Soon, Friday rolled in. The dramatic start of the week had already taken a toll on me, but people were nowhere near done with it.

The hottest news of today was the latest news release, which confirmed the rumors of my engagement to be true. Everyone instantly went gaga on the internet, typing all types of opinions on my frenzied photos posted on numerous sites. In their defense, they had no choice but to upload low quality, blurred photos of mine because I didn't comply with their wishes to do a photoshoot.

Some people called me pretty, others said I didn't deserve a 'hottie' like André Beaumont. Some even had the decency to warn me, and said I should have stayed away from that player. But, everyone had an opinion. Nobody wanted to ignore me and move on with their lives. Nobody was not interested in our lives.

But, it wouldn't be called drama, if everything stopped at that point. The gossip continued in the office, only it worsened with each passing day. And, as the news of our group working actively came to light, chaos ensued in the company.

People who had absolutely no connection with our successes and failures started to feel jealous and intimidated by us. Random people started to target our members in the hallways, calling them all sorts of derogatory names, just so we could all be discouraged to work.

But, the most surprising thing of all, was how Sasha Collins hadn't said a single word to us ever since. I had thought she would be the first one to approach us, but she had strangely kept her distance. Still, I wasn't exactly relaxed. I was on edge, not knowing when, or how, she would pull something.

Sasha, as experienced as she was in this field, seemed to be an incredibly cunning woman to me. And when I say cunning, I mean someone who would go to any lengths just to fulfill their desires. She wasn't just competitive, she was overambitious, which almost always led people on the wrong path.

Our fundamental planning and designing was also coming to an end. Soon, the designs would be sent out to be made, and the main part of the process would be set into motion. There was undoubtedly a lot of pressure on all our shoulders, especially since this was technically the first time for all of us. Me – because I'd never actually worked as a designer, and them – because they would all work independently after a long hiatus.

But as much as the pressure was present, there was also something exhilarating in the work we did. The long nights we spent crafting and honing our work, the long discussions which drained our energy and the last bits of our brains, everything which was so taxing, seemed to be so relaxing for us.

It was a relief how everyone was a true workaholic in our team, including the young twins who looked like they wouldn't do a thing. Had anyone here become accustomed to slacking off, I would have pulled the remaining hairs out of my scalp out of stress.

As I entered the break room, the irresistible fragrance of coffee beans invited me inside warmly. Instantly, all my senses were alerted, and I forgot all my drowsiness outside the door. I made my coffee blindly, like a routine I'd followed for almost a century.

Not even five minutes later, the door reopened, and someone entered the room. The silence and peace was broken, and I took in a breath of frustration. There was seriously some sort of curse on my time with coffee, people just wouldn’t leave us alone.

Making my mind to leave the room, I turned around, only to see someone I didn't want to see when I was alone. Or, was it better if I met her when we weren't surrounded by everyone else?

Sasha Collins walked in silently, walking past me and towards the big table full of all kinds of snacks. She was in her mid-thirties, and was shorter than me, even when she wore heels. Always dressed in trendy suit pants ranging in every shade of flashy, her personal fashion sense explained her obsession with futuristic, neon pieces very well.

Even today, her outfit was in a lighter shade of neon green, bordering on a blinding white shade. I suddenly felt the need to pull out my sunglasses. As her coffee trickled inside the cup, she turned towards me with a raised eyebrow.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Never seen a woman this trendy?" She asked me, and I wanted to laugh in her face.

If I ever dared to call her pretty or trendy, that would be my last day alive.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, but I wasn't admiring your beauty, or your fashion. I was just going to leave the room." I replied calmly, my eyes watching her every move closely.

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and her jaw tightened at my jab, but she knew how to keep her calm. Showing like my words didn't affect her, she flicked her hair back.

"That could be true, seeing how you don't really have an eye for the good stuff."

"Sure, if you think so." I said, and turned around one more time. Wasting time with her wasn't really my plan, and I just wanted some privacy before I resumed work.

I'd just kept my hand on the door knob, when I heard her voice once again. "I thought you had quite the talent, when I heard you'd be given a position this year. But, guess what? It turns out that it wasn't any talent, but you slept your way through. Fascinating, isn't it?"

My grip on the knob tightened, and I inhaled deeply. This chatty woman just didn't know when to shut up. I turned my back to the door, leaving all thoughts of escaping this woman. Perhaps, if I faced her head on, I might find out she wasn't as frightening as everyone made her out to be.

"Oh, how wrong you are! If you think as a woman, that everything in this world can be achieved by sleeping one's way through, then that in itself is an insult to the existence of women. I know you don't like me, but let's at least try to keep our decency."

By now, I'd walked half the room, and seeing my hard stance, Sasha stood up taller. I smiled inwardly, seeing how small she looked in my comparison. And by her expressions, she had noticed it too.

"Honestly speaking, I have no problem with you marrying André. And I don't care whether your relationship is real or not. I'm not an idiot like Maddy, so I'm not going to argue with you over such trivial issues. My concern is with how swiftly you have worked your way up, which definitely comes from your undeniable connections to the CEO. That's what doesn't sit right with me."

I smirked. This woman really thought of me as a fool. She thought that by changing her way of attacking me, she could perhaps break me. Her conviction in itself was foolish and cute.

"No, I think there's no difference between you and Madison. It's just that she cares about my relationship with André, because she wants him for herself. And you care about how fast I'm moving towards success, because you want to keep your position in this company. When both of you are intimidated by me because of your personal agendas, how is that called being different?"

I asked her a rhetorical question, and fire ignited in her eyes. I knew I'd hit the nail right on the head, and her ire was proof of it. I took five more steps, and I was now right in front of her. Leaning down to her height, I looked at her straight in the eye.

"You're just the same as Madison, foolish and blindingly egoistic. I can see right through you, so you better keep your distance from me. See you later."

I smirked at her one last time, and left the room with my coffee in hand. One more break was ruined, but I felt so much more relieved.

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