Chapter 7

Lunchtime was my sanctuary. While the rest of the office struggled under the weight of their tasks, I enjoyed my meal in peace, albeit under the resentful glares of my colleagues. When I returned, they were still hunched over their desks, furiously working. Chu Qing, the HR specialist, couldn’t hold back and approached me. "Li Jie, I finally understand your pain. I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have judged you before!" The assistant, Zhu Yang, weakly raised his hand. "Me too. If I could go back in time, I’d slap my past self. Now, not only is my bonus gone, but I’ve also earned mandatory overtime. I’m numb to it all." Manager He Yuan sighed deeply. "My daughter’s been looking forward to the amusement park this weekend. Now I have to break my promise again. What a mess." I offered them a faint smile without adding a word. It was ironic how they only realized their folly when faced with consequences. Their belated remorse meant nothing to me. I couldn’t forget the baseless rumors they had perpetuated in our past life. If the online masses were mere sheep blindly following the herd, my colleagues were deliberate accomplices. They knew the truth but still helped Guan Yingying tarnish my name. When she gained fame from her live-stream skits mocking “difficult coworkers,” they eagerly played supporting roles, earning widespread acclaim and a fortune. Meanwhile, I became the perpetual villain, dragged posthumously through every comment section, my reputation butchered repeatedly. Now, as they began to experience public backlash themselves, I couldn’t help but wonder: would they still support Guan Yingying as fervently as they had before? As lunch ended, the boss finally arrived, his expression grim. He had clearly been dragged straight from his golf game after the department supervisor informed him of the situation. The moment he stepped into the office, everyone swarmed him, led by none other than He Liangwen. Their complaints poured out like a dam breaking. The boss’s face grew darker with every word. For Gu Bapi (literally “Gu the Skinflint”), nothing was more infuriating than losing a client. "Where is she? It’s work hours, and she’s not even at her desk. Does she have no concept of time?!" He turned to Chu Qing. "Settle her pay and fire her. I don’t want to see her here again!" Chu Qing gleefully made an “OK” gesture. "Got it, Boss! I’ll prepare the paperwork immediately." At that exact moment, the missing Guan Yingying appeared. She stumbled in dramatically, dressed inappropriately for the cold weather in a thin vest, with thorny branches strapped to her back. She dropped to her knees and began kowtowing, her forehead hitting the ground with audible thuds. "I didn’t mean to cause trouble! Over the weekend, my parents suddenly told me their business had gone bankrupt, and they needed to flee abroad. My mind has been in a fog ever since—I don’t even remember what I did wrong. "I know there’s no excuse for my mistakes. I’ve made a huge mess, and I’m here to take responsibility. Please, give me one more chance. I’ll work for the next six months without pay to make up for the losses!" Her sudden confession left everyone stunned. Sympathy began to creep into their expressions. Then she piled it on. "On my way home this weekend, my grandma got hit by a car and suffered a shattered leg. The driver fled the scene, and the police couldn’t track him down. "To make matters worse, my grandpa was just diagnosed with cancer, and he urgently needs expensive treatment. Between working and arranging his appointments with specialists, I’ve been overwhelmed. "I’m so sorry. I’ve let you all down!" She slammed her head on the ground a few more times, leaving visible bruises on her forehead. Chu Qing rushed forward to help her up. "Stop it, it’s not all your fault. I shouldn’t have dumped my work on you. Honestly, I spent that day at the amusement park. Knowing what you’ve been through, I feel so guilty!" Shi Ming murmured, "I’m sorry too. I was so focused on blaming you that I didn’t even bother to ask what happened. In hindsight, no one would make such obvious mistakes on purpose." The others echoed their regret, one by one. Even Gu Bapi softened, albeit reluctantly. "That’s tough. I’ll raise your salary by 200 yuan starting next month. Don’t think too much about it—just do your best and aim for early confirmation." Chu Qing sent her a red envelope on the spot. Soon, the office chat group was filled with red envelopes labeled "For Yingying." Guan Yingying sobbed dramatically in the group: "Thank you all! You’re my saviors!" The office buzzed with a newfound camaraderie, almost nauseating in its warmth. He Liangwen suddenly pointed at me, his voice loud and accusatory. "Li Jie, everyone’s pitching in, but you haven’t sent her anything. Isn’t that a bit cold-hearted?" Before I could respond, Guan Yingying chimed in with a syrupy tone. "Oh, don’t blame Li Jie. Her family must be struggling too. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given her tasks to me." He Liangwen smacked his forehead. "Wait a minute. Wasn’t Li Jie the first to dump her work on you? If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have felt obligated to help everyone else. You’re just too kind!" Somehow, the blame circled back to me as the ultimate instigator. I let out a sharp laugh. "So now this is all my fault?" Guan Yingying rushed forward, feigning panic. "No, no, it’s my fault! Li Jie didn’t do anything wrong!" I leaned in close, whispering just loud enough for her to hear. "Your grandparents have been dead for years. Your parents each remarried and don’t care about you. You’re a liar, Yingying. When everyone sees through you, they’ll hate you just as much as your family does." Her pupils shrank in shock, and her hand reflexively shoved me. I staggered backward, accidentally kicking a chair. The pain shot through my toe, twisting my expression. Guan Yingying immediately cried out. "I didn’t push her! She bumped into me on purpose! And she insulted my family!" But everyone was too stunned by the sudden commotion to process her words. The tide was finally beginning to shift.