Chapter 15 Who Does She Think Is?

• Soon, Rowan’s eyes were filled with tears as he pursed his lips with a bitter look on his face. Does Mommy not want me anymore? She didn’t even pick up my call at all. In that instant, Rowan looked around him and felt as if he was locked in a desolated prison cell that was surrounded by intimidating guards.
• In that instant, he was overwhelmed by his fear because he was desperate to reunite with his mother. I want Mommy! I want to see my mother! I don’t want to get trapped here, so I must find a way to get out of here. At the thought of that, he took a deep breath and wiped his tears, trying to pull himself together. Crying is for losers, and I’m not a loser! I’m tough, and I can protect my mother!
• ……
• Upon preparing breakfast, Thea told Benedict to take his breakfast while the boy played his part so flawlessly that the lady didn’t notice anything wrong. Thus, she naturally went ahead and dropped the boy off at his kindergarten and gave him a warm kiss. While Benedict reacted with a bashful expression, Thea returned to Borlee Group, only to sense the strange look on everyone’s face.
• “Oh my gosh! Is she a murderer’s daughter?”
• “Not a word was heard about that previously, and I bet that was because she was sneaking up to the Young Master Benedict until the Jennings Family discovered her shady past and humiliated her.”
• “Exactly. No wonder the Jennings Family doesn’t want her to design the little Young Master Benedict’s birthday villa…”
• “Oh, look who’s here. Guys, you need to watch your tongue because somebody is starting to get upset.”
• While the gossip went on, some of them purposely raised their voices, as if they wanted Thea to hear them. Nevertheless, she quickly understood the reason behind those unkind remarks because she was once a designer who got laid off. Besides, her other female colleagues were jealous of her beauty. Therefore, they refused to let the opportunity to badmouth her go after they learned that she was a socialite from the Stratford Family who went bankrupt. Since then, she was forced to settle in the Borlee Group and was bound to be ridiculed and derided.
• In fact, Thea was rather popular in her company among her colleagues, but she understood that she could never get away with politics and conflicts whenever there were people. Therefore, she didn’t take those mean words to heart, easily dismissing them without being bothered.
• Do they think they can put me down with those harsh words? I heard worse when the Stratford Family fell apart four years ago. Thus, those words are barely comparable to those words I have heard before.
• Thinking she had gone through worse, Thea reckoned those mean and discouraging words were not enough to put her down.
• Soon, Jocelyn walked up to Thea and knocked on her desk. “Thea, Hoffman wants to see you in his office.”
• Upon hearing that, Thea knitted her eyebrows in frustration but reluctantly chose to pull herself together and made her way to Francis’ office. When she got there, she knocked on the door and asked, “How can I help you, Hoffman?”
• “Close the door. I have something I’d like to talk to you about.” Francis was a man in his early forties with a big belly and a bald head. Looking at Thea, he seemed to light up with lust.
• I heard this man is a relative of the Morris Family, which is why he is such an influential figure in the company. Thea did as he said and closed the door while Francis shut the window and turned his spacious office into their little private space. Then, the man sat on the couch and pointed at the blank seat beside him. “Come. Have a seat here.”
• What? Did he just tell me to sit there? Man, if I sit there, he is going to get touchy-feely. Thea stood still in place, feeling a cold chill running down her spine. “Hoffman, why don’t we just get to the point?”
• Francis crossed his legs and sized Thea’s attractive figure up with his wandering eyes as he gulped and responded in a melodramatic manner. “I believe you’re aware of the rumors that are revolving around you in the company lately, aren’t you?”
• “I don’t know why those people are gossiping about me, but I’m unfazed by those rumors. Therefore, you could rest assured knowing that it won’t affect my performance at work, Hoffman.” Thea gave Francis her word because she really needed the job.
• “Everything happens for a reason, Thea. You should know that even a capable person like you needs a chance to prove yourself before being promoted. If you’re willing to sacrifice, I promise I’ll find a way to put you in charge of designing the Young Master Benedict’s birthday villa.”
• In that instant, the meaning Francis implied behind his bold words made Thea’s hair stand on end. In fact, she had an unforgettably unpleasant experience with Francis when she was once forced to go on a business trip with him.
• One of the days during that trip, he happened to see Thea, who was just done with her shower, when their client urgently needed a document from them. Since they were in a rush, she directly went out with him in her pajamas without wearing makeup at all. Ever since that encounter, Francis started harassing her with a lot of sexual innuendos. Regardless, he didn’t dare to step up his approach, considering his married status.
• That’s audacious of him to say that. Ethan was the one who turned me down about the project to design his son’s birthday villa. Knowing what Francis was up to, Thea tactfully replied, “I’m flattered that you think so highly of me, Hoffman, but I don’t think I can manage such a huge project.”
• “Instead of choosing the easy way, you pick the hard way. That’s not going to end well for you, lady.”
• “I’m sorry to let you down, but I’m a person who likes to take on challenges, which is why I pick the hard way.”
• Annoyed by Thea’s insubordination, Francis angrily slammed the table and yelled, “Those rumors are taking a toll on our company’s image. After a review meeting, we have come to a consensus to have your bonus deducted by half!” The man intentionally paused with a complacent look on his face while lecherously curling his lips upward. “If you have any objection about your bonus deduction, it’s still not too late for you to think about my offer…”
• To the man’s surprise, Thea gave an affirmative reply. “I have no objection to whatever you say, Hoffman.”
• Rendered speechless by the lady, Francis gave her an evil stare and told her to get out with a menacing look on his saggy face. Tsk! Who does she think she is? She is nothing more than a slut who’s been played by many men like a toy. A few moments later, he called the marketing department and told them to give Thea a hard time by making her run simple yet tedious errands.
• It was a sweltering afternoon when the hot sun was roasting the tarmac road so fiercely that it began to run out of shape. Meanwhile, when Thea crossed the road, she accidentally had her heel stuck in the sewage lid. After a few moments of strenuous effort, she finally managed to free herself, only to sprain her ankle in the process.
• Ugh! When it rains, it pours! Damn it! She then crouched down and rubbed her painful ankle while cursing Francis deep down. If it hadn’t been for his relatives who were backing him up, he would have been fired for harassing female employees with his stupid casting couch long ago. Damn you, Hoffman! Despite her frustration, she had no choice but to put up with it due to her desperate financial situation.
• ……
• “Look, Young Master Ethan. That woman looks like Thea, doesn’t she?” Dylan, who was driving, stopped at the traffic light and saw a woman crouching on the sidewalk by chance. When she tilted her head, Dylan was finally able to take a clearer look at her face. Since Benedict quarreled with Ethan for Thea earlier, the lady made an impression on him, which was why he could recognize her so easily.
• Upon hearing his subordinate’s words, Ethan looked in the direction Dylan was referring to and saw Thea squatting on the ground without much regard to her decency. At that moment, she was seen holding her right ankle with a pale face while seemingly grumbling and complaining. Nevertheless, her fringe that was hanging right in front of her forehead somehow made her seem gorgeous and pretty in the bright sunlight. Wait a second! She looks exactly like Benedict, doesn’t she? Especially those eyes…