Chapter 35
"How is that possible? His leg was broken because I ordered it!"
Evelyn immediately denied it loudly.
Thinking back to yesterday's events, her eyes suddenly widened: "Wait, didn't Chase explain to you yesterday?"
Just thinking about it made her clench her fists.
No wonder when they met today, she felt Benjamin was giving off this distant vibe. And she had even pleaded for Chase!
"I asked you to get an orthopedic doctor yesterday because I thought something was wrong with my leg and I wouldn't be able to dance anymore."
She lowered her head, somewhat annoyed. She'd been fooled by Sophia so many times; how could she still believe her? She was really beyond hopeless.
"Can't dance?" His eyes narrowed slightly as his hand reached down to grasp her leg, slowly moving up from her ankle.
Evelyn knew Benjamin was checking her leg, but it felt way too intimate.
"No! The doctor said there's nothing wrong with me!" After several failed attempts to pull her leg from his grasp, she could only plead softly, "Can you let go first, please?"
"If it wasn't the doctor who said it, then who did?" He didn't let go of her leg, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.
"Sophia."
She felt the urge to strangle herself again, and her voice got much quieter.
Benjamin thought back to everything from last night, his eyes narrowing slightly: "So what you meant yesterday was for me to get you a doctor?"
"Yes." She nodded, then added, "I absolutely don't want Matthew to get better. Best if he becomes a cripple."
After saying this, she couldn't help sneaking a glance at him: "Do you think I'm too cruel?"
Nobody likes cruel people, which is why so many girls like to present themselves as animal lovers.
Evelyn felt a bit regretful. She'd already let that two-faced Sophia take advantage and latch onto Matthew before. How could she be so careless in front of Benjamin?
Just as her mind was racing about how to fix this, his voice rang out.
"No. Kindness needs teeth, too. Otherwise, they'll just hurt you without any restraint."
Hoping someone stays good means hoping their kindness can grow armor, not that they should be endlessly kind and easy to bully.
She looked at him with a complicated expression: "Benjamin, before I thought you were connected to the underworld, that you were ruthless. Now I realize you actually have really good values."
"Good enough to have Matthew's leg broken?" The corner of his mouth held a smile, with a hint of teasing.
"He deserved it!"
Evelyn said it firmly, easing some of Benjamin's unease.
But could she really let go of everything from the past?
Benjamin silently patted her gently, his expression warm, but dark clouds lingered in his heart that he couldn't dispel.
When Evelyn entered the Thomas Group, she realized just how popular Matthew really was.
She, the so-called young lady of the Thomas family, was really just a title - she wasn't recognized at all.
Even after securing the project to build the suburban amusement park in cooperation with the White Group branch, she didn't get any positive recognition from company employees.
"Mr. White is really good to Ms. Thomas. Such a great project, and he signed the contract without any detailed negotiations."
"How is that possible? Matthew must have gone through that contract line by line. Otherwise, why would Mr. White just sign it without saying anything?"
"Exactly. No matter how much Mr. White likes Ms. Thomas, he can't lose money."
Several people in the marketing department's break room were laughing and chatting, completely unaware of Evelyn standing at the door.
The supervisor beside her, Harry Brooks, sharp and capable, was also made uncomfortable by these comments.
"Don't you have work to do? What are you gossiping about here!"
The people being scolded turned around to see Harry and Evelyn beside him. Their faces changed, and none of them looked happy.
After Harry finished scolding them, he threw out: "What are you standing there for? Get back to work!"
"Mr. Brooks, is this how you usually manage employees?"
Evelyn stood smiling at the door, with no intention of letting them leave.
Before, when she was in the finance department, Patsy only dared to give her attitude in private. Now, even junior employees dare to gossip about her like this?
Gossiping was one thing, but they were crediting her achievements to Matthew!
Unacceptable.
The faces of the people in the break room all showed 'we're screwed' expressions, each one looking obedient and ready to be lectured.
However, one female employee about Evelyn's age, Fallon Turner, was clearly unhappy.
"Did we say something wrong?" Fallon suddenly raised her head. "If you weren't born into the Thomas family, how could you just enter the Thomas Group without any evaluation? And such a big project - you say sign and it's signed. Can you even understand contracts?"
That last sentence was blatant mockery, the female employee's eyes full of disdain.
"You can't stand me?" Evelyn's smile didn't change as she said softly, "But you'll just have to keep not standing me, because with your abilities, there's no way you could ever surpass me."
"You..."
Fallon was young and hot-headed, with thin skin. Her face instantly flushed red.
"You're only relying on the Thomas family. What abilities do you have?"
"You don't even know what abilities I have, so how did you get into the Thomas Group? Did you use connections?"
She could make baseless accusations, too.
Evelyn snorted lightly, glancing at the clothes she was wearing: "Wearing Belle & Chic's new collection, yet criticizing Belle & Chic's owner - are you trying to say your taste and your life are separate?"
"How is that possible? Belle & Chic is your brand?"
Belle & Chic was a women's fashion brand that emerged this year, attracting young women's attention as soon as it launched.
Belle & Chic's clothing styles were trendy without being tacky, following an affordable luxury route with prices perfect for urban professionals, which helped the new brand quickly capture market share.
Everyone present was from the marketing department and knew Belle & Chic's brand strategy well, as it was a good example for training newcomers.
Fallon paused, then said: "So what if it's yours? Someone like you just has your name on it. Someone else must be running it. Maybe Mr. Thomas is the one managing it."
Evelyn hadn't wanted to argue with Fallon, but Fallon kept bringing up Matthew, and she really didn't want to let it slide.
"What, did you see Matthew helping me? Or did he tell you?"
Matthew seemed gentle, but he actually wasn't easy to get along with.
With employees, he always maintained a cool persona. How much interaction could he have with a female employee?
Seeing that Fallon couldn't speak, Evelyn continued unhurriedly: "So aren't you just like those paparazzi trying to get attention? But even paparazzi need to catch some hint of news. You're just wildly guessing - you're a gossip."
Fallon had just graduated and entered the Thomas Group, and the praise from people around her had gone to her head a bit.
Plus, her work abilities were indeed good, and she'd been praised by superiors several times. Now, being humiliated like this by Evelyn, who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, how could she take it?
She angrily stepped forward, her voice rising considerably.
"How am I wildly guessing? Who doesn't know you can't do anything? Every time it's Mr. Thomas standing up for you! What right does someone like you have to criticize me!"
"Because I'm the young lady of the Thomas family. Is that enough?"
Evelyn's words were light and calm, but they landed like a slap on Fallon's face, while Fallon's mockery seemed like a punch hitting cotton - completely powerless.