Chapter
Chapter 1
09:49
The day my CEO boss, George Cole, finally got a girlfriend, I was somehow cast as the villain in their love story. His new flame, a girl in a little white dress with a matching flower tucked in her hair, dropped to her knees before me, sobbing.
“You must be Mr. Cole’s secretary,” she wept. “Please, I’m begging you, give him back to me. We’re the ones who are truly in love.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
It’s true, I was George Cole’s secretary.
But I was also a bona fide genius, a national award winner who held the company’s core tech in the palm of her hand.
And most importantly, as God is my witness, there was absolutely nothing going on between George and rne.
01
The moment the girl, Lily Evans, hit the floor, every head in the open–plan office snapped in our direction. The silence was so thick, the secon- dhand embarrassment so profound, you could have cut it with a knife.
But Lily seemed oblivious, practically glued to the carpet as she wailed at me.
“Ma’am, George and I are soulmates. If you keep clinging to him, it won’t end well for you!”
I stood frozen, feeling like a lightning bolt had just struck me square on the head.
Soulmates? Clinging? Not ending well?
Nowhere in my employment contract for Cole Corporation did it say I’d have to moonlight as the evil rival in some bargain–bin romance drama.
George’s brow furrowed as he reached down to pull her up. “Lily, what on earth are you talking about? Sophia and I have a purely professional relationship!”
Lily promptly collapsed into his arms, her face a mask of beautifully tragic tears. “Don’t lie to me, George, I know everything! I know that Sophia
is the heiress to the Reed fortune.”
“She gave up the life of a socialite to be your secretary. If it’s not for love, what other reason could there be?”
My jaw just about hit the floor.
What in the world was she talking about?
Sure, the wealthiest family in the state was named Reed, but what did that have to do with me, a small–town girl who’d fought her way out of obscurity with nothing but scholarships and a brain that ran on pure grit? My family tree, for three generations back, was nothing but honest,
blue–collar workers.
The only reason I was standing in this high–rise office was because I’d studied myself half to death to become the top scholar in my state, which earned me a generous scholarship from George’s parents. After fast–tracking my Ph.D. and bringing a multi–million–dollar national grant project with me, I was working for George for a fraction of my market value, simply to pay back their kindness.
And somehow, in her mind, that twisted into a story about a secret heiress slumming it for love?
With an imagination like that, she was wasting her talent. She should be writing scripts for melodramatic web series.
George looked just as baffled, trying to find some logic in her fantasy. “Where are you hearing this nonsense? Sophia is just-”
Lily clapped her hands over her ears, going into full “la–la–la–l–can’t–hear–you” mode. “Stop it, George! Don’t say another word!”
“Don’t keep reminding me of the gap between her status and mine! Don’t keep stabbing my heart with the cold, hard truth…”
As the audience of eavesdropping employees grew, George’s handsome face began to flush with color. He gritted his teeth. “Then what do I have to do to make you believe that there is nothing between us?”
Only then did Lily lift her tear–streaked face, clutching his sleeve. “George, are you blaming me? I’m not trying to pressure you.”
“I know I’m not good enough for you, but I’m with you for you, not for your money! I love you, I really do…” she sobbed.
At that, George seemed to deflate, all his arguments and energy draining away. He waved a weary hand at me. “Sophia, you can go back to
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Chapter
your desk.”
09:49
Granted a pardon, I immediately plastered on my professional smile. “Of course, Mr. Cole ” I turned and walked away with crisp, efficient steps.
I’d only taken two when Lily’s trembling voice rose again behind me.
“Mr. Cole… she called you Mr. Cole… George, I know what she’s doing. She’s reminding me that you’re the powerful CEO, and I’m just a Cinderel
la from the slums.”
“Will you get tired of me one day? Will you leave me?”
And then I heard George, yet again, call my name. “Sophia!”
I turned back, resigned to my fate. “Yes?”
He rubbed his temples. “From now on, in front of Lily, just call me by my first name.”
I blinked. Are you serious?
Seeing my confusion, George added, deadpan, “Every time you call me ‘Mr. Cole,‘ I’m docking your pay $200,”
My body reacted faster than my brain. I snapped to attention, my voice ringing out.
“Yes, Ge… George! Roger that!”
02
The second I was out of the executive office, a few curious colleagues swarmed me, their eyes twinkling with gossip.
“Sophie, what was that all about?”
Mark, the head of the tech department, sidled up, a greasy grin on his face. “Well, well. Never took you for a secret heiress, Miss Reed, bravely chasing after your one true love…”
I slapped him squarely on the back. “Heiress my foot! Get your team together for a meeting, now!”
“If we blow the pitch in two weeks, your entire department can pack their bags and get out!”
Mark’s neck vanished into his shoulders as he scurried off to round up his people.
Over the next three days, I have no idea what kind of deep, soul–searching conversation George had with Lily, but she stopped staging her ‘ple- ase–leave–my–boyfriend‘ melodramas in front of me.
However! She started appearing in the office like an NPC spawning at a set location, making the rounds to offer her unique brand of encourag-
ement.
“You can do it, Kelly! You’re the best!”
“Keep up the great work, David! I believe in you!”
“Don’t forget to smile today, Sam! Life is beautiful!”
She even brought her fishbowl to the office and placed it in the most prominent spot on the reception desk, enthusiastically introducing her pet to everyone who passed by.
“This is my baby, Prudence.”
“My phone is named Grace, my alarm clock is Hope, and my potted plant is Faith…”
The entire office was on edge. Productivity didn’t increase, but the collective cringe was palpable. My days were now split between managing technical data, tracking project timelines, and fielding a flood of internal complaint emails about our new office mascot.
It was seriously cutting into my actual work.
I printed out every single email, bound them into a thick booklet, and slapped it down on George’s desk.
He flipped through a few pages, his face a kaleidoscope of emotions. Finally, he let out a long sigh and massaged his forehead. “Notify finan- ce. Starting this month, everyone in the executive office and the adjacent tech department gets their salary doubled.”
