Chapter 18 Gossip. Reluctantly, Ariana resigned herself to the situation and with a deep sigh, she dropped her bag and rolled up her sleeves, bracing herself to clean up the untidy storage room. The room was a disaster area, with items scattered everywhere, some requiring a herculean effort to shift. As a result, Ariana labored away the entire afternoon, sweating profusely and working tirelessly to restore some sense of order to the chaos. Her muscles ached and her body was covered in a fine layer of dust when she finally emerged from the storage room. It was already late in the day, and most of the employees had already left the building. Feeling exhausted, Ariana headed to the restroom to wash the grime off her body. As she sat on the toilet seat, trying to calm her frayed nerves, she gingerly massaged her sore arm. She then pulled out a tube of bright red lipstick from her bag and reapplied it to her lips, hoping to restore some confidence in her appearance. Just as she was about to leave the cubicle, the sound of two women's voices from outside caught her attention. "Did you hear about the new girl? She's been assigned to clean the dingy storage room!" One of them snickered. “And I thought she had connections. Looks like she's nothing special. Perhaps she's just a mistress that one of the leaders is fooling around with," said the other with a haughty smirk. The air was thick with malice and cruelty as the two women snickered at Ariana's expense. "Perhaps the warehouse manager? That bald, Hiram Watts? Hahaha. They thought they were safe to gossip in the privacy of the restroom, but their laughter was soon cut short. With a sudden burst of courage, Ariana flung open the cubicle door, startling the cackling duo. The laughter was suddenly silenced as the women gaped at Ariana in disbelief. As Donna's subordinates, they had long been accustomed to following her lead. Taking their cue from Donna's disdainful attitude, they too decided to taunt and harass the hapless newcomer, Ariana. But being caught red-handed by the person they were gossiping about, they still felt a bit embarrassed. As if unfazed by the rude and belittling remarks, Ariana approached the sink to clean her hands, but not before retaliating with a sharp comeback. "Why don't you continue? You're right, I did land this job because of my connections. I am, in fact, the paramour of a leader. Her words hung in the air, leaving the two women speechless. smirking slyly, Ariana turned off the faucet and uttered in a tone loaded with insinuation, "But let's not guess too lowly. I suggest you guess someone with more clout. Perhaps I am the wife of the CEO himself

" Despite the convincing delivery, Ariana's bold claim was met with ridicule and laughter. "Hal The very idea of you and Mr. Theodore Anderson together is a complete joke," sneered one woman. "If you really were with him, how come you were sent to the storage room?". "Don't waste your time chasing after a cripple. Theodore's position is precarious. Why not aim higher and set your sights on someone like Hiram Watts?" The other woman chortled. The fiery indignation roiling within Ariana was about to boil over. They even dared to belittle their boss. Ariana's voice turned frosty as she spoke. "Mr. Anderson was recently in a car accident and is still recovering. Yet, you two find it fitting to start spreading rumors. Do you not fear your words may reach his ears? After all, Theodore is the eldest son of the Anderson family. Who do you think you are to gossip about him?". One of the women, still unconvinced, retorted, "So what if he's an Anderson? He's just disabled. With Mr. Jasper Anderson entering SJ Entertainment, Theodore will soon be ousted. Ariana couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Jasper? That buffoon is no match for Theodore. If he ever takes over the company, he'll run it into the ground. The two women stared at Ariana in disbelief. "Are you insane? How could you say something like that about Mr. Jasper Anderson?". "Believe it or not. " Ariana didn't want to waste any more breath on them She quickly washed her hands and made a hasty exit from the restroom. At night, the Anderson family's mansion was brightly lit. Theodore sat at his desk scrutinizing documents with a pen in hand. A massive screen perched on the wall in front of him displayed a video call in progress

Horace's face flickered on the screen as he reported work. With a frown on his face, Horace hesitated, as if he had something more to say. When Theodore glanced up, he caught sight of the uncertain look on Horace's face and understood there was more to be discussed. Theodore hurled the pen away, pinching his nose, and asked, "What's on your mind? Speak up. Horace took a deep breath and gingerly stated, "Everyone in the office is murmuring about your accident and disability. They are spreading. rumors behind your back. " Theodore, unfazed, took a sip of water and replied in an indifferent voice, "Let them. Gossip is just that, no more. Horace didn't stop there. "And, Ms. Edwards spoke in your favor today," he revealed. Curiosity piqued, Theodore leaned forward. "Really? What did she say?" he asked, his eyes glistening with interest. Horace repeated Ariana's comments, which he had found out about. through his network of insiders. "Jasper is no match for me. " Theodore's face lit up with a smile. "Did she really say that?". Horace hesitated before speaking, carefully selecting his words. "That's what she meant. He finally answered Theodore's question, although he believed the main point of Ariana's comments was to criticize Jasper, and not to praise his boss. Despite this, Horace felt he could not say that, and so he skirted around the issue. Theodore's expression relaxed, pleased with Ariana's staunch support. As they wrapped up their conversation, a faint sound coming from outside the door interrupted their discussion. Theodore signaled to Horace that it was time to end the video call. "Let's call it a day," he whispered in a hushed tone. "If there's anything important that comes up, don't hesitate to inform me, especially if it's regarding Ariana," he added, his voice serious and deliberate. "Yes, sir