The day before the long weekend, I stopped by the branch office to deliver a file in my capacity as chairman.

I had barely stepped through the door when I saw my old college classmate, Whitney Sims, surrounded by her usual circle of admirers.

One of them said enviously, "I heard your fiance, Shane, is taking you home for the holiday? That's basically meeting the family, right?"

"And tomorrow night at the corporate gala, he's bringing you out for the first time? Looks like the position of Mrs. Wilson is already secured!"

I didn't react. I lowered my gaze and walked straight toward the office.

Whitney called out behind me, "Skylar? I sent you my wedding invitation this morning–why didn't you reply?"

"Oh–right, I almost forgot. The wedding's at the Grand Bellevue. You need at least a million in assets just to get in. I'm guessing you don't qualify?"

She tapped my shoulder lightly, a faint smile on her lips.

"Tell you what–I'll have my fiance speak to your supervisor and get your name on the guest list for tomorrow's gala. You can come watch me have my moment. Think of it as a preview of my happily-ever-after."

I didn't even look up.

"I'm busy that night. I won't be going."

The moment I finished speaking, the woman beside her shoved me.

"Who do you think you are? You're just a clerk running paperwork between offices–what are you putting on airs for?

"Our Whitney is engaged to the CEO! She's being nice offering you a seat–don't push your luck!"

"And don't think we don't know–if you hadn't stolen Whitney's college thesis, how would you have even gotten hired?"

I almost laughed.

I was the only daughter of the Reed family.

Before I had even finished college, my parents had already handed over Reed Group to me.

I was the chairman.

What interview would I ever need?

Whitney's smug little smile was working on me, and not in the way she thought.

"Tomorrow night, right? I'll be there. I'll come give my regards to you and the CEO."

Whitney's smile widened. She liked that one.

She tossed her hair. "I'm not even angry that you stole my work. You used to steal from me in high school, too. It's habitual at this point."

The other women joined in.

"I heard about her in college. She'd hook anyone with money. Anything that wasn't bolted down."

"Right. If she'll steal a man, she'll steal a thesis."

"Whitney is too kind. She knew what kind of person Skylar was, and she still didn't ask the CEO to have HQ fire her."

I looked at Whitney like she had grown a second head. Why did she like making things up about me this much?

In college, I had caught her doing it more than once. I had reported it to my advisor.

The advisor had given me a sympathetic look. "Whitney came up in a single-parent home. Her mother is disabled. Some of her habits, you have to understand."

So I had let it go. I had told myself rumors were a hundred mouths and one fact, and that I had better things to do than fight with someone who lied for fun.

That had been the mistake.

I lifted my chin. I let my voice go cold.

"Tell me. The work I supposedly stole–what was it about? The man I supposedly stole, what was his name?"

Whitney went still for a second, then she laughed.

"Skylar, I am not going to engage with this. You'll embarrass yourself."

She paused. "Honestly, thanks for stealing the thesis. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been assigned to the Crestwood branch, and I never would have met Shane."

"You have no idea how much he loves me."

I let out a thin laugh.

"A branch manager noticed you, and now you're looking around for somebody to bow to?"

"Skylar Reed." Her brow snapped down. Her voice picked up. "Excuse me? How dare you speak to me like that?"

Behind me, somebody pulled at my arm.

"Skylar Reed?"

I turned. It was Lisa Nash, my college roommate. We had been close.

She knew that everything Whitney was saying was a lie.

I had paid Lisa's tuition once when she had been short. I assumed she would say something on my behalf.

Instead, she stepped to Whitney's side and dropped into the simpering tone women use when they want approval.

"Skylar. Wake up. The CEO is about to be promoted to corporate VP. Whitney is about to be Mrs. Wilson. Why are you still doing this dramatic clerk thing?"

"What?"

I stared at her.

"What did you just say?"

Lisa stepped in front of Whitney, finger an inch from my face.

"I said, stop pretending."

"You poached enough boyfriends in college. You know it. I know it."

"I have had enough. I am vouching for Whitney here. You're a thief."

My ears were ringing.

Just because Whitney was about to marry Shane Wilson, Lisa was now this?

Whitney decided to play the bigger person. Her voice softened. "Lisa, let it go."

"We were classmates. Let's not make it ugly."

She nudged a piece of trash on the floor with her toe. "If we're done here, get to work. While you're walking out, take the trash with you."

I almost laughed in her face. I started to answer.

Lisa flipped her hair at me first. "Whitney, don't worry. The CEO asked me to take you to your dress fitting for tomorrow."

"He said, pick whatever you like. First time in front of the company. He's putting it on the corporate tab."

The corporate tab? With my company? Without my signature?

We would see who reimbursed her.

Whitney lit up at the offer.

She bumped my shoulder on the way out, chin in the air. "Get back to work. Stop embarrassing yourself."

She left. So did I.

On my way out of the lobby, I pulled up Shane Wilson's pending VP appointment letter on my phone and shredded it.

I had barely cleared the building when Shane himself called.

"Director Reed, you came to Crestwood today. Why didn't you tell me? I would have come down."

I watched Whitney's silhouette disappear at the end of the lobby. One corner of my mouth lifted.

"No need. The team here was very welcoming."

"Director, I am so sorry. If I had known you were coming, I would have postponed the client meeting.

"And tomorrow night, you'll be hosting the gala. Take care of yourself. If you need anything, just have the staff handle it."

He sounded almost overly deferential.

If he knew his fiancee had been calling me a thief, what would he sound like then?

I had no time for this. Tomorrow night was my company's fiftieth anniversary gala. It would be my first appearance as chairman. My parents would be flying in, and many of the country's top business figures would be there.

I had work to do.

