Chapter 3

Soon, the time for the department product presentation arrived.

I worked overtime for several days to prepare the PowerPoint for the product introduction.

Just as I was about to present, Bethany came toward me, holding her phone and live-streaming.

"Aaliyah Stoddard, what are you doing standing here? Don't you see the superiors don't have water? Go get some!" she said.

Bethany casually flicked her hair, her gaze drifting. A hint of guilt flashed in her eyes.

"Such a lack of awareness."

"Fans, I have to be strict. These employees are so lazy."

I squinted, pretending to be dismissed by her.

I glanced at her livestream, where a group of fans were praising her as an excellent, independent woman.

I couldn't help but sneer, standing outside the door but not leaving.

Bethany had deliberately tried to get rid of me, and I knew she was up to something.

She stepped onto the stage, opened the PowerPoint, and began presenting with a serious expression.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Bethany, the presenter for this product.

"I'm new, so the PowerPoint isn't perfect. Please guide me."

Hearing this, my teammates exchanged glances and looked at me with a gloating expression.

I folded my arms and glared at them. The intimidation in my eyes made them shrink back.

I had to admit, Bethany's voice was sweet, and she read through the slides word for word. The entire room applauded her.

She stood there proudly, like a rooster, with a smirk on her face as she winked at the phone in her hand.

"Excuse me, what's the design concept behind this product?"

A sudden voice interrupted, and the applause ceased instantly.

No one expected someone to ask a question. Bethany froze on the spot.

All eyes turned to me.

"Uh, the concept... well, it's... it's all about increasing profits, yes, profits," she stammered, her face turning red.

The room fell silent for three seconds, and then the department manager stepped in to smooth things over.

"It all comes down to one thing. It's all for the company!" he said, and everyone clapped in agreement.

I felt like I had swallowed a fly.

I did not expect the marketing manager could be so lacking in principles. It seemed clear the company had a long way to go.

I sighed in frustration.

It was after this incident that Bethany became my enemy.

"I ordered coffee and desserts for everyone," Bethany said.

Sensing her colleagues' dissatisfaction, she began buying food for everyone more frequently.

"Thanks, young lady!" one colleague said.

"Shh, don't say that. I don't want to expose my identity," Bethany whispered.

Slowly, she won over my colleagues with her sugary tactics.

"Oops, Aaliyah, I forgot you were still here. I didn't get anything for you," she said, with clumsy acting.

However, her poor acting had the most obvious effect.

As a result, I was isolated by everyone.