Days later, Daphne, along with two new employees, quickly completed the product iteration.
Everyone in the R&D department was surprised.
Upon hearing the buzz, Engineer Jax dispersed the crowd.
“What’s all this commotion about?” He sneered.
“Miss Smith and her team are done with their project and are ready for the presentation.” Someone said to him.
“In such a short time, she could come up with something, design a prototype, and finish everything up, she’s really incredible.”
Jax’s teeth clenched.
Incredible, his ass.
Since Daphne walked into SG tech, he didn’t like her at all and he didn’t like how it seemed like Mr King favored her.
Of course he had done his research about her and found out she used to work in TM.
The CEO of TM always praised her efforts and it was said that TM always landed huge investments and several opportunities because of her but Jax found that hard to believe.
Just how skilled could she be?
So on finding out that TM also had eyes on this Ismark fund project, he wanted to see just how skilled she really was.
If she couldn’t beat them, then she’d just make a total fool of herself.
********
Daphne headed up to Marco’s office to report her work progress to him.
Marco told her to sit as he went through the files.
“Excellent, I expected nothing less from you.” He praised.
“Thank you, sir.” She replied with a smile.
“So are you ready to give your presentation at Ismark tomorrow?”
“I am.”
“Do you need help with anything?”
“No, sir.”
Marco felt she was so awfully formal with him.
Still, he slung her a polite smile as she took her leave.
As Daphne was leaving, she ran into Maliyah coming in.
Maliyah greeted Daphne politely and then recalled that she had seen Daphne coming out of her brother’s car.
At that time, she was at a mall and had quickly hidden as she watched.
It was surprising because her brother was known to be a certified loner.
There were several rumors about him, including talks about his sexuality as he was rare seen with men or women.
Was she just overthinking things or could this woman already have a special place in her brother’s heart?
Only one way to find out.
She eyed him as she walked closer to him.
“Maliyah, don’t you have anything to do?” Marco asked, wondering if she was slacking off again.
Maliyah laughed.
“Of course not, I have plenty of things to do.
Who was that woman just now?”
“An employee.” Marco replied.
“Is she just an employee?” Maliyah teased.
“What are you getting at?”
“Do you like her?” She asked, straightforwardly.
“Ha…did you come to SG to work or to figure out who likes who?”
“You’re not exactly denying it.
You know, there were rumors going on about her in the company, about how you just brought her in and she didn’t follow any proper employment procedures!
Even you made me follow those employment procedures!”
Marco frowned.
“Who’s spreading those rumors?
Are they making things difficult for her?”
Maliyah laughed.
“What?
Are you going to have them fired if I mention their names?
Bro, you really are smitten.”
“Shut up, it isn’t like that…it’s just…I’ve hard about how industrious she is in the business world and I simply recruited her to work here.
As you know, I only employ the best of the best, and that makes me always wonder why I employed you.”
Maliyah gasped.
“Ouch!
I didn’t want to work!
You convinced our parents to make me work!”
“It’d be nice if you can follow in Daphne’s footsteps, you’d do great things.
Get back to work, Maliyah.”
She stomped her feet in frustration.
“Hmmph, you…”
********
When Maliyah got back to her desk, she messaged a friend to ask for help investigating Daphne’s romantic history.
Maybe Daphne and her brother had dated before.
When the result of the investigation was sent to her, Maliyah learnt that Daphne was betrayed after a five years with Trevor Martin.
Maliyah grimaced.
So her brother and Daphne hadn’t dated before but they had one thing in common.
They had both being betrayed.
Maybe they can find solace in each other.
She felt they’d be a good match and perhaps Daphne can help her brother loosen up a little.
He was too strict!
***********
After work, Daphne went to the hospital to visit her mother.
On the first floor of the inpatient building, she runs into Dante and Tristan.
They were Trevor’s friends.
Daphne didn’t want to be associated with anyone around Trevor anymore so she tried to ignore him but Tristan, who had always looked down on her let out.
“You won’t even greet us now, Daphne?
I always knew you were a rude bitch.
Just because you’re dating Trev, you think you’re on our level.
You…”
“Tristan.” Dante interrupted, wanting him to stop.
Daphne continued to ignore them until she was out of their sight.
They weren’t worth her time.
Tristan began to despise her when she turned down his advances.
He didn’t do well with rejections and so he stuck to belittling her any chance he got.
Thinking about it now, Daphne realized that Trevor was still friends with him even when she complained about how rude Tristan always was to her.
She sighed, realizing she had truly overlooked a lot of things.
******
On Tristan and Dante’s way out of the hospital, they saw Trevor approaching.
“Look who it is!
To think we just saw Daphne just now.” Tristan let out.
“What is this?
Are you two having a baby?”
Trevor shook his head.
“No.
Her mother is currently hospitalized here.”
So was Tristan’s father.
Trevor decided to visit Tristan’s father first and then go see Daphne so he could set things straight with her about their engagement and how their relationship would be like from now on.
*************
After visiting Tristan’s father, Trevor headed over to Susan’s ward.
Susan as always was elated to see him.
“Can we talk outside for a minute?” He asked Daphne.
Daphne nodded.
They really needed to talk.
It’s been long overdue.
She also wanted him to stop coming here to see her mother.
She couldn’t continue pretending everything was over for long.
Once outside, Trevor began.
“Dante told me Tristan spoke to you rudely just now.
I’m sorry about that.”
Daphne eyed him.
As if he cared.
“I’m sure that isn’t what you came here to talk about so go straight to the point.” She let out.
Trevor swallowed.
This didn’t seem hard in his head.
So why was it suddenly difficult for him to say the words?
He had to.
This was the best thing to do.
“I think…we should call off the engagement.”