The Alpha's Power Play

5 Framing

When several people saw Olivia coming, They became flustered, but Hannah, who was the leader of the bullying and rumors, scoffed. She didn't care about her speaking Ill of Olivia behind her back.

“Who’s chaos are you talking about? I am very discreet and I don't talk to anyone about my private life. So why are you talking badly about me?” Olivia asked.

“What the hell are you talking about? I haven't said anything about you! Someone is trying to frame me!” Hannah stated to Olivia.

Olivia retorted, wondering why she was being talked about. Hannah, who has always had a good relationship with Olivia, is now talking behind her back.

“You stand here like everything is all good when it's not. Who do you think would be willing to frame you? And now you're pretending to be innocent, who are you trying to lie to? And you are still going to be coming to work after today?” Olivia said to Hannah with some of the anger she has been holding back.

“Hum… The Jones’ IBM company is a multinational enterprise! A woman like you who is so shameless shouldn't even have a job here!” Hannah snapped back

The embarrassment that the employees around Olivia felt, because they were talking badly about her behind her back started to fade. They in turn open their mouths to sneer at Olivia.

“Aren't you a call girl? Like a s*x worker?” One employee asked Olivia.

Olivia clenched her teeth together as she listened to the slanderous words.

“I don't know who the rumors came from, but I haven't done any of these things!! Don't spread rumors without evidence!” Olivia shouted back.

“Come on, everyone knows that is true. You want me to come up with evidence? Yeah right!” Hannah rolled her eyes.

Remembering the way Hannah would smile sweetly and would ask Olivia to help her. Olivia is now feeling heartache. She wants to prove to them the rumors aren't true. But how could she prove it without a shadow of a doubt? More so, why should she prove it isn't true?

“Then you are the one who is spreading rumors about me. So where did you get your evidence about me from?” Olivia asked.

A cold male voice spoke from behind them in the break room. Everyone around immediately turned their heads, only to see Matthew standing in the doorway.

“I….. Matthew…. I..” Hannah stuttered.

Matthew is in front of us and Hannah has turned pale. At this moment she is desperately trying to save her image, but the more she tries to think of lies to make her look good, the more speechless she becomes.

Matthew didn't care about Hannah at all, and his cold eyes swept over several people in the room. Giving them all a very angry look.

“Just now you said something very true. The Jones’ IBM company is a multinational enterprise. It seems that it is not professional that employees of this company are standing around spreading these rumors about Olivia. I do not want to see such treatment from anyone ever again like this in the future. When they heard how serious Matthew was, they couldn't help but stand up straight, as if they were listening to the supervisor’s instructions.

Everyone knows that Matthew is the hottest person in the company. Not only the supervisor appreciates him, but also the CEO and Vice President pay close attention to him. They can't afford to offend him, with all the money he has already made the company in the short time that he has been there. They fear if he leaves the company would take a damaging hit.

With that Matthew pulls Olivia’s arm and leaves, ignoring the surprised look of everyone behind them. Looking up at him because he is taller than her, Olivia’s heart couldn't help but fluctuate.

Out of everyone's sight, this time Matthew let go, and broke away from Olivia first. He left without looking back, leaving Olivia alone thinking right there where he left her, not knowing what he meant, by his actions.

Looking at them leaving, Hannah who was completely ignored by Matthew, pinched her fingertips together indignantly, and her eyes were full of hatred.

“ROSE!” Hannah yelled after them, and got no reaction from them either.

If it weren't for Olivia, Hannah wouldn't be blamed by Matthew in such an embarrassing way. She desperately wanted to get the way he used to look at her back.

There is no shortage of gossiping in the company. The story that Matthew spoke up for Olivia that day quickly spread. And once again Olivia became the talk of the company. Olivia heard those rumors, and her first reaction was not embarrassment this time. She subconsciously raised her head and looked at Matthew who wasn't far away from her. Seeing his face, she lowered her head and did her work. However her trembling hands revealed her true emotions.

Originally, employees thought Olivial was simple. Although they liked to bully and take advantage of her, they still thought good things about her. The sad thing is that the heroine of these two rumors is her. And she inevitably sees the world with so much optimism. But this time her attitude towards everyone is not the same as before. Now she isn't as nice.

