Chapter 6 Their Morals Are Lower Than the Sewer
1230 Words
Lucas Manesdin desperately needed that business proposal.
But thanks to his assistant's stupidity, he got a not-so-subtle reminder—just this morning, Mia publicly announced their breakup in front of everyone, then walked off with a brand-new "fiancé" on her arm.
As one of the heirs to the Manesdin Group, Lucas had just lost every shred of dignity. If he still clung to Mia after that disaster, he'd only be dragging his family's name through the mud.
And Mia? She had the audacity to act clueless, like she didn't know exactly what she was doing. Infuriating.
Lucas pressed his lips into a tight line, his brow furrowed deeply as he shot a hard look at Mia. He was silently hoping she'd be as understanding as always and just hand over the proposal like she used to.
But Mia had no intention of cooperating. Arms crossed, she held the document up with a lazy hand, like she could toss it in the trash at any second. She wasn't giving it up, and she wanted him to know it.
"What proposal are you talking about?" Dante hadn't been briefed on the project. Since Lucas wasn't saying anything, he assumed his boss wasn't interested in engaging and raised his voice. "If there's unfinished work, you should report it in the office. Mr. Manesdin has more important things to deal with—"
Lucas's expression darkened. He cut Dante off sharply, barking, "Dante, shut up! Mia, you—"
Just then, Ava stepped forward from where she'd been quietly lurking in the back. Sensing the timing was perfect, she gently tugged at Lucas's sleeve.
"Lucas, let me handle the transition with Mia," she offered softly.
Lucas quickly stopped her, flashing her a gentle smile. "Ava, this has nothing to do with you. Mia doesn't like you. It's better if you keep your distance."
Ava widened her eyes, staring up at him with a look of tender determination.
"It's okay, Lucas. I'm your assistant now. It's my responsibility to help. Besides, work is work. Personal feelings are personal. I believe Mia won't make things difficult for me."
A delicate flower, standing up for her knight even if it meant facing a storm—how touching. If Mia had a mouse in hand, she would've tipped five dollars for that performance.
Ava stepped toward her, the color slowly draining from her face like she was under some invisible pressure.
"Mia, please give me the business proposal," she said softly.
Mia gave a wicked smile, the kind you'd expect from a storybook villainess.
"Sorry. I'm not handing it over."
Ava blinked with wide, innocent eyes, disappointment etched on her face.
"Mia, I know you don't want to leave Lucas, but using the proposal to threaten him won't help. It'll only make him hate you more."
"Stop right there." Mia let out a cold laugh. "You said it yourself. Work is work, and personal feelings are personal. There's no official notice in my system stating you're Lucas's assistant. So no, I won't be passing sensitive documents to someone who hasn't been formally hired just because I hate watching you throw yourself at my ex-fiancé."
The crowd collectively sucked in a breath. Damn. Whatever had triggered Mia, she wasn't even trying to pretend anymore.
To be fair, there hadn't been any official announcement. Ava had only been introduced earlier that afternoon. She hadn't even started the onboarding process, which could take up to three days with corporate approval.
Ava clutched her chest and let a tear slip down her cheek, looking like she'd just been hit with a truckload of emotional trauma.
"Mia, how could you say something like that? I never came on to Lucas. We're just friends. That's all…"
"You've gone too far!" Lucas snapped. He pulled Ava closer, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. His face was flushed with anger.
"Ava has never done anything inappropriate. You're just too sensitive and always questioning my loyalty."
In her past life, before the accident, Mia would've let it slide. Her world had revolved around Lucas and his business. Even if she was upset, she never acted out—she didn't want to waste time or energy on drama.
But now? She had no problem letting Lucas and Ava suffer the consequences together.
"Nothing inappropriate?" Mia scoffed. "Wow. Your moral standards must be lower than the sewer."
She pulled out her phone and opened her messaging app, scrolling through her contacts until she found the chat history with Ava.
"Let's show everyone here how your golden boy Lucas and his 'just a friend' Ava really behave."
She tapped through a series of screenshots and raised her voice as she walked the group through the messages.
"Three days before our engagement, Ava wore lingerie and a massive diamond necklace, leaning in close to flash her cleavage. Her message? 'Thanks for the necklace, sweetheart. But why does my heart hurt so much?' Lucas replied, 'You'll always be my most beautiful goddess.'"
"One week before the engagement, Ava was cuddling a white teddy bear and posted, 'Lucas said this bear is just like him.'"
"Two weeks before the engagement, she was holding flowers with a glowing smile. Caption? 'The flowers came right on time. Lucas is the most reliable gentleman.'"
"One month before the engagement, she was half-undressed in bed. Lucas was spoon-feeding her soup. Caption? 'Had a fever. No strength to move. Thank God my knight crossed the border to be with me.'"
These messages had been coming for over six months. Mia had been angry and heartbroken. But each time Lucas made an excuse, she let it go.
She knew Ava was trying to push her out of the picture. And in her past life, she let it happen. She was too afraid to lose him. So she kept these screenshots hidden, convincing herself to believe in him.
How pathetic.
But not anymore. This time, she owed them nothing.
Everyone in the room craned their necks to see her screen. It wasn't every day they got to watch the company VP's love triangle play out in HD. This gossip was going to fuel watercooler chats for a month.
Lucas lunged forward and snatched her phone, locking the screen.
"Enough!" he barked. "Mia, this is a workplace. Keep your personal drama out of it!"
He was furious. Sure, those photos were fun to look at in private. But shown in front of his team? Now it looked like he was officially cheating on Mia with Ava.
He wanted to lash out at Ava, but she beat him to it—tears streaming as she whispered her apology.
"I'm sorry, Lucas. I just love you too much. I lost control…"
Of course. Poor, innocent Ava. And aggressive, heartless Mia.
Lucas turned back to Mia, struggling to keep his voice calm.
"Mia, you're fired. I'm officially terminating your position. Hand the proposal to Ava. She'll be taking over."
Mia shrugged, totally unfazed.
"Cool. Just get the termination papers ready," she said casually. "As far as I know, every employment or dismissal has to be signed off by the chairman. You better get that moving."
"Mia, stop being difficult."
"This is called following protocol. Try it sometime."
"You—"
A cold, commanding voice interrupted them from behind.
"How dare you. An assistant giving orders to a superior? I authorize an immediate exception!"
- Writer
