"You've got some nerve calling me! Just Rachel's luck to have a ratty friend like you! Just get lost!" Daniel snapped.

His words jolted me like an electric shock. Somehow, I understood what was happening.

Carrying the gifts that Rachel gave me the day before, I slipped past security and headed back to Rachel's room.

Ignoring the contempt on her face, I said, "Do you think I'm materialistic? That I accept all your gifts for the money? I'll return it all to you. I just want you as a friend."

The day before, when she showered me with the gifts, I had found it all too extravagant to accept them. I refused once, but Rachel said that I would not be a very good friend if I turned down her gifts.

Perhaps she was testing me at the time.

Rachel looked at the gifts in disgust, as if they were all trash. Then, she looked at me, saying, "These are nothing to me. I'll say it once more: get lost. Otherwise, I'll call the cops and sue you for trespassing. My husband-to-be is powerful and rich, not to mention that he loves me. You'll be looking at jail time."

Then, Rachel dialed her phone.

Before the call connected, I left without the gifts.

I was barely a distance from her room when the gifts were also thrown out of the room.

I went back and picked them up. After all, it was a waste to throw them away. I had spent a lot, between the days I took off and the flight ticket.

I chose the afternoon flight to head home. That way, if Rachel needed me, I could still rush over to her.

I told my boyfriend, Zach Jaden, about this. I even sent him the photos from the day before, of me trying on the maid-of-honor's gown, chatting and laughing around with Rachel.

[This was the gown. It wasn't revealing or eye-catching. I tied my hair up in a demure bun. I wore simple jewelry. Respectful, but not flashy. I didn't even wear heels. I was shorter than Rachel. I have done all that I could think of, but I still don't understand why.]

Zach sent a hugging emoji.

[Since you've done nothing wrong, the problem lies with the friendship itself. Don't torture yourself over it. Come home. I'll take you out for dinner tonight. We'll relax and unwind.]

I sighed.

I was eagerly waiting for Rachel's message, but as I heard the last call for my flight, Rachel still had not sent me any message.

I went home, walking back to my rented place, deflated.

Zach had said he would pick me up from the airport, but he had a last-minute business trip and could not come.

The dinner that he promised me was also postponed indefinitely.

My college roommate of four years, now my housemate, Sharon Christie, noticed how depressed I looked.

She asked, "What happened? Did something happen at the wedding?"

I recounted the incident. She looked at me with widened eyes. "How did this happen?"

I had no idea. I sighed heavily. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. You should get some rest, too."

Sharon nodded.

The next morning, I woke up to breakfast ready on the table. Sharon left a note, [Cheer up! I've gone to work.]

My heart felt full at the gesture.

After graduation, we were broke, so we decided to rent a place together. Later, as we got richer, we still continued sharing a place together. We were the best of friends.

I finished breakfast and took a photo for Sharon. Then, I tidied up and headed to work.

My superior had only approved two days of leave for me. He said I was an important figure in the company, so I could not be away for a long time. If I did not show up that day, my salary was going to be docked.

I stepped into the meeting room and saw the chairperson, Barbara Walkers, who rarely appeared.

I smiled at her, and she responded with a smile.

However, the moment I took a seat, her expression darkened. She slammed the table and sprang to her feet.

Barbara pointed at me, her face twisted with anger.

"You! Get lost at once! You're fired!"

I was dumbfounded. This was all too similar to the scene that happened yesterday.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled. "Did something happen to the project?"

Barbara shook her head. "The project is going well."

"Is it because I took a few days off?"

"George approved your leave. It followed company policy."

"Then why are you firing me? I did nothing wrong."

"Lindsay Shields, I'm the boss. If I say you're fired, you're fired. Go to HR and collect your compensation, then leave my company in five minutes."

Barbara dropped back in her chair, heaving with anger.

She was usually a kind woman, always treating everyone in the company like her children. She was motherly and gentle. Even if someone had made a mistake, as long as it was not detrimental, she would always give them a chance to correct it.

I had not made a mistake at all. Besides, my performance had consistently ranked first in the company. She even thought of sending me abroad to handle the overseas business. She promised me that if the project ended smoothly, she would promote me and give me a raise.

All that, and she was looking at me with disgust this very moment, asking me to get lost.

I felt as if I had been cursed.

I asked, "Why? I didn't do anything wrong. Why are you firing me?"

George, my supervisor, was soothing Barbara, pointing to me at the same time, saying, "Just go. If you aggravate her condition, your little severance package won't even be enough to cover medical bills."

