Jane’s glare intensified as she took a step closer to Grace. Her lip curled in disgust as she looked down on Grace. Grace’s eyes welled with tears as she tried to plead with Jane."Please, Ms. Foster, I’m begging you. This isn’t just about me, it’s about my son. He’s just a little boy, and without this money, we’ll be sent back.""I won’t have any way to take care of him. Please, just give me the money, that's all I ask."Jane’s face twisted with rage as Grace continued to pester her. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't have any money?" Jane sneered. "What makes you think Lord Cloud will remember a worthless cleaner like you?"She took another step toward Grace, her voice rising in fury. "Let me tell you something—you’re nothing! You will never be anything more than a low-life cleaner in this company.""And if I wanted to, I could have you fired this instant. So how about you stop wasting my time and get out of my sight before I make your life even worse?"Grace flinched
Jane stood at the center, still smirking, arms crossed as she bathed in the power she thought she had.To her, Steven Harris was just a janitor, nothing more. And Grace? She was a desperate cleaner with no hope."I have an idea," Jane said as her smirk grew wider. Grace knew that whatever she was about to say was nothing good, but she had no other choice but to listen to her."If she wants that cheque so badly, maybe she needs to show just how desperate she really is."Grace, still trembling on the floor, wiped her tear-streaked face with shaky hands.“If you want that cheque, I’ll give it to you. But there’s a price.”Grace’s eyes flicked up to Jane’s, filled with a mixture of hope and fear.“Oh yes,” Jane continued, circling her like a predator would its prey. “I’ll give it to you… if you get down on your knees and clean my shoe with your hair.”The room fell into a stunned silence, and Grace’s breath caught in her throat as she blinked, obviously horrified. Did she really just hear
A tense silence followed, with the other executives shifting uneasily. Jane, however, seemed unimpressed. Soon, she burst into loud, mocking laughter."Oh, Steven," Jane mocked, her arms crossing over her chest as she tilted her head. “I’ve been the Employee of the Year for five years in a row. Do you think some nobody like Grace can take that away from me? Enough of your party tricks.”Nathan remained silent. He didn’t need to respond—he knew what was coming.Grace, still kneeling on the floor, looked up at Nathan with tears in her eyes. She had almost lost hope, as the weight of Jane's words was crushing her spirit. Her body trembled, and she looked like she might collapse under the pressure of it all. Nathan glanced at her and gave a small, reassuring nod.Just then, the door to the lobby swung open, and a tall, well-dressed man entered. His presence immediately commanded attention. It was Mr. Raynolds, carrying the prestigious Employee of the Year award in his hand.The room went
Grace’s eyes were red as she joined her hands in front of her chest.Jane stood with a smirk plastered on her face as she held the Employee of the Year award with satisfaction. The sight of Grace begging her was so satisfying."How pathetic," Jane sneered. “I wish I could help you, Grace, but as I said earlier, I don't know anything about any cheque. I'm sorry I can't help you." Jane said, her voice dripping with false sympathy.Grace’s heart sank further into despair, and her vision blurred as she could no longer hold back her tears.The cheque was her only way to avoid being deported.It was her lifeline. Without it, everything would crumble, including her son's future.Grace felt so desperate that, without thinking, she lunged forward, her trembling hand grabbing at Jane’s wrist.“Please!” Grace’s voice cracked louder this time. “I don’t care about anything else—just give me the cheque! I need it! Please!”Jane yanked her hand back sharply, looking down at Grace as if she were noth
Behind her, Jane watched the scene unfold with a huge smirk playing on her lips.She stepped forward, wanting to add fuel to the fire.“Take her away, officers,” Jane said in a cold and authoritative voice.The officers moved to grab Grace, but she threw herself at Jane’s feet, her fingers trembling as she gripped the hem of her dress.“Please… please, Jane,” Grace’s voice was hoarse, her throat raw from sobbing. “I’ll do anything—just please, don’t let them take me. My son… my son needs me. Don’t do this, please.”Jane looked down at Grace with irritation, and her expression then shifted to a smile as she saw an opportunity to maximize the situation.“Anything?” she repeated, her lips curling into a slow, deliberate smile. “You’ll do anything?”Grace nodded as tears continued to flow from her eyes.“Fine,” Jane said. She crouched down slightly, leaning close to Grace, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Slap him.”Grace blinked, confused, as she turned her tearful eyes toward Jane.“Slap
One of the officers, his voice shaky, took a step forward. “Mrs. Cloud… the law.."“The law?” Vanessa cut him off, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to finish.“I will send someone to your office to sort this out. And you will not, under any circumstances, lay a finger on her. Do I make myself clear?”The weight of Vanessa’s words landed heavily on the officers. They exchanged nervous glances before nodding quickly, backing away from Grace, whose sobs had quieted in shock.“But ma’am, we have—” the second officer began, but Vanessa turned on him with a glare so sharp it could have cut through steel.“I don’t care what you think you have. If you lay a finger on her, you are automatically an enemy of Lord Cloud."The officer immediately swallowed hard as Vanessa used Lord Cloud's name to threaten him. He certainly did not want to become an enemy of Lord Cloud; that was like signing his own death warrant.Vanessa continued, her tone softening slightly. “I will personally ensure that th
“You’re going to learn what it’s like to be treated the way you’ve treated others," Vanessa said, cutting her off. Tears now flowed freely down Jane’s cheeks, and she shook her head in desperation. She looked to Mr. Raynolds, expecting him to defend her, but the minute their eyes met, he lowered his immediately. He knew that speaking up in front of Vanessa would only put him in trouble. Jane would have to carry her cross alone. Jane, seeing no hope in Raynolds' eyes, brought her gaze back to Vanessa. “Please, Mrs. Cloud, I’m begging you. I’ll change, I’ll do anything, just don’t...” “Silence!” Vanessa snapped. “You’re lucky I’m not firing you on the spot. "From now on, you’ll be cleaning the floors, fetching the coffee, and doing other menial jobs. "Maybe then, you’ll learn your place.” Jane fell to her knees, sobbing, her hands clasped together as she pleaded, “Please, I beg you, give me another chance, don’t—” But Vanessa had already turned her back, her focus now
Grace’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the stack of cash Vanessa was offering her. Her fingers trembled, and she took a small step back, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the cash. She had never held, seen, or even dreamed of having such an amount of money.The rest of the employees watched with shock, and some with jealousy, as Vanessa handed out money that would take them weeks to work for, and Grace was receiving it just like that.“Mrs. Cloud… I can’t,” Grace whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. “This is too much. I… I don’t deserve this. No one has ever given me such an amount of money…”Vanessa's expression softened, and she stepped closer, pressing the money into Grace’s hands. “You do deserve this, Grace. More than anyone in this company. You've endured, worked hard, and you have barely gotten any recognition for it. Even when people like Jane tried to bring you down, you still stood strong."Tears welled up in Grace’s eyes again, and she gripped the money ti