Chapter 7 BENEATH THE SURFACE.

CHAPTER SEVEN- BENEATH THE SURFACE

~ SUZY'S POV ~

"You said you wanted to see me," Mr. Peter said.

"Oh, yes. I wanted to discuss something important with you," I replied, forcing a smile.

"What's troubling the beautiful Suzy?" he teased.

"How about we go somewhere more private and have a few drinks while we talk?" I suggested.

Without asking further questions, he agreed. We left the company building-it was just two hours before closing time, and I had already finished my tasks for the day. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity.

We arrived at a local bar-one of Mr. Peter's usual spots. A waiter came over and served us some beer. I opted for a soft drink, knowing I couldn't handle alcohol.

I couldn't stop glancing around in disgust. The environment was grimy, and Mr. Peter himself wasn't any better-he reeked of cheap air freshener and seemed completely at ease, sipping his beer contentedly.

"Ahh! That's the stuff," he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. His tone was that of someone thoroughly enjoying his drink. "Drinking with a pretty girl like you makes it taste even better. We should make this a regular thing," he added, flashing his discolored teeth.

"Hehe, should we really do that?" I laughed, flashing a smile that was clearly fake.

"Of course. Now, tell me-what's bothering you?"

"The thing is... I feel like everyone in the marketing department hates me," I said, putting on a sad expression to draw more of his attention.

"What? Why would anyone feel that way about you? They obviously don't know you well enough," he said, surprised.

"I'm in no position to confront them, especially since I'm the lowest-ranking person on the team. Unlike Lucy and Mrs. Cole, who've both gotten promotions, I haven't received any recognition. That's why they treat me like trash," I said, still faking sadness.

"You mean Lucy and Cole are the ones treating you like trash? Those hags," he said, his voice rising in anger, clearly starting to believe every word I said.

"Yes, it's mostly the two of them," I continued, lowering my gaze. "Don't be surprised if I end up quitting." "Why should you be the one to quit? I'll make sure one of them ends up leaving instead. I'll definitely teach them a lesson."

"Really? I just want to get along with everyone. Why are they so mean to me?" I said, this time pretending to fight back tears.

"Don't worry, Suzy. Leave it to me-I'll take care of everything," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you."

"Of course you can. Anything for the beautiful Suzy," he said, then added with a smirk, "But it'll come with a price."

"What kind of price, sir?" I asked, genuinely confused by his sudden shift in tone.

"You know, you're very beautiful, Suzy. This is the first time we've ever done something like this," he said, raising his glass to emphasize the moment-just the two of us drinking together. "And who knows when we'll get another chance like this again? Especially after I help you get that promotion. So... how about we don't let the rest of the evening go to waste?" he added, giving me a look that was clearly suggestive.

Wait-what? I thought to myself, stunned.

Is this man actually implying he wants to sleep with me? This old, foul-smelling creep? No way. I can't. I just can't. But maybe... if I can get him drunk enough, he'll just pass out.

"Of course," I said, flashing a seductive smile. "I knew it would come with a price." I leaned in slightly, letting my voice drop to a sultry tone. "So, you want a taste of these sexy legs, huh?" I teased, lifting my dress just enough to expose my thighs.

His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. "Let's drink a bit more then... cheers," I said, raising my glass and clinking it against his.

We kept drinking until it was late, and that's when my plan started to work. Mr. Peter began slurring his words, clearly getting drunk, and I knew it was time. I offered to take him to a hotel, pretending to be concerned.

Once we reached the room, I pushed him onto the bed. He passed out almost instantly. I unbuckled his trousers and slid them down just enough to make it look like something happened between us. Then I walked out of the room with a smug smile on my face. He's so easy to manipulate. Now, all I have to do is sit back and let the illusion do its job.

Did he really think I'd sleep with him just like that? I'm not that stupid. Right now, I know Lucy is probably out on a date with Dave. The very thought fills me with jealousy. Dave is tall, charming, and always dressed in designer clothes. Why should she be the one to have him and not me? I'm clearly more beautiful. So why her?

That thought alone fills me with a bitter kind of hatred-but I'll keep playing the best friend for now. That's the role she expects me to play.

I quickly took out my phone, sent Lucy a text, then slipped into a cab and left without a trace.

~ LUCY'S POV ~

I had just stepped out of the shower when my phone beeped. A message from Suzy. Of course. She really does try hard to keep up the act. The message read: "Hey hun! Just checking in to see how you're doing. You kinda disappeared today-hope everything's okay! Let's catch up soon, I miss our little chats!"

Pfft. She's talking like she wasn't the one who disappeared. I lay down to sleep.

It was 7:16 a.m. I got up and started getting ready for work, less than an hour later, I was already at the office.

"Mrs. Cole, are you kidding me right now? You call this a proposal?" Mr. Peter's voice rang through the office. "You're the assistant manager, for Christ's sake! How are you more incompetent than a new recruit?"

"But sir, if you could just point out what I did wrong-" Mrs. Cole began, her voice trembling.

"I should tell you where you went wrong?" he snapped. "Looks like you've lost your touch after going on maternity leave, right? You've worked here for years, and you still can't write a simple business proposal?" His voice grew louder.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing to glance toward his office.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll make some edits and bring you a revised version," she said, kneeling to gather the papers he'd thrown across the room.

"Edits? It'll need more than edits. Rewrite the whole thing from scratch and have it on my desk by tomorrow morning. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," she murmured, leaving his office with sadness written all over her face.

"And what are the rest of you staring at? Don't you have work to do?" he barked, glaring at us.

Jerk. He's only acting tough because Mr. Michael isn't around. If he were here, Mr. Peter would shrink back into his shadow.

I glanced over at Mrs. Cole. She looked drained, leaning against a table as she waited for her coffee to brew. I was about to head over to her when I noticed Suzy smiling.

What the hell... why is she smiling?

That's when it hit me-Suzy and Mr. Peter were together yesterday. Something's going on, and I don't like it. I don't know what she's planning, but whatever it is, I'll stop her.

Without another thought, I walked over to Mrs. Cole "Mrs. Cole?" I called out, walking closer to her.

"Hey, Lucy," she replied, wiping blood from her nose with the back of her hand.

"Is that a nosebleed? Oh my God, Mrs. Cole, are you okay?" I asked, quickly handing her a tissue.

"Oh, yeah-I'm okay. It's nothing. Thanks for the tissue," she said with a weak smile.

I knew she was lying, but I didn't press further. I just hoped it really was nothing, like she claimed.

"I was about to make some coffee. Do you want a cup?" she offered.

"That would be great, thank you." She made two cups and handed one to me.

As I sipped it, a sudden flashback hit me-three years ago, before my reincarnation. I was in a situation just like this. No matter how many times I corrected my proposals, Mr. Peter kept rejecting them. Meanwhile, Suzy was being praised until she was promoted to Assistant Manager of the Marketing Department. I stayed stuck in my role, no matter how hard I worked. It feels like fate is repeating itself.

Suzy's smug smile earlier came rushing back to me. I wouldn't put it past her to be behind this, manipulating Mr. Peter to demote Mrs. Cole-or frustrate her enough to make her quit.

And now that I think of it, Mrs. Cole did quit her job in my previous life, shortly after returning from maternity leave. Back then, it was because of her husband. But now, with her still working, it seems the past is trying to catch up with her again-just wearing a new face.

No. I can't let that happen again. I have to help her.

But how? If I tell her the truth-that I've been reincarnated and I've seen this before-she'll never believe me. Still, I don't think I have a choice anymore. The secret won't stay hidden forever.

"Mrs. Cole," I said, turning to face. "I need to tell you something. You might find it hard to believe, but I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."