After that incident, Sadie didn't bring up the snack money again when she showed up at work the next day.

The expired snacks had exposed her true nature to everyone, so one wanted to be around her anymore. Whenever she appeared, my coworkers would scatter as if she were contagious.

If her desk hadn't been right next to mine, I wouldn't have wanted anything to do with her either. The farther she kept her distance, the better for all of us.

Meanwhile, Ian had been on an IV drip all night after the incident. It took him two more days off before he finally forced himself back to the office.

To my surprise, he didn't blame Sadie, the very person responsible for it all. Instead, he comforted her. "I know you meant well. Let's just move past this. From now on, focus on your work."

With that, he assigned our team a new project.

In a few days, a potential client would be visiting to discuss a partnership. We needed to revise the proposal carefully.

This was a major deal. If we pulled it off, the whole team stood to earn a generous bonus. Once we accepted the task, everyone jumped in with full force.

Sadie was the only exception. She had instead spent a majority of her time stealing glances at Mason through her home surveillance cameras. Time and again, she would disappear into the restroom to slack off.

I had already anticipated this. In my past life, Sadie often vanished without warning. She repeatedly claimed that Mason was crying and that she had to be there for him.

At that time, I gently urged her to consider whether it was feasible for her to work if she couldn't be apart from her son.

However, Sadie fired back, accusing me of discriminating against mothers. She even went so far as to curse that I'd never have children of my own.

While everyone else was swamped with work, Sadie was the only one taking it easy. A few coworkers had come up to me, requesting that I say something to her.

But rather than joining in the criticism, I ended up defending her. "Sadie is still settling in and getting familiar with things. I'll take on her tasks too. We're all on the same team. Let's be patient with her."

My coworkers were livid. Their frustration with Sadie grew even more when she put Mason on speakerphone again during working hours.

This time, someone finally snapped. "I honestly can't tell if some people are here to work or to just kill time. When I have a kid, I'm looking for a job where I get treated like royalty too. It must be nice getting paid to do nothing."

Sadie shot back with a glare. "My son misses me. What's wrong with calling him? He's still very young. Can't any of you show a little sympathy?"

"Well, he's not my kid, so why should I care? You don't do any real work. Instead, you're just glued to your phone all day. If that's your thing, why bother coming to the office? Just stay home and look at your phone."

Sensing tension escalating, I quickly stepped in before things spiraled out of control. "Alright, that's enough. Everyone else is still trying to work here. Sadie, here's the deal. The clients will be arriving in a few days.

"You'll be in charge of hosting them, so please ensure that the drinks and snacks are prepared. Also, remember to keep all receipts and submit them to the Finance Department for reimbursement."

It was a straightforward task, and Sadie immediately took it on. Using "a supply run" as an excuse, she quickly stepped out of the office.

One of my coworkers shot me a look of disbelief. "Come on, Ms. Shepherd, you're being too lenient with her. How can you trust her to handle the purchasing?"

I just smiled and said, "Don't let Sadie get under your skin. How about I treat everyone to coffee? You've all been working hard these past few days. Just clock out on time. I'll manage the rest."

Sadie would probably attempt to pocket some extras during the supply run. However, I was certain her stinginess would cause her to mess it up.

Two days later, the clients arrived right on time. George came out personally to welcome and host them.

The meeting room had been set up early that morning, with steaming lattes, cookies, and nougats placed in front of each seat. I had reminded Sadie to buy some fruit too, but she probably thought it was too expensive.

Once the clients were seated, Sadie pulled me aside. "Ms. Shepherd, how can I get reimbursed? I misplaced the receipt, and the Finance Department won't authorize the payment."

I thought for a moment. "Do you have any proof of payment? If not, you'll have to speak with Mr. Wood. Maybe once the deal goes through, he'll be in a better mood and approve the reimbursement."

Upon hearing that proof of payment was needed, Sadie's expression shifted uncomfortably. "I'll check with the Finance Department again. These items were expensive, so I'll need to get reimbursed."

Since Sadie was just a junior staff member, her absence didn't make much of an impact. I closed the meeting room door and moved to the front to present our proposal.

The clients listened attentively, occasionally sipping their coffee. I wasn't sure where Sadie had gotten it from, but judging by their expressions, it seemed to taste pretty good.

Before long, Sadie returned, clearly having made no progress with the Finance Department. Rather than returning to her desk, she headed straight for George.

She said, "Mr. Wood, would you mind transferring the payment for the coffee and snacks provided in the meeting room today? The Finance Department mentioned they can't reimburse me without an invoice.

"I invested a great deal of effort in preparing everything. Since everyone has enjoyed the food, I think it's only fair that the payment is made without delay."

Sadie's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard her clearly. The clients exchanged awkward glances.

I quickly raised my voice and carried on with the presentation, trying to pull their focus back to the proposal.

George took a deep breath and whispered, "We'll handle this later. We're in the middle of a meeting."

Sadie, however, stood her ground. "No way. What if you back out afterward? Just transfer the money now. It'll only take a few seconds."

The clients glanced over, their brows furrowed in confusion. Meanwhile, George frantically searched for a way to resolve the situation. Given Sadie's unreasonable behavior, no one could predict what she might do if he refused to pay her.

"How much do I owe? I'll send the payment immediately. Just sit down and relax. You'll get your money," George reassured her.

Sadie flashed a smile. "Just give me ten thousand dollars. I made everything myself, so I'm only asking for the cost price."

"Ten thousand?" George blurted out, leaping out of his chair in disbelief.

Our company wasn't some corporate giant. Even for client events, the budget rarely exceeded eight hundred dollars.

George stood frozen, blindsided by Sadie's outrageous demand.

"Is this stuff made of gold? How do you expect ten grand for such a tiny spread?" he snapped, his voice rising in frustration. "You're trying to rip me off, aren't you?"

Sadie simply shook her head, her face the picture of innocence.

What she said next stunned everyone into silence. "I made everything with my breast milk. I even mixed a bit into the coffee, which is why it tastes so rich. Don't you know a mother's milk is blood transformed into life-giving nourishment? So, tell me, isn't ten thousand a fair price?"