Amelia forced herself to calm down, went back to the studio, and spent a good while apologizing to the crew before finally making it back to the office.
She was sure—Simon had definitely kept her in the dark on purpose last night.
But what she couldn’t figure out was, what the hell she’d done this time to tick him off again.
While she sat in her office trying to catch her breath, her phone rang.
It was Simon.
“Come upstairs and make me some coffee.”
“Sorry, Mr.
Johnson.
I need to reorganize the whole shooting schedule.”
“And?”
“I don’t have time right now.
You can ask someone else to do it.”
Amelia hung up on him, just like that.
Afterward, she realized—damn, was she finally growing a spine?
She actually had the guts to hang up on Simon.
Would he blow up?
Maybe.
But right now, Amelia really didn’t care to deal with him.
What was even the point of playing these childish games?
Her anger hadn’t cooled down one bit.
That man—he never lost.
Not even once.
Amelia figured it was probably because she gave the food she made for him to the cats and dogs instead.
But like, seriously?
Was Simon even planning on eating it?
Hadn’t he just come back from Vivian’s place anyway?
He ate there, didn’t he?
After having Vivian’ cooking, would he even spare a glance at her plain leftovers?
A moment later, the secretary’s line connected to Lily’ desk.
She knocked gently, careful not to make a sound too sharp.
“Hey, boss—Mr.
Johnson wants to see you upstairs.”
Lily had heard about what went down at the studio.
Honestly, everyone who’d been around more or less got the idea—today’s mess wasn’t just a coincidence.
Looked like a classic case of two women clashing.
And let’s be real, it was pretty clear who lost this round.
Vivian didn’t even need to show up.
Just sat pretty in the background like she owned the place, and Amelia still got crushed.
Even Lily couldn’t help but feel sorry for Amelia.
But Simon?
The guy sat way too high up.
If he chose to side with Vivian, no one dared to question him.
Amelia slumped in her chair, not keen on moving at all.
But she knew better.
Staying put might just land someone else in hot water.
Simon had a talent for manipulation—and he always knew what would make her cave.
If she acted out?
It wouldn’t be her getting burned.
It’d be Lily or the secretary.
Around him, she only had one option—play along.
“I got it.”
Amelia shoved down the frustration, took a deep breath, and headed upstairs.
Right as she reached the door, a loud bang came from inside.
She froze mid-step.
Turning, she met the secretary’s eyes.
“Sales manager’s in there, giving a report.”
Amelia stood there for a second, then said, “I’ll come back later.”
The assistant’s lips twitched slightly.
“You can go in now if you want.”
Amelia really didn’t feel like walking into the storm.
Simon was always strict when it came to work.
Well, except for this one time—swapping out the endorser at the last minute.
But honestly, considering the replacement was Vivian, it kind of made sense.
After all, Vivian was his first love, his untouchable goddess.
She definitely got way more privileges than anyone else ever would.
Amelia turned around and went to the break room instead.
She poured herself a glass of water and sat by the window, trying to shake off that lingering frustration.
Out of nowhere, her mind drifted back to childhood again.
Back then, Simon had spent around six months living in that fishing village.
He only had a nanny with him.
Even though Amelia hadn’t exactly had a great childhood herself, at least she had her mom.
So she always felt kind of bad for him.
Whenever her mom cooked something tasty, she’d rush over to share it with Simon.
He used to be so happy every time.
He’d give her that smile and say, “Vivienne, I really like you.
You’re literally the nicest person in the whole world to me.”
That one sentence stuck with her for years.
But he’d fallen for someone else.
It wasn’t until she ran into Simon again three years ago that Amelia realized he’d never been the one to pity.
The only fool in this whole story was her.
Turns out, from the very start, she’d just loved the wrong man.
Simon wasn’t that boy she used to know anymore.
And whatever feelings he once had—they were long gone.
The break room door creaked open.
The chief secretary stood in the doorway.
“Miss Clarke, Mr.
Johnson wants to see you.”
Amelia responded with a quick nod and headed over, pushing open the door to Simon’s office.