There was no one to eat lunch with her at noon. She couldn't help but miss her best friend Mia and hopes that she can get a job at IBM quickly so that she isn't so alone there. Olivia went to the lunchroom to finished her meal. She was just about to sit down to eat when several voices of other employees gossiping about her came flowing into her ears.

“Didn't you say that Olivia is in love with Matthew from the company? Is that really true?” One female employee asked another.

“I don't know to be honest. But I heard Hannah say that Olivia's private life was very disorderly just a few days ago. Hannah had people talking behind Olivia’s back. And Matthew heard it. He ran out of his office to help Olivia.” The other female employee said

“Really? That is so amazing of him to do for Olivia. I thought that Matthew was cold to everyone. But that also must not be true just like Olivia's private life. After all she has such a sexy boyfriend, why would she willingly f**k around?” The female employee said with a face full of happiness for Olivia and Matthew.

Olivia listened silently, with her face getting a little red. She quickly took her lunch and sat in a further seat, trying to get away from hearing the gossiping. Olivia didn't expect to look up and see Matthew sitting across from her. Eating his own lunch, bite by bite. Moving so calmly and gracefully, as if he were an aristocrat.

In the lunchroom, which is full of employees, Matthew’s actions, gestures and movements naturally attracted the attention of many women. The men looked at him with jealous eyes.

Olivia couldn't help staring at his perfect face, and suddenly thought that he also hear those words just now being spoken about the two of them. Biting her lip, Olivia’s fork poked her lunch subconsciously, looking very stressed.

Back at her computer desk in the afternoon, she habitually launched the FaceTime and Messenger apps. She wanted to send Jason a message.

“I have been so busy these last few days. With so many new projects going to be starting soon. I am writing a plan so they don't overwhelm me. The employees in the company are very kind and nice to me. How have you been lately? Have you also been busy?”

Many things have happened to her recently but she doesn't want him to know what she has really been going through at IBM.

She wants Jason to know more about Layla’s cheerful and optimistic side. When Olivia first started talking to Jason, she was very nervous. She had never had a male anything in her life, and wanted to be cautious. She didn't know what to expect, so she used a fake name in order to make herself feel safer. So to Jason, Olivia is Layla. Because of this, she questions if Jason is actually his real name.

“Matthew, do you…. Do you like Olivia?” Hannah put a glass of water in front of him, looking very distraught, but still trying to be “innocent” in front of Matthew.

When he heard her, Matthew looked up and glanced at her coldly. “I don't need to explain anything to you.”

“I know” Hannah clenched her teeth together feeling embarrassed. “I am sorry, I acted the way I did yesterday. I shouldn't have spread rumors about Olivia without finding out if they were true or not. I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry with me, and please forgive me.”

“Hannah, you think too much. I didn't take it to heart, you can go back to work now.”

Matthew looked back down at his work and stopped looking at Hannah.

Hannah’s face turned white. It looked like she was embarrassed, flush and red all at the same time. Now because of Hannah the employees of the company believe that Olivia and Matthew are together. Hannah can't wrap her head around the fact Matthew is showing Olivia favor. Hannah has not been able to sleep and it shows.

“Okay… then if you really don't have a relationship with Olivia, it's better to explain it to everyone. After all, the company sees everything. And office romance has always been banned. If the supervisor finds out, you might lose your job. And I surely don't want to see that happen to someone like you.”

Hannah tried to look sincere.

Matthew smiled at her sarcastically. Matthew is actually very attractive when he smiles, but this time his smile is different.

“Don't you feel like Hannah is interfering with things that are none of her business?” Willow, another female employee of the company said to Matthew while she was passing his desk.

Hannah looked at Matthew, and the look he gave her was as sharp as knives.

“Hannah, I don't want to repeat myself again after this. I don't need to explain my personal life to you. Now go back and worry about yourself and your job!”

Matthew's words were very heavy, and employees around him looked up at him one by one. When they see Hannah's red face, they can't help but show her they are enjoying her pain by laughing and pointing at her.

“Well did you see the file I asked Olivia to give you the other day?” Hannah said to Matthew in a very low voice.

Matthew looked at her like she was dumb. “If you are referring to the love letter, you put it in that file. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I threw it out. Now Hannah I have work to do. If there is nothing else, please don't bother me anymore.”

Once again Hannah was asked to leave. She pulled her skirt down tightly and left.

“He threw it away? It took me so long to write that love letter. How can he throw it away like that?” Hannah wondered.