Sophia stood stiffly, completely shocked. When she finally came to her senses, she found herself soaked in coffee that Willow had poured on her, her appearance disheveled and drenched. "Willow!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger.
She had never imagined Willow would act so boldly. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger as she glared at Willow, nearly breaking down emotionally.
Today, of all days, she had chosen to wear her most elegant and well-groomed outfit to make a strong impression at Stars Vision. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her makeup applied with care—all of it now ruined because of Willow
"What are you doing?" Sophia s voice was hoarse as she shouted, her eyes welling up not just from frustration but also deep anger.
The office fell silent instantly, her colleagues staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. Some rushed over with tissues, gently wiping Sophia's face, trying to ease the sting from the coffee that had gotten into her eyes.
"Sophia, please, wipe it off."
"Willow, what does that mean?" another coworker asked, furrowing her brows. Willow stood there calmly. Her gaze looked strange and unreadable, making almost everyone feel uncomfortable.
"Sophia claims it was an accident. But this reaction seems pretty extreme," one of them added.
Willow no longer hesitated and finally acted. Her eyelids fluttered with feigned innocence as she muttered. "Me too. I was just startled when my clothes got splashed, and before I knew it, I awkwardly spilled my coffee like she did."
Her voice sounded sweet but fake, each word spoken deliberately separated as she gave Sophia a fake apologetic smile. Her eyes fixed on Sophia as she asked with a feigned concerned expression. "Sophia, are you okay?"
Sophia's breathing was ragged and irregular, her chest rising and falling with almost uncontrollable rage. Her eyes flashed with intense, burning anger, and all she could think about was strangling Willow to death.
Sophia had spent her entire life in comfort—loved at home and admired by everyone she met. The thought of being humiliated like this exceeded the limits of her belief.
In her heart, she hurled vile curses at Willow, but the open anger—clearly something she could never do. Her lips trembled, trying to form clear words.
Willow, far from unaware of Sophia's boiling anger, felt a sense of satisfaction at seeing Sophia in this state.
Her smile widened, her eyes glinting with false sympathy as she casually inspected Sophia's attire. "Oh, how unfortunate," she said in a dismissive tone, feigning pity. "That outfit must have been quite expensive. What a shame. A cup of coffee—which only costs a few dollars—managed to ruin your beautiful outfit. Sophia, maybe you should avoid coffee in the future, or you might accidentally ruin another one of your beautiful outfits."
After she spoke, Willow's expression suddenly froze as she dropped her fake smile and quickly turned to leave.
Her indifference only fueled Sophia's anger. "Willow, how dare you leave me!" Sophia's voice cracked with emotion. She stared at Willow's receding back, a spark of determination igniting within her. Without hesitation, Sophia stepped forward, intending to pull Willow back to confront her.
Today was the day Sophia would put Willow in her place.
However, as Sophia reached out to grab her, her sharp nails nearly touching Willow's shoulder, Willow turned with unexpected agility. With a smooth and swift movement, she grabbed Sophia's wrist, pulling her up so swiftly that Sophia was startled and in pain.
"This hurts! Let go, Willow!" Sophia screamed, her voice filled with despair.
Willow, however, maintained her grip with ease, her expression unreadable as she stared into Sophia's eyes.
Words were unnecessary at this moment—but the silence between them was filled with tension.
Sophia's eyes widened as she looked into Willow's, feeling unable to look away. She felt drawn into the sharpness of Willow's piercing gaze.
A cold sensation spread across Sophia's back as she stared into those eyes. The air around her felt increasingly intense, making her feel as though the coffee stain on her shirt had turned into cold ice.
Willow's gaze swept away Sophia's courage. Her expression was calm yet firm. Suddenly, without warning, Willow leaned in, her voice lowering to a whisper but tinged with menace. "Yes, I did spill that coffee on purpose, Sophia Warren."
Sophia's face flushed with anger, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Willow. But before she could respond, Willow's next words froze her in place.
"I'm here to work and make a living. If you keep bothering me, next time, it won't just be coffee that spills."
Willow's eyes didn't flicker as she studied Sophia's face, as if marking her as her next target.
"You know, you're beautiful. It would be a pity if something... happened to this face."
Sophia's body stiffened with fear, her breath seeming to stop. As she prepared to fight back, Willow let go, and Sophia, overcome with panic, instinctively shielded her face with her hands, afraid Willow would attack.
If Willow intended to make Sophia regret her actions, Sophia had her own way of dealing with it.
But one thing was clear: she couldn't let her face be ruined.
Her heart was filled with anger, but Sophia tried to hold it back, unwilling to make the situation worse. After that tense moment, she kicked her foot in frustration and left angrily, her departure as dramatic and swift as lightning.
Willow s gaze didn't flicker as she watched Sophia disappear. Her expression was somber and unreadable. There was no trace of regret on her face—only a calm indifference.
After that, she glanced briefly at the stain on her shirt and, with a soft sigh, walked toward the bathroom.
After both of them left, the office atmosphere changed. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the tension eased.
A coworker couldn't help but comment.
"Willow is really brave. She wasn't afraid to confront Sophia's bullying like that."
Another coworker muttered, "It seems like Willow already offended Sophia during yesterday's interview, so today's confrontation might not be a big deal."
Another interjected, "But it seems like Willow is someone who shouldn't be underestimated?"
A heavy silence followed, their words hanging in the air. The atmosphere in the office had changed, and it was clear to everyone that Willow wasn't someone who could be easily provoked.
Breaking the awkward silence, a coworker who clearly didn't want to get too caught up in the tension sipped his coffee casually and smiled, "Honestly, the coffee from this new café is amazing!"
The others exchanged glances, shaking their heads at his attempt to lighten the mood.
"Alright," another coworker began, his voice now softer, "Although Gery said we could ask Willow to handle small tasks in the future, we should be careful not to push her too hard."
"Agreed," they replied in unison, the previous tension now gone, but a new warning emerged for them to be more cautious and vigilant in the future.
"Alright, everyone back to work..!"