Chapter 17 Annoying Woman


    "Yes. I don''t want to continue to stay here. I don''t like my job. I want to open a bakery to sell all kinds of


    delicious cakes," Ellie replied.


    Ellie''s announcement was a great delight to Fiona. "Really? When you open the shop, you have to let


    me know. I will be your first customer!" she gushed, gaping at Ellie with her expectant eyes.


    "Of course I will. How could I forget you?" Ellie beamed as she pinched Fiona''s chubby cheeks.


    ''It feltfortable. I finally understood why Ashley always pinches her face, '' she thought.


    "But are you really going to leave the Luo Group?" Fiona''s lips curved downward as she remembered


    that was Ellie''s intention.


    The smile on her face faded off and her mood darkened.


    As Ashely detected Fiona was upset, she reached out and touched Fiona''s head fondly. "What''s up?"


    she nudged in a sisterly tone.


    "I don''t want you to leave. If you leave here, I will have to work here alone," Fiona blurted. Her thoughts


    escaped her mouth in a rush and her face still carried the weariness of her fear and frustration.


    "How about you take me with you?" she proposed. Her eyes lit up in expectation, staring at Ashley and


    Ellie.


    Then she lowered her head and fixed her eyes on the delectable food on her te. ''The food here is


    yummy, '' she thought.


    Ashley observed Fiona''s actions. ''She still acts like a child, '' Ashley chuckled to herself.


    "It has not been decided yet. You should do your job. You got the chance to work here because your


    school works with thispany. Unfortunately, you can''t just leave here any time you want," Ashley


    said.


    Fiona sighed. Ashley''s reminder that she was a mere intern caused her shoulders to slump even more


    and she thought to herself, ''Why me? I don''t want to continue to work in this stupidpany.


    I just became friends with Ashley and Ellie. Now they''re leaving.'' Tears began to form at the corners of


    her eyes.


    The three women noticed the lunch rush entering the canteen. Ashley, who was acutely aware of the


    other customers'' disrespectful remarks and scornful gazes, said, "Girls, I think it''s time to head back to


    the office."


    They stood up, pushed in their chairs, and let their eyes search through the crowd for a way to exit


    gracefully, but there was no easy way out.


    On the most direct route out of the canteen, Ashley looked up and saw Rita. This was not going to go


    well.


    Rita knew about Ashley''s rtionship with Raymond and was filled with envy. She raised a corner of


    her lips and said in her most derisive voice, "Are you leaving so soon? We just arrived. The lunch hour


    is far from over. What''s the rush?"


    Rita had learnt about Ashley''s rtionship with Raymond by ident, but she was still envious of her.


    She worked for Luo Group for many years and since she knew that Raymond''s father owned the


    company, she had tried every means to seduce him to be his girlfriend. But to her dismay, he


    wasn''t interested in her.


    Initially she thought that she wasn''t enchanting enough to make Raymond fall for her. But it turned out


    that her boss had a girlfriend - Ashley.


    And it wasn''t just Ashley''s rtionship with Raymond she envied. It was also her role in thepany.


    She had paid her dues and worked like mad in the Luo Group, but she was passed over for the


    promotion and now Ashley, a neer, was her superior.


    That was why she had teamed up with Lena to kick Ashley out of the Luo Group.


    Ashley looked around the hall, dismissed Rita''s snidementary and again began weaving her way


    through the crowd toward the exit. With knitted brows, Ashley squared her shoulders and pointed her


    eyes straight ahead.


    But when she walked past Rita, thetter grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "I bet you have


    seen the posts in the forum. When are you going to quit your job?"


    "When did I say that I was leaving the Luo Group?" Ashley countered, shaking her arm free from Rita''s


    ws.


    "I have never seen such a shameless mistress. Miss Mu didn''te to you because she didn''t want to


    embarrass you. You should be smart and quit," Rita quipped, as she looked at her fingernails, still


    grasping at Ashley''s arm. Obviously she didn''t take Ashley as her opponent.


    "You used me of stealing another woman''s fiance with several photos. It''s ridiculous! If I took


    several pictures of you at a hotel, can I say that you are a whore?" Ashley snapped back with an eerie


    calmness. However, her eyes threw daggers at Rita.


    "You..." Rita''s voice trailed off. A dash of fury shed across her face. "Don''t think too highly of yourself.


    If you are a wise woman, you''d better resign office. Otherwise, you will get yourslf into bigger trouble,"


    she warned.


    "Well, thank you for your warning. But that''s none of your business. You''d better take care of your own


    things," Ashley shot back. Then she took Ellie''s and Fiona''s hands and dragged them through the


    crowd to the exit.


    The onlookers, shocked by Ashley''s eloquence, parted the sea of people so that the three women


    could exit the canteen.


    As soon as Ashley was out of sight, they all fixed their eyes on Rita. Rita threw a steely look at the


    crowd and shouted, "Go away. What the heck are you looking at?"


    Upon hearing this, the onlookers dispersed. Rita thought to herself, ''Looks like I underestimated


    Ashley.'' Her cheeks started to burn with rage.


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t get angry, Rita. Ashley was ying tough. She is in an awkward situation. It''s impossible for her


    to continue to stay here," a girl piped up. The girl noticed the animosity spreading on Rita''s face, so she


    tried to please her superior.


    "I agree with her. There is no need to be angry at a shameless girl. You gave her those warnings out of


    goodwill. However, she was ungrateful and refused your kindness. You should let it go," another girl


    followed.


    The anger on Rita''s face slightly faded as she heard their ttering words.


    ...


    Ashley let go of Ellie and Fiona when they came to a quiet ce.


    "That was very impressive, Ashley. You rendered her speechless," Fiona delivered the authentic praise,


    gazng at Ashley with admiring eyes.


    "Is that so?" Ashley took a resigned look at Fiona and let out a helpless smile.


    She didn''t particrly enjoy talking to others, but she also was not one to sit quietly by and let others


    bully her.


    When she felt threatened, she fought back. Generally, she was nice to others, but she did have a


    temper.


    She resolved to quit her job in the Luo Group, and it was only a matter of time. But before she


    resigned, she nned to give Lena a "gift" in return.


    Ashley hadn''t made up a story about Rita''s being at a hotel. She had once watched Rita who was not


    properly dressed get out of a hotel by ident, and she had some spection. Rita''s response


    confirmed her assumption.


    "You shouldn''t have acted rashly like that. Now all the people want you to leave the Luo Group. You''re


    putting yourself in a more embarrassed position," Ellie said, giving Ashley a worried look.


    "Don''t worry. They will not have the guts to do anything to me," Ashley assured her friend.


    "I agree with Ashley. Don''t think too much. It''s going to be fine. Look what I got, a candy," Fiona said to


    Ellie, taking out a candy out of nowhere and putting it on her palm.


    Amazement spreading over their faces, Ashley''s and Fiona''s jaws nearly hit the floor. ''What''s going on


    in there?'' they wondered.


    Under their keen gazes, Fiona was slightly embarrassed. ''As a foodie, I always bring some food with


    me. It''s not a big deal, '' she thought. Fiona fluttered her long eyshes at the


    two.