Oliver stood there, shaking the stack of statements in one hand.
"Everyone, take a good look," he said coldly, waving the papers like a flag in front of the room. "Therese blew through half a million dollars in just three days, all on luxury goods. I don't care if I had money pouring out of my ears, no one can keep up with spending like that."
And just like that, the darling CEO act kicked in.
Oliver had always been the golden boy, wealthy, charismatic, and polished to perfection. So, when this drama went public, everyone instantly rallied behind him, no questions asked.
Just minutes ago, my co-workers were practically tripping over themselves to flatter me, because I was his fiancée.
But now? They stared at me with open contempt.
One of them muttered under their breath, but loud enough for me to hear, "Therese's been playing both sides this whole time. Acting all humble so Sir Oliver would beg her to spend his money, and now she flips it to make him look like the bad guy."
"Exactly," another added, practically sneering. "The whole thing was probably her plan from the start."
"I haven't spent that much in the last three years," someone scoffed. "And Therese blew through it in three days? She's not even married to him yet, so imagine if she were. She'd drain the whole company dry."
"Poor Mr. Jefferson," a voice sighed dramatically. "What a nightmare. I say cut the engagement already. Who even arranges betrothals anymore? That stuff's ancient history."
Right on cue, Kiara Summers, Oliver's assistant, slipped in.
She gave me this smug little look, then looped her arm around Oliver's.
Then, Kiara leaned in close and cooed, "Sir Oliver, young people these days just can't handle a simple test. But look on the bright side, you spent $500,000 to see her true colors. Imagine if you'd actually married her. She could've wrecked everything. The whole company might've gone down, and the rest of us would be out of a job."
Honestly, I could see why he liked her.
Every word out of her mouth was dipped in poison and polished with a smile.
My grip on the pen in my hand tightened until my knuckles turned stark white.
Meanwhile, soaking up all the attention and support, Oliver didn't waste a moment pretending to be the heartbroken martyr.
He slid an arm around Kiara's shoulder, tilted his head, and locked eyes with me.
"Therese, if you needed money that badly," he said, all slow and cruel, "you could've just asked. Why sneak around behind my back and max out the card?"
He paused for effect, letting the silence crawl through the room like fog.
"Now, either you pay back every cent or we call off the engagement, and you pack your things and get the hell out of my company."
The whole office went completely still.
Not a phone buzzed. Not a single breath.
Everyone was waiting, dying to see how I'd react.
I didn't flinch. I looked straight at him and let a small smile curve my lips.
"Fine," I said. "Let's call off the engagement. But as for the money? I'm not giving you a single cent."
The moment I said that, a wave of gasps echoed around the room.
Right then, Kiara's eyes sparkled with excitement, fueling the enthusiasm.
"Oh my god! Can you believe how shameless she is? Thank God, Sir Oliver caught her now. If he'd actually married her, he'd be broke by next year!"
I didn't bother defending myself.
Instead, I calmly pulled up the group meal order on my phone and said, "I'll say it one more time. I only spent $29.90 using your card. That's it. If you're planning to squeeze me for the rest, dream on."
Then I glanced back at Oliver and added, "As for this crappy job? You can keep it."
His eyes flickered, as if he was about to speak, but I cut him off.
"Oliver, consider this me firing you," I said. "And as for my half-month salary? Think of it as a parting gift. It might be enough to cover a couple of takeout meals. It'll certainly come in handy when your company goes under in a few days."
I took a screenshot of the meal order and promptly posted it in the company's group chat. After that, I quickly left the chat, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed for the door.
Seeing me ignore him, Oliver lunged and grabbed my wrist.
"Therese! You're not getting away that easy," he growled. "You're not off the hook until you pay every single cent!"
I removed his hand and looked at him with a blank stare.
"Oliver," I said evenly, "I already sent you the full transaction history. Maybe take a second to read it before coming after me."
With that, I walked out without looking back.
I honestly thought that would be the end of it.
But I was wrong.
Oliver wasn't the kind of man who let things go quietly.
He wasn't just angry; he was livid that he took the effort to make the entire mess public and involve my university. He wasn't just angry; he was livid that he even made the entire mess public and involved my university.
What began as workplace drama rapidly escalated into a full-blown smear campaign.
Before I knew it, I was trending, and rumors were spreading online like wildfire.
