Including the parts she left out.
The next day at work, Joanna glared at me the moment I walked in. Her eyebrows shot up, her expression harsh.
"Yesterday, Haohhao had a fever of thirty-nine degrees. Blake was away. I told you to come watch the data, and you still refused. Rose Floyd, do you still listen to company orders or not?"
My voice dropped an octave, firm and cold.
"Joanna, I am a company employee, not your family's nanny."
"Your son's illness is not my responsibility. My responsibility is to do my job."
Her chest heaved with indignation. Her lip curled in contempt.
"Good! Just great!"
Joanna Swanson glared at me, her face twisted in a sneer. "Rose Floyd, you really think you've grown wings, don't you? The netizens were right—you were just biding your time, stealing our skills until you felt tough enough to fly the coop! Mr. Rowe is kind-hearted enough to give you a chance, but I don't give a damn!"
She shoved me hard.
I stumbled back a few steps before regaining my balance. Calmly, I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose and held her gaze without blinking.
"Joanna, are you sure you want to fire me? Does Mr. Rowe know about this?"
"The six accounts currently under my management—"
A cold, derisive laugh cut me off. "I can swap anyone into that seat and the accounts will run just fine! Don't think you're irreplaceable."
She stepped closer, her voice dripping with venom. "And don't give me that 'I'm operations' nonsense. So what? I can recruit a random operations assistant online for pennies. Do you honestly think it has to be you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "And don't even think about running to Blake Rowe to save your job. He's on a business trip and won't be back until tomorrow."
She looked me up and down with undisguised contempt. "Or... you can apologize right now. Admit you were wrong, beg for forgiveness, and I might consider letting you stay."
That arrogant posture. That tilt of her chin.
A hollow numbness spread through my chest. Whatever loyalty I had left evaporated like morning dew.
"Fine," I said evenly. "Have the company issue my termination notice."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Joanna's face. She frowned, but her sharp tongue didn't falter. "Playing hard to get? You think I won't do it?"
She marched to the printer, grabbed a termination form, stamped it with the official company seal, and slapped it onto my chest.