My Bully Mocked Me in Front of the CEO So I Destroyed Her in Seven Languages Chapter 02

My Bully Mocked Me in Front of the CEO So I Destroyed Her in Seven Languages Chapter 02

The next day, I dropped the draft on Joseph’s desk.

It was a thirty-thousand-word contract, and I had corrected forty-seven errors in the original translation.

The original translator was Wendy.

But my name wouldn’t be on that draft, it would just say, “Proofed by: Translation Dept.”

Wendy had no idea I was the one cleaning up her mess.

She actually thought she was a pro.

Back at my desk, Chloe walked over with a coffee.

“Hazel, did you hear?”

“Hear what?”

“Wendy is handling the East Ridge Group project next week.”

“I heard.”

“Do you know who the CEO of East Ridge is?”

I looked up.

Chloe lowered her voice. “Caleb Sterling. Thirty-two, CEO of East Ridge, ranked ninety-eighth on Forbes last year. Word is he speaks five languages and has a hell of a temper. He fired Apex’s entire translation team on the spot last

time.”

“What’s that got to do with me?”

“Don’t you think Wendy’s gonna crash and burn?”

“Not my problem if she does.”

Chloe sighed.

“Man, you really are too patient for your own good.”

After she left, I opened my laptop and pulled up today’s files.

It was a supplier quote in Spanish.

By right, the Spanish team should have handled it, but their guy was out sick today, so Julian just dumped it on me.

“Hazel, didn’t you say you took a little Spanish as an elective in college? Just wing it.”

I did tell him I “took a little”.

In reality, I lived in Madrid for two years, Spanish is basically another native language to me.

I knocked it out in fifteen minutes, intentionally leaving two minor typos that didn’t matter just to make it look like “college elective” level.

Then I sent it to Julian.

Julian replied with a “Not bad.”

“Not bad” was plenty.

In the afternoon, Wendy walked past my desk.

She slammed a stack of papers down in front of me.

“Hazel, organize these files for me. I need them for the East Ridge project next week.”

I glanced at them, it was about fifty pages of background info on East Ridge, all in French.

“This isn’t really my job.”

“How is it not? You’re in translation, I’m your team lead. Is there a problem with me giving you an assignment?”

She just got promoted to lead last month, overseeing both the German and French teams.

“Fine.”

I took the files.

Wendy walked away a few steps, then turned back.

“Oh, by the way, there’s a small department meeting tomorrow to discuss the East Ridge strategy. You don’t need to be

there.”

“I know.”

“You only handle basic proofing. A big project like this is out of your league.”

“I know.”

She finally left.

Chloe sent a string of angry emojis on Slack.

“I heard her in the breakroom!! Who the hell does she think she is talking to you like that!!”

“I’m used to it.”

“Can’t you just snap back for once?”

“And then what? She’s the team lead.”

“If you actually showed off what you can do, she wouldn’t be ‘lead’ for a second.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What are you so afraid of, Hazel?”

I didn’t reply.

What was I afraid of?

I didn’t even know myself.

Maybe I was afraid of the spotlight, afraid of people digging up my past and giving me those pitying looks, saying, “Oh, so you’re that diplomat’s daughter whose parents died in the crash.”

Or maybe I was just lazy.

When I got home that night, my cat, Mochi, was waiting at the door.

I picked him up, and he let out a big yawn.

“Mochi, I fixed forty-seven of Wendy’s mistakes today. She hasn’t a clue.”

Mochi gave me a look, then jumped down to eat his kibble.

I opened the fridge, just two eggs and half a head of cabbage.

On eighty grand a year in this city, after rent, utilities, and cat food, there isn’t much left at the end of the month.

I made a bowl of egg drop soup and sat by the window to eat.

My phone rang again.

“I know.”

She finally left.

Chloe sent a string of angry emojis on Slack.

“I heard her in the breakroom!! Who the hell does she think she is talking to you like that!!”

“I’m used to it.”

“Can’t you just snap back for once?”

“And then what? She’s the team lead.”

“If you actually showed off what you can do, she wouldn’t be ‘lead’ for a second.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What are you so afraid of, Hazel?”

I didn’t reply.

What was I afraid of?

I didn’t even know myself.

Maybe I was afraid of the spotlight, afraid of people digging up my past and giving me those pitying looks, saying, “Oh, so you’re that diplomat’s daughter whose parents died in the crash.”

Or maybe I was just lazy.

When I got home that night, my cat, Mochi, was waiting at the door.

I picked him up, and he let out a big yawn.

“Mochi, I fixed forty-seven of Wendy’s mistakes today. She hasn’t a clue.”

Mochi gave me a look, then jumped down to eat his kibble.

I opened the fridge, just two eggs and half a head of cabbage.

On eighty grand a year in this city, after rent, utilities, and cat food, there isn’t much left at the end of the month.

I made a bowl of egg drop soup and sat by the window to eat.

My phone rang again.

A random number.

“Hello, is this Ms. Hazel Levis?”

“Speaking.”

“This is Mr. Langley from Vanguard Law. Regarding the liquidation of your parents’ overseas assets, we have some documents that need your signature at the office.”

“I told you, I don’t want any of it. Donate it all.”

“Ms. Levis, there is a balance in your parents’ Zurich account that-”

“I don’t want it. Thanks, Mr. Langley. Don’t call again.”

I hung up.

Mochi hopped back onto the table and tilted his head at me.

“It’s nothing important.”

I turned my phone off.