Chapter 3 The New Manager

After Catherine comforted her team, she didn't feel like going home and instead spent the night at the office. The next day, she called the client again, but the call was quickly ended. Catherine frowned slightly. It was already 10:00 am. Cecilia said indignantly, "This new manager is totally disrespecting us. The previous proposal was approved by their side. Isn't this a breach of contract?" "Let's wait until they get here." Having stayed up all night without sleep, Catherine's eyes were bloodshot. She had no idea what to do now. "They said they'd be here at 10:00 am, and there's still no sign of them! Ms. Quinn, I suspect they're doing this on purpose!" Cecilia paced back and forth in the office. Catherine stood up. "Maybe they're on their way. I'm going to the restroom first." Her eyes were dry and irritated now. She needed to pull herself together to face whatever came next. After touching up her makeup, Catherine left the restroom. At the hallway window, she spotted a familiar license plate and saw a woman in a gray-brown coat getting out of the car. Her heart instinctively skipped a beat. That was Harry's car. Could that woman be the new manager? Catherine's suspicions were quickly confirmed. The woman soon stood before her, smiling as she introduced herself. "Sorry, we ran into some unexpected traffic on the way. I'm Michelle Stone, the new manager for the Bluebay project." Catherine's client was actually Harry's first love! At this point, no one noticed that Catherine's face had turned pale. Catherine forced herself to smile cheerfully. "Hello, Ms. Stone. I'd appreciate it if you could point out the specific areas in this proposal that you're unsatisfied with. We can make modifications..." "No need for modifications. I'm not very satisfied with this entire proposal. Let's just start over." Michelle was direct. She dismissed their work with a single sentence. Catherine paused, forcing herself to remain patient. "Even if you're unsatisfied, you should at least explain what specifically you don't like, Ms. Stone. Besides, the previous manager already approved this version of the proposal..." Michelle raised her hand with a smile. "Which is exactly why she was replaced, and why I took over. Do I need to spell it out?" Catherine looked up and caught a flash of malice in Michelle's eyes. Now, she understood that this wasn't about the proposal at all. Michelle simply didn't like her and was deliberately rejecting her work. Catherine suddenly remembered Rachel's words. The homewrecker she'd mentioned was now standing right in front of her, and she was even openly causing trouble at her workplace. "Never mind then." Catherine concealed the darkness in her eyes, gathered her things, and prepared to leave with Cecilia. As they reached the door, Michelle called out to her. "Ms. Quinn, although I'm not quite satisfied with this proposal, you can redo it. After all, your company has been working with Bluebay for a year or two now, right?" Catherine's hand tightened, but her smile remained unchanged. "Yes, two years." "So I still have quite a bit of trust in your company. I can give you another chance," Michelle said. Catherine understood that the company would never give up Bluebay over her personal feelings. Bluebay Group had always been a major client for the company. "Thank you so much, Ms. Stone." Catherine didn't want to take on this project. She knew exactly what Michelle was trying to do. Michelle stood up and walked over to Catherine, extending her hand with a smile. "I'm very much looking forward to seeing your capabilities, Ms. Quinn. I'm sure you won't disappoint me." Catherine stared at the outstretched hand for two seconds, then grasped Michelle's hand and smiled. "Here's to a pleasant collaboration." "Ms. Quinn, are you free later? I'd like to treat you to lunch." Michelle secretly applied pressure with her grip. Catherine's expression remained unchanged. "No need. I have a meeting to attend later." Michelle looked disappointed. "Alright then. I should get going anyway. I have a date later." She put extra emphasis on the word "date".