Chapter 294 High Difficulty
But that'd make her look weak, like she got booted out 'cause she couldn't hack it. Plus, Fiona's bossy attitude made Susan wanna punch a wall.
So, Susan decided, come hell or high water, she was gonna nail that full-time gig this month. If she still hated it after that, she'd quit.
This way, she could show Fiona she wasn't some pushover. Fiona needed to stop strutting around like she owned the place. It wasn't that Susan couldn't cut it at Pioneer Accounting Firm; she just didn't wanna stick around.
Besides, work sucked everywhere, and there were jerks in every office. If she couldn't make it here, it wouldn't be a cakewalk anywhere else. It'd be a good chance to toughen up.
With her mind made up, Susan stood up, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open. This month was gonna be a grind.
Three days later, Susan burned the midnight oil to finish those documents. Then, she marched into Fiona's office.
"Paula, I went through all the stuff you gave me," Susan said to Fiona, who was glued to her computer.
"Okay, got it," Fiona nodded without even glancing up.
Seeing Fiona's lack of interest, Susan frowned and said straight up, "Paula, can you give me some work now?"
Fiona paused and looked up, saying, "Susan, I was gonna give you a case, but the ones I have are pretty tough. Even seasoned accountants might struggle, let alone someone still on probation. So, why don't you wait a few more days for an easier one?"
Susan frowned.
She saw right through Fiona's game. Fiona wanted to make her life hell with a tough case but didn't wanna look like a jerk, so she played it off.
Susan knew if she agreed to wait, Fiona would probably drag it out, saying there were no easy cases.
So, she decided to face it head-on. It'd be a good test of her skills. She hadn't tackled a big case solo since having Spring. Time to get back in the game.
Susan thought for a moment, then looked up at Fiona's smirking face.
She said, "Paula, no need to wait. Just give me any case."
Fiona frowned and pretended to be all concerned, saying, "Susan, I do have two cases, but they're both tough. Think it over. It'll take at least half a month to finish one. You have a one-month probation. If you mess this up, you're out."
Fiona's message was clear that if Susan blew it, she was done at Pioneer Accounting Firm.
Fiona was ruthless. She kept Susan around just to set her up to fail, making sure she'd leave Pioneer Accounting Firm with her tail between her legs.
But Susan wasn't about to let Fiona's scheme work. So what if the case was tough? She had years of real-deal skills and experience. Plus, Isabella was a certified public accountant now. If push came to shove, she could always brainstorm with her. No way was there a case they couldn't crack.
"Paula, I wanna give it a shot," Susan told Fiona.
Fiona's smirk said it all; she was expecting this. She slid a file across the desk to Susan.
"This is a budget proposal for a profit reinvestment project from Capgemini Software Company. An accountant from Group Three did it first, but the client wasn't satisfied with it. Then the group leader redid it, but the client still found issues. So, they kicked it over to me. I've been stressing about who to dump it on. Since you wanna prove yourself, here you go. But heads up, it's tough. Once you take it, it's yours. If you wanna back out, now's your chance. After all, even seasoned pros find this one a nightmare," Fiona said, giving Susan a look that was half pity, half challenge.
Susan knew Fiona was trying to bait and mock her, thinking she couldn't handle it.
But Susan wasn't buying it. If this case got booted from Group Three, it had to be a beast. Even Linda would see that if Susan nailed this, she'd definitely pass her probation.
Susan wasn't scared of a challenge. She'd pulled all-nighters back at Prosperity Group to get the job done. That fire had been dormant for too long, and it was time to light it up again.
So, Susan grinned and grabbed the file from Fiona's desk. "I'll give it my all."
With that, Susan turned and left Fiona's office.
As she was about to step out, Fiona called after her, "You only have twenty days."
"I got it," Susan shot back, chin up, then walked out.
Susan sat down and dove into the case materials.
She found the case was tedious but not impossible. She couldn't figure out why the Group Three leader had botched it.
Before she knew it, quitting time rolled around. Her coworkers had all bailed, but Susan was still glued to her desk, deep in thought.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her. Elliott casually draped his right hand on the back of her chair and his left on her desk, practically boxing her in.
"Susan, need a hand?" Elliott asked, giving her a sleazy grin.
It was the middle of summer, and Susan was in a light, loose dress. From Elliott's angle, he had a clear view down her neckline.
Susan felt a wave of disgust. She wanted to move, but the wall was on her right, and Elliott was blocking her on the left. She was trapped!
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