Chapter 3

It was a few days later when a key account that Winona had taken over suddenly backed out of the collaboration. I had put three months of my heart and soul into negotiating that project, and we were right on the cusp of signing the contract. Caleb was beside himself and had a violent outburst in his office when faced with the imminent loss of the sure-fire deal. Winona stood nearby, looking tearful as she explained, "It's because that client's representative was utterly uncooperative, and their demands were exorbitant. I know I'm incompetent and only made things worse. I just didn't want to see you exhausted, Caleb." Caleb stroked her back consolingly, whispering, "It's alright, Winona. It's just a minor hitch, so please don't cry. It's not that you're incompetent. It's just that Mr. Johansen is known for being notoriously difficult to deal with, which made this task too overwhelming for you. "You're too pure to contend with those cunning veterans. It was a lack of foresight on my part. I shouldn't have exposed you to such an ordeal." Caleb finally turned to me and said coldly, "You are the expert in this matter. Go and deal with it, Giselle. You have to retain the client, no matter what it takes!" I originally intended to refuse, but the thought of all the effort I had poured into the company won out, and I accepted the assignment anyway. I invited Michael Johansen, the client, out for a meal that very evening. He was clearly displeased, so I spent the evening offering continuous apologies with round after round of drinks. I talked until my voice was raw, covering everything from market trends to partnership viability, and at last, I managed to get him to back down from the termination. Michael said with a sigh, "I'm going through with this because of your sincerity and character, Giselle, so just come to my company tomorrow to sign the contract." I fought the effects of the alcohol until I was certain that Michael had driven away. Then, I rushed to the curb and threw up violently. … The following day, the contract signing went through without an issue. I had just returned to the office when Winona approached me with a smirk, speaking at a calculated volume that ensured everyone in the department overheard her. She said, "You're certainly capable, Giselle! I've heard rumors that Mr. Johansen has quite a fondness for attractive women. You signed that deal so quickly; you didn't, by any chance, sleep with him to close the deal, did you?" She batted her eyes in a show of false innocence and kept up the passive-aggressive attack. "That certainly explains why you always closed so many deals successfully, Giselle! You relied on certain 'special methods' after all!" I felt my blood boiling at Winona's pointed remarks, and all the anger I'd been holding onto for days just exploded on the spot. "I dare you to say that again!" I lunged forward, seizing a handful of her hair and yanking it down hard. Winona shrieked, her face contorting in agony. "Help me, Caleb! Gisele is trying to kill me!" I lashed out at her face with my other hand, all my humiliation and rage channeled into that strike. "I'm going to rip that filthy mouth off your face! How dare you accuse me of sleeping my way into sealing deals! "I was working myself to the bone when you were off sleeping with some random guy! What right do you have to slander me, Winona?" Our colleagues froze in disbelief. For a long moment, no one dared to step in and intervene. Winona's meticulously styled hair was completely disheveled, with scratches all over her face. She thrashed her arms in a useless struggle, yelling hysterically, "You psycho! You've completely lost your mind!" "You'd better get your damn hands off Winona this instant, Giselle!" Caleb stormed out of his office at the sound of the commotion, his face turning ashen as he witnessed the scene. He violently shoved me aside and instinctively pulled the shaking Winona into the protective circle of his arms. He looked at Winona's disheveled state with genuine heartache, then turned to me and yelled, "That's enough, Giselle! Do you think your seniority in the company gives you the right to be completely unhinged? You're acting like a complete shrew right now!" I pointed at the visibly shaken Winona, shaking with rage as I bellowed, "You think I'm the shrew here? Why don't you ask that bitch what she said earlier? That woman publicly accused me of sleeping with the client to get the contract!" Caleb furrowed his brow, snapping irritably, "What's the big deal? You didn't suffer any actual injury from it! Did you really have to resort to violence over a mere joke, Giselle?" I was struck speechless by his comment. "You think that remark can be considered a mere joke? What happened to your conscience, Caleb?" Caleb barked, "You're the one who is out of line here! You are no longer welcome in this company! Your office is to be cleared out for Winona's use this instant! I'll have someone else gather your personal belongings for you, Giselle!" He finished his sentence and offered me absolutely no opportunity for rebuttal, immediately summoning security and the administrative staff. "Get all of Giselle's stuff out of here! They are to be stored in the janitor's closet by the stairway!" I took off my employee ID, threw it onto the floor, and walked away without looking back. Winona's voice, thick with victorious mockery, rang out behind me. "You'd better think this through, Giselle. You won't be able to return once you leave this place! If I were in your shoes, I'd apologize to Caleb. Because you worked hard for three years, we wouldn't treat you too unfairly, Giselle."