Ivy looked around the office, noting how the people who used to curry favor with her now buzzed around Aurora like bees. She sighed at their pragmatism.
“Ivy, go make two copies of this document,” Mrs. Lyman commanded, tossing some papers her way and calling her by name bluntly.
After a night of thought, Ivy had decided to return to the company. Even though she wasn’t Magnus’s biological daughter, she was formally part of the company; Aurora surely couldn’t just fire her. Having survived even worse, what else could possibly scare her? What she hadn’t anticipated was the office staff’s shift in attitude.
Now that she was no longer a Montgomery, there was no reason for anyone to keep supporting her, especially as Aurora was looking to promote a new manager. The office staff, opportunistic as ever, no longer saw any benefit in siding with Ivy. They naturally wanted to impress Aurora, believing she would dislike Ivy just as Ivy had once disliked her.
“They think the more they bully Ivy, the happier Aurora will be,” thought the staff, who previously wouldn’t dare raise their voices in Ivy’s presence but now felt emboldened.
“Me, make copies?”
Ivy was shocked. Just a few days ago, these same people were obediently following her every command.
“If not you, then who? You’re the newcomer. Did you think the company hired you as decoration? Even a vase should have the beauty of our manager,” sneered one of the staff who had previously been the most vicious about Aurora behind her back.
Today, Ivy truly saw the extent of their scheming. She told herself to endure; losing this job would ruin her. She glared at the speaker and then got up to make the copies.
Seeing Ivy stripped of her former haughty demeanor, Mrs. Lyman felt a surge of triumph. She no longer had to kowtow to Ivy, which was a relief.
“Looks like the rumors are true; she’s now a nobody, a bastard child even less significant than us,” Mrs. Lyman whispered, sharing the news with others.
Aurora, observing from her glass-walled office, found no joy in this spectacle. Although Ivy was her enemy and had received her just desserts, this behavior was nothing more than bullying by those who are cowardly at heart. The more they acted this way, the more they revealed their own ugliness. Aurora had no desire to explain anything; she simply watched silently.
This was Ivy’s first time using a photocopier. After asking several unhelpful colleagues, she managed to figure it out on her own. She handed the copies to Mrs. Lyman, who either couldn’t get enough of bullying her or still resented Ivy’s past insults.
“Took you over an hour to make just two copies? You must be slacking on purpose.”
“I’ve never done this before. I don’t know how,” Ivy responded curtly, realizing for the first time how valuable the protection of the Montgomery family had been; never before had anyone dared to speak to her like this.
“So simple, yet you can’t manage it? I wonder what you used to do all this time. Never mind, just enter this data into the computer,” Mrs. Lyman said, handing her another set of documents.
“You…”
Ivy’s eyes widened as she stared at her.
“What about me? This is exactly your responsibility. Otherwise, why would the company hire newcomers like you?”
Mrs. Lyman felt a twinge of fear when she saw Ivy’s glaring eyes but managed to maintain her composure.
“Fine, I’ll do it now.”
Ivy took the documents from her hands, and the others seized this opportunity to torment her further.
“Ivy, I’ve finished my coffee; go make me another cup.”
“Ivy, clean the office thoroughly when we finish work, especially the manager’s room.”
Ivy really wanted to curse. She regretted ever inviting them to dinner, knowing now they were backstabbers.
After finishing her tasks, Aurora found it strange. Given Ivy’s personality, how could she tolerate such mistreatment?
Why was she still at the company after such incidents, when the monthly salary wasn’t even enough to buy her a skirt?
Could she really have changed overnight and become so down-to-earth? That seemed impossible, especially since she had lived comfortably for over twenty years.
It’s easy to transition from simplicity to luxury, but the reverse, particularly for someone like Ivy, is hardly so quick and seamless.
Strange as it was, Aurora was not the type to kick someone when they were down. By driving Ivy out of the Montgomery family, she had achieved her goal. Ivy couldn’t touch a cent of the Montgomery family’s shares and money.
That Ivy still came to the office was beyond Aurora’s expectations, and she doubted Ivy would last much longer. Aurora didn’t care.
Given the current situation, she didn’t even need to intervene; others were already making Ivy’s life difficult.
Finally, at the end of the day, Aurora put down her documents, clapped her hands, and drew everyone’s attention.
“As you might have heard, I will soon be leaving this department. With my departure, the manager’s position will be vacant, so I plan to choose one of you as the new manager.”
Aurora finally addressed the elephant in the room.
“Manager, who among us do you think has the best chance to be the new manager?”
Mrs. Lyman asked.
“I will make my decision based on your business skills, efficiency, and tenure at the company. I’ll announce it tomorrow,” Aurora teased.
Mrs. Lyman, being the most senior, was almost certain to get the position, and she was particularly attentive to Aurora.
“Let’s call it a day. Everyone can go home now,” Aurora said, a rare occurrence for her to finish on time. She had everything prepared for the handover and would make the announcement the next day.
“Yes, Manager.”
“Ivy, remember to stay and clean the office.”
The others left one by one.
Left with no choice, Ivy went to fetch a mop. As she came out with the mop, she saw Magnus and hurried over to him.
“Dad…”
This was why she desperately stayed at the company-only by staying could she be close to Magnus and attempt to return to the Montgomery family.
In just one day, she realized how dreadful it was to be away from the Montgomery family. She couldn’t bear the thought of truly leaving, especially after so many years of shared history with Magnus. She was determined to return.