Chapter
With the money secured, my expression changed in a flash. I bowed slightly, my voice dripping with sycophantic praise. “Thank you, boss! You‘ re a genius, boss! Long live the boss!”
Before the words had even faded, the office door flew open with a bang. Lily rushed in, crying, clutching a small pot.
“George! My Faith is dead… I’m so sad…”
I instantly wiped the grin off my face and backed out of the room, my expression a blank mask.
Genius my ass.
This raise was hazard pay, pure and simple. And we’d damn well earned it.
A couple of days later, George’s parents returned from their round–the–world trip and decided on a whim to visit the company. Fearing another one of Lily’s episodes, George specifically assigned me to give his parents the tour.
Just as I was explaining our latest technological breakthrough, Lily materialized out of a corner.
When she saw the three of us standing together, her face went deathly white. Then, clutching her chest like a tragic heroine in a silent film, she crumpled to the ground.
“George… you lied to me…”
She stared at George, who had rushed to her side, and pointed a trembling finger at me.
“Your parents already approve of Sophia… and you told me there was nothing between you two…”
Mr. and Mrs. Cole had never seen a spectacle like this. They both stood there, utterly stunned.
But Lily was completely lost in her own script.
She staggered to her feet, a delicate white flower battered by a storm. “The great Reed family and the Cole dynasty, joining forces. It sounds so… perfect, doesn’t it?”
“George, should I congratulate you on your upcoming wedding?”
I couldn’t take it anymore. If this went on, she’d have George and me with three kids and a mortgage. I didn’t care if she ruined George’s reput- ation, but she wasn’t going to ruin mine.
I strode forward, my face impassive, pulled my driver’s license from my purse, and practically slapped it against her cheek.
“Miss Evans, look closely! My name is Sophia Reed. My father is Daniel Reed. My mother is Laura Reed!”
“We have absolutely nothing to do with whatever billionaire Reed family you’ve cooked up in
your
head!”
03
I thought showing her my ID would finally bring this fantasy to an end.
How naive I was. Lily’s mind operated on a level of logic unknown to mortal man.
As she stared at my license, her expression shifted from shock to confusion, and then to a sudden, breathtaking moment of enlightenment. It was a whirlwind of emotion.
Then she spun to face Mr. and Mrs. Cole, her voice thick with a sense of profound injustice.
“We’re both ‘Cinderellas,‘ so why is she acceptable and I’m not?”
The bewilderment on the Coles‘ faces was so intense it was almost a physical presence.
George, looking like he was about to have an aneurysm, tried to pull her away. “Lily, stop this nonsense! Let’s go…”
But she wrenched her arm free and charged toward us. “Mr. and Mrs. Cole, I know my background is humble, that I’m not worthy of George, but my love for him is real!”
“Why can you accept Sophia, but not me? Is it because I’m not as pretty as her, or as capable?”
Mrs. Cole, now genuinely annoyed by these bizarre accusations, frowned at her son. “George! What is going on? Explain yourself!”
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09:49
Lily immediately jumped in. “No! Mrs. Cole, it’s not George’s fault! It’s all fault…”
my
“Why did you dislike me the moment you saw me? Did Sophia say something bad about me to you?”
She turned to me again, her tears making her look utterly pitiful. “Sophia, I know you love Gebrge tog, but you can’t force love…”
I opened my mouth, feeling the helpless rage of someone being slandered in broad daylight.
Thankfully, George managed to physically drag Lily away before she could write another chapter of her fan fiction.
I rubbed my temples and let out a sigh of relief. When I turned around, I was met with two pairs of alarmingly bright eyes.
Mrs. Cole grabbed my hand. “Sophia, dear, is it true? Are you really in love with our George?”
Mr. Cole stood beside her, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Well, we’ve watched Sophia grow up. We know what a wonderful girl she is… It’s not out of the question.”
My world went dark. It was all over.
My reputation! My image as a dedicated, no–nonsense professional! Utterly destroyed by Lily Evans.
It took every ounce of my persuasive ability to convince George’s parents that Lily was delusional, not that I was harboring a secret crush on their son. They left the office looking visibly disappointed.
For the next few days, I buried myself in the tech department, working overtime to avoid seeing George. Lily, surprisingly, stayed quiet for a
while.
The day before the project pitch, there was a long–scheduled industry gala that I had to attend with George.
As I expected, Lily was there.
She wore her signature white dress, trailing timidly behind George.
The gala was filled with industry heavyweights, and several of them immediately cornered me.
“Ms. Reed, I hear things have been a bit… chaotic over at Cole Corp. Any interest in jumping ship to Sterling Industries?”
“Sophia, our tech division has hit a wall. Would you do us the honor of consulting? Name your price!”
Ever since I’d joined Cole Corp with my nationally–funded project, these executives had been relentlessly trying to poach me. They still hadn’t,
given up.
I was trying to think of a polite way to refuse when the event manager rushed over, looking panicked. The pianist they’d booked had a sudden medical emergency and couldn’t make it. They couldn’t find a professional replacement on such short notice, and the atmosphere was beco- ming a little awkward.
After years of following George to these high–end events, I’d picked up a thing or two. I could play a simple piece to fill the silence.
I took a step forward and said to the manager, “If you don’t mind, I could…”
Before I could finish, Lily shot forward, her voice ringing with a strange indignation.
“I can’t play!”
Every eye in the room swiveled to her.
I was confused. “Miss Evans, I was offering to play, not you.”
But Lily looked as if some righteous fire had been lit within her, her face flushing crimson.
“Do you wealthy people have any idea what it’s like for people like me? I grew up in the middle of nowhere! I’ve never even seen a grand piano, let alone had the chance to learn!”
“You’re all here, at this extravagant party, listening to piano music, while there are people in the world who can’t even afford to eat!”
She grew more and more agitated, finally turning her fury on me, her eyes filled with condemnation.
“Sophia! You came from nothing too! And now you’re helping these vultures, you’ve forgotten where you came from!”
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Chapter
“I, Lily Evans, look down on you!”
04
