Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Lacey had just walked in and saw the scene unfolding. She was about to say something when Richard casually said, "Since you studied marketing, you should join the marketing department and start from the basics."

Lacey had planned to give Sophie a good position, but she didn't expect Richard to make her start as a junior employee in the marketing department.

For Sophie, though, the fact that he didn't send her back to the Empire Artistry Group was already a sign of leniency.

After Richard left, they were taken to their respective positions.

Lacey personally led Sophie to the marketing department.

"Sophie, I didn't know Richard would make such an arrangement. If I had known..." Lacey started to explain.

"It's okay, Lacey," Sophie gently interrupted with an understanding smile.

"Richard's arrangement is very reasonable. I have no objections. I've done many jobs before. I've washed dishes, cleaned, handed out flyers, and sold small toys. I never thought I would one day enter big companies like the Empire Artistry Group and Skyline International Corporation. Emily took care of me and nurtured me, and I am truly grateful. For me now, I do need the experience, and I will work hard to do this job well," Sophie continued.

Lacey looked at her with admiration, thinking that Sophie, though seemingly fragile, was actually very strong and brave.

Since they were now in the same company, they would naturally see each other often. Sophie was diligent, sensible, and polite. After joining the marketing department, she helped her seniors with their tasks without complaint, making her very likable.

And the single male colleagues took the opportunity to get close to her under the guise of helping her get familiar with the job.

"Sophie, can I treat you to dinner tonight?" Roger Dunn, her colleague, asked, knocking on her desk.

Since she joined Skyline International Corporation, Roger had interacted with her the most and helped her the most.

Sophie felt embarrassed and said, "It should be me treating you."

But the planned dinner didn't happen because a sudden order came down for

everyone to work overtime that night to prepare a marketing plan.

Although they didn't get to have dinner, Roger made a surprising move the next day.noveldrama

He brought a bouquet of roses to the office and confessed to Sophie.

Sophie knew Roger had a bold personality, but she didn't expect him to confess his feelings to her within a week of knowing her.

Colleagues clapped and cheered.

"Say yes! Say yes!"

Sophie couldn't bring herself to agree, but with everyone watching and Roger kneeling in front of her, she didn't want to embarrass him either.

She was at a loss, but suddenly, the room went silent, and everyone quietly returned to their workstations.

When the crowd dispersed, Sophie saw Richard standing not far away, looking stern. Roger awkwardly put away the flowers and went back to his desk.

Sophie slowly sat down, trying to stay calm, and pretended to look through some documents.

The once noisy marketing department was now dead silent.

After a while, they heard footsteps fading away, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

A female colleague threw a pillow that hit Roger on the head.

"Roger, confessing your feelings during work hours and making us witness the whole scene has totally ruined my reputation in Mr. Windsor's eyes," she said, exasperated.

Roger caught the pillow and threw it back, but before he could say anything, they heard the sound of high heels approaching.

"Do you all have nothing to do during work hours?" Alice, the marketing director, had such an authoritative voice that everyone lowered their heads.

Alice walked straight to Sophie's desk, and Sophie had a bad feeling.

"Sophie, Mr. Windsor wants to see you in his office."

Sophie looked up sharply and saw Alice giving her a look that seemed to say "Good luck" as she walked away.

After Alice left, a group of colleagues started gossiping.

"Sophie, you're in trouble!"

"Mr. Windsor wants to talk to you personally. Roger, you got Sophie into trouble."

Feeling guilty, Roger cautiously walked up to Sophie. "Sophie, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

Sophie slowly stood up, gave him a forced smile, and walked heavily towards the top floor.

Richard's office door was open, and she knocked lightly.

Richard, sitting behind his desk, looked up and glanced at her. "Come in."

Sophie walked to the desk and softly asked, "You wanted to see me?"

"I didn't realize you had such charm. You've only been with the company for a short time, and someone has already confessed their feelings to you!" Richard's tone was calm, revealing no emotion.

Sophie lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

Richard continued, "I don't care how lenient the rules were at the Empire Artistry Group. The Skyline International Corporation employee handbook states that employees are not allowed to date within the first three years of employment."

Sophie was stunned. "I've memorized the employee handbook, how come I didn't see that rule?"

Sophie's response was purely reflexive, but to Richard, it sounded a bit like a defiant retort.

Realizing this, Sophie clammed up.

