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.