"Maybe that's for the best. Anita, you've changed. You used to be so pure, but now you're too complicated. Stacy was right—a woman like you is more than I can handle."
I turned to leave, but heard Stacy's sugary giggle behind me:
"Don't be sad, Arnold~ Stacy will buy you a yummy milk tea and stay by your side forever~"
In the restroom, I overheard Arnold's colleagues teasing him.
They said he'd latched onto an heiress and was about to soar—soon to be a billionaire's son-in-law.
It all clicked into place.
Arnold had agreed to break up so readily because he was hedging his bets.
He thought Stacy was the real heiress. He'd been willing to step on me to elevate her, even turning a blind eye while she spread lies and humiliated me.
I couldn't wait to see his face when the truth came out.
But before that could happen, disaster struck.
The company was bidding on a fifty-million-dollar government contract. I'd pulled three all-nighters preparing the proposal. Arnold, as the sales representative, was supposed to assist with the presentation.
The day before the pitch, Stacy wandered into my office looking dazed.
The next day at the venue, I opened my work USB drive.
Inside was a proposal that had been mutilated beyond recognition.
Every key figure was wrong. The budget had two extra zeros. And at the end, someone had added:
"Baby thinks this project is like a donut—cute enough to win~"
My mind went blank.
Arnold stood beside me, his face ashen.
"Anita Fox, this is your proposal? Do you have any idea this contract could make or break the company?"
I knew this was Stacy's handiwork. I kept my voice steady. "The USB was switched. It was Stacy."
"Enough!" Arnold's voice exploded through the room. Everyone went silent.
He pointed at me, his finger trembling, and shouted for all to hear:
"You blame Stacy for everything! She's so innocent—how could she possibly do something like this? Anita, I never thought you were this kind of person. You can't deliver, so you shift the blame! What, are you going to claim she tampered with your proposal? She can barely figure out a spreadsheet!"
The evaluators exchanged glances, their expressions dripping with contempt.
Arnold turned to the judges and bowed deeply.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a serious oversight on our part, but Fox Group will take full responsibility. As for Miss Fox here..."
He paused, his expression dripping with contempt.