Anna was drowning in frustration—and wine.
The dim glow of Suzy's living room cast soft shadows on the walls, but inside Anna's mind, everything burned with fury. The warmth of alcohol buzzed through her veins, amplifying every ounce of rage she felt toward him.
"That heartless… arrogant… villain!" she slurred, gripping the nearly empty wine bottle. "Do you hear me, Suzy? Villain!"
Suzy, who was comfortably curled up in an armchair, sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you."
Anna dramatically placed a hand on her chest. "He thinks he can just waltz in with his expensive suits, acting like some Greek god—psh, please. I bet his jawline is carved from pure evil."
Suzy chuckled. "You've been calling him a 'tie-wearing demon from the underworld' for the past ten minutes."
Anna gasped. "Because he is! Who even fires someone on their first day? What kind of cold, heartless—" She hiccupped, then continued, waving a hand wildly. "—corporate robot does that? I worked there for two years. TWO YEARS, SUZY."
Suzy nodded patiently. "Yes, I am aware."
"I gave that company my soul!" Anna wailed, throwing her arms out dramatically.
Suzy raised an eyebrow. "You took two-hour lunch breaks and once fell asleep in the break room for an entire afternoon."
Anna sat up abruptly, pointing a wobbly finger at her. "Irrelevant!"
She groaned and let herself fall back against the couch. "The point is… he'll regret it. He'll see. I'll show him I'm not some disposable… some disposable…" She searched for the word, frowning.
"Napkin?" Suzy suggested.
"Yes! Napkin! I am NOT a napkin, Suzy!"
Suzy shook her head, amused. "You definitely are not."
Anna leaned in, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "You wanna know what else?"
Suzy sighed. "Oh boy."
"I bet he practices his evil CEO speeches in the mirror," Anna continued, nodding sagely. "Like—" She squared her shoulders and deepened her voice into an exaggerated imitation of Alex. "'I am Alex Carter, and I enjoy ruining people's lives for fun.'"
Suzy burst out laughing. "Okay, that one was good."
Anna tried to keep up her serious expression but ended up giggling. "I mean, it's true."
Suzy rolled her eyes and pulled the wine bottle away. "Alright, I think that's enough for you. Time for bed, my dear 'not-a-napkin' friend."
Anna pouted. "But I still have so many things to say about that man."
"Say them in your dreams."
Anna huffed but let herself be dragged to the guest room. As her head hit the pillow, she muttered one last time, "Alex Carter is the worst."
Then she passed out.
The Next Morning
The first thing Anna felt was pain.
A dull, pounding ache throbbed against her skull like a drumline in full performance mode. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as if that would somehow erase the terrible decision to drink half a bottle of wine.
The second thing she felt was regret.
She slowly peeled one eye open, squinting at the unfamiliar ceiling. Right. She was at Suzy's place.
Then, flashes of last night hit her like a truck.
The ranting. The dramatic monologues. The accusations of Alex being a 'tie-wearing demon.'
Anna bolted upright. "Oh. My. Gosh."
Suzy, already awake and sipping coffee at the kitchen counter, smirked. "Morning, sunshine."
Anna groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Please tell me I didn't say anything too embarrassing."
Suzy took a slow, deliberate sip. "Well…"
Anna peeked through her fingers. "Oh no."
"You were very passionate about your hatred for Alex," Suzy teased. "And let's not forget the part where you vowed to 'rise from the ashes like a business phoenix' to get revenge."
Anna winced. "That's… dramatic."
"That's you when drunk."
Anna let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. "Okay. Time to fix this mess."
Suzy leaned forward. "How exactly?"
Anna frowned in thought, then suddenly sat up straighter. "The investor."
Suzy blinked. "What about him?"
Anna grabbed her phone, scrolling through her contacts. "Alex fired me before securing the deal, right? That means if I get to the investor first and convince him to sign with me, it'll prove that Alex made a mistake. If I can land the deal myself, he'll have no choice but to admit I'm valuable to the company."
Suzy raised an eyebrow. "You sure about this?"
Anna nodded, determination replacing her earlier embarrassment. "I'm not letting him be the reason my career goes down the drain. I'll show him I deserve to stay."
She quickly dialed Jame, her coworker and friend.
"Anna?" Jame answered, sounding surprised. "Aren't you—uh—fired?"
"Not officially yet," she replied. "Listen, do you know what time the investor's flight is?"
Jame hesitated. "I think he's leaving in a few hours. Why?"
Anna grinned. "Because I'm going to win him over before Alex does."
The Airport Showdown
Dressed in her best professional outfit—one that screamed confidence—Anna strode into the airport.
She spotted Mr. Bennett near the departure gate, scrolling through his phone, looking relaxed.
This was her moment.
She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and walked up to him. "Mr. Bennett?"
The investor looked up, surprised. "Yes?"
Anna smiled, extending her hand. "Anna Dawson. I worked on your proposal."
Recognition flickered in his eyes. "Ah, yes. But I thought Alex Carter was handling this now?"
She refused to let the mention of Alex shake her. Instead, she nodded. "Yes, but I wanted to personally ensure you saw the best version of our vision. Would you mind giving me five minutes before your flight?"
He glanced at his watch, then shrugged. "You've got five minutes."
That was all Anna needed.
She passionately presented her ideas, emphasizing why the proposal was tailored for him, why it would benefit him, and why she was the best person to oversee it. She countered every concern with confidence, proving that she wasn't just some employee Alex could easily discard.
When she finished, Mr. Bennett studied her for a moment before grinning. "You've got guts. I like that." He reached into his briefcase, pulled out a pen, and signed the deal. "Let's do this."
Anna's heart soared. She did it.
As she stepped out of the airport, she spotted someone standing nearby—Alex.
His arms were crossed, expression unreadable as he watched her.
Anna lifted the signed contract slightly, smirking.
Game on, boss...