He was behind his desk, not even bothering to look up, voice already dripping with sarcasm.
“You sure know how to chill.”
“Sorry,” she replied evenly, “I thought you were still busy just now.”
“Oh, I am.
Your boss is running around getting things done, and here you are, sipping tea and enjoying the view.
Don’t you feel the slightest bit guilty cashing that paycheck?”
“Apologies,” Amelia said quietly.
Then she paused for a second before speaking up, “Mr.
Johnson, do we have a timeline on when Miss Collins is ready to begin the shoot?
If she’s still unwell, I really suggest we find someone else.
The new product launches next month.
Any more delays will mess up the entire promo campaign.”
Simon finally looked up at her and said, “Then it sounds like you aren’t doing your job properly.
As for replacing someone—don’t even think about it.
That’s not on the table.
But if you really feel you’re not up to the task, maybe we should consider getting someone else to take over.”
Amelia froze for a second.
Coming from him, “someone else” didn’t just mean a new person taking over this proposal—it was a subtle threat to her entire position as Marketing Manager.
What a joke.
It was Vivian who kept dragging her feet, yet she was the one being threatened with replacement.
Amelia took a deep breath.
She needed this job.
Badly.
She needed the paycheck, and there was no way she could afford to lose it.
She met Simon’s eyes.
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good.
Then I’ll expect you to deliver, on time, and up to standard.”
Amelia paused for a beat, then said, “Got it.”
Back in her office, she immediately started calling Vivian’s agent to reschedule.
This time, the agent actually picked up.
She went on with a long-winded apology right off the bat.
Amelia listened quietly, then replied, “Could you please give me a confirmed time when Ms.
Collins is available for the shoot?
I need to plan the next steps accordingly.”
The agent chuckled lightly.
“A specific time?
That might be a little tricky, you know.”
Amelia’s temper flared instantly.
“If Miss Collins is that busy, then maybe she should just focus on whatever else she’s working on.
It’s not like we’re short of other options here.”
The agent let out a dismissive chuckle.
“Miss Clarke, Vivian’s schedule is seriously packed.
Mr.
Johnson just backed a new project for her, and they’re getting ready to kick things off.
But—his exact words—no matter how busy she is, that endorsement is hers.
You don’t exactly have the authority to just swap her out, do you?”
“Then could you at least give me a specific time?”
“Sorry, can’t confirm that yet.”
Amelia hung up without another word, the click of the call ending sharp and final.
She tossed her phone onto the desk, stood up, and headed to the bathroom.
Splashing cold water on her face helped take the edge off her frustration.
By the time she made it back to her office, Lily was already hovering there, clearly holding something back.
“What is it?” Amelia asked.
Lily threw down her pen in annoyance.
“Vivian is here.
And she looks completely fine.”
Amelia gave a cold, humorless laugh.
“Figures.”
Amelia might’ve been trying to stay calm, but Lily was pissed.
“She’s totally messed up our schedule.
It’s like she’s taking up space for no reason.
If she’s not interested in the shoot, why insist on keeping the endorsement?”
Amelia gave a half-smile.
Honestly, it might not even be Vivian pushing for it.
Maybe it was Simon forcing it her way.
After all, welcoming his first love back to the country by handing her the AVÉLIA deal?
That move basically cracked open the luxury goods industry for her.
For Simon, giving that kind of gift to Vivian was no big deal.
Amelia gave Lily a quick pat on the shoulder.
“Don’t get worked up, I’ll go talk to her.”
She headed back to the top floor.
The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she noticed the office buzzing.
The whole secretary team looked way more excited than usual, each of them holding little gift bags and chatting in hushed voices.
As soon as they spotted her, the vibe shifted.
Smiles faded into awkward looks.
Yeah…
everyone knew Vivian had it out for her.
“Miss Clarke,” the head secretary approached politely.
“I need a word with Ms.
Collins,” Amelia said, cool and calm.
The secretary hesitated for a moment, looking a bit stuck.
“Mr.
Johnson just gave an order.
No disturbing Ms.
Collins unless he gives the go-ahead.”