The nature of Helen and Matthew’s relationship was widely known within the company.
Helen had been dropping hints about their relationship here and there, and Matthew never explicitly denied the rumors. As a result, others assumed that he had acknowledged their connection.
At the time, Helen served as more than just his secretary; she could potentially become the young lady of the Nelson family. Naturally, her colleagues recognized the significance of this and tried to curry favor with her. This sense of importance fueled her entitlement and pride.
Whenever Matthew was occupied with work in his office, there was always someone scurrying after Helen, whispering, “Ms. White, what did you have for lunch with Mr. Nelson just now? We’re really envious of you guys.”
Helen glanced sideways at Dolores, who was in a corner of the office, and smiled. “Nothing special. We had the usual vegetables, crispy pigeon meat, chicken, and some prawns…”
“Wow, those are your favorite foods,” Sheryl continued to flatter Helen. “Mr. Nelson is very considerate towards you.”
Helen responded with a faint smile, casually displaying her newly manicured fingernails. Her silence was interpreted by others as confirmation of their relationship.
Drawing even closer, Sheryl asked, “Ms. White, when are you planning to marry Mr. Nelson?”
Helen’s movements paused briefly as thoughts of marriage raced through her mind. If it weren’t for Dolores, she would already be the young lady of the Nelson family.
It was all because of Dolores, who had stood in her way!
Since she still needed to maintain a favorable image in front of Matthew, she couldn’t harm Dolores openly. However, she could manipulate others to make Dolores’ life difficult in the company.
She flashed a friendly smile. “Sheryl.”
“Yes, Ms. White?” Sheryl’s expression was full of flattery.
“Our newest recruit handling the translation job is completely clueless about how things work around here,” Helen pretended to be slightly frustrated as she complained.
“Did she do something to offend you?”
“Not exactly, but never mind. You should get back to work now.” Helen intentionally ended the conversation without providing a direct answer. She was confident that Sheryl understood her implied message.
Sheryl glanced at Dolores and pondered. Was this recruit unaware of Helen’s relationship with Mr. Nelson? Did she unintentionally offend Helen due to her unfamiliarity with the company?
That must be it. Being new, she likely unknowingly crossed paths with Helen.
As Sheryl returned to her seat, she resolved to teach Dolores a lesson at the earliest opportunity.
After finishing her lunch, Dolores disposed of the food packaging and headed to the tea area to pour herself a cup of tea.
Sheryl noticed her movements and decided to seize the chance to reprimand her. She followed Dolores to the tea area.
Positioning herself behind Dolores, just as Dolores turned around with a full cup of tea, Sheryl purposefully took a step forward, causing Dolores to bump into her, unaware of the presence behind her. Consequently, the tea spilled onto Sheryl’s skirt.
“Don’t you know how to walk properly?” Sheryl immediately launched into a scolding.
Dolores promptly apologized since it was her tea that spilled onto Sheryl. “I’m truly sorry. It was an accident.”
“If it wasn’t intentional, then why is my skirt wet now?”
Dolores was momentarily stunned. She didn’t expect Sheryl to respond so aggressively.
“I’ve already apologized. It was genuinely unintentional,” Dolores patiently explained.
“What good does apologizing do? If I were to slap you and then apologize, would that mean you wouldn’t pursue the matter further?” Sheryl wasn’t ready to let Dolores off the hook just yet. She wanted to make things difficult for her.
Frowning, Dolores couldn’t help but feel that this woman was being excessively forceful in her response. How could she compare being slapped to spilling tea? They were entirely different matters.
“What do you want?” Dolores’ voice lowered a notch.
Since Sheryl wouldn’t accept her apology, she had no choice but to seek another way to resolve the situation.
Sheryl poured herself a cup of water and looked at Dolores. “Since you spilled water on me, I’ll consider things even if you let me do the same to you.”
Dolores stared at the cup of steaming hot water in Sheryl’s hands incredulously. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sheryl was clearly trying to harm her.
If that cup of scalding hot water were poured on her, she would undoubtedly suffer burns.
