Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 36

Une day

Lydia POV

Three months into the job, I had learned three things.

First: the office coffee was terrible.

Second: pregnancy and public transport should never coexist.

Third: Clara was the kind of woman who treated competence like a personal attack.

She had made that clear on my second day. 1

“Lydia, can you print the client briefs for me?”

I printed them.

Five minutes later

“Actually no, staple them by region.”

I stapled them.

Ten minutes later

“Why would you staple them? I needed them sorted by account size.”

I stared at her.

She stared back.

Smiling.

That kind of smiling women do when they want you angry enough to react first.

I swallowed it.

For the baby.

Always for the baby.

So I redid everything.

Again.

And again.

And again.

す

By the end of second month, I had learned Clara’s real hobby was manufacturing inconvenience.

Still

I kept my head down.

Did my work.

Ignored her.

Because I needed this job more than I needed pride.

And pride, unfortunately, does not pay rent.

+20 Bonus

+20 Bonus

Thursday morning brought our first team strategy review.

The whole communications team sat around the battered conference table upstairs, laptops open, coffee cups scattered

everywhere.

Our supervisor, Marianne, stood at the front.

“Lydia will present the outreach restructuring proposal.”

My heart kicked.

I straightened.

Opened my slides.

And began.

I walked them through the campaign adjustments.

Budget reallocations.

Media segmentation.

Engagement predictions.

By the time I finished, the room had gone quiet.

Then someone clapped.

Then another.

Then everyone.

A grin broke across my face before I could stop it.

Marianne nodded once.

“Well done.”

Warmth flooded my chest.

God.

I had missed this feeling.

Being good at something.

Being seen for it.

Then

Clara leaned back in her chair.

“I have concerns.”

Of course she did.

Marianne sighed very slightly. “Go ahead.”

Clara crossed her arms.

“Your outreach assumptions are overly optimistic.”

+20 Bonus

I opened my mouth

She kept going

“The segmentation model is weak. The conversion estimates are inflated. And frankly, I’m not convinced you understand this market well enough yet to lead recommendations.”

The room shifted.

My cheeks burned.

I tried to respond.

She cut across me.

“And your audience targeting-‘

“Enough.”

Marianne’s voice sliced through the room.

Everyone went still.

She turned to Clara.

“If you have constructive feedback, offer it professionally.”

Clara’s mouth shut.

Marianne looked at me.

“Your proposal was strong, Lydia. Very strong.

Then to the room:

“We’ll be using her framework.”

That earned another small round of approval.

Clara looked like she wanted to bite drywall.

I sat down trying not to smile too hard.

An hour later, Marianne’s assistant appeared at my desk.

“She wants to see you.”

My stomach dropped.

Of course.

Good things never lasted.

I stood and followed her upstairs.

Clara was already there.

الملف

20 Bonus

I closed the door behind me

Clara folded her arms with the expression of someone attending an execution.

Marianne leaned forward.

“We received a phone call this morning.”

No tear

“I have never fled financial disputes, I owe no dne. I left any country for personal reasons.”

“I believed as much.”

She leaned back.