"Mrs. Devia, from this moment on, you are reassigned to office service staff. Your position as manager has already been replaced!"
I had just stepped into the office building, clutching my presentation files tightly, when that cold voice greeted me. Argantara's personal assistant stood in front of me, his face stiff, his eyes avoiding mine.
I froze for a few seconds. My breath caught. "What did you just say?" I asked, my voice trembling yet firm.
The assistant lowered his head, clearly afraid of my reaction. "Starting today, you are officially transferred. The product manager position is now held by someone else."
The files almost slipped from my hands. "How could this happen? The product launch is just around the corner! Why am I suddenly being sent to... office service?"
I pressed the last words bitterly. Office service? That was the lowest position of all. After five years of hard work-late nights, endless ideas, leading my team-now I was being thrown aside like trash?
A soft laugh echoed behind me. I turned quickly.
"Devia, you must be shocked, aren't you? Why you've suddenly been demoted to office staff?"
I knew that voice. Sweet, yet dripping with venom.
Revania.
The woman I once suspected of being the ghost inside Argantara's heart. His first love. And now she stood there, elegant in a white blazer, her hair tied neatly, her sly smile making my blood boil.
"What are you doing here, Revania?" I demanded, struggling to control my anger.
She walked closer, her steps graceful, as if the marble floor was her runway. Leaning close, her whisper stabbed my ear.
"Of course... I came to take back what was mine, what you stole five years ago."
I stiffened. My eyes snapped to hers. "Yours?"
She smirked. "Argantara. And now... this manager's chair."
A bitter laugh escaped me, though my chest burned. "Don't be ridiculous. I earned this position with my own hard work. Not by seducing a man or clinging to the past."
Revania chuckled, her voice sharp. "Oh, Devia... still so naïve. Do you really think the business world is only about hard work? No. It's about power. And right now, I'm on the stronger side."
My eyes narrowed. "You underestimate me, Revania?"
She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Not underestimate. Just knowing... you won't last. The launch is coming, and you won't be the one handling it. Because now, it's my responsibility."
My chest tightened, but I couldn't show weakness. I stepped forward, standing face-to-face with her. "Then we'll see who falls first. You... or me."
Our gazes locked, sharp and blazing, like two swords colliding.
Argantara's assistant, uneasy, tried to cut in. "Mrs. Devia... I'm only following orders. Please don't blame me."
My eyes shot to him. "Whose orders?"
He swallowed hard. "Mr. Argantara's..."
Rage flared in my veins. So this was all... my husband's command?
Revania chuckled at my reaction. "See? Even Argan no longer believes in you. You were nothing more than the wife he was forced to marry, Devia. Nothing more."
My fists clenched tight. I wanted so badly to wipe that smug smile off her face-but I restrained myself. That was exactly what she wanted.
"Listen carefully, Revania." My voice was low, but laced with steel. "I will not back down. That manager's chair, that position-I built it with blood and tears. If you think you can tear me down easily, you're gravely mistaken."
Revania folded her arms, her eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction. "We'll see about that."
---
That day, I was truly forced into a new room. From a manager's glass-walled office, I was shoved into a tiny corner behind the pantry.
An old desk, a rickety chair, and a gray uniform awaited me.
I stared at them, my hands trembling. "This... is humiliation."
My coworkers stared, whispering among themselves.
"Isn't that Mrs. Devia, Mr. Argan's wife?"
"Yeah, they say she's just a staff servant now."
"No wonder. Revania fits the manager's chair so much better. She has class."
I gritted my teeth, swallowing the tears burning my eyes. No. I would not let them see me weak.
As I was about to sit, the door opened again. And there she was-Revania. This time holding a thick stack of files.
"Devia," she said with mocking sweetness. "Oh, sorry... I should call you by your new title. Servant Devia."
My eyes locked on hers, cold. "What do you want now?"
She tossed the files onto my desk, scattering papers across the floor on purpose. "These reports. You'll handle them. Because even if your rank has dropped, you can still serve me."
I stood, glaring at her without flinching. "Don't be too confident, Revania. The fight has only just begun. And I won't let you win so easily."
She smirked, leaning closer to whisper. "You'll lose, Devia. Because this time, I have everything. The position, the power, even Argan's love."
The words hit me, but I kept my face unreadable. Let her feel victorious now. Because I knew-one misstep would be the very weapon I'd use against her.
She walked away with a sharp laugh that echoed in my ears.
I closed my eyes for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. Then whispered to myself,
"I'll prove it, Revania. I'll prove it to Argan. No one will take me down so easily."
I bent down to gather the scattered papers. But when my eyes caught one particular document-my breath stopped.