The tea Dolores had just drunk was lukewarm at best since she was in a hurry. Although some of it had spilled onto Sheryl’s skirt, it didn’t cause any harm. The skirt was only slightly wet.
Dolores raised her hands and stared intently at Sheryl. “How is that fair? If I get scalded by hot water, you’ll have to take responsibility!”
Sheryl pondered the consequences of pouring hot water on Dolores. The water had cooled down, so it wouldn’t cause severe burns. At most, Dolores would only suffer minor blisters.
Wanting to gain Helen’s trust, Sheryl felt compelled to try. She let out a cold laugh. “That is, if you can win a lawsuit against me!”
Before she could finish her sentence, Sheryl swiftly flicked her wrist, sending hot water flying toward Dolores.
Dolores wasn’t foolish enough to let herself get splashed without dodging. However, her sudden movements aggravated her knee injury. She lost her balance and crashed to the floor. The hot water spilled onto the floor; it only dampened the side of her skirt. She managed to avoid getting scalded.
Suddenly, a cold voice broke the silence. The onlookers immediately made way for the person who spoke.
Helen stood beside Matthew and glanced at Dolores momentarily but said nothing.
No one else knew about the connection between Dolores and Matthew, but Helen was aware of it. She couldn’t speak up for anyone because that was the only way she could maintain distance from the center of the conflict.
Sheryl stole a glance at Helen and felt confident in her situation. With Helen’s support, she had nothing to fear. After all, Dolores was just a newcomer to the company.
Sheryl explained, “She purposely splashed tea on me, and she didn’t even apologize. I was angry, so I retaliated by pouring tea on her.”
Matthew towered over the embarrassed figure on the floor, his face wearing an ambiguous expression. He asked sternly, “Is that true?”
Dolores tried to get up from the floor, but the pain in her knees caused her to stumble each time. Just as she was about to fall again, a strong hand suddenly grabbed her arm. With a jerk, she found herself in a warm embrace.
Matthew held her waist, feeling the softness of her skin. It was as if a little pressure from his hands would break her backbone, yet he couldn’t bring himself to let go. A strange feeling overwhelmed his heart.
Dolores felt like she narrowly escaped a disaster. She took a deep breath, wondering why she had been so unlucky lately.
She was pushed by Matthew before and fell, and now she was falling again.
“Can you stand?” Matthew asked.
Dolores tried to move her legs and replied, “I can.”
The onlookers and Sheryl were stunned by the scene unfolding before them. They couldn’t understand why Matthew, known for his cold personality, would lend a helping hand in this situation.
All eyes turned to Helen, as if expecting her to reveal the woman’s identity.
Dolores didn’t appear exceptional, so they couldn’t comprehend why she had caught Mr. Nelson’s attention.
“If this matter is resolved, everyone should disperse,” Helen urged, wanting the ordeal to end quickly. Matthew’s reaction had taken her by surprise.
He had promised not to expose her identity, yet he was embracing her openly in public. What would the other employees think of this?
Helen glared at Sheryl fiercely, as if blaming her for the unexpected turn of events.
“Mr. Nelson, it’s time for the meeting,” Helen whispered in his ear.
Matthew loosened his grip on Dolores and stood by the tearoom door, his gaze icy. He carefully surveyed the messy room and suddenly growled, “Abbott!”
Abbott promptly responded, “Yes?”
“Show me the surveillance camera recordings,” Matthew ordered, then turned to Helen. “Delay the meeting by half an hour.”
Upon hearing this, Sheryl grew increasingly anxious. “Ms. White…”
Helen shot her a piercing gaze, silencing her instantly.
Helen approached Matthew cautiously and reminded him, “Mr. Nelson, the meeting has already begun. Everyone is waiting for you to start. It wouldn’t be good to further delay…”
Matthew maintained an indifferent expression, simply staring at her without emotion.
Helen couldn’t argue any longer. “I will do as you say.”
Meanwhile, Sheryl’s heart raced. If the surveillance camera recordings were revealed, everyone would discover that she was the one who instigated Dolores to spill tea on herself. Her role as the instigator would be exposed.
“Ms. White…”