Chapter 4

By my second week, I had completely adapted to Vanguard's fast pace.

To my surprise, although Julian was a demanding boss, he was fiercely protective of his team.

On Thursday afternoon, we had an initial pitch meeting with a major client.

Halfway through, one of the client’s directors sharply questioned a specific data point.

The tension in the boardroom instantly spiked.

Instead of defensive backtracking, Julian calmly turned to me.

"Avery, you ran the core data. You explain it."

I stood up.

I pulled up my backup slides and broke down the entire derivation process clearly and confidently.

The client director listened, stayed silent for a few seconds, and then nodded.

"Very solid."

After the meeting, Julian stopped me in the hallway.

"You did great back there."

He handed me a bottle of water. "Quick on your feet. You didn't panic."

I took the bottle.

"Thank you."

"You're not just detail-oriented; you're an excellent communicator."

Julian's tone was matter-of-fact. "I want you in on all future client-facing meetings."

I gripped the plastic bottle.

"An excellent communicator."

Chloe had once ridiculed me in front of our entire class, saying I was socially inept.

But here, in a real, professional environment, a top industry expert was telling me I was excellent.

For the first time, a wave of genuine gratitude toward Julian washed over me.

On Friday evening, I packed up my bag and walked out of the office lobby.

The moment I stepped onto the plaza, I spotted someone standing by the stairs.

Tyler.

He was wearing a wrinkled jacket, with a duffel bag sitting by his feet.

Seeing me, he quickly blocked my path.

"I knew I’d find you here."

He glared at me.

"Move, Tyler."

"Wow, Avery, look at you now."

Tyler let out a harsh laugh. "Blocking our numbers, packing up your dorm in secret, and getting a job without telling us. You think you’re so cool, don't you?"

I looked at him coldly.

"What I do is none of your business."

I tried to step around him, but he grabbed my wrist.

"Don't walk away from me."

Tyler reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a thick manila envelope, waving it in my face.

In the top right corner was the red seal of our university's Registrar's Office.

My eyes narrowed.

It was my diploma and my Latin Honors certificate.

Because I had left campus early for my background check, the office required an authorized student to pick them up.

Before our fallout, I had signed a release form giving Tyler permission to collect them.

Without these original documents, Vanguard couldn't finalize my permanent employment contract.

"Recognize this?"

Tyler smirked, looking smugly confident.

"Chloe hasn't slept in days because of your little tantrum. We’re supposed to be friends. Why do you have to make things so ugly?"

"You're both girls, why do you have to tear her down? What’s that term online... 'internalized misogyny'? Are you just jealous because she’s more popular than you?"

My fists clenched. "Me wanting nothing to do with you guys is targeting her?"

"Tyler, you are literally insane!"

It was the first time I had ever cursed at him.

Tyler froze, startled. But he quickly pulled the envelope back, hiding it behind his back.

"Now, pull out your phone and apologize to Chloe."

"Otherwise, you can kiss your degree goodbye."