They Called Me Old Bird, I Walked Away

Chapter 3

The next day, I needed the latest sales department figures for my report to the CEO.

I sent a formal work email requesting the data, but it vanished into thin air with no reply at all.

I headed straight to the sales department in person, and every single person there gave me the exact same excuse.

"Sorry, Sabrina said President Pierce needs these numbers urgently, so we have to compile them for him first."

"Sabrina says President Pierce hasn't reviewed these figures yet, so we can't give them to you for now."

"You'll have to check with Sabrina first. We take orders from her."

I had barely turned to leave when snickers burst out behind me again, loud and unapologetic.

"That old maid thinks she's so high and mighty? Look who's crawling to us now!"

"Might as well just call her that small-town yoga pants loser. She's got her head in the clouds, but her luck's worse than dirt!"

I dialed Adrian's number right away, but no one picked up.

This deliberate radio silence was a slap in the face, plain and simple.

I marched straight to Adrian's office.

The second I pushed the door open, I saw Sabrina curled up in Adrian's arms, the two of them all over each other.

Adrian looked up at me, his voice sharp with irritation. "Have you got no manners at all? Why didn't you knock before barging in?"

I stared him dead in the eye, my tone ice-cold. "President Pierce, I need the latest sales department data for my report."

His brows furrowed even deeper, his face darkening. "I already said I need those numbers first. What's your rush?"

He paused for a beat, then added in a condescending drawl, "Sabrina's thorough, so she's going over everything again. That way you won't fly off the handle over some tiny little mistake again, right?"

"Tiny little mistake?" I almost barked out a bitter laugh. "Adrian, her so-called 'tiny mistake' was a critical data error that would've tanked a ten-million-dollar project!"

I forced myself to tamp down my white-hot anger and spoke again. "So your idea of being careful is letting someone who can't even get a basic report straight hold up critical data?"

Sabrina's eyes welled up with tears right away, her voice thick with obvious, exaggerated hurt. "Evelyn, I know I'm not as smart or capable as you, but I really, really tried my best..."

"Sabrina, none of this is your fault!" Adrian immediately curled an arm around her shoulder, his tone soft as a cloud.

The second he swiveled around to face me, though, his eyes sharpened with unmistakeable disgust.

"Evelyn!" he snapped. "Are you ever going to drop this? You're nitpicking over absolutely nothing! You're turning more and more into an old maid by the day!"

Hearing those three words spill out of his mouth so openly, my brain short-circuited for a second.

He didn't even spare a glance for the hurt flashing in my eyes, his voice rising louder and louder.

"You can't get your work done, and you're always throwing childish fits over nothing! Calling you an old maid is me being nice! Look at how humble Sabrina is! I'm only saying this for your own good!"

Sabrina leaned onto Adrian's shoulder, a smug, triumphant little grin playing across her face.

"Fine, President Pierce. I get it. I'll figure out how to get the data on my own."

I turned on my heel and headed for the door. Faintly, from behind me, I heard Adrian's voice, deliberately softened to comfort her.

"Don't cry, Sabrina. Pay her no mind. She's just jealous of you, totally warped with jealousy..."