Part 3Gave Roommate the Dog

Someone started to speak up, but the manager silenced them with a sharp glare.

Eleanor Wayan seemed momentarily surprised by the request, then nodded. "Since you're in charge of the project, let's just sign the contract. I'm sure a person as kind as you must be equally dedicated to her work."

She turned to leave, then paused at the door and looked back. "Sophie, was it? Join me for dinner tonight. I'll have my driver pick you up."

The look of pure ecstasy on Sophie's face was impossible to miss.

Our manager beamed as he escorted Eleanor out. The moment she was gone, he turned to the staff and announced Sophie's immediate promotion from intern to full-time employee.

"Diana," he said, his tone brisk. "Hand over your files to Sophie. She'll be handling the project from here on out. You're off it."

"But sir, that proposal was—" one of my colleagues started to protest on my behalf.

I saw the manager's face darken and quickly grabbed my friend's arm, shaking my head. I gathered my materials and handed them to Sophie. The manager's expression softened instantly.

"See? Diana understands the bigger picture. When the company thrives, we all thrive."

After he left, Sophie sauntered over to my desk, preening like a peacock.

"I bet you're regretting it now, aren't you, Diana? Too bad. You're the one who gave him up," she gloated. "Are you angry? Do you feel humiliated? Watching a project you slaved over for six months become mine? Good. I'm glad. This is payback for refusing to help me yesterday!"

She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Just so you know, I'm going to be Mrs. Julian Wayan very soon. And you? You'll be stuck as a corporate drone, slogging through a 9-to-5 for the rest of your life!"

Then she turned to the rest of the office. "And as for the rest of you peasants, you'd better start showing me some respect. Once I'm a Wayan, if I'm in a good mood, I might throw a big client or two your way."

With that, she flounced out of the office.

Her arrogant demeanor left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth, and the complaints started immediately.

"She found a lost dog, so what? The woman is repaying a favor, and Sophie actually thinks she's about to become a princess?"

"What is wrong with her? Stealing Diana's project and acting like one stroke of dumb luck makes her better than everyone else."

"She's living in a fantasy world. A rich woman says a few polite words, and suddenly she thinks finding the dog means she gets to marry into the family? Get real!"

"Don't let it get to you, Diana," a colleague said, patting my shoulder. "We'll just wait for reality to hit and watch her come crawling back."

I just smiled without saying a word.

Because I knew that tonight, Eleanor Wayan really would ask Sophie to be her daughter-in-law.

That's why she was acting so invincible, looking down on all of us.

But a marriage born from a lost dog… could it really be that simple?

Sure enough, two days later, Sophie appeared at the office, dripping in jewels and designer clothes, handing out wedding invitations. She stopped at my desk, looking down at me with disdain.

"Diana, you must be dying to come to my high-society wedding, right? After all, some people will never get to see something like this in their entire lives."

I kept my voice even. "Sophie, I hear Mr. Wayan is still overseas. You haven't even met him. Don't you think it's a bit rushed to be holding a wedding now? What if—"

She cut me off with a sharp laugh. "Ha! I've seen pictures of Julian. He's gorgeous and rich. Why wouldn't I marry him? My mother-in-law said that even though it's last minute, it will be a wedding fit for a queen. You're just jealous because you can't have what I have!"

Seeing she was beyond reason, I dropped the subject.

As she held out the embossed invitation, I reached for it, but at the last second, she let it go. It fluttered to the floor, and she promptly pinned it under her sharp stiletto heel.

"Want it? Polish my shoe, and it's yours."

I didn't really want the invitation, but there were too many unanswered questions from my past life. I needed to get inside that hotel.

After a few seconds of tense silence, I knelt down and wiped the dust from her shoe.

Seeing me humbled before her, Sophie burst out laughing. "That's more like it!"

She gave my shoulder a light kick with her other foot before putting on her sunglasses and striding away.