Chapter 3

Now, they stood before me, taunting and mocking.

The gazes of those around us felt like knives stabbing into me.

Those curious or pitying looks made me feel like I had thorns in my back.

"Excuse me, I need to work," I tried to keep my voice steady.

Xavier deliberately tilted his coffee cup, spilling the brown liquid on the floor:

"Now you really need to work."

He wore a malicious smile, as if toying with a lowly servant.

"Get on your knees and clean it up, just like you used to kneel and beg me not to leave."

Whispers arose from the crowd around us.

In an instant, I felt all the blood in my body flowing backward, my face burning hot.

Crouching down, I used a cloth to wipe up the coffee stains bit by bit.

Xavier's shiny leather shoes were right in front of my eyes. I could even smell that familiar cologne.

"Xavier, let's go," Vanessa linked her arm with his, "Don't waste time on someone like her."

"Wait," Xavier suddenly bent down, his long fingers lifting my chin, "You know what? You look much cuter now than when you were that high and mighty Lin heiress."

I slapped his hand away and stood up:

"Mr. Cheng, please show some respect."

"Respect?" Xavier laughed as if he'd heard something hilarious, "A cleaner, demanding respect from me?"

"Oh no, my lipstick!" Vanessa suddenly exclaimed.

A Chanel lipstick rolled to my feet.

"Little cleaner, pick that up for me."

She looked down at me imperiously, all traces of her former fawning behavior when she used to tag along with the Lin heiress for free drinks gone.

I bent to pick it up, but just as I was about to touch the lipstick, a high heel stomped on the back of my hand.

"Oops, I didn't see that~"

A searing pain shot through my hand, and I clenched my jaw.

Xavier's gaze held a hint of amusement, as if enjoying a good show.

"Alright, let's go," he finally spoke, putting his arm around the woman and turning to leave. But he stopped and looked back, "Oh, Aria, if you really can't make ends meet, you can come and beg me. For old times' sake, I might arrange a better job for you, like... my housekeeper?"

A burst of laughter erupted around us.

I stood there, watching their figures disappear at the end of the corridor.

"Just wait. Soon, you'll know who should really be on their knees."

I turned and walked towards the director's office.

Passing by the glass windows in the hallway, I caught my reflection—beneath the deep blue cleaning uniform were eyes sparkling with ambition.