Chapter 2My Multi-Million Contract Went to a New Hire

For the next few days, the office was a circus.

Lexi sat at her desk, staring at the files with a deep scowl. The usually quiet department group chat was constantly blowing up with her notifications.

"@Riley, what does this 'exclusivity clause' mean in section four?"

"Victoria's legal team is asking if we can strike it. What do I say?"

"@Riley, how does the sliding scale commission work on this spreadsheet? The system keeps giving me an error!"

"@Riley, help! Victoria's assistant is asking for Plan B from the last proposal. Where is it?"

I stared at my screen, deliberately waiting until Richard chimed in to scold me before taking my sweet time to type back.

"The exclusivity clause is standard industry practice. Tell legal to hold their ground."

"The sliding scale uses the formula at the bottom. Plug the numbers in yourself."

"Plan B is in the archived folder. Keep looking."

Lexi followed my advice and tried to play hardball with the client. She got shut down immediately.

That afternoon, the tension in the office was suffocating.

Lexi slammed her mouse onto her desk, her eyes red, and stormed into Richard's office.

Less than five minutes later, Richard's roar bled through the frosted glass.

"Riley! Get in here right now!"

I picked up my thermos and casually strolled in.

Richard was pounding his fist on the desk.

"Are you trying to get fired, Riley?"

"Lexi said she called Victoria over a dozen times today and got sent straight to voicemail. Did you give her a fake number?"

"Are you trying to sabotage a ten million dollar contract?!"

Lexi sat in the corner chair, pointing a manicured finger at me.

"She's doing this on purpose, Richard! She must have talked trash about me to Victoria. Why else would the client ignore my calls?"

"You can't play games with the company's money, Riley!"

I blinked, looking completely innocent.

"I'm deeply offended you'd think that, Richard. The number is right there in the directory. Why would I fake it?"

"Victoria runs a massive corporation. Maybe she's just busy and hasn't checked her phone."

"Bullshit!" Richard threw a binder across the room. It crashed to the floor.

"Busy enough to ignore my lead manager all day? You're going to call her right now. On speaker."

"If she doesn't pick up, you can pack your desk."

I pulled my phone from my pocket. "Sure. Let's try."

I dialed the number and hit the speaker button.

It rang twice. Then, a sharp click.

An icy, authoritative woman's voice filled the room. "Hello?"

Lexi froze. Richard stopped breathing.

I cleared my throat, keeping my tone perfectly professional and warm.

"Hi Victoria, it's Riley. I am so sorry to interrupt your afternoon. Our new manager, Lexi, mentioned she couldn't get ahold of you."

"We just wanted to make sure the signing schedule was still on track..."

Silence hung heavy on the other end. Then, a cold, mocking scoff.

"Lexi? Who the hell is Lexi? I don't know a Lexi. Some girl kept sending me unprofessional emojis and begging for a meeting all morning. I blocked the number."

"Riley, I have made myself very clear. I only do business with you."

"If your firm keeps sending random nobodies to waste my time, we can take our ten million elsewhere."

Lexi's face flushed a violent crimson. She stared at the carpet.

Richard's face drained of all color.

I quickly jumped in to smooth things over. "Please don't be angry, Victoria. She's new and still learning the ropes. We will make sure she gets better training."

"Regarding the signing ceremony..."

"Whatever. I'll let it slide because it's you, Riley. We'll handle the details when I see you."

The line went dead.

The silence in the office was deafening.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and looked at Richard. "Well, the number works. Maybe Lexi just came on a bit too strong. Victoria hates that kind of unprofessional energy."

Richard glared at Lexi. "You are useless! You can't even read a client's basic vibe? Go back to your desk and figure it out!"

He turned back to me, massaging his temples.

"Since she actually answers your calls, you'll handle the communication logistics from now on. But Lexi is still the lead on paper, and she signs the contract. That is non negotiable."

I nodded obediently. "Of course. Whatever you say."

Despite her humiliation, Lexi's ego bounced back the next day. She posted a team photo on her social media, cropped me out completely, and added a shiny filter to her face.

The caption read: "Burning the midnight oil for this ten million dollar deal. The grind never stops!"

Dozens of people from the company liked it.