Chapter 575 A Second Spring?

Lately, Fiona had been indulging in her own gossip a bit too much, just for fun. With a sigh, she realized Lilian had once set her sights on Solomon Energy.

As she contemplated this, a voice laced with sarcasm echoed from the entrance.

"How come wherever I go, I encounter people talking smack about others?"

Fiona turned her head to look.

Before coming to Solomon Energy, she had reviewed the management team's profiles and recognized the newcomer.

Jason Reid.

Director of Human Resources at Solomon Energy, transferred here three years ago from Solomon.

"Jason."

"Jason!"

The recent gossip-mongers were startled, instantly standing up, lowering their heads in fear.

"What has Lilian done to you all? She was replaced by a mistress who took her lover, took everything, and you still mock her? Look at the measly wages you take each month; do you think you're in any position to judge?"

Jason didn't hold back his rebuke.

"What did I say wrong?" retorted the man who had just expressed a desire to see Fiona in person, his voice rising sharply, "Didn't Lilian cause trouble for colleagues who were close to Secretary Woods while she was away at headquarters? Jason, I know Lilian had you transferred here, but as a man, shouldn't you at least respect the facts?"

"That's right, our wages may be pitiful, but we don't spread rumors. Who doesn't know Lilian married into European royalty after Darwin's car accident left him comatose? She got married. Couldn't Darwin move on? During Solomon's flourishing years, it was Secretary Woods who worked tirelessly with Darwin. When the good man that Secretary Woods helped shape achieved something, Lilian comes back to claim him. It's obvious who the real mistress is!"

Jason was taken aback.
A few junior employees had the gall to talk back to him directly. Jason's face turned beet red in rage.

"If it weren't for Fiona looking like Lilian, she would never in her life have a chance to end up in Darwin's bed!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Look at all of you, singing her praises like this. Fine, from tomorrow on, you can all get lost. I want to see if Fiona will come save your skins!"

"Excuse me for interrupting, but Solomon Energy is a legitimate company. Is firing staff strictly your decision?" a lazy voice tinged with confusion chimed in from the side.

Jason stopped talking mid-sentence.

"Ah, seems like we have a stowaway here," Jason sneered, "Which department are you—"

He turned to look and his voice suddenly got stuck in his throat.

"Fiona... Fiona."

Fiona stood up slowly, holding her half-finished iced milk tea.

She walked over to Jason.

"Oh my gosh, Secretary Woods!" one of the gossip-driven men in the group instantly recognized Fiona.

"Don't be scared." Fiona gave them a reassuring sign and approached Jason. "Me, being the mistress, is that what Lilian told you?"

"Secretary Woods… I… I was just in a rush, I misspoke…" Jason stepped back, visibly struggling to breathe under Fiona's commanding presence.

"Gossip, huh? I've heard enough of it lately, all kinds," Fiona asked coldly. "Do you understand what you did wrong?"

Jason turned pale.

Fiona continued, "The mistake was, when you couldn't argue your point, you resorted to bullying with the power at your disposal. I was almost convinced you were the heir to Solomon Energy, who could just decide to fire four employees on a whim."

"I was just talking, I wouldn't really do that..." Jason replied in a small voice.

Fiona didn't say anything, just gave him an indifferent glance.

Then she turned to the four elated employees, "I'll have a word with the secretarial office. If Jason gives you trouble after this, you can come directly to me. I can be the one to save your jobs."

"Secretary Woods! You're the best!" The man clenched his fists, his face bright with joy.

The other three also chimed in with their agreement.

"Just keep up the good work," Fiona smiled faintly, ignoring fearful Jason, walked past him, and left the patio directly.

As soon as she left, the four, who had been tense moments ago, turned to pallid-faced Jason: "Did you hear that, Jason? The Secretary Woods said she can save our jobs."

Jason was fuming with frustration.

Cursing his bad luck.

Why did he have to run into Fiona at a time like this?

And to top it off, she heard him talking badly about her!
"Don't get too smug too soon!" Jason snarled, "What goes around comes around. She only got to the top because of her kid. Lilian, being the good person she is, knew she had Darwin's child and wanted to give the kid a dad. That's why she left. If Lilian comes back, just like how Fiona was driven out before, it'll be the same this time!"

With that, Jason spun on his heel and walked away, not giving anyone else the chance to rebut.

"Idiot!" a man cursed under his breath.

"But... He kind of has a point. Lilian did leave... If she comes back out of the blue like before, could our Secretary Woods be in trouble?"

"What trouble? The Secretary Woods isn't the same as before. She's now the heir to the Rhoads family, not to mention Wall Street's new investment weather vane. Even without that sorry excuse of a man, she'll do just fine!"

"That makes a point. The Secretary Woods's got good looks and a killer figure. She doesn't need a man. There are plenty of young and handsome guys out there. Free from Darwin, she can pick whoever she wants. It's a blessing for society! What's there to worry about?"

"Hey, you know about the Secretary Woods's BFF's husband, right?" the conversation suddenly shifted.

"How could we not? All the clever guys known for his brain filled with love all over the Internet, no one comes close to claiming second place to him!"

"The key is he's handsome and young... Darwin can't compete with him. Once over thirty, a man is considered an old man by default..."

"Here we go again, feeling sorry for the Secretary Woods. If Lilian's coming back, she'd better hurry up and stir the pot, get Fiona moving on to her next romance!"

Fiona was oblivious.

After she left, they were already plotting her next romance.

In the afternoon, Jason was a bundle of nerves.

He was waiting for Fiona's retaliation.

But as the workday ended, he heard that Fiona had gone with some vice presidents to tour the laboratory.

He then sneaked to the secretariat, where he had some acquaintances, and quietly inquired about any new personnel changes announced by Fiona.

The reply was the same: no notifications received yet.

Jason felt like an ant on a hot pan.

Not dead yet but utterly convinced he was about to be fried alive.

He agonized over the anticipation of that moment.

Unbeknownst to him, Fiona had no intention of affecting him.

Leaving the secretariat, Jason grew even more anxious.

He returned to his office, hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone and scrolled to Lilian's contact—a person he hadn't reached out to in a long time.

After some thought, he decided to be forthright: "Hey Lilian, how have you been lately? There's something I've thought over and over and still decided to tell you. Darwin gave Fiona the Solomon Energy. She came into the office today and really threw her weight around. It's such a shame; you're clearly more capable than her, and I genuinely feel unjust for you." "
The Substitute's Revenge: From Secretary to Queen
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