Tabitha's POV
The next day, I went back to the company. I didn't know how Sonia dealt with Harry last night after I left.
As soon as I walked in, I realized something different about Sonia. She was wearing a Hermes scarf.
She was haggard, even though she tried to cover it with the thick foundation on her face.
The second she saw me, she glared at me fiercely, like a vicious coyote in the desert.
To my surprise, she went back to her office without saying a word.
I took my glass and went to the tea room to fetch some water. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw some people talking with their heads down separated quickly, and they looked at me secretly non-stop.
I knew what they were talking about, of course.
Even those in Group B, who I didn't know well, stopped and teased me when they saw me, "Group C is so full of promising talents. Ms. Mendoza took her to one dinner party, and the deal was sealed. She's quite something."
"You mean she's quite something in bed, don't you?"
"Tabitha, is it true that Mr. Watson is quite kinky?"
Only then did I realize that since I left yesterday, Sonia must have slept with Harry so as to seal the contract.
Those in Group B were well-informed, so they knew. They were annoyed by being outdone by Group C and vented it out on me.
I fetched the water and smiled, "If you're this curious, why don't you find out where Mr. Watson is gonna be tonight? You may go hide under his bed in advance. See if that can get you anything you're dying to know."
"My, my. Have you heard that? Though she's a newcomer, she thinks she gets to talk to us like that now that she's sealed the deal. How arrogant."
"Let's not forget how she managed to get the deal. See how soft and slender her waist is? Bet Mr. Watson couldn't get his hands off it."
They were getting too far. I said bluntly, "Excuse me? Who is Mr. Watson to you? Is he your dad or your grandpa? After all, you care about him so much. You can't stop bringing him up."
"You bitch! What are you talking about? Everyone knows what you did. You're brazen enough to talk back! If I were you, I'd never show up here again. You're making a fool of yourself!"
I sneered, "Perhaps I asked the wrong question. Who am I to you? Your mom? Apparently, you care about me a lot as well."
Suddenly, a strange and stern voice rang out, saying, "What's going on? Where do you think you are? In the office or out on the streets?"
I turned around and looked at the person, who had short hair and was obviously efficient.
Upon seeing her, the two people immediately lowered their heads, no longer daring to be insolent.
It was the leader of Group B.
She looked at me and smiled sarcastically, "Young woman, there's more than one way to climb up the ladders. No need to choose the most embarrassing one. Even if you manage to make it, you'll still be the embarrassed one when someone kicks you down."
"Thanks for the heads-up," I said and then left, having no intention of arguing with her.
Something was off. Sonia managed to seal the deal, and I ended up being the targeted one? How come?
Too bad that I had offended pretty much everyone the first day, so no one would tell me anything even though I had a weird feeling.
When I went to the bathroom, I ran into the janitor from last time. I asked her and then found out what had happened.
She told me what she saw in the chat group she was in, for I had given her the hand cream.
It was two photos of me. In the first photo, Sonia and I entered the hotel together, and I was wearing the clothes during my work time.
The second photo was taken when I left the hotel, and by that time, I had already changed my clothes.
What happened was self-evident.
"Have you upset someone? The photos went viral in all kinds of chat groups early this morning. Even those in the chat group I'm in have been gossiping. They've been saying all sorts of things."
"Thanks for telling me all this."
"You strike me as a nice person. You know, the workplace is no better than a battlefield. Pretty girls like you ought to be more careful."
Everyone in the company was under the impression that I traded my body for some deal.
As I pushed open the door to Sonia's office, she looked at me coldly. "What are you doing here? You don't knock? Is that what your parents taught you?"
I showed her the photos. "Take a look."
She looked uneasy, even though it lasted only a second. "Why? You think it was me?"
"I have every reason to. I'm the only one in this photo, and you happened to overlap with me. Not even a single strand of your hair can be seen."
I crossed my arms. "You know what my theory is? You planned to take photos of me and Mr. Watson before we came to the hotel. You wanted to use them as leverage and make me your tool. In this way, I'd forever be in your command."
She snapped the folder in her hand shut, looking extremely displeased. "Tabitha, you've got some balls talking to me like this! If you continue to act crazy, I'll call the security!"
"Sure! Why not? Get everyone here. I wanna share some interesting photos with them. You'll be doing me a favor."
She looked a bit uneasy. "Photos? What photos?"
I leaned forward, supporting myself on the desk with both hands. "You don't really think I'm a rookie, do you? I'd never go to the hotel with you without preparation. To tell you the truth, there's a mini camera in my bag that records everything, including the time when Mr. Watson touched your thigh. The photos it takes are all high-definition. Do you want me to share it with everyone in the company?"
"Tabitha! How dare you play dirty!"