Chapter 53 Spreading Rumors

With the collaboration gone, Steven was even more anxious than Felicia. "I admit I'm at fault here, but the collaboration between our companies is a very pragmatic decision." Steven's face was pale as he tried to salvage the collaboration. For his company, this partnership meant significant profits and a step forward in their business. Losing it would be a bitter pill to swallow. Besides, his company was the most suited for the collaboration. It would be a huge waste for both parties to discontinue their collaboration. Steven looked expectantly at Curtis, hoping he would reconsider. He didn't want the collaboration to fall apart just because of a woman. However, Curtis remained unmoved. "You're right; your company is an excellent choice for us. But we have many other options. We don't have to work with just one company. One company might not be enough; two, or even three, might be better than yours." Steven's face turned even paler. He didn't expect his lecherous behavior to lead to these consequences. How would he explain this to his employees? "Please, have mercy. I beg you." Steven was on the verge of kneeling to plead with Curtis. However, Curtis didn't spare him a glance and led Sabrina out. Once they were outside the club, Sabrina let out a heavy sigh. Curtis glanced at her, puzzled. 'Shouldn't she be happy and relieved? What's with the long sigh?' "I never thought that after all these years of knowing her, she would do this to me. I always believed that we were pretty good friends," Sabrina said disappointedly. Due to family and personality issues when she was younger, she didn't have many friends she could play with. Most friends she had, after playing together for a couple of years, naturally drifted apart. It was only later, after she started working, that she met some good people, like her supervisor, Sharon. Sabrina had known Felicia since the early days of her career when she had just joined the company. Despite their long history, Sabrina didn't expect Felicia to scheme against her. "The human heart is a strange thing and is often unpredictable. You may consider someone a good friend, but you never know when they might turn on you, especially if you're standing in their way." Taking this instance for example, it seemed that Felicia was trying to use Sabrina as a scapegoat, but it was probably because Felicia couldn't secure better benefits from Steven. That's why she pushed Sabrina to him. However, Curtis had other thoughts on this matter. He was sure that this wasn't Felicia's first rodeo. She must've done this before, considering how she had so confidently and smoothly schemed everything. However, he didn't share his thoughts with Sabrina, as he had no concrete evidence. And these were all just baseless thoughts. He didn't want to get into any possible conflicts with Sabrina, nor did he want to meddle in her relationships. "Let's not think about this anymore. Let's go home; Daniel must be getting impatient waiting for us." Sabrina forced a smile. She was genuinely hurt, but life had to go on. She couldn't let one person affect her mood. The two of them returned home, and seeing them return unharmed, Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. * Meanwhile, both Felicia and Steven sat still in the private room at the club, their faces pale with worry. They were contemplating their next steps. Felicia was deeply anxious. Her plans had not only fallen through, but she had also caused the end of an important company collaboration. Would she lose her job? Would Sabrina spread this story around? Would they start digging into other matters and bring to light some of her previous questionable actions? Truth be told, she had done this kind of thing more than once. No, she couldn't just sit and wait for judgment day. Felicia started formulating a plan. She needed to strike before Sabrina made her move. Since Sabrina wouldn't help her, she would drag Sabrina down. Steven suddenly stood up and walked over to Felicia. He slapped her across the face. The slap was so strong it caused her face to swell, and her ears were ringing. "It's all your fault; if it weren't for you, the collaboration wouldn't be at risk. Do you know how important it is to our company? F*ckin' b*tch! If I can't salvage the deal, I'll use you to get another new one!" When Felicia heard this, her face grew even paler. She knew that Steven wasn't joking; he would do as he said. Felicia was genuinely scared; when Steven turned aggressive, she quickly yelled out, "I-I have an idea! The guy that she came with. His status is pretty high up. Let's use both of them to achieve our goals at the same time!" Steven gave her a strange look. Did she not even recognize her own boss? Or was she trying to step on him to get ahead? He sneered, "You're on your own. I don't care if you plan to spread rumors or target someone, one thing is certain: this collaboration is already a lost cause. Considering our past relationship, I can warn you that that guy you saw just now… He's not one to be trifled with. If you dare provoke him, be prepared for his retaliation!" After saying this, Steven turned and left. He had to figure out how to salvage the situation. If he couldn't recover this collaboration, he needed to plan for the next one. Felicia watched Steven leave while clutching her face. Her eyes were filled with hatred. It was all Sabrina's fault! She would make Sabrina pay for this! Meanwhile, Sabrina had no idea what plans Felicia had in mind. However, she was aware that her relationship with Felicia had come to an end. She had to be cautious from now on, in case Felicia planned to do something else to her.