Chapter 29


    All eyes in the room turned to the woman speaking.


    She was dressed in a crisp white blouse paired with a khaki midi skirt and white heels to match. It


    was ssic office wear, but thece trim on her cor and sleeves gave her a softer, more


    approachable look. While her face was not striking, she had a delicate charm when all her features


    came together. Her smile was gentle and non-threatening, like an innocent bunny that would make


    people instinctively want to protect her.


    Chloe''s gaze alsonded on Linda, her beautiful eyes filled with coldness.


    "I''m new here, just starting out, so I’d appreciate any guidance from you," Linda said, bowing to


    everyone. Despite her impressive resume, she introduced herself humbly.


    The people present began to warm up to Linda. After greeting everyone, she approached Chloe.


    "Chloe, we''re going to be colleagues now. There''s a lot I don''t know, and I''m counting on your


    support."


    Surprise flickered through the eyes of those around them.


    Vivian spoke up, "You two know each other?"


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Linda smiled, "Chloe and I were high school ssmates and used to be best friends."


    Chloe smiled, too, but her eyes remained cold. "We were ssmates, yes, but I wouldn''t call us


    ''best friends.''"


    Linda looked somewhat embarrassed and lowered her head. "Right, I don''t deserve to be your


    friend. My humble beginnings were just wishful thinking on my part."


    The atmosphere instantly quieted. Linda bit her lip. The glimmer of tears in her eyes and her pitiful


    look could evoke sympathy even from strangers.


    Sure enough, Vivian stepped forward. "Chloe, what''s with the attitude? Linda is a top graduate from


    Columbia. Saying she''s your friend is actually an honor for you. You really don''t know what''s good


    for you."


    Then, she took Linda''s arm. "Don''t mind her. She''s notoriously unpopr here, but we''re your


    friends now."


    Tony looked somewhat awkward. "Linda, why don''t you start by following Vivian? She will give you


    an introductory tour and help you get familiar with things around here. Oh, and there''s a news


    department meeting at 9."


    As Linda was surrounded and led away by a group, Chloe felt a momentary stir in her heart but


    quickly regained herposure. Linda was exceptionally good at putting on a facade. Otherwise,


    she wouldn''t have deceived Chloe during their high school years.


    She always disyed her most vulnerable side, arousing everyone''s protective instincts. People


    were always ready to fend for her when needed, even taking blows on her behalf. By intentionally


    mentioning her humble origins, Linda made everyone think Chloe looked down on her, prompting


    Vivian to immediately defend her.


    Of course, Chloe could defend herself. But she didn''t want to exin herself in front of a crowd that


    just wanted to see her fail. Moreover, Chloe knew no matter what she said, it wouldn''t change


    others'' prejudices against her.


    Indeed, Chloe''s poprity at the TV station was at an all-time low. She had once tried to mend her


    rtionships with her colleagues but eventually realized it was futile. Conflicts of interest meant that


    any effort she made was construed as maniptive.


    So, for the past year, Chloe simply stayed true to herself, regardless of others'' opinions. Her career


    had progressed smoothly this year, but theplex social dynamics had left her feeling unhappy.


    Bing a news anchor was fulfilling her childhood dream, not a survival necessity.


    On the flip side, she had a wide array of interests and a ton of skills, each one enough to set her up


    for life. That was not even counting the annual dividends from QUEEN, which had already made her


    financially free.