Chapter 86

Upon hearing that. Shirley's coffee cup slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor. Coffee splashed all over the girls' shoes. stockings.and uniforms.

The full-figured girl shrieked. "Shirley. what the heck? I just bought these shoes today!" Seeing the mess. Shirley bit her lip in frustration and snapped. "What's the big deal? How much? I'll pay you back!" She was fuming inside. unable to handle the thought of Patrick having another potential marriage partner. After all the years she had spent by his side.she felt he should be hers. Her face twisted with anger, and she felt like she was about to explode.

Suddenly. Shirley's demeanor changed; she became cold and intimidating.Everyone realized her previous kindness was just a facade. The girls stopped talking, aware that Shirley was still the executive secretary and not someone to mess with. The full-figured girl forced a smile and said, "No worries. I'll just clean up in the bathroom. A little coffee won't hurt." The other two girls quickly chimed in, "Yeah, it's no big deal. We wvere just scared." Seeing Shirley's rage. they hurriedly left the pantry.

Shirley grabbed a wet tissue and roughly wiped the coffee off her stockings,her movements harsh and angry. She then fixed her hair and adjusted her already short suit skirt. Looking at herself in the mirror,she felt a wave of anxiety. She couldn't understand why Patricia had suddenly appeared to threaten her position by Patrick's side.

With a sway in her hips. Shirley pushed open the door to Patrick's office.As she entered, her fierce expression melted into a sweet, friendly smile.

"Patricia! Long time no see, you look as stunning as ever," Shirley said

with a slight smile.

Patricia, who had just received Patrick's appointment letter and was about to leave his office, saw Shirley walk in. She couldn't stand people like Shirley,who relied on the wealthy for power and status.

In Patricia's eyes, Shirley's behavior was far from respectable. Her family would conduct thorough background checks before any marriage. They'd look into how many women had been around Patrick, who he had dated.whether he had made anyone pregnant or had abortions, or where he liked to go at night. For a prestigious family like theEvans Group,they could investigate thoroughly. So Patricia saw Shirley's methods as beneath her.

Compared to Shirley. Patricia respected someone like Emily more, who had exceptional work abilities and could completey separate emotions from work. Patricia believed a woman's emotions were only a small part of her life. Her career dreams. contributions to her family and society,and how to make her life meaningful were her primary goals. Things like marriage and having children were optional. So women like Shirley,who devoted themselves entirely to men and were jealous, were not worthy of Patricia's friendship.

Patricia, who was half a head taller than Shirley, looked down at her and said, "Shirley, that skirt is way too short. It's already above the midpoint of your thighs. You might want to lengthen it a bit for easier movement around the office." Shirley felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as Patricia bluntly pointed out the length of her skirt. She glanced at Patrick,hoping for some support, but he remained silent. Putting on a hurt expression, she said. "Maybe I grew taller. It used to reach my knees."

Patricia chuckled and crossed her arms. "I didn't know you could still

grow at 22. That's quite a talent." With that, she ignored Shirley and walked out. Patricia didn't need to suck up to anyone. Working at the Rivera Group was just a way to spend more time with Patrick. She could always go back to the Evans Group and take over as heir or even CEO.People like Shirley didn't even have the qualifications to step into the Evans Group.

Feeling humiliated in front of Patrick, Shirley walked up to him with a wounded look and said. "Patrick, Patricia probably didn't mean it. I didn't say anything to upset her. Why did she get so mad? She doesn't seem like someone with a bad temper. You shouldn't be angry with her."

Patrick sighed and said. "Patricia's right. Next time, make your skirt a bit longer to avoid attracting unwanted attention from your colleagues."Shirley's face lit up when she heard Patrick's words. "Patrick, I knew you cared about me the most."

At that moment. Patrick was buried in paperwork, his desk cluttered with documents and reports. His brow was furrowed with the stress of Monday's meetings, briefings, and shareholder discussions. He wished he could clone himself to get everything done.

Seeing Shirley still standing there, Patrick looked up, annoyed. "Don't you have anything to do this morning? If not, check these data, distribute the files I signed, and bring me a cup of coffee." His instructions hit Shirley like a slap. She was stunned for a moment and asked, "Patrick, what did you just say? Can you repeat that?" Patrick rolled his eyes, lit a cigarette,and waved her off. "Get out."

Shirley left Patrick's office. In the past, Patrick had always been gentle with her; it was the first time he acted like this today! It must be that Patricia spoke ill of her in front of him! Moreover, she couldn't understand why

Patrick was always so busy. Shouldn't he be spending his days taking her out on adventures, enjoying shopping together, traveling, and capturing memories?

What was the point of being a CEO if he worked so hard? If life was just about working and making money, then being a boss was no different from being an employee. Shirley was confused. She took out a voice recorder and tossed it on another secretary's desk, saying, "Mr. Rivera just instructed you to take care of these things."

"Why a voice recorder?" asked Cecilia Thorne, a fresh college graduate who had just started working as a secretary.

She wasn't really qualified for the job, but Emily had noticed her meticulous work and sharp numerical skills, so she kept her on. After Emily left, Cecilia naturally became one of Shirley's targets.

Shirley rolled her eyes and said, "I'm afraid your tiny brain won't remember, so I recorded it for you. Either do it or get out." With that,Shirley adjusted her super short skirt and headed to the pantry to kill some time.