Chapter 4

I met Chloe’s furious, panicked gaze and let my lips curl into a slow smile.

"I’m taking a break. Why are you so worked up about it?"

The surrounding colleagues looked back and forth between us, their eyes gleaming with gossip.

"Yeah, Chloe," Mia couldn't help but speak up. "Ava isn't even worried. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

"Seriously. If I didn't know better, I’d think you were the one losing the commissions."

The whispers acted like a bucket of cold water, snapping Chloe out of her panic.

The ugly snarl on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of deep, fake concern.

"I... I’m just worried for Ava!"

She raised her voice, trying to sound sincere.

"Didn't she say she was just a few sales away from her down payment? The units at Brookside Luxury are selling out fast! If she stops now, she’ll lose so much money! I’m just feeling terrible for her!"

She looked like she was about to cry. It was an Oscar-worthy performance.

I chuckled.

"I'm just tired. I want to rest."

I casually picked up a piece of king crab, slowly cracking the shell.

"Besides," I paused, looking up at her with an innocent expression, "didn't you just win the lottery? Fifty thousand dollars is a lot. If I'm really short on my down payment... surely you wouldn't mind lending me some, right?"

The air froze again.

Every eye in the room locked onto Chloe.

The color drained from her face, leaving her ghostly pale. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.

I popped the sweet crab meat into my mouth and added casually, "Our Chloe is so generous. I’m sure you wouldn't mind, right?"

Trapped under the weight of everyone's gaze, she practically squeezed the words out of her throat.

"Of... of course."

Fearing I would actually ask for the cash right there, she quickly added, "But, I didn't win "that" much. It’s... it’s just some pocket money."

I glanced at her brand-new Celine dress, the limited-edition Chanel bag on her chair, and the lavish feast on the table that cost more than a normal person's monthly rent.

Indeed.

My $50,000 wouldn't last her more than a few weeks at this rate.

I thoroughly enjoyed that lunch.

Before we left, I had the waiter pack up the untouched king crab and wagyu beef.

A few colleagues whispered behind my back.

"Oh my god, packing up leftovers at a celebratory lunch? That is so tacky."

"Right? Acted like she's never eaten real food before. How embarrassing."

I heard them but didn't care. I just turned to Chloe with a sweet smile.

"Chloe, thank you so much for the treat. It would be a crime to waste such good food. You don’t mind if I take it home, do you?"

Chloe’s face looked like a rotten eggplant.

But in front of everyone, she could only grit her teeth and nod.

"No... I don’t mind."

Back at the office, I casually placed the takeout boxes into the communal fridge, completely ignoring the judgmental looks of my coworkers.

In the afternoon, I knocked on the door of the finance office.

"Brenda, I need to request an emergency cash advance from the company's petty cash fund."

Brenda looked up from her computer. "Company policy says the manager needs to sign off on it, and all payments are normally processed through direct deposit at the end of the month."

I handed her a pre-signed form.

"Sarah already approved it."

"And I don't want a direct deposit."

"I need cash."

If my money got sucked out of my bank account like a ghost, then I would just use physical cash. Let’s see her transfer paper bills.

An hour later, I walked back to my desk with a thick envelope of cash.

It was my base salary and part of last month's commission—$15,000.

I stuffed the envelope into the deepest, zippered compartment of my tote bag.

In my past life, my descent into hell started with that stolen $50,000.

In this life, I would claw my way back starting with this $15,000.

But I hadn't even warmed up my seat for five minutes.

My right eyelid began to twitch violently.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

It grew more intense by the second.

A wave of dread washed over me.

I quickly unzipped my bag and reached into the inner compartment—

Empty!

The envelope was still there, but the thick stack of bills was gone!

My blood ran cold. The hair on my arms stood up.

I hadn't realized that Chloe's deposit transfer trick was completely unrestricted by physical distance!

Was she trying to cut off all my lifelines?

I looked over at Chloe’s desk. A flash of triumphant glee was written all over her face.

I clenched my fists. Fortunately, I had already prepared a counter-strategy.