I spent that night at the hotel going through the run-of-show with the planners until after three in the morning. By the time I finished, I was too tired to drive, so I booked a room.

The next morning, I went down for breakfast and a final walkthrough. As I stepped out of the elevator, I ran straight into Whitney.

She was wearing a royal-blue velvet gown, with a matching sapphire necklace around her neck. Both looked expensive.

Lisa followed behind her, her face full of envy.

"HQ really values the CEO. They didn't even hesitate to reimburse a dress like that."

Whitney lifted her chin. "Of course. He's about to become a corporate VP. This kind of expense is nothing."

As soon as she saw me, her expression darkened.

"Skylar? Your approval hasn't even come through yet. What are you doing here?"

Her eyes swept over the hotel robe I was wearing, and her face twisted.

"Oh, I get it. You couldn't get approval, so you found a man instead, didn't you?"

Whitney never bothered to keep her voice down. The lobby was quiet, and everyone could hear her.

I cut her off sharply. "Do you even know what day it is? Say one more word, and I'll have you thrown out."

She froze for a second, then pointed at herself and laughed.

"Throw me out? What a joke! I'm the CEO's fiancee. Who do you think you are?"

"You came here today because all the big names are here, right? Looking to latch onto someone again?"

Before I could respond, she suddenly rushed forward and grabbed a fistful of my hair, screaming, "How does this company still have parasites like you?!"

Lisa, standing behind her, seemed to realize something and suddenly pointed at me.

"Wait. After the fitting last night, the CEO came back to the hotel, right? Tell me, did you try something with him again?!"

As she spoke, she reached for me. In the struggle, my keycard fell to the floor.

Whitney snatched it up immediately. Her eyes narrowed.

"So you did get a room here. Lisa, let's go upstairs."

Lisa hesitated. "But what if it's really Shane in there...?"

Whitney drove her knee into my side.

"He's been in this industry for years. He's been with plenty of women, and still came back to me.

"If it is him, then it's Skylar's fault. Not his."

She shot me a vicious look.

"And if it isn't him, then I'd like to see which executive is bold enough to break the rules and give you access.

"As his fiancee, it's my responsibility to clean things up for the company."

With that, she grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the elevator.

Pain shot through my scalp.

I twisted toward the front desk and shouted, "Call the police!"

She slapped me. The side of my face went hot. There was a high whine in my ear.

She turned to the desk staff.

"I am the fiancee of the host company's incoming corporate vice president. This is an internal matter. Do not call the police. If you do, this hotel will lose every contract we send your way."

The two clerks exchanged a look. They put the phone down. Nobody moved.

Whitney let out a cold laugh.

"When the chairman of HQ hears tonight that I caught one of the company's parasites, she'll be very pleased."

I tasted blood. I wrenched free of her grip.

"You want to know who the chairman is? I am the chairman."

She froze for half a second.

Then she shoved me into the corner of the elevator. My back slammed against the wall.

"Now you're pretending to be the chairman?

"You really think I'm that easy to fool?

"I'm going to tear that face of yours apart."

She didn't give me a chance to respond. She dragged me back into the room.

The moment we entered, she scanned every corner. When she didn't see Shane, she let out a breath of relief.

She threw me to the ground.

"Where is he? Where is the man you brought here? Get him out!

"I'll have my fiance deal with him."

Her gaze fell on my bag. She dumped everything out.

Inside was a pair of sapphire cufflinks. A gift I had prepared for my father for tonight's ceremony. Worth over a million.

Whitney picked them up, glanced at them, then slammed them to the floor and crushed them under her heel.

"Found your evidence. Seducing men, aren't you? Still want to deny it?

"If you're that desperate, I'll help you out.

"Strip her! Put her on stage tonight. I want her to be the company's disgrace!"

Before I could react, they wrapped me tightly in a bedsheet.

Then someone grabbed a chair and brought it down on me.

The first hit. Pain exploded through my body. I choked, the taste of blood rising in my throat.

The sheet was wrapped too tightly. I couldn't move.

Through the fabric, I shouted with everything I had–

"Do you have any idea what will happen if you do this to me?!"

Whitney paused for half a second, then swung the chair again.

This time, something in my leg snapped.

The pain was so intense I couldn't even scream. My body convulsed silently on the ground.

"Consequences?" she screamed. "I'm Shane Wilson's fiancee! What consequences could I possibly face? You should worry about yourself!"

My consciousness started to fade.

Somewhere in the haze, I felt someone drag me–force me into something narrow.

Whitney's voice came faintly, "Just a low-level clerk delivering files. And she dares to threaten me."

When I woke up, everything was pitch black.

From outside, I could faintly hear the host's voice.

"Please welcome our chairman to the stage."

They called again. And again.

The crowd began to stir.

"The chairman has never missed an event like this. Did something happen?"

"We saw her last night. Where could she be?"

I tried to move.

My limbs felt like lead. I couldn't even lift a finger.

Then Whitney's voice came from just outside.

"Wait. Before the chairman comes on stage, I'd like a moment."

Shane's voice was tense. "Whitney, what is it? Did someone bully you?"

Whitney sniffled.

"There's someone in the company… someone completely shameless. She's been seducing married executives."

"This morning, I even caught her renting a room in this hotel. She has no respect for the company at all."

"Since all the branch presidents are here tonight, I'd like everyone to judge this properly."

The crowd grew louder.

Shane shouted, "Who is it?!"

The next second…

The box was thrown open.

Light flooded in.

I was pushed out, naked, covered in injuries.

Whitney pointed at me, pretending to cry.

"It's her!"

The room erupted.

I forced my head up and saw Shane's legs give out as he dropped to his knees in front of me.

"Chairman, Ms. Reed… who did this to you?!"