Chapter 3

The moment I stepped out of the restaurant, I heard a trembling, pitiful sob.

"Julian... Vivian is here."

I looked up and saw Chloe throwing herself into the arms of my husband, Julian Sterling. Several of our colleagues from Apex Marketing were standing around them, their necks craned, eyes gleaming with pure gossip.

Seeing me approach, Chloe raised her tear-stained face, deliberately raising her voice so everyone could hear.

"Vivian, I know you hate me because my quarterly evaluations always beat yours. But you didn't have to humiliate me with dog poop tonight!"

"How am I supposed to close this deal after being embarrassed in front of the client like that?"

"Even if you’re jealous of my performance, you shouldn't ruin my career!"

As soon as she finished, the crowd gasped.

I saw a few colleagues pull out their phones, recording me while whispering to each other.

"It's her. The one who kept losing clients to Chloe. Turns out she’s just malicious and vindictive."

*[Oh my god, how can the supporting character be so evil? Framing the female lead with dog poop?]*

*[People like her should be fired, not promoted!]*

*[I feel so bad for Chloe. She’s so strong, still trying to work after being publicly humiliated.]*

Julian’s face darkened instantly. He pointed a finger at my nose and roared, "How did I end up marrying such a toxic woman!"

"You're incompetent yourself, so you decide to sabotage Chloe?"

I stood there, watching them stand side-by-side like a perfect couple. I, the actual wife, looked like an unwelcome intruder.

The Tiffany-blue box was clearly snatched by Chloe using her system, yet she effortlessly pinned the blame on me.

I hadn't had time to record the swap during the dinner. If I tried to defend myself now, who would believe me?

Just as I opened my mouth, Julian waved his hand in disgust, as if shooing away a stray dog.

"Get lost. Don't ruin our night. I'm taking Chloe to Nobu to cheer her up. She needs to be rested for tomorrow's meeting."

Leaning against Julian's chest, Chloe peeked over his shoulder. She shot me a quick, triumphant wink, a smug smirk plastering her face. Where was the crying, victimized girl from a second ago?

They turned and walked away without looking back.

The crowd, having had their fill of drama, dispersed while pointing fingers at me.

I wasn't angry. Instead, my lips curled up.

The next morning at the office, Chloe deliberately strolled past my cubicle. She leaned down, her voice barely a whisper in my ear.

"Loser. You’re destined to rot in this cubicle forever. The VP of Operations position is mine."

*[Hahaha, Chloe put her in her place! The rival is just a clown!]*

I ignored her. The moment I booted up my laptop, I began plotting my next move.

Since Chloe could exchange things from me, I was going to let her "exchange" a beautifully wrapped poison bait.

I unlocked my phone, opened Snapchat, and brought up a chat with a contact named "Mr. Harrington." I tilted my screen slightly, ensuring Chloe would catch a glimpse of the messages as she walked past.

*Vivian: "Mr. Harrington, regarding the partnership we discussed last time, I see massive potential. Let's grab coffee soon to finalize the details."*

Arthur Harrington was a well-known figure in the industry. On the surface, he was a wealthy big shot. In reality, he was a notorious sexual predator whose company was drowning in millions of dollars of debt, on the verge of bankruptcy.

But Chloe didn't know that.

As she passed my desk, her eyes lingered on my screen for two seconds before she walked off, pretending nothing happened.

I smiled. She had taken the bait.

Over the next few days, it was the same routine.

I casually dropped Mr. Harrington's name in front of Chloe, raving about how lucrative his company was and how this contract would secure anyone a partner seat.

After a few times, she finally couldn't resist. She used her Exchange System to "steal" this connection from me.

She had no idea that the golden goose she thought she stole was actually a ticking time bomb.