Missy knew something was wrong from the moment she woke up that morning—since Ethan canceled his promise to pick her up so they could go to the office together. The unease only deepen when a private message from Richard, her manager, asking her to come to the meeting room. Not an email. Not a group notice like usual. Just her.
When she stepped into the elevator, the air felt strangely heavy. Too quiet. A knot tightened in her stomach. That same uneasy feeling followed her all the way to the meeting room. Her teammates—who usually greeted her with easy smiles—now avoided her gaze as she entered the meeting room.
Something was very wrong.
The meeting room was already full. Every member of her team was there, along with several men she didn't recognize. A laptop was open in front of a stranger sitting at the head of the table. Printed documents were neatly arranged. And at the far end of the table, across from the team manager, sat Ethan.
Her boyfriend.
His back was with straight. His arms were folded. His face was calm.
Too calm.
His eyes met hers briefly when she entered, but there was no warmth in them. No secret smile. No softness. Just a flat, unreadable look that made her skin prickle.
"Please, Miss Mellisa, we need to do a confirmation," Richard said, his tone formal—painfully formal—as he stood and gestured for her to sit in an empty chair.
Missy's heart began to pound so hard it echoed in her ears. Something is wrong, her instinct warned.
The screen lit up.
Her proposal.
The one she had worked on for weeks appeared there.
But... it wasn't the version she knew. The numbers had changed, and the data was very different from what she had written. The division name was clearly listed, and under the person in charge, only one name appeared.
Mellisa Ivory Hart.
"That's not—" Missy choked as she could no longer clearly hear Richard, who was pointing at the report, explaining something she could no longer properly hear over the rush of blood in her ears.
She suddenly stood up, and a man with thick glasses stood as well, taking the remote from Richard.
"We are from the audit team," he said calmly.
"We are currently examining proposal asset A-17C. All records and accesses related to this report lead to your account. Miss Mellisa Hart, is it true that you made this proposal?" he asked.
Missy swallowed and gave a small nod. Cold sweat began to cover her palms at the firmness in the man's voice. "Yes, but—"
"Miss Mellisa," the man interrupted. "Your proposal indicates manipulation and fraud that caused financial loss to the company. You raised false prices, manipulated documents, and worked with a shadow buyer."
Missy stared at him, her mind blanking. "W–what? What do you mean? Wait… I don't understand…"
"We found a transfer of £12,840 to your personal account, equal to approximately $17,000."
Her heart seemed to stop.
"M... money? What money? I don't know anything about that. I never received anything…"
"The transfer was made two days after the A-17C asset evaluation report was submitted. The funds came from an intermediary company linked to the buyer."
Missy shook her head, her breathing becoming uneven. "No… no, this must be a mistake. I don't know anything about that money. If you mean my new account, isn't that the account all employees must have for project salaries and investor bonuses, right?"
The man stared at her without sympathy. "Let me add, the funds are no longer in your account."
Her vision blurred. "No… no, this must be a mistake, sir. I made that report under my manager's order," she said, turning desperately toward Richard. "And Ethan helped me open that account and suggested it," she added, turning to Ethan, silently begging him to say something.
"Tell them, Mr. Richard, this is not the proposal I submitted to you. That is clearly not my report. And Ethan?" Missy said, her eyes burning as she pleaded.
"Yes, I asked you to prepare a proposal for A-17C. But I never imagine you would take it this far," Richard said, shaking his head as if disappointed.
The words hit harder than a slap.
Missy froze. It felt like she had been drenched in ice water.
Ethan finally spoke, his voice cool. "Regarding the account, we all have one. I helped you set it up because as a new staff member you had to. But the authority was entirely in your hands. Are you trying to drag me into your illegal actions now?"
Something inside her cracked.
There was no more gentle way of calling her name from Ethan's lips. He didn't even call her by her pet name.
"So, Miss Hart, where did you move the money?" the auditor asked.
Missy could barely answer. Her lips trembled. "How... how would I know?"
The auditor placed the remote down and slowly closed his folder with quiet finality. "Report manipulation. Illegal fund flow. Final document access under your name. Just tell us, who worked with you?"
Missy looked around the room desperate. All her teammates seemed unwilling to even look at her.
No one met her eyes.
Not one.
Why only her? Why? At that moment, Missy knew everything had fallen apart. She could no longer even feel the ground beneath her feet. And in that moment, she understood.
She was alone.
Missy's throat felt tight, as if invisible fingers were closing around it.
"Very well," the auditor said at last. "Our team will proceed with further investigation. Miss Mellisa Hart, prepare yourself, as you may face legal consequences. Wait for an internal investigation summons and a termination letter from headquarters. It would be best if you do not leave the country," the man said firmly, adjusting his glasses.
His tone was clinical. Decisive. As though her guilt was already sealed.
One by one, the audit team left the meeting room, leaving behind a silence so thick Missy could hear the faint hum of the air conditioner.
She lowered her head. She trembled. Her vision blurred, and the burning heat in her eyes finally spilled over. She wiped her tears quickly, ashamed of crying in front of them, then forced herself to look up.
"Please... tell me, what is going on? What actually happened?" she asked, looking at Richard pleadingly. Her long wavy ponytail swayed slightly with her unsteady breathing.
"Mellisa, you should be the one explaining to us. If you can't, then take responsibility for your actions," Richard's expression hardened.
Her head jerked back. "What?" Missy said in disbelief. Her face flushed red, nose and eyes stinging. "You all know I didn't do this!" she cried, unable to hold back her emotions.
Missy looked at each of her division teammates one by one, as if asking for an explanation.
"I did receive your report, and that is what you submitted to me," Richard said firmly. "Are you trying to make excuses now that the audit team is targeting us? Do you want to wash your hands of this?"
Missy frowned. Her chest felt twisted. "That is not the report I made!" she protested desperately.
"Oh, please," a woman's voice cut in smoothly. "Your tears are useless. The facts clearly show that you are the only one responsible. Don't act like a victim when you're the one who did it."
Olivia, a blonde-haired woman sitting beside Ethan stood up calmly. She gathered her folder with graceful calm, as if this were just another routine meeting. She gently touched Ethan's arm.
"Darling, let's go. We still have a lot of work. We have to attend the antique auction at ten," she said sweetly.
Missy stared at Olivia, the senior staff member who now looked intimate with Ethan. "What does this mean?" She wiped her tears and looked at Ethan again asking for an explanation. "D–darling? W–what does that mean? Ethan…" Her voice came up small.
Olivia's lips curved in a faint, amused smiled. "What? You didn't know?" she said, tilting her head. "I'm Ethan's girlfriend."
" G... girlfriend...? Since when?" Missy blinked rapidly, as if that alone could wake her from a nightmare.
*Yes, this must be a dream, right?*
A nightmare she had this morning...
***