“Right, right, Miss Montgomery is so generous. I’ll go ask the manager,” Ivy said, immediately closing the gap between herself and her colleagues as she mentioned hosting the meal.
“Manager, Miss Ivy invites us to have lunch at Grand East Coast. Let’s go together.”
Aurora glanced at the cheerful employees outside. Ivy had finally come to her senses, which was no small feat.
“You all go ahead, I have other plans for lunch.”
She was not one to deliberately foster closeness with her staff; in her view, true ability was more important than good relations.
“Alright then.”
“The manager has other plans for lunch, let’s go,” they relayed.
Ivy glanced at Aurora, who was busy organizing documents. Her aloofness suited Ivy just fine; it meant everyone else would likely side with her.
“Okay, let’s go then.”
Ivy led a large group out, leaving only Aurora and Heather in the office.
“Why didn’t you go?” Aurora asked Heather.
“I think the food in the cafeteria is pretty good, and you didn’t go either.”
The two were of a kind, striving upwards, not interested in currying favor.
“I’m tired of seafood; I just want something light. Let’s go to the cafeteria together.”
Ivy was really investing in her relationships, sparing no expense on this meal, which was anything but cheap for the office workers, who earned a fixed salary.
A big group at a hotel like this could easily spend a few thousand dollars, even when being frugal.
Ivy ordered many famous dishes, and everyone was so pleased they could hardly stop smiling.
“Miss Ivy, you are much better than the manager. She has never shown us a good face, always just criticizing and finding fault.”
“My sister is like that at home, always nitpicking. Please bear with her; after all, she is the manager.”
Ivy was now using Aurora’s tactics.
“We thought you were difficult to deal with when we saw you angry yesterday, but you’re actually very nice, much nicer than our manager, who is always scolding us.”
“Yeah, yeah, you wouldn’t believe it. Just the other day, I made a small mistake in a decimal point, and she went on about it all day.”
While some stories were exaggerated, everyone laughed heartily, turning the meal into a session of complaints against Aurora.
They were no fools; it was clear that Ivy and Aurora were at odds, and the harsher they spoke of Aurora, the happier Ivy became.
“Really, I didn’t expect my sister to be so outrageous.”
Ivy was clearly pleased, regardless of whether their complaints were sincere or not, hearing them badmouth Aurora was satisfying for her.
“And that Heather, relying on the manager’s support, dares to act high and mighty in front of me.”
Gradually, the complaints shifted from Aurora to Heather.
“Oh, you don’t know, I heard from a high-ranking friend that the manager and the finance department’s Eric are competing for a vice president position.
It seems whoever secures an order from Shadowlight will become vice president. Our manager does have some tricks up her sleeve. If she wins, wouldn’t she then become the vice president?
If she leaves, wouldn’t our department’s manager position be vacant? Heather looks honest, but she’s actually very shrewd.
Every day she’s eagerly serving the manager, constantly seeking advice. Haven’t you noticed how polite the manager is when talking to her?”
“I estimate that once the manager is promoted to vice president, she will be promoted to his position. The original intention was to choose from among us,” he explained.
“What, she’s going to be promoted to manager?” Ivy reacted strongly, especially since Magnus had once said that the manager’s position was meant for her.
If Magnus’s word still carried any weight, now both Magnus and her grandfather were so fond of Aurora, if Aurora really wanted to promote that woman, a few kind words would suffice.
Could it be that even after Aurora left, a common girl would rise above her? Absolutely not!
“Miss Ivy, don’t get too excited, I’m just speculating. That was before you arrived. Now that you’re here, if anyone is to be promoted, it should be you. Why would it be her?”
Ivy was still uneasy. This was her best chance. If she couldn’t secure the manager’s position now, advancing later would be even more difficult.
“Did you just say Aurora and Eric are competing for the vice presidency?”
“Yes, they have one month. Whoever secures the Luminary order first will become the vice president. But several days have passed, and there seems to be no news from either side.
However, there’s a rumor that Eric and the head of Luminary’s branch office are good friends. Maybe Eric will get the order.”
“Alright, everyone, I’m new here, and I’ll need your guidance and support in workplace matters,” Ivy began to make nice.
“Of course, Miss Ivy. You’re so generous. If you were our manager, our lives would be much easier,” someone said unconsciously.
“Absolutely, I think so too.”
Ivy’s eyes shifted, “I’m flattered by your confidence in me. If I become the manager, I will surely remember you all.
If my sister really signs this order and decides to promote Heather, I’ll be out of luck. What should I do in that case?”
“We should find a way to drive Heather out of the company, so she can’t threaten your position, Miss Ivy. Plus, if the manager doesn’t secure the order, she’ll have failed the promise she made in front of the directors, and we can make a big deal out of that.”
Some people began to offer Ivy strategies, each with their own motives. Whether Ivy or Aurora, neither was likely to stay in the managerial position permanently.
If they could gain the favor of either, they would have a chance to be promoted once they left. If Heather took that position, she wouldn’t be moving anytime soon.
And since everyone had bullied her before, letting her become manager was out of the question. Initially, everyone had recognized her strong capabilities and feared she would stand out, so they deliberately suppressed her.
It was only after Aurora arrived that she noticed Heather and began to rely on her more and more. Aurora wasn’t someone who could be easily swayed by a few flattering words.
Ivy knew these people were also looking to climb up using her, but she needed them to remove obstacles, a mutual use of resources, as Genevieve was right.
“So, what do you think we should do? I really do dislike that woman.”
Ivy lifted her wine glass, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Miss Ivy, I think this way…”
someone whispered in her ear.