2 Before I could say another word , a few colleagues drifted over . " Zoe , how could you do that ? " one of them chimed in . " You know Lillian's family situation is difficult . Why would you set her up like that ? " " Yeah , Lily , do you still have the receipt ? Just make her pay you back for her stuff . " " Honestly , you should just stop having lunch with Zoe , " another added , patting Lillian's shoulder . " Come eat with us , so she can't bully you anymore . " Lillian covered her face with her hands , but from an angle only I could see , she shot me a triumphant smirk . I lowered my head , my fists clenching at my sides . It was always like this . Lillian had started at the company two months before me , yet we were both made permanent on the same day . I'd been on my way to ask Ms. Evans about the length of my probationary period when Lillian pulled me aside , a conspiratorial whisper in her voice . " Sweetie , you have no idea . Ms. Evans was about to let you go . I had to tell her that if you left , I'd walk too . That's the only reason she reluctantly kept you on , " she'd said . " She's still not your biggest fan , so you'd better not get on her bad side . " It was my first job out of college . I was clueless about probation standards and office politics , so I swallowed her story whole . Ove- rwhelmed with gratitude , I started treating her to lunch , chipping in extra for her share of group orders , and always covering the difference so she could get free delivery on her coffee . She accepted it all without a second thought , as if it were her due . It wasn't until a few days ago , when I overheard her talking to Ms. Evans , that I learned the truth . She was the one who had failed her probation . She had only saved her job by claiming that if she was fired , I would quit in solidarity . I , on the other hand , had been made permanent ahead of schedule . From that moment on , my guard was up . But she'd been there longer , was better at networking , and was more popular . Every time she twisted the truth , my explanations just made me look like I was being cheap . She delighted in having me as her " lunch buddy . " all because I owed her a huge favor . " Everyone else just thought she was being kind to the lonely new girl . Chapter 1 11 13 . This time , however , I had reached my limit . With a cold laugh , I fished the crumpled receipt from the trash and slammed it onto her desk . " If you all feel so sorry for her , why don't you pay for her stuff ? " I pointed at the list of items . " I have dry skin . She has combination - oily . Take a good look at this pile of oil - control skincare and tell me who really wanted it , and who got dragged along to help someone else get a discount ! " My sudden counterattack left everyone stunned . It was the first time they had ever seen the quiet , agreeable Zoe fight back . 1 Lillian panicked . " What oily skin ? My face isn't oily at all ! " But the more frantic she became , the more curious everyone else grew . The coworker who had spoken up for her first glanced at the receipt , then at Lillian's shiny forehead , and fell silent . Another colleague chimed in , her tone hesitant . " Lily , that's ... not quite what you told us just now . " Lillian's confidence began to crumble as the looks from her coworkers turned from sympathy to suspicion . " Sweetie , I'm so sorry , " she said , quickly changing her tune and turning to me . " My big mouth got away from me again . I didn't reali- ze everyone would react so strongly ... " She forced a laugh . " It's fine , everyone , we bicker like this all the time . Don't be mad at Zoe . Let's just get back to work . " Normally , this tactic worked . It would make everyone think I had started the fight , and their opinion of me would sink even lower . But this time , no one took her side . After a few awkward chuckles , the small crowd actually dispersed . Seeing that her attempt to guilt me into giving her money had failed , Lillian's face soured even more . " Zoe , why did you have to embarrass me in front of everyone ? " " Whatever , " she huffed . " You owe me an apology . Buy me a coffee , and we'll call it even . " Lignored her , my eyes fixed on the proposal I was typing . It was due this afternoon , and I had no more time for her games . " Did you hear me ? If it weren't for me begging Ms. Evans , you would've been long gone- " I whipped my head around , my glare sharp enough to cut glass . " You want to go ask Ms. Evans right now ? See who she really want- ed to keep ? " I leaned in . " It seems strange for a company to make an underperforming intern permanent ahead of schedule . But someone who barely scraped by after a three - month probation ? Now that seems a lot more plausible , don't you think ? " The color drained from her face . Her bravado vanished , and she snapped her mouth shut . If Ms. Evans found out she'd lied to secu- re her position , even her signed contract wouldn't save her from the consequences . The rest of the afternoon was blissfully peaceful . I put the finishing touches on the proposal I'd spent two weeks perfecting . But thanks to the dodgy new hot pot