I Sleep To Earn, I Rejected His All-Nighter

Chapter 3 Under the Spotlight

By 8:20 PM, I had finally wrapped up page nine. It wasn't that I was procrastinating. My hands simply wouldn't cooperate.

The glaring lights had my heart racing, and my temples pounded, as if tiny needles were being jabbed into my skull.

The text on the projection screen started to blur. The numbers twisted into a chaotic jumble, and I found myself leaning in closer just to figure out how many zeros trailed the projected revenue.

Jenny was seated across from me, her second cup of coffee resting beside her.

She looked up every few minutes. "You need to rewrite page six. Change the title on page nine. It's too flimsy. This page sounds more like a personal reflection than a presentation for a public company."

I clicked the mouse, my fingers shaking. "This draft wasn't created by me. It was approved by the board last night."

"Well, I'm not happy with it now." She pulled out a sheet of draft paper and slid it across the table. "Revise the market vision to be 200 words or less. It needs to be dynamic and ambitious, something that makes investors instantly recognize the potential of Starlight Waves."

My throat felt parched. "The roadshow materials can't be overly exaggerated."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to instruct me on how to do my job?"

The conference room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

The few management trainees who had been working late alongside her didn't dare to utter a word.

The digital clock on the wall changed to 8:40 PM, and a heavy weight settled in my chest.

At that time, Mary would typically lower the room temperature to 35.6°F, crank up the aromatherapy, and turn on the white noise. I would hold my pocket watch in my hand, letting it warm up before I closed my eyes.

But now, I found myself at the cold, unyielding conference table, the lights glaring down like an interrogation room. The sound of the computer fan buzzed loudly, making my head pound.

Out of nowhere, Jenny raised her hand. "Close the door tighter."

A guy stood up to pull the door shut.

Just as the gap was about to close, Mary pushed her way in, her eyes red and puffy. "Scarlett, you can't keep this up. It's about 9 PM!"

She rushed to my side, reaching for my laptop to shut it down.

Jenny jumped to her feet. "Who let you in here?"

Mary completely ignored her, turning to me with a shaky voice. "Scarlett, come with me. Even if it's just to lie down in the break room for 10 minutes."

As I started to rise, Jenny stepped over, raised her hand, and flipped the laptop screen back open. "No one is leaving."

Mary trembled with anger. "Are you out of your mind? She's already past her breaking point!"

"And so what?" Jenny shot back coldly. "The company is ringing the bell tomorrow. If the materials aren't done tonight, everyone will be stuck here with her. If she's making that much money, she needs to deliver that kind of value."

Mary raised her voice. "Her good sleep is her value!"

The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically. Jenny paused for a moment, then erupted in laughter. "Did you catch that?"

She scanned the room, as if worried others might have missed it. "Her value is sleeping."

A few new employees couldn't hold back their giggles. Their laughter was subdued, but it sliced through the tension like a knife. My palms began to chill.

Such remarks were typically reserved for veteran employees behind closed doors. Even the chairman had made similar comments. But those were meant to defend me, not to publicly humiliate me.

Jenny moved closer, leaning down to look me in the eye. "Scarlett, can you hear how absurd that sounds? The company has invested so much in you, and the only thing you contribute is how much you sleep."

My throat constricted painfully. "Ms. York, I'm pleading with you. Please let me go back tonight."

Her expression remained unchanged. "Now you're pleading?"

She swept her arm across the table, sending folders tumbling and papers flying everywhere. "Pick them up and revise."

I bent down to collect the scattered papers, but as I reached for one, my vision suddenly darkened, and I had to brace myself against the floor to keep from falling.

Mary gasped and rushed to support me. "Scarlett!"

Jenny shot me an annoyed glare. "Cut the drama."

She pointed at the projection screen. "If you can't finish those 30 pages of PPT tonight, you'll sit here until dawn. I want to see if missing one night's sleep will really cause Starlight Waves to fall apart."