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I got straight to the point. “Marcus, your quote for the printing and materials is a bit high. Our company’s budget won’t approve it.”
Was Jessica trying to set me up?
I forced a smile. “I wasn’t the one who set the budget for this project, and I don’t want to misquote it. Maybe you should handle it yourself.”
Jessica fell silent. She seemed at a loss for words before finally giving a number. “Just tell them this is the price.”
Throughout the meal, Jessica kept encouraging me to drink red wine, acting as if she was genuinely apologizing for her previous behavior.
I felt a jolt of unease.
I gritted my teeth. “I really do have something to do. I’m not lying.”
Then I quickly sent a message to Alexander on iMessage: [Is the recent audit by the finance department related to Jessica?]
The colleagues who had been eavesdropping on the gossip all turned away, uninterested. Jessica blinked, her expression hard to read, as if unsure whether to believe me or not. “Well, that’s good. Office romances can be… tricky.”
Revealing the budget bottom line wasn’t unheard of—many in this industry did it, considering the personal connections involved. But there were two problems: First, I wasn’t in charge of this project; second, I didn’t know Marcus well, and we had a bad history. Plus, I didn’t trust his company completely. If I leaked the bottom line… well, what if something went wrong?
But something felt off. I could feel a strange warmth spreading through my body-not the kind of heat from a fever, but more like an internal, restless heat, almost like a burning sensation.
Design projects are all about balancing budget and quality. Even though it was a six-figure project, the negotiation felt like haggling with a fishmonger at Pike Place
Market.
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“I see,” Jessica replied.
I stood still, not moving.
I waved my hand dismissively. “Please don’t bring it up again. Just thinking about it makes me want to crawl into a hole.”
I grumbled inwardly but kept my professional smile on as I extended my hand. “Marcus, good to see you again.”
“Jessica, they want me to report the budget bottom line and see if they can proceed
with it.”
She paused before continuing, “By the way, I have a project with an unreasonable budget. I need to meet with the supplier, but I’m tied up, so I’m leaving it to you.”
began to feel dizzy, and suddenly, it all clicked.
I declined. “Sorry, Jessica, I have plans tonight.”
Jessica replied, “Then just give them a quote.”
She didn’t seem surprised, instead smiling as she linked her arm with mine. “Oh, I know you. You’re probably just afraid of having to drink tonight, right? Don’t worry. We won’t make you drink. Come on. Just come with me!”
He recognized me too and greeted me with a forced smile. “Emma, the pleasure is
mine.”
I stepped outside to look for Jessica, who was chatting and laughing with the marketing team.
After dinner, Marcus offered to drive me home.
That evening, I went with Jessica, Marcus, and another unfamiliar person to dinner.
He replied quickly: [Yes. If she’s asking you to do anything shady, don’t get involved. Stay out of it and don’t let her drag you in.]
Just as I was about to refuse, Jessica immediately interrupted. “Oh, well, then we’ll just leave it to you. Thank you so much!”
I smiled politely. “Please give me a minute.”
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She chatted a bit more, and when she noticed I hadn’t budged, she turned to me, grinding her teeth in frustration. “You’re so annoying!”
I lowered my head, my face full of guilt and shame. “This is embarrassing, but after what you said yesterday, I felt so much pressure that I hid in the conference room to cry. The CEO happened to walk by and saw me. He’s a nice guy and comforted me for a bit, but it was pretty awkward for me.”
He immediately played the victim. “Emma, you can’t be serious. This price is already a friendly discount. We’re barely making any profit at all.”
Hearing that, my inner Meryl Streep took over.
I narrowed my eyes, thinking about the rumors I had overheard recently.
I rejected the offer twice, but in the end, I was practically pushed into Marcus’s car by Jessica and the other person.
Reluctantly, I played along with the act.
I briefed him on the situation, and Alexander advised me to deflect the blame.
As soon as I got in, I shared my live location with Alexander.
After a bit more back-and-forth, he finally sighed, looking resigned. “Alright, how about this? Give me your bottom line. If we can make it work, we’ll go with it.”
After submitting a new price, the higher-ups still found it too high. Just when I thought we might have to change suppliers, Jessica called me, saying that we needed to have dinner with Marcus that night, and I had to be there.
Normally, this kind of project would require a formal bidding process. But Jessica seemed to be pushing to give the project directly to Marcus, with other companies as mere formalities, though she still wanted to negotiate the price down.
The supplier team was already waiting in the conference room when I walked in. The moment I entered, I spotted a familiar, annoying face.
If it was Alexander, the directive would have been clear from the start, and there wouldn’t be any need for all this extra maneuvering.
Not to mention, I still had no idea who had given the order for this direct commission.
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I finally gave in, agreeing reluctantly. Then I messaged Alexander. [Jessica insists I join her for dinner with Marcus. I have a bad feeling about this. Can you wait for me at a coffee shop nearby?]
After muttering under her breath, she stormed off, her high heels clicking loudly as she headed to the meeting room.
I stood there, frowning slightly. If I was right, Jessica was targeting me. But if she didn’t know she was under investigation, why would she want me to handle this? I didn’t
understand her motives.
Oh, great. It was Marcus Johnson, the same guy who I’d rejected in college and who had then spread rumors about me. What a coincidence.
She scowled. “Doesn’t matter. You’re coming with me tonight. No arguments!”
The price for the project still hadn’t been settled.
