Chapter 34: Banished to the Cold Palace

Not far off, a woman in a dark suit and wearing glasses stood at the entrance. She looked to be in her forties. Her facial features weren’t unattractive, but her high cheekbones, thin lips, and somber expression made her seem somewhat harsh. Isla Hawskin quietly tugged Vera Wave’s sleeve, signaling her to greet the woman. Vera immediately put on a smile. "Hello, Manager Baker," Vera said. Her smile was perfectly sweet and harmless, but it was precisely this sweetness that was the problem. Seeing the smile on Vera’s face, Emily Baker was instantly reminded of the "vixen" who had stolen her husband; that woman also favored such a smile. With this preconceived notion clouding her judgment, she could no longer find anything pleasing about Vera’s appearance. "Come in!" With a haughty toss of those three words, she turned, her high heels clicking as she walked toward the Administration Department’s main door. "Go on." Isla shot Vera a "be careful" glance. Vera winked back in understanding and then followed Emily Baker into the Administration Department. Isla returned to her desk to resume her work, while Vera followed Emily to her office located further inside. Upon entering the office, Emily Baker sat down in her chair. Vera walked over to the front of her desk, awaiting instructions. Vera felt she was doing her utmost to appear well-behaved and obliging, but unfortunately, the other woman seemed intent on finding fault. Gazing at the girl’s youthful, collagen-rich face, Emily was once again reminded of the young mistress who had stolen her husband. "Well? Aren’t you going to introduce yourself, or are you waiting for me to ask?" Indeed, a frustrated woman is truly a terrifying creature! Vera complained silently, though her smile never wavered. Having fallen from the heights of Penduline to the depths of hardship, she had experienced the full spectrum of human warmth and coldness, so she was quite unfazed by people like Emily Baker. "I’m sorry, Manager Baker. I was a little nervous and forgot to introduce myself. My name is Vera Wave. The ’Vera’ part of my name evokes a classic beauty, and ’Wave’ relates to dreams. Assistant Chen recruited me, and Manager Kris from the Propaganda Department asked me to report to you." Assistant Chen? Emily Baker racked her brain but couldn’t recall any important figures named Chen in any department. It was no wonder. Kris Cooper had only recently taken office. Apart from a few senior executives, hardly anyone even knew what he looked like. So it was hardly surprising that Emily Baker, a junior manager in the Administration Department, wouldn’t know that the president’s assistant was named Chen. As for the "male manager" from the Propaganda Department Vera had mentioned, Emily only knew that the department had been dissolved the previous afternoon. Only Sabella Edwards, a mere figurehead, had remained, and Emily had promptly dismissed her. "Who interviewed you?" "I had two interviews. Yesterday, it was Manager Sabella from the Propaganda Depart—" "Manager Sabella who?" Emily Baker cut her off, her tone sharp with displeasure. "Alright, alright. Since you’ve been hired, go to Human Resources and sign your contract first, then come back here to report." "I’ve already signed the contract," Vera said quickly. "Then... give me your resume." Vera handed it over. Emily Baker glanced at it and frowned. "A junior college degree, and still an intern... I really don’t know what use the company has for people like you. Is it just because you have a pretty face?" She tossed the resume onto the desk and said without looking up, "In that case, go report to the Logistics Department. You’ll be working there from now on." No connections, just an ungraduated junior college intern, and an irritating sight at that... Emily Baker had absolutely no positive impression of Vera, so she summarily banished her to the ’cold storage’ that was the Logistics Department.