Chapter 37 Kenneth Is Dying
Donovan had no intention of engaging with Chloe and was about to enter the elevator when she called out to him.
"Mr. Blake." Chloe declared.
Donovan inquired, "What?" He turned as the elevator doors closed again, having missed his chance to board.
"Just a moment, please." Chloe rummaged through her canvas tote bag, which seemed to contain an entire life's worth of items: a wallet, books, tissues, and somewhere among all this, a compact umbrella that was proving to be elusive.
Not feeling the familiar shape of the umbrella, Chloe began to feel guilty and gave Donovan an awkward smile.
"Working late?" Donovan asked eyebrows slightly furrowed as he studied her.
It was rare to see Donovan smile. He was mostly expressionless.
"Yeah. Found it." Chloe pulled out the umbrella as if performing a magic trick and presented it to him. "Mr. Blake, take this umbrella so you don't catch a cold." She offered.
Donovan eyed the umbrella but made no move to take it. "So, what's this about?"
He suspected she was offering the umbrella as a way to soften his demeanor toward her. After all, the attitude of the top leadership affected everything about her position at the company. Chloe's current situation wasn't great, exemplified by her working until five in the morning.
"The umbrella," Chloe said, his eyes were bright and innocent. "You always walk in the rain without one. What if you get sick?"
Chloe pushed the umbrella toward him again. Seeing he was still hesitant, she had a sudden realization. "Mr. Blake, this umbrella isn't just any brand, it's a mariotalarico, a valuable foreign brand, sent to me by a classmate who studied abroad."
"Specifically for me?" Donovan asked. He took the umbrella, noticing the eagle emblem at the handle.
"Exactly, it suits someone of your stature. Just remember to use it." With that, Chloe turned and walked away.
Donovan entered the elevator, feeling a slight ease in his mood.
Back in her dormitory, Chloe arrived to find Sofia stirring from sleep. "You're up early?" Sofia groggily commented.
After a trip to the bathroom, Sofia mumbled about being able to sleep for another couple of hours. Then, a realization hit her, "Wait a second, Chloe, you haven't slept yet, have you?"
"Just got back. I'm going to lie down for a bit," Chloe replied, hanging her bag near the door.
Sofia snapped awake, feeling a rush of indignation. "How can they treat you like this? Why doesn't the finance department have to work late, but they single you out? They must think they've been too nice to you before and now want to put you down hard to make up for it. Who does that?"
Chloe, utterly exhausted, didn't respond with much fervor. Her head hit the pillow, and she was asleep in seconds.
Unable to let go of her frustration and finding sleep elusive, Sofia grabbed her laptop and vented on the Invisible Veil Forum. She didn't name names or post pictures, but her post on the social dynamics of the workplace—in particular, criticizing those who cozy up to the powerful and kick others when they're down—was clearly about James Turner. After all, Chloe was the only one who had worked overtime until the early hours of the morning.
Sofia posted her frustrations and finally went to bed. She was later awakened by her phone's ringing. it was the Public Relations Director summoning her to the office.
"I'll go," Sofia muttered. "I might as well quit if this is how things are in the company!"
"What happened?" Chloe asked as she started combing her hair after getting up.
"It's nothing," Sofia dismissed her.
Upon arriving at the office, the director lambasted Sofia, criticizing her for stirring trouble and overstepping boundaries between departments.
"You've offended the finance department. who do you think will process your paycheck? Starting today, you're no longer attending the New East Star training every Friday. And that article you were about to publish on the company newsletter. It's been pulled due to space issues," he concluded before dismissing her.
Although infuriated, Sofia had no regrets about standing up for what she believed to be right.
Chloe, upon arriving at work, became aware of the commotion. She received WhatsApp messages from worried colleagues advising Sofia to delete the damning post. But Sofia, sitting in the director's office at the moment, didn't see the messages.
She thought, 'What's the point of deleting it now that I've already been penalized? Let everyone see James Turner for who he really is.'
James Turner confronted Chloe with a mix of sarcasm and mockery, "Chloe, your friend really sticks her neck out for you, doesn't she?"
Chloe knew she had no power to erase the post. James Turner had already formed a strong opinion against her, and ever since Chloe had become a full-fledged member of the team, he had been fixated on finding excuses to push her out. Sofia's actions, albeit well-intentioned, had only made things more difficult for her.
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