The Spoiled Girl

"Go to the HR department, and pull up everything you can about that employee,"

Emily instructed her assistant with the urgency of someone who was grasping at straws.

"Director Emily, it's 9:30 in the evening. Everyone has gone home."

It was only then that Emily realized how late it was. Thinking quickly, she told her assistant, "Call the HR manager. Tell him that something came up and that he has to work overtime tonight."

Beryl was unlike other children. She would not casually go with a stranger. The woman in the surveillance footage had only been in Emily's office for around ten minutes before she left with Beryl.

Something must have gone wrong.

When Emily's assistant called, the HR manager was already fast asleep beside his wife.

The shock that he felt when he heard what the assistant had to say immediately roused him from his sleep.

It was rare for their employees to render overtime work, especially at night, unless something urgent had happened.

When he arrived at the office, Emily's glare greeted him.

"Director Emily, what can I do for you?" he asked politely.

Emily placed a picture on the desk in front of him.

"I want all the information that we have on this woman. Can you get that for me?"

The HR manager gingerly took the photo. Almost at once, his eyes lit up with recognition.

"This is Gemma. She used to work right here in HR, but then she was transferred to the research department."

Emily squinted at the picture as it remained in the manager's hand.

"Transferred? From the HR department to the research department?"

"Yes, Director Emily. I have to admit, I was also puzzled in the beginning. After all, I knew nothing about what went on between the two departments, yet she was suddenly transferred to the research department two months ago. I had no authority to prevent the transfer, and my boss got the arrangement that he wanted."

Emily wasn't convinced. Her intuition told her that there was more to this than what the HR manager was telling her. She raised her voice.

"Who authorized her transfer to the research department?"

"It was Mr. Li, the former vice president, but he unexpectedly resigned not very long ago."

Emily knitted her brows.

After a long pause, the manager asked tentatively, "Direct

me, devastated. Every step made her feel like her body had been torn apart limb from limb.

As she walked, she let her mind wander. The face of a young man crossed her mind, causing a twinge in her heart.

In the end, Estelle had betrayed him. Maybe this was for the best. They wouldn't have had a future together anyway.

Maybe he would never see her again in his lifetime.

As Estelle walked the streets alone, rain began to pour.

She tried to cheer herself up. All of a sudden, she remembered her mother telling her the previous night that an important guest was coming. Because of this visit, her mother had instructed her to return late.

However, because of everything that had happened the night before, Estelle was unable to go home altogether. It suddenly occurred to her that her mother must have been worried sick the whole night. She began to walk faster, determined to get home as soon as possible.

Estelle arrived home fatigued. She walked through the door and saw her mother, Suzanne He, all smiles and talking with someone on the phone.

When Suzanne He saw Estelle looking tired and soaking wet, her smile disappeared.

She mumbled something into the receiver and abruptly hung up.

"Estelle, what happened?"

She hurried over to where her daughter was standing and held her hand.

Estelle did not respond immediately. With her face as pale as a ghost's, she stared at her mother for a while. Suzanne looked somewhat uneasy. Finally, Estelle asked, "Mom, do you actually know what happened?"