Sophia knew that Willow was secretly watching her from the corner of her eye and responded with a smug smile.
In a feigned friendly tone, she said, "Willow, since we started working on the same day, I didn't have time to bring you a gift, but let's hope for a more predictable collaboration."
Gery suddenly remembered that Willow was standing nearby. But with Sophia, who held influence, present, why bother with her, a designer with whom he had no real connection?
Casually, he said, "Oh, this Willow Stuart. Take a moment to attention, everyone; we'll gather for a meeting in half an hour."
After the brief introduction, Gery cheerfully walked back to his office, holding a luxurious gift box in his arm.
Willow walked to her desk while Sophia followed her and sat not far away.
In a soft voice, Sophia murmured, "You must be surprised to find me here."
While busy organizing her workspace, Willow glanced at Sophia briefly but said nothing.
Ignoring Willow's silence, Sophia continued. "Even though you won yesterday, it doesn't mean anything. I still got the position at Stars Vision. You should remember, this is a warning from me—just wait and see."
Sophia's voice was full of mockery as her eyes locked with Willow's. Her gaze was filled with contempt.
When her coworkers heard her words, an awkward silence fell over them; they seemed hesitant to voice their thoughts.
However, some people whispered among themselves, unable to resist their tendency to spread rumors.
"Willow managed to come out on top in yesterday's interview, and we all know Sophia is known for her domineering ways. I'm worried Willow will have a hard time."
"True, Willow, this newcomer, somehow managed to annoy Sophia. I feel sorry for her."
"Shh, don't make a fuss. If Sophia finds out we're talking about her like this, we'll be in big trouble. Remember, we've already received gifts from her."
"So what? She's filthy rich; those gifts mean nothing to her."
As expected, during the meeting that took place thirty minutes later, Gery openly delegated responsibility to Sophia.
"Considering the upcoming season, we will update the design for the classic brand. Since the other teams are already busy, Sophia will lead this project."
Sophia responded enthusiastically, "Thank you, Gery for trusting me. I will commit to performing well."
Willow glanced at her before turning to Gery with hope, waiting for her own assignment.
However, Gery's gaze showed no sign of hope; he spoke in a superior tone. "Willow, your experience is still limited. For now, focus on understanding the team dynamics, observe the experienced designers, and assist with simple tasks, like getting coffee for everyone. Got it?"
Sophia gave Willow a smug smile, her eyes filled with hatred. She seemed to be mocking that Willow wasn't her match.
Willow furrowed her brows in frustration.
Before, she had been certain that once she started, she could immediately begin working and finally pursue her dream of becoming a designer.
However, the task Gery assigned her turned out to be very trivial.
Angrily, Willow stood up and voiced her concerns to Gery. "Gery, why did Sophia, who started working on the same day as me, get a substantial project while I'm stuck with these basic tasks? This isn't fair."
Gery, who was annoyed by Sophia's honesty, responded sharply, "What's unfair? Willow, you're still learning as a novice designer. You need to develop your skills. Do you really think that succeeding in an interview makes you special?"
Gery's face suddenly darkened. He was clearly angry at Willow's protest. After asserting his position, he turned to Sophia and said calmly, "Sophia has participated in many design competitions and has an impressive portfolio. She is far more experienced than you. Instead of wasting time arguing with your boss, you should learn from your colleagues as you should."
Willow opened her mouth to respond. But before she could say anything, Gery's voice grew sharp.
"Willow, if you continue to challenge my decision, I will have to seriously reconsider whether you are even worthy of passing the three-month probationary period."
The warning was so harsh that it left Willow speechless.
Her probationary period entirely depended on Gery's assessment—if he decided she didn't meet expectations, she would be fired before she even had a chance to prove herself.
She had worked so hard to get this job. She couldn't let herself be fired so easily.
Holding back her frustration, she forced herself to compromise. "I understand. I will learn from my colleagues. And I believe you will assign appropriate tasks soon."
Gery ignored the last part of her statement. With a cynical laugh, he stormed out of the meeting room in a rage.
The remaining employees exchanged anxious glances. They weren't sure whether they should say anything to Willow.
Defending Willow meant having to confront Gery and Sophia — a risk that, clearly, no one was willing to take.
Meanwhile, Soohia relished the humiliation of Willow with glee. Recalling Gery's words, she sighed dramatically and turned to the group. "Now, come to think of it, going to buy coffee sounds perfect. What do you think?"
Her colleagues looked at her hesitantly, "Maybe another time, Sophia. You've already given us a gift."
However, without hesitation, Sophia pulled cash out of her wallet and tossed it onto the table in front of Willow.
"Willow, didn't you hear? We want coffee. Make sure everyone's order is correct—don't mess it up. If you can't handle something as simple as this, how can Gery trust your abilities?"
With that, she linked arms with a few coworkers and walked out laughing.
Willow sat for a moment before calmly picking up the money. Without saying a word, she returned to her desk, took a pen and notebook, then approached each coworker one by one to take their orders.
Sophia smirked at Willow's passive attitude, enjoying her obedience. "Make sure you tell the barista exactly what I want," she said in an arrogant tone, "One-third milk, exactly six ice cubes—no more, no less—and absolutely no sugar. Got it? If it's not perfect, you'll come back for another one."
Willow noted it down without emotion and replied flatly, "Okay, got it."
Then, without glancing at Sophia again, she moved on to the next coworker.
Fortunately, the others weren't interested in making her life more difficult. Their orders were simple and reasonable.
Half an hour later, Willow returned with the drinks and handed them out one by one.
"Thank you."
"Thank you, Willow."
"No problem." she replied politely.
When she reached Sophia, Sophia suddenly tilted her cup on purpose, causing the coffee to spill onto Willow's chest.
The lid came off, and the black coffee mixed with white foam swirled, soaking through her clothes. Then the sound of an empty cup hitting the floor echoed loudly.
The office fell silent instantly; everyone stood stiffly, staring with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Sophia sighed dramatically, pressing her hand to her chest, "Oops, my hand slipped—it was an accident. Are you okay, Willow?"
"Should I buy you a new shirt? Honestly, your shirt is almost ruined. Why are you still wearing it?"
Willow stared at Sophia with an expression that was hard to read and said in a calm, terrifying voice, "It's okay."
Everyone thought she would let it go—after all, Sophia's connections made her untouchable.
But without hesitation, Willow grabbed all the coffee cups in front of her and, with a swift motion, poured them all over Sophia's head.
A gasp of shock echoed through the room. The cold coffee flowed down through Sophia's hair, soaking her entire body from head to toe.
"What have you done?!"