place Lillian had insisted on for lunch , my stomach started churning violently . I saved my work hastily and made a mad dash for the restroom . When I returned to my desk and submitted the final proposal , I saw Lillian watching me , a strange , knowing smile playing on her Tipes 4 The next morning , I rushed into the office right on the dot , only to be met by our manager's roar , a sound so loud it nearly rattled the ceiling tiles " Zod in my office , now ! " 11-13 Chapter 1 As I dropped my bag , I caught a glimpse of Lillian , sitting at her desk and calmly inspecting her nails , the corner of her mouth curv- ed into a smug , triumphant arc . Ms. Evans's office door flew open with a bang . She slammed a stack of papers onto her desk . " Explain this . Why is your proposal identical to Lillian's ? And why did she submit hers a full half - hour before you did ? " My mind went blank with a deafening buzz . I suddenly remembered running to the restroom yesterday , so rushed that I'd forgotten to lock my computer . And when I came back , Lillian had been darting her eyes away from my screen . Taking a deep breath , I opened my cloud storage and local drive . A dozen documents , all neatly labeled with dates , lined up on the screen . The earliest file was last modified two weeks ago . " Ms. Evans , I wrote this proposal myself . I have backups of the entire process , " I said , my voice steady . " Here are all the daily drafts , including the initial research data , mind maps , and all my email correspondence with the client . " Ms. Evans squinted at my screen , her expression growing darker by the second . Lillian had somehow materialized at the doorway , her voice trembling . " Zoe ... I know you've never liked me , but you can't just accu- se me of plagiarism ... " Her eyes instantly welled up , making her look like a terrified rabbit . I let out a cold laugh . " Accuse you ? All my work , every step of it , is right here . Where's yours ? " Lillian's face turned a blotchy red . She stammered for a moment before blurting out , " I ... I don't keep backups ! I just write it all in one go ! " " Oh , really ? Then why does your ' one - go ' version contain the same incorrect data points that I hadn't gotten around to fixing from last week's draft ? " I projected both proposals side - by - side on the large screen , circling seven or eight identical errors in bright red . The office was dead silent . A few coworkers quietly scooted their chairs back a few inches . Ms. Evans slammed her palm on the desk . " Lillian ! Last time , at the team - building event , you falsified an invoice . I let it slide as a first offense . But stealing a colleague's work ? Half your salary this month is gone , and you can forget about your bonus ! One more time , and you're fired ! " She grabbed her mug and took a long swig , then pointed at me . " And Zoe ... great proposal . I'm doubling your bonus . But let this be a lesson . From now on , you take your laptop with you to the bathroom ! " Lillian's nails dug into her palms . With a sudden shriek, she lunged at me . " Zoe , you set me up ! Are you trying to ruin know about my toxic family ! I'll be ruined if I don't have money ! " my life ? You 1 sidestepped her easily . " That sounds like a you problem . Maybe your ' toxic family ' shouldn't have taught you to steal other people ' $ work . " 5 The truce between Lillian and me was officially over . Her reputation in the office plummeted . No one wanted to associate with a backstabbing plagiarist . On payday , a small crowd gat- hered curiously by the finance office . Lillian had been sniffing around all day , trying to find out what I made , but now that she was a pariah , no one would tell her anything . I made a point of unfolding my pay stub in plain sight . With full attendance , overtime , and a doubled bonus , my paycheck had brok- en five figures . In "CEO, Those Twins Look Just Like You" by CrushReel, a single mother's life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with a charming playboy who unknowingly holds a billionaire secret. As their worlds collide, secrets unravel and hearts intertwine in this captivating romance novel set in a modern office backdrop. Amidst the challenges of raising twins solo, our protagonist finds herself drawn to the enigmatic playboy, unaware of the wealth and complexity hidden beneath his charismatic facade. The juxtaposition of their contrasting lives sets the stage for a tale of unexpected love, where opposites truly attract in ways neither could have imagined. This sweet romance novel delves into themes of family, identity, and the power of love to transcend social boundaries. With its blend of heartwarming moments and intriguing twists, "CEO, Those Twins Look Just Like You" stands out as a refreshing take on the billionaire CEO trope, offering readers a glimpse into a world where love knows no bounds. Experience the magic of this ongoing story at CrushReel and dive into a narrative that promises to captivate your heart and leave you eagerly awaiting what unfolds next. Read online at CrushReel for a journey that will keep you hooked till the very end.