Chapter 3Punching the Script

【THE SIDE CHARACTER SHOULDN’T BE WORKING SO HARD. HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE LAZY AND INCOMPETENT TO MAKE THE MALE LEAD LOOK GOOD BY COMPARISON.】

【EXACTLY! HOW ELSE IS THE HEROINE SUPPOSED TO REALIZE HOW AMAZING THE MALE LEAD IS? THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT!】

This phantom comment feed was really starting to get on my nerves. But I had no intention of following its script. I focused on my work and completed it diligently.

The next day, I came into the office, ready to send my completed project proposal to Chloe, only to find the file was gone from my desktop.

I searched everywhere, even in the recycle bin. It was as if it had never existed.

Chloe came out of her office and tapped impatiently on my desk. “Where’s the proposal that’s due today? Why haven’t you sent it?”

Before I could answer, Zane chimed in from the side, his voice dripping with false sympathy. “Manager, I don’t think he’s going to be able to submit it.”

I immediately knew. The missing file had Zane written all over it.

Chloe looked at him, confused. Zane put on an innocent expression. “I saw Wyatt slacking off all day yesterday. He bolted the second the clock hit five. There’s no way he could have finished.”

Without waiting for my explanation, Chloe turned on me. “Wyatt! You were slacking off on company time? Who do you think you are? Didn’t I tell you last week this was due today? Do my words mean nothing to you?”

I let out a cold laugh and pulled a flash drive from my pocket. “Who said I couldn’t submit it? I was just about to send it.”

“That’s impossible!” Zane shrieked. Chloe shot him a strange look, and he quickly backpedaled. “I mean… how could he have possibly finished the work… if he was slacking off?”

“Whether I was slacking or not is on the security cameras,” I said calmly. “And while we’re at it, we can also check the footage to see who was using my computer after I left.”

Zane’s face turned sheet-white, his lips trembling. “I… I must have seen wrong… Wyatt was working very hard, he wasn’t slacking at all. No need to check the cameras.”

But Chloe, seemingly convinced of my guilt, wouldn’t let it go. “No! We have to check. Wyatt, even if you’re a senior employee, a poor work ethic has to be punished!”

The footage was pulled up. It showed me diligently working at my desk, barely even taking a bathroom break.

Then it showed Zane, leaning back in his chair, scrolling through trashy videos on his phone and munching on a bag of spicy chips.

Chloe was stunned into silence. Zane hung his head in shame.