is remarkable!"

"Mr. Woodruff's team is incredibly professional!"

"With talent like this, Brown Group's future looks limitless!"

Like an idiot, I stood helplessly on the sidelines. I had unwittingly been reduced to the most pitiful backdrop in the room.

Unable to hold back any longer, I lunged forward like a madwoman. "You thief! That was my idea! How dare you steal my proposal?"

I wanted to grab the microphone and expose Katherine's lies in front of everyone. But before I could take another step, a strong hand clamped down on my shoulder.

It was Dwayne.

His striking features twisted in disdain. "Evelyn, you'd better get your shit together," he whispered in my ear.

In front of all the clients, he effortlessly pulled me away from the stage.

Under his firm grip, I struggled to stay on my feet.

"What's the matter with the heiress of the Brown family?"

"She really can't handle losing, can she?"

"It's a relief that Mr. Woodruff is around. Otherwise, things could have gotten completely out of hand."

Whispers rippled through the audience as they observed the unfolding scene.

"Stay here and calm down. Don't go out there and embarrass me again."

With a blank expression, Dwayne shoved me into the storage room backstage. Moments later, the lock turned outside, its sharp click cutting me off from the rest of the world.

On the other side of the door, Katherine was met with the crowd's approving applause.

At the same time, Dennis announced that Katherine and Dwayne's team would be given priority for the contract.

Inside, I felt utterly isolated, consumed by darkness and silence.

In that instant, it felt as if both my career and my love life had been doomed to oblivion.

I slumped against the cold door, letting myself slide to the floor. My body shook uncontrollably, each breath a sharp stab of pain.

In the pitch-black storage room, the air was nearly suffocating.

The sting of betrayal and failure wrapped around me like an invisible net, sending shivers through my entire body.

After what felt like an eternity, the lock turned again.

A harsh, blinding light poured in. Katherine strode forward, her smile one of pure triumph.

She had changed into a more luxurious suit—one of the limited-edition pieces from my own closet.

A document rested in her grip. It was the letter of intent I had been desperate to receive.

"Look at this, Ms. Brown! It's obvious Mr. Newman really likes my proposal," Katherine announced, her voice thick with pride.

She crouched down, waving the document right in front of my eyes.

"Also, Dwayne asked me to pass this message along. Starting tomorrow, I'm taking over as Project Director at Brown Group."

I stared at her, disbelief written all over my face. I had been fighting for that position ever since I had returned to the country.

"Dwayne has long believed you're not good enough for him. Were you aware of that? Aside from your family background, he considers you worthless. Unlike you, I'm quick-witted and perceptive. It's only natural that I should stand by his side.

"You're like a porcelain doll—beautiful on the outside, but empty on the inside."

Each of Katherine's words felt like a poisoned blade, driving itself mercilessly into the most tender part of my heart.

She gracefully reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. It was my employee ID, bearing my photo and name.

My father, Eric Brown, had personally given it to me when I returned from abroad. It stood as a symbol of my position at Brown Group.

After tossing the card onto the floor, Katherine lifted her elegant red high heel. She aimed it at the chip and slammed it down without mercy. A sharp, brittle crack rang out.

"Ms. Brown, your time is up."

A trace of contempt colored her beautiful smile. In that moment, the final shred of my dignity was ground into dust.

The metallic taste of blood flooded my throat. I was completely enraged.

"Katherine!" Summoning every ounce of strength, I stormed out of the storage room.

"Dwayne! How could you betray me like this?" I roared, glaring at him from only a few feet away.

The smirk on Katherine's face only grew wider when she saw me in a frenzy.

But in an instant, her expression shifted, and a startled cry escaped her lips. Like a frightened fawn, she cowered behind Dwayne, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Ms. Brown, why are you reacting like this? I was only trying to make you feel better…"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pointed to the shattered employee ID lying on the floor. "How could you stomp on it like that? I know you're upset, but…"

Dwayne's eyes shifted from my frenzied expression to Katherine's tear-streaked face.

Shielding Katherine behind him, he glared at me as if I were a deranged lunatic causing a scene. His gaze was filled with sheer disgust and impatience.

Dennis frowned and turned to Dwayne. "Mr. Woodruff, what's going on here?"

"Mr. Newman, my apologies for the disruption," Dwayne replied. "Evelyn is just overly jealous. She has some psychological issues."

In front of all the remaining clients, he delivered his final ultimatum.

"Evelyn, I'm giving you one last chance. Either you apologize to Katherine right now, or we'll call off our engagement."

As soon as his words landed, a stabbing pain gripped my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Overwhelmed by shock and years of pent-up emotions, I felt my anxiety erupt uncontrollably.

Darkness swallowed my vision, and I collapsed onto the floor.