Chapter 26 Hostile Confrontation

Claire's POV:

The fact that I landed the order spread swiftly throughout the entire company; some of the senior salespeople even began to look at me in a new light. I hadn't made any sales in the past two months, but suddenly securing a big deal was causing quite the stir.

During the department meeting, the Sales Director specifically praised me, calling my potential limitless, and rewarded me with a bonus as encouragement.

But I remained stoic, quietly observing the gazes of those around me. Some congratulations were genuine, and some applause was merely hypocritical flattery.

And then there were ones like Sarah, who were openly hostile and envious. But none of these mattered to me; I only focused on the numbers in my bank account.

"Pfff, she’s really good at pretending!" I overheard someone say as I passed by the break room. "She looked so composed when the director praised her."

"Maybe she really does have the experience!" another sharp voice chuckled, "The quieter ones often have the most stories."

"What did you hear?"

"Shhh..." the person lowered their voice, "I heard she managed to close the deal because she had someone pull strings for her!"

"Who's that? Peter? I heard Peter pined for Claire so desperately back in university! But alas, no dice—Claire just wouldn't have it with him!"

"It couldn't be Peter. If there was such a sweet deal, why would he pass it to Claire instead of his own girlfriend? Besides, even Sarah couldn't close the deal she's been after for three months. Swap Peter in, and he'd fare no better!"

"So you're saying, there's someone even higher up involved?" Murmurs and snickers rippled through the small group.

Finding the gossip dull, I turned to leave but came face to face with Sarah's lethal gaze. I wanted to flinch, my heart pounding, yet I maintained a cool exterior.

"Hello, Sarah."

With arms crossed in front of her, Sarah looked at me with a smirk. "Oh, as long as you're buzzing around, how could I possibly be alright?"

I pressed my lips together, having no interest in arguing. As I tried to sidestep her, Sarah blocked my way with a sudden step.

"Don't think I'm oblivious to your little schemes!" Sarah said with piercing authority. "I may not know how you got this deal, only you do, but I know there’s something fishy about it!"

My gaze locked onto her, anger flickering in my bright, wide eyes. With my mild-mannered character, I was rarely this stern and serious, which probably caught Sarah off guard as she involuntarily stepped back.

"How did I get the deal?" I spoke deliberately. "I got it through hard work! I pulled an all-nighter for a week, revised the sales plan countless times, and Mr. Nelson was so pleased he signed it himself!”

“You couldn't secure it after three months, that's on you! It's your incompetence! Shouldn't you look within instead of blaming someone else who worked harder?"

"Hard work?" Sarah glared harder. "Your hard work must've been in a man's bed! You think because the director favors you, you can do whatever you want?"

"Sarah, stop slandering! What does the director have to do with this? Before the deal, I barely exchanged words with him!" I was incredulous.

"Who knows what you've claimed? Maybe you haven't spoken in the office, but who knows how many times you've 'communicated' privately!"

"You…" Fuming, my face red, our argument drew a crowd.

Colleagues tried to separate us, but Sarah wouldn't budge, and I refused to accept such humiliation unchallenged. I was adamant about confronting the director. Seeing we were at an impasse, Peter rushed over.

"This is a workplace, what are the two of you doing!" he barked. "Take your argument to the streets if you must, but inside the company, focus on your work!"

Sarah shot him a scathing look and stormed off. I stood there, lips tightly sealed, cheeks flushed. Peter dispersed the bystanders and quietly took me aside.

"Don't be angry," he said, his voice softening, "It’s just the way Sarah is. She has a foul temper and lofty pride. She's not taking it well that she couldn't outdo you this time."

"But that's no excuse for insulting someone," I couldn't shake off my frustration.

"Right, right, it's all her fault!" Peter narrowed his eyes, a sly smile playing at the corner of his mouth, "Claire, allow me to apologize on her behalf."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to pat my shoulder but, snapping back to reality, I quickly dodged backward. Meeting Peter's gaze, I couldn't help the chill creeping up from the pit of my stomach.

"There’s no need..." I muttered, "I understand that Sarah is just upset about losing the order; I won't take it to heart. But please tell her, if she dares insult someone like this again, I won't let it go!"

"Of course!" Peter's shifty eyes rolled around, his gaze sticking to me: "You usually seem so quiet and soft, easy to push around, but the way you stood up to Sarah was like a rose with thorns."

I smiled and remained silent.

"It's almost noon," Peter said with a laugh, "Claire, let me treat you to a meal. Accept it as my way of an apology, surely you won't refuse!"

"There's no need," I said coolly, "I brought my own lunch and prefer not to dine out."

"Leftovers from last night?" Peter teased in a deliberately lowered voice, "Claire, a pretty girl like you shouldn't be eating leftovers."

"I only eat my own cooking," I said, looking straight at him, "Peter, if there's nothing else, I’ll get back to work. You should head back to the office too, so Sarah doesn't see us talking and make a fuss."

"Claire, do you really dislike talking to me that much?" Peter insisted on a further exchange, speaking softly with a laugh. "Actually, it's not just me inviting you for lunch; there's a client."

I paused; my gaze hesitated. I asked him for more details about who the client was.

"The client is from France," Peter continued, "I checked, and out of everyone in our company, you’re the only one who studied French as a minor in college, I'm not wrong, am I?"

My eyes flickered but remained silent. "Originally, this client was supposed to visit tomorrow, but the flight was rescheduled last minute. The translator I booked isn't available today so... could you do me a favor?"

I was inclined to refuse, but the company's list of foreign clients was limited, and those that Peter paid attention to were, more than likely, key accounts. If I passed on this, I could lose a potential client.

I also knew that, Peter was vindictive. Refusing could be seen as defying his orders, possibly leading to him targeting me in the future. After all, it was just a meal in a public restaurant – surely, Peter wouldn’t dare to try anything inappropriate.

"Claire," Peter saw my hesitation and quickly added, "if this deal goes through, I’ll personally make sure you won't miss out on the commission. What do you say?"