CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: CHEATING

"This is our department’s new colleague, who will be working with us on the PO product line. Let’s all get along well," Heather Monroe said as an introduction, then let the new employee introduce herself.

"Hello everyone, my name is Serena Jennings. I’ll be working with you from now on, so please take care of me."

The others applauded Serena Jennings, except for Claire Shaw, who remained motionless.

"Claire, do you know her?" Chantelle Stone noticed Claire Shaw’s unusual behavior.

Claire Shaw forced a smile and remained noncommittal.

She never expected that the new employee in their department would be Serena Jennings.

Claire Shaw knew that Serena had majored in jewelry design in college, but Serena didn’t graduate, without a diploma or degree. How could FY hire someone like her?

Even a top student from a prestigious university like herself had to go through two rounds of written tests and three rounds of interviews to become an intern and receive training, yet Serena...

Claire Shaw was about to snap the pen in her hand.

Suddenly, she recalled FY’s recent celebration party and came up with an idea.

Serena Jennings, unable to return to the juvenile detention center job, accepted Peter’s invitation.

FY needed to develop a new product line, and Peter initially planned to make Serena the department manager, but Serena politely declined. Then he offered her a team leader position, which Serena refused again.

In the end, Peter couldn’t persuade Serena otherwise and had to let her be a regular employee.

Serena had her own reasons.

She knew that her lack of a college degree couldn’t be hidden forever, and coupled with not having undergone intern training or having actual work performance at other companies, landing a leadership role too easily would invite gossip.

Serena also didn’t want to reveal her identity as a master of piano series design, fearing the attention it would bring and questions about her inspiration.

Even as a regular employee, she could still be of help to Peter.

In the restroom, Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross were gossiping while washing their hands.

"I told you, how can someone with only a high school education work with us?!"

"Her work isn’t like ours! We work hard like beasts while she easily makes it lying down..."

"Shh, aren’t you being too blunt?"

"What are you afraid of?! If she dares to do it, is she scared of us talking? Everyone in the company knows she got her position by sleeping around. At first, I thought she was some big shot, but turns out, I was naive."

"We don’t look any worse than she does, yet we can’t bring ourselves to be as shameless!"

Chantelle Stone patted Megan Ross’s shoulder, "Why bother joining a company after sleeping around? Just for that bit of salary?"

"Wants to package herself as a wealthy beauty! It’s prestigious and makes it easier to hook someone else."

The automatic flushing startled Megan Ross and Chantelle Stone, making them realize they weren’t alone in the restroom!

Serena Jennings pushed open the stall door and walked out, making eye contact with Chantelle Stone and Megan Ross, who exchanged glances and subtly walked away.

Though they didn’t specify names, Serena guessed she was the only one in the company with just a high school education.

Serena sighed.

Her trip to the restroom took no more than five minutes, yet when she returned to the office, Heather Monroe criticized her for taking too long and being lazy, and Chantelle Stone and others snickered behind their computer screens.

During lunch, Claire Shaw spent a lot to order delivery from a Michelin-star restaurant for all the office colleagues—

Except Serena Jennings.

Including team leader Heather Monroe, everyone entered the meeting room, and through the bright glass door, Serena saw them chatting and laughing, occasionally glancing at her with evident mockery in their eyes.

Serena sat at her workstation, editing her design drafts while nibbling on a burrito, feeling that her career path was unusually rocky.

On her first day of work, she was asked to work overtime, and as the only employee doing so, Serena finished her tasks nearly an hour after the workday ended.

"Sorry, sorry, did I keep you waiting for long?"

Serena rushed out of the FY office building, where Lana Xavier’s car was waiting with hazard lights on.

"Get in, we can talk,"

Lana Xavier beckoned to Serena, who normally would sit in the front seat, but Justin Nash was in the car too.

Hearing that Serena had secured such a good job at FY, Justin Nash and Lana Xavier arranged to celebrate with her over dinner, though they didn’t expect Serena to be forced to work overtime on her first day.

Serena sat in the back seat with Justin Nash, while Lana Xavier joked about being their chauffeur.

The three chatted and laughed, lifting Serena’s spirits.

Stuck in traffic, it took nearly an hour to get to the restaurant, and it was already dark when they arrived. Lana Xavier kept clutching her stomach, complaining about being starved, amusing Serena.

Serena thought that celebrating with Lana Xavier and Justin Nash would involve a regular restaurant, and she would have been content with something like Pizza Hut.

Instead, Lana Xavier and Justin Nash took her to Golden Harbor Nights.

This was the same Michelin-star restaurant where Claire Shaw hosted lunch and was affiliated with the hotel of the same name with three Michelin keys.

"You didn’t have to splurge..."

Serena wished to decline since Lana Xavier and Justin Nash had regular jobs with modest salaries, and it wasn’t necessary to come to such an expensive place for her.

If they really wanted to eat there, it should be her treat.

However, Lana Xavier and Justin Nash insisted and said they had already made a reservation.

The three sat down to eat, enjoying lively conversation.

"Come clean, what kind of luck did you have to land a job at FY? Did you know that even the top student at University A couldn’t get in?" Lana Xavier clinked her glass with Serena’s.

"The HR must have been dazzled by my looks!" Serena joked.

"That makes sense," Lana Xavier agreed.

After some casual chatting, Justin Nash joined the conversation, mentioning a detective agency that had contacted him. Since Serena feared her phone wouldn’t get through, she’d left Justin as her emergency contact.

"Unfortunately, they couldn’t capture evidence of Caleb Lockwood’s infidelity."

Justin Nash showed Serena the photos the detective had sent him.

All the photos were of Caleb Lockwood and Claire Shaw, always together, inseparable.

Some even showed them with arms around each other’s shoulders, entering different hotels.

Serena squeezed her wine glass tightly.

"The detective said that this alone won’t cut it. The two of them weren’t even holding hands, and in every photo, Claire Shaw was just holding Caleb Lockwood’s arm. If Caleb’s defense team claims he’s just treating her as a sister, it’s hard to contest that, as we lack concrete evidence of infidelity. Such photos would hold little sway in court..."

Justin Nash was quite disappointed, as he had hoped that hiring a detective would surely help Serena get her divorce.

Serena was lost in thought.

But her thoughts differed from Justin Nash’s.

She was wondering...

Did Caleb Lockwood really cheat?

What if Caleb hadn’t strayed?

Her heart was pounding; Serena couldn’t explain why she felt so weirdly nervous and anticipatory.

She pinched the back of her hand, trying to clear her mind, but couldn’t control her chaotic thoughts, nor notice when the atmosphere at the table became excessively quiet.

By the time Serena regained her senses, Caleb Lockwood had been standing by the table for quite a while.