Chapter 2

I arrived at the company half an hour early, bid farewell to my colleagues and supervisor in my previous department, and prepared to report to Purchasing. As my father had informed me, I first went to the Purchasing Department Manager's office and sat down. Today's meeting was to announce my transfer.

Outside the office, the glass was one-way; it wasn't visible from inside. Leonard arrived and sat at his desk. An intern immediately greeted him and served him breakfast. He merely nodded, offering no tip.

A male colleague asked, “Leonard, why aren’t you driving your sports car today?”

Leonard nervously touched his nose and said, “The engine's having some problems; it’s in the shop.”

“That must have cost a fortune, but it’s alright. You’re probably about to be promoted to supervisor, so you'll have plenty of money soon,” the colleague teased, smiling.

Leonard humbly waved his hand and joined his congratulatory colleagues, promising to treat them to a meal upon his promotion. He'd thrived in the company for six months and cultivated a wealthy persona. Those luxury cars and watches, however, were mine; I was simply too lazy to use them.

At that moment, a pretty female colleague shyly glanced flirtatiously at Leonard. He noticed and smiled. It was Gisselle, the sender of the text message. Barring unforeseen circumstances, today was the day of Leonard's anticipated promotion.

After a while, the Purchasing Department Manager took me to the conference room entrance. The department members were already inside. The manager asked me to wait, explaining he wanted to surprise them with the arrival of a rare talent. I smiled; it was indeed a big surprise for Leonard.

He began by speaking for a few minutes about the department's previous month's work, praising the top three performers. Leonard received commendation for his outstanding performance. He stood, saying, “Your affirmation encourages me; I will continue to work hard.” The speech was met with applause; the manager nodded, clearly pleased.

Next, he announced, “The list of department supervisors has been finalized. I will now announce it.” Leonard looked confident; those around him exchanged knowing smiles. His promotion seemed assured.

Then, “This supervisor is our department’s new colleague, Audrey Shaw. Let’s all get acquainted.”

Before the surprise could fully register, I opened the door and stood in the center of the room. “Hello everyone, my name is Audrey, and I will be your new supervisor.”

Leonard stared, then paled. Ignoring the surrounding confusion, he pulled me to the back of the office. “What do you mean? How did you get transferred here?” he hissed, anger and resentment simmering in his eyes.

“It was a decision from above. What’s the problem? To avoid suspicion, I, as the supervisor, can speak to other supervisors about transferring you to another department,” I said, innocently pushing his hand away.

Hearing that I was the supervisor, his anger escalated. He panted, his earlier composure shattered. He intensely disliked me. He almost revealed his true feelings but instead forced a smile, saying, “Well, Audrey, either of us could have done it. Congratulations on your promotion.”

I patted his shoulder and returned to the office. My promotion, achieved at my enemy's expense, was doubly sweet.

Chapter 3