IThe night in Shenzhen outside was deceptively calm, its skyline glittering with distant city lights. But inside Anya Lu's home, the atmosphere was far from peaceful.
Her mother and little brother, Jian, were sitting on the sofa, watching a muted TV. When Anya stepped inside, her mother looked up and frowned slightly.
"Anya… what happened?" she asked softly, concern etched in her features.
Lu wei shrugged. "Maybe she's just tired, Mom. First day at such a big office… it must've exhausted her."
Meanwhile, Huan Jing was already messaging her from her phone.
"Sis is home!"
Little did anyone know that inside Anya's room, the atmosphere was a completely different universe. Huan Jing and Kaya—Anya's third closest friend—had transformed the space into a miniature club. Fairy lights twinkled dimly, the delicious scent of Peking duck filled the air, dozens of beer bottles were scattered across the table, and a popular C-Drama soundtrack hummed from the TV in the corner.
👯♀️ Waiting and Preparing the Surprise
Huan Jing's curly hair swung over her face as she danced around the room, setting up the drinks with effortless flair. As the creative head at Z.Y Empire, she was known for her energy and wild sense of fun.
Kaya, her long chestnut hair cascading down her waist, was carefully arranging candles on a small cake. Married and considered the most grounded of the three friends, she smiled gently but with an intensity that revealed her care. Both of them were dressed in loose silk pajamas, giving the room a relaxed yet festive air.
"Anya hasn't come yet?" Kaya muttered, glancing at the clock. "It was her first day today! How can we not have a welcome party?"
Huan Jing checked her phone again and suddenly squealed.
"She's here!" she shouted. "Lights out, quick!"
The two friends quickly hid behind the door, giggling uncontrollably. As soon as the door swung open and Anya stepped in, they jumped out together with their voices full of cheer:
"SURPRISE!"
💔 Anya's Break
But Anya didn't move. She didn't even flinch.
Her short hair was disheveled, glasses blurred from the tears she had tried to hold back. When the lights flicked on, Huan Jing and Kaya froze—their wide smiles vanished.
Anya stood still for a long moment, staring at her friends. Then, as if something inside her finally gave way, she threw her bag to the floor and ran to them, pulling both into a tight, desperate hug.
She sobbed uncontrollably, like a small child who had been hurt and had nowhere to hide.
"Anya! What's wrong? Did someone say something?" Huan Jing asked, panic threading her voice as she stroked Anya's hair gently.
Kaya led her to the sofa and handed her a glass of water, her own eyes brimming with worry. But Anya's hiccups refused to stop.
"I… I am so terrible… I'm a complete failure," she whispered between sobs, her voice cracking.
🗣️ Bitter Truths and Friends' Fury
Between gasps, she recounted the full story of her day at the office—the 500-page disaster, the humiliation in the boardroom, and, most painfully, Zain Yan's venomous words.
"He called me filth, Jing! He said I wasn't even worthy of the dust beneath his feet!" Anya wiped her glasses, revealing her reddened, tear-streaked eyes. "He humiliated me in front of everyone… and the worst part? He was right. I made a mistake."
"What?!" Huan Jing exploded, standing up so abruptly that her chair scraped the floor. "Okay, yes, the file got swapped—but he had NO right to say all that! Who does Zain Yan think he is? I swear, tomorrow at the office, I will personally tell him off!"
Kaya gently grasped Anya's trembling hand, calming her. "Listen, Anya. Mistakes happen. Everyone makes them, especially the first time they face such a big office. Zain Yan may be a perfectionist… a devil in a suit—but don't think less of yourself. You stayed up all night fixing the work. That's not small. That's courage, dedication. Don't let him erase your effort from your mind."
🍕 Nighttime Vows
Anya wiped her nose on a tissue and looked at both of them, a faint glimmer of resolve in her eyes.
"But I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "That man… he's dangerous. When I looked into his eyes… it wasn't just anger. It was hatred. Like he's settling some old score…"
Huan and Kaya exchanged knowing glances. Tonight, there would be no office talk. Tonight was for them.
Huan Jing turned up the music, shaking her curls with wild abandon, and popped open a bottle of beer, handing it to Anya.
"Forget that grumpy man!" Huan Jing declared, her voice playful but full of defiance. "Tonight, it's just the three of us. Tomorrow, you'll show him exactly what Anya Lu is made of. He'll have to eat his words."
Anya managed a small, shaky smile. For the first time in hours, she felt safe, surrounded by the warmth of friendship.
Yet, in the back of her mind, the image of Zain's icy gaze and the faint scent of his cologne lingered like a shadow.
She didn't yet know that this was only the beginning of a storm—one tied to the secrets buried deep in her family's past.