Fan Shengmei lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Her time with Meng Yanchen that evening had stirred up a storm within her. She knew her relationship with Meng Yanchen was no longer the same, but she had no idea where the future would lead. Filled with turmoil and anticipation, Fan Shengmei gradually drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that a new storm awaited her when she returned to the company the next day.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Fan Shengmei's face, and the alarm clock rang at just the right moment. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, got up, quickly washed up, and put on her slightly worn but neatly made-up business suit, ready to face a new day of work. Before leaving, she gave herself an encouraging smile in the mirror, even though the smile still carried a hint of fatigue.
Upon arriving at the company, Fan Shengmei had barely stepped into the office area when she keenly sensed something amiss. The lively conversation among her colleagues abruptly ceased, and all eyes turned to her, their gazes a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and even a hint of disdain. With each step she took, she could feel the whispers following her like a shadow.
A sense of foreboding washed over Fan Shengmei. She forced herself to remain calm and walked towards her workstation. As she passed several colleagues, she overheard snippets of conversation: "I heard she got her position through shady means..." "Yeah, judging by her usual demeanor, you'd really think she had any real ability..." These words stung Fan Shengmei's ears like needles. Her steps faltered slightly, but she still managed to maintain her composure and sat down at her desk.
At that moment, Wang Qiang walked out of the office, a smug smirk playing on his lips, his eyes sweeping contemptuously over Fan Shengmei. Fan Shengmei immediately understood; it was definitely Wang Qiang's doing again. She clenched her fists, a surge of anger rising within her, but reason told her she couldn't act impulsively.
It turned out that Wang Qiang was unwilling to accept his defeat at the last company meeting. Enraged, he decided to use even more insidious methods to deal with Fan Shengmei. He spread rumors throughout the company, saying that Fan Shengmei had used her sexuality to get close to a powerful figure and solve her work problems, implying that her usual work performance was obtained through improper relationships. Her colleagues, already curious about Fan Shengmei's sudden success in solving problems, quickly believed the rumors and began gossiping about her, especially with Wang Qiang's embellished descriptions.
Fan Shengmei took a deep breath, deciding she couldn't just sit and wait for her fate. She stood up and walked over to a few colleagues with whom she had a fairly good relationship, trying to explain, "Don't listen to Wang Qiang's nonsense. I really didn't rely on improper relationships; I completed all my previous work through my own hard work..." However, her colleagues just smiled awkwardly, their eyes darting away, clearly not believing her. One colleague whispered, "Shengmei, don't bother explaining anymore, everyone already knows..." Then she hurriedly walked away.
Fan Shengmei felt a wave of despair wash over her, her eyes welling up with tears, but she told herself she couldn't cry. She turned and walked towards Wang Qiang's office, determined to confront him face-to-face. She pushed open the office door forcefully, and there sat Wang Qiang, legs crossed, looking completely at ease. Seeing Fan Shengmei enter, he feigned surprise: "Oh, Fan Shengmei, what's wrong with you? Why are you being so rude?"
Suppressing her anger, Fan Shengmei questioned, "Wang Qiang, why are you spreading these rumors in the company? What's the point of doing this?" Wang Qiang shrugged dismissively, "I didn't spread any rumors. Everyone has seen it. Don't you know what you've done?" Fan Shengmei trembled with rage, "You...you're making baseless accusations!" Wang Qiang sneered, "Hmph, if you think I've wronged you, you can produce the evidence. Otherwise, don't try to argue here."
Fan Shengmei knew that arguing with Wang Qiang here would be pointless, so she turned and left the office. Back at her workstation, she found her work was affected again. Some important tasks originally assigned to her had been inexplicably transferred to other colleagues, leaving her with only trivial and worthless tasks.
Fan Shengmei spent the entire day in this oppressive atmosphere. She could feel her colleagues whispering and pointing behind her back; every glance felt like a knife cutting into her heart. After get off work, Fan Shengmei dragged her exhausted body home. She slumped onto the sofa, her mind replaying her colleagues' harsh words and Wang Qiang's smug face.
How should she clarify these rumors? Will Meng Yanchen come to her aid again? Fan Shengmei was plunged into deep confusion and helplessness, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably…
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