His words snapped me back to reality. I indeed could not afford that risk.

I left the meeting room, only to hear my colleagues murmuring among themselves, "I knew she'd get fired."

I rushed over to them, seemingly trying to find an explanation, "Tell me, why would I get fired?"

They replied, "Because you're a tramp."

Tramp.

There it was again.

Rachel also called me a tramp the day before. Daniel as well.

What had I done?

I looked at my reflection through the glass door. I was in a professional pantsuit. I was not in a miniskirt.

My shoes were leather loafers, not stilettos. I was dressed properly without any thick makeup or strange clothes.

I asked helplessly, "Tell me, why am I a tramp? What did I do?"

They took a few steps back, looking at me in disgust. They said to the security guard who just arrived, "Take her away."

I was once again escorted by guards.

I dejectedly left the building when my phone beeped.

The severance compensation had arrived in my bank account.

I called Zach, failing to stop my tears. Once he picked up, I cried and said, "It happened again. I don't understand why! Why are they doing this to me? I didn't do anything."

Zach replied, full of concern, "Don't worry. I'll stop work and come to see you. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone on a business trip. I'll come back at once. Don't be sad, babe."

Then, he sent me his flight details. "I'll be arriving at the airport around five in the evening. You don't have to pick me up. We'll head to dinner together."

"It's fine. You don't have to risk your job for me. I'll feel guilty."

Zach chuckled dotingly. "Isn't that what having a boyfriend is for? To trouble him? If I can't be there for you when you're upset, what's the point of me? I'll handle things here. Don't worry. I won't let go of my work, or of you."

Zach was always mature and composed. Talking to him always calmed me.

I felt somewhat better already.

I was concentrating on selecting a private room at the club on my phone, so I could properly spend time with Zach later.

Just then, my chat was being bombarded with messages from our common friends.

"Lindsay, see you tonight! Don't be sad! It'll make Zach sad, too."

"We'll have fun! We'll drink all our worries away!"

"Lindsay, you're such a capable woman! Being fired is the company's loss! Don't worry! You'll shine brightly anywhere."

…

All the comforting messages cheered me right up. I grabbed my things, hailed a taxi, and returned home.

Then, I took a nap.

Early in the evening, when I was about to head out, Sharon returned home.

I held her hand and leaned on her shoulder, saying, "I got fired today."

"What?" Sharon was baffled. "Things haven't been going your way recently. We should go to a fortune teller this weekend."

I sighed and said to her playfully, "At least I still have you by my side."

I added, "Let me treat you to dinner tonight. There will be a lot of people there. You can have fun socializing. How about that? Want to come?"

Sharon immediately agreed to my invitation. "Of course. How could I ever turn down your invite?"

She was always generous with her emotional support.

We took a taxi to the club. The others were already in the private room that I booked, waiting for Zach.

At half past six, there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door to see a huge bouquet right in front of me. Camellias–my favorite.

Although I had lost my sense of smell after undergoing surgery for severe rhinitis, I did not mind it. I was still elated.

Zach stood behind the group, smiling at me. "I love you, Lindsay."

I wade past the group and buried myself in his arms. "I love you, too."

However, Zach did not return the hug. Instead, he shoved me off harshly. If my friends had not caught me, I would have fallen straight to the floor.

I looked at him in disbelief. Fear started to course through my veins, worried that I was going to be dumped the third time.

I even wanted to cover my ears, but Zach's cruel words rained down on me.

"I never pegged you'd be someone like that!"

Veins popped up on his forehead, and he looked… murderous. I had never seen him so furious before.

I was so afraid that I started trembling. All of the pent-up emotions in me exploded at that moment.

I shrieked hysterically, "What type of person am I? Why are all of you saying that?!"

"Hmph!" Zach scoffed. He pointed at the door. "Get lost! I no longer want to see you. We're done."

He threw the huge bouquet at me.

Sharon stood up and grabbed me on the shoulder. "Can't you work things out? Why do you have to get physical?"

Zach sneered and spat, "I have nothing to say to that tramp. Lindsay, get the hell out of here and never come up to me ever again. If not, I'm calling security."

Tramp.

There it was again.

My heart sank.

"No need to call security. I'll go." I listlessly walked out of the club.

Suddenly, I saw a car crash into someone by the roadside, sending them flying. They landed badly on the road, bloody and injured.

It happened right before my eyes.

Suddenly, it hit me–every absurd thing that had happened to me. Why I was called a tramp; why everyone wanted nothing to do with me.

I finally understood.