Chapter 3

Chloe shot a glance at me, a smug smirk playing on her lips.

"Not much," she said casually. "Just around fifty grand."

A collective gasp echoed through the office.

Fifty thousand dollars was a massive sum for us 9-to-5 corporate drones.

But I noticed that ever since Chloe walked in, her eyes kept darting back to me.

She was watching me. Like an scientist observing a lab rat.

She was waiting to see if I had discovered that my bank account was completely drained.

I clamped down on the raging hatred inside me, forcing down the urge to scream at her.

Not yet. I couldn't startle the snake before I had the trap ready.

I stood up, pasting on a perfect, polite smile that looked exactly like genuine envy.

"Congratulations, Chloe! You've got to let some of that luck rub off on me."

Seeing how normal I acted, a flash of surprise crossed Chloe's eyes, followed by a subtle, relieved sigh.

She probably thought I was still clueless about my empty bank account.

As lunchtime approached, Mia, who sat next to me, leaned over.

"Ava, didn't you say you'd saved enough for a down payment? When are we going to see the condo? I'll go with you."

At the mention of the condo, my fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms.

But I quickly relaxed them, keeping my expression breezy.

"No rush," I said.

"I lost my ID card a couple of days ago, and the DMV is taking forever to mail the replacement. Plus, the housing market is fluctuating. I'll wait and see."

The moment the words left my mouth, I felt that burning gaze on me again.

It was Chloe.

She was staring, a hint of glee slipping into her eyes.

Chloe was an intern who had only joined two months ago. At five-foot-three and nearly two hundred pounds, she had average looks and the worst sales record in the department.

In our luxury real estate agency, where looks and sales charts determined your survival, she should have been at the very bottom of the food chain.

Yet, in my past life, she took my $50,000, got full-body liposuction, and underwent extensive plastic surgery.

She transformed herself into a wealthy, gorgeous IT-girl overnight.

Then, she used my money to bribe our coworkers, teamed up with a few male agents, and had me thrown into an asylum under the guise that I had "lost my mind."

Thinking of the two years of torture in that hospital, I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart.

At noon, Chloe took us to the Grand Imperial Hotel. She grandly announced we could order whatever we wanted.

I didn't hold back. I flipped the menu straight to the most expensive pages.

"We’ll have the Alaskan King Crab, the largest one you have."

"The bluefin tuna sashimi platter."

"And the wagyu ribeye."

With every dish I ordered, our colleagues' eyes widened.

Mia gently tugged my sleeve. "Ava... isn't this a bit too much? It’s so expensive."

I smiled at her and said nothing.

I was spending my own money. How could it be a waste?

Chloe’s cheek twitched, but with everyone watching, she had to keep up her rich-girl act.

"It’s fine! Ava is our top agent, she works so hard. She deserves a good meal to recharge!"

She smiled brightly, though her eyes were twitching.

"After all, you need to keep working hard to bring in more sales for our team!"

Before I could reply, a coworker nearby chimed in.

"Oh, Chloe, you weren't here this morning. Ava told Sarah she's taking a break. She’s not taking any new listings for the next month."

The air in the room instantly froze.

I slowly wiped my mouth with a silk napkin and looked up at Chloe.

The smile on her face stiffened, cracking inch by inch.

"What did you say?"

She stared at me, her voice rising to a sharp, hysterical pitch.

"Ava, why are you taking a break?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"