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Luckily, Richard didn't get mad; he just said calmly, "I'll have someone add it tomorrow!"

Sure enough, the next day, everyone got a new employee handbook.

Half a month later, it was a female colleague's birthday in the marketing department.

She invited the whole department to go karaoke. Sophie didn't want to go because she couldn't leave Abby behind to go out and have fun.

"Sophie, you should go," Lacey's voice suddenly sounded behind her.

Lacey pulled Sophie aside and whispered, "Since you're colleagues, it's best to blend in

with everyone. Don't worry about Abby; I'll pick her up for you."

With Lacey's encouragement and her colleagues urging her, Sophie couldn't say no, so she went.

She didn't expect to run into Richard.

He was with that actress, Ellin. Sophie had seen them together a few times already.

They walked in another direction, with Ellin saying something to Richard and then kissing him on the cheek.

Richard had become more solidly built over the past two years, his back looking broad and warm, but at this moment, he was being held by another woman, not noticing Sophie's gaze from a distance.

Sophie had always known her place; he didn't care about her, but her heart still ached.

He didn't like her. He probably preferred someone like Ellin, with her curvaceous figure, delicate features, and stylish taste.

In the private room, Sophie couldn't calm down. The image of Richard and Ellin together kept replaying in her mind.

Her colleagues pulled her to sing. She had no talent for music and was tone-deaf. She barely managed to sing a song with a female colleague, and they teased her for a long

time.

After that, Sophie didn't sing anymore, but she felt so miserable that she started drinking.

She had hardly ever touched alcohol before. The liquor tasted unpleasant, spicy, and bitter, much like her current feelings.

She toasted with her colleagues, and when no one was with her, she drank alone.

She quickly got drunk, and soon couldn't even taste the alcohol, just kept pouring it into her mouth.

It was her first time getting drunk, and she found the floating, hazy feeling quite wonderful.

Later, her stomach felt uncomfortable, so she staggered out of the private room to find the restroom. A passing waiter pointed her in the right direction, and she walked towards the restroom, holding onto the wall.

At the restroom door, her stomach churned, and she couldn't hold it in any longer. She pushed the door open and rushed in, vomiting into the sink.

After throwing up, the discomfort in her stomach eased a bit.

She heard the sound of running water and looked towards the source. Through her blurry vision, she saw a figure but couldn't make out the face.

She was unsteady on her feet, and the floor was slippery. She was about to fall when a pair of arms caught her just in time.

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"If you can't handle alcohol, don't try to drink," the person holding her said leisurely. Sophie shook her dizzy head, closed her eyes tightly, but still couldn't see clearly. Then she started giggling foolishly.

"A grown man running into the women's restroom, can't you read?"

Her arm was yanked hard by the person, and she sensed a hostile vibe from him.

Sophie shouted, "What do you want? Running into the women's restroom, are you a pervert? I'm telling you, if you try anything, I'll scream."

"Sophie, are you looking for trouble?" The gritted voice sounded somewhat familiar. But she was too drunk to stand properly, let alone think clearly.

She pointed her finger at his chest, recklessly. "I'm telling you, leave now while you haven't been discovered. If someone finds you later, you won't be able to leave," she said, just before she was hoisted up.

"Let me go."

Richard carried her out of the restroom and back to the private room, throwing her

onto the sofa.

The few people who had been playing around in the private room immediately stopped, staring at Richard in shock.

Ellin stood up, glanced at Sophie lying ungracefully on the sofa, and walked towards

Richard.

"Mr. Windsor, what's wrong? Who is she?"

"Everyone out!" Richard said coldly.

The others didn't dare stay and quickly gathered their things to leave.

Only Ellin remained by Richard's side, unwilling to go. She looked at Richard's expression, thinking that if they all left, who knew what might happen next.

"Mr. Windsor."

"Get out!"

Ellin flinched, looking at him with grievance, but he didn't look at her at all. Richard just stared intently at the drunken Sophie on the sofa.

Though unwilling, Ellin didn't dare defy him further and eventually turned to leave.

With the door closed, Richard walked towards Sophie, sat down beside her, and tried

to pull her up.

But she was completely drunk, had no strength, and just waved her hands around with her eyes closed.

"Don't touch me."

It was the first time Richard had seen Sophie drunk. She was very different from her usual obedient and timid self, which made him even more frustrated.