"Someone who disappeared when it mattered most and never even gave me an explanation doesn't really have the right to mock me, does he?"
At last, I said the words that had been buried in my chest for five years.
The office fell deathly silent.
Daniel sat behind the large desk, one hand still resting on the file. His expression remained distant and unreadable.
I almost laughed coldly at the sight of him.
What gave him the right to act like this?
The next second, I slapped the file down onto the desk with a heavy thud.
"The data isn't wrong." I looked straight at him, my voice turning colder with every word. "If you're only trying to make things difficult for me, Mr. Carter, then you can have someone else deliver the file next time."
The moment those words left my mouth, something in his eyes finally shifted.
But I no longer had the energy to argue with him. I picked up the file and turned to leave.
When I returned to my desk, nearly everyone in the office looked up at the same time.
My expression looked awful, and the rejected file was still in my hands. Anyone could tell something had gone wrong.
Lily had just walked out of the printing area when she spotted me and froze for a second.
"What happened to you? You look terrible. Did Mr. Carter give you a hard time?"
She hurried over, guilt written all over her face.
"This is my fault. I forgot to warn you." She glanced toward the CEO's office and lowered her voice even further. "Mr. Carter was transferred in out of nowhere. Today's his first official day, and he's already been tearing the whole department apart all morning."
I forced a faint smile.
Lily thought I was still upset about what had happened and tried to comfort me quietly. "You know how it is when a new boss takes over. They're always extra intense at first. Don't take it personally. Mr. Carter isn't singling you out." She paused before adding softly, "Besides... he really does have the ability to back it up."
I looked up at her. "What do you mean?"
"Wait, you seriously don't know?" Lily leaned closer and whispered, "Mr. Carter's insanely capable, and his standards are ridiculously high. Pretty much every project he's taken over has been a success. I heard headquarters sent him here specifically to clean up the mess in this branch."
"But," she continued, changing her tone, "even though nobody questions his ability, he's seriously intimidating. He's only been here two days, and the whole company is already scared of him."
After a pause, she added with a sigh, "Honestly, Mr. Carter's rich, handsome, and ridiculously attractive. Even if he's scary, there are still tons of girls interested in him. What a shame, though. Men like that are never single."
My grip on the file tightened slightly.
That photo from five years ago suddenly flashed through my mind.
Under dim lighting, Daniel had been lying in the same bed with another woman.
Bitterness spread quietly through my chest. Had he really ended up with that woman?
Just then, a man's voice sounded beside me.
"Claire, are you okay?"
I turned around to see Andrew Anderson from the marketing department standing beside me, holding a freshly poured cup of warm water. Concern was written plainly across his face.
"You don't look well. Are you sick?" He handed me the water. "If you're not feeling well, you should take the afternoon off. I can finish that report for you."
My thoughts were a mess, and I could only answer politely. "Thanks, but..."
"Looks like I haven't assigned enough work if you still have time to help other people."
At some point, the CEO's office door had opened. Daniel was standing there, staring directly at me.
Andrew looked awkward immediately. "Mr. Carter."
Daniel ignored him completely. His eyes stayed fixed on me, his tone unreadable. "This is a workplace, Ms. Parker, not somewhere for flirting. You need to watch your behavior."
The mocking edge in his voice instantly lit a fire in my chest.
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Carter," I said, staring straight at him and emphasizing every word. "But who I talk to and who I spend time with are my business."
Daniel's eyes darkened little by little.
I didn't look away from him. Instead, I continued calmly, "And my personal life has nothing to do with you anymore. You're my boss, not my guardian. Don't you think you're overstepping a little, Mr. Carter?"
The entire office area fell silent. Even the people passing by unconsciously slowed their footsteps.
Daniel's jaw tightened visibly.
For a moment, I honestly thought he was going to lose his temper right there.
But in the end, he said nothing and simply turned away.
Lily didn't dare breathe properly until he was far enough away.
"Oh my God..."
Andrew looked embarrassed too as he lowered his voice. "Did I cause trouble for you?"
"No."
I lowered my eyes to the cup in my hands and shook my head gently. But deep down, an uneasy feeling had already started creeping in.
