chapter 13

Rita’s patience had worn thin, the sting of Linet’s insults festering deep inside her. She had been calm, composed, and controlled until now, but something snapped. Her hand moved faster than she could think, and with a sharp, resounding crack, her palm collided with Linet’s cheek.

The sound of the slap echoed through the office, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

Linet’s head jerked to the side, her hair flying with the force of the blow. For a moment, she was frozen, her eyes wide in shock, as if she couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. The employees standing around them watched in disbelief, some whispering to each other in hushed tones while others simply stood there, too stunned to move.

Linet’s hand instinctively went to her face, her fingers tracing the spot where the slap had landed, and then, with a growl of fury, she snapped.

“You bitch!” she yelled, her voice venomous. Without thinking, Linet lunged at Rita, shoving her hard in the chest. The force of the push sent Rita stumbling back, but she quickly regained her balance, her eyes flashing with anger.

Before Rita could say a word, Linet was on her again, grabbing a fistful of her hair. The two women were now in a full-on struggle, tugging, pulling, and tearing at each other.

“You’ll regret this!” Linet hissed, her nails digging into Rita’s scalp. Rita retaliated, her fists flying in a blur as she punched Linet in the stomach, causing her to gasp in pain.

The office erupted in chaos. The employees scrambled to the edges of the room, some of them cheering the fight on, while others stood frozen in shock. A few brave souls tried to step forward to separate the two, but no one dared get too close.

Linet’s lipstick smeared across her face as she swung wildly at Rita, but Rita ducked and retaliated with a knee to Linet’s gut, knocking the wind out of her. Linet gasped, her hands clutching her stomach, but before she could recover, Rita grabbed a stack of papers from the desk and hurled them at her face.

“Stop!” someone shouted from the crowd, but their voice was lost in the mayhem. The fight was now in full swing, with the two women struggling to get the upper hand.

Linet, her face flushed with rage, pushed Rita back with all her strength, sending her crashing into the desk. Papers flew into the air, and the sound of a coffee cup smashing against the floor filled the room.

“You think you’re better than me?” Linet screamed, her voice rising with each word. “You’re just a desperate woman trying to get attention! Nothing more than a cheap trick!”

Rita, now seething with anger, pulled herself up, her face a mixture of fury and disbelief. “You don’t know a damn thing about me, Linet!” She swung again, but this time, her fist landed squarely against Linet’s jaw. The force of the punch sent Linet stumbling backward, crashing into a chair, but she quickly recovered, a wild look in her eyes.

The employees watched, some too horrified to intervene, others muttering among themselves, unsure whether they should try to stop the fight or let it play out. One of the men, James, stepped forward hesitantly, his face tense with concern.

“Enough!” he shouted, trying to grab Rita’s arm, but she shook him off with a violent jerk. “Stay out of this, James!” she snapped, her voice trembling with fury.

Linet, now desperate, lunged forward once again, but Rita was faster. With a swift move, she grabbed Linet by the wrist and twisted it, sending her crashing to the floor. Linet let out a shocked scream as she fell, landing hard on her back, the breath knocked out of her.

Rita stood over her, chest heaving, her face flushed with adrenaline. “You want to keep going?” Rita spat, her voice low and filled with venom. “Because I’m not done with you.”

Linet’s eyes burned with hatred as she slowly pushed herself up from the floor, her hand going to her bruised wrist. “You’ll pay for this, Rita,” she hissed, her voice a menacing promise.

At that moment, the general manager stormed into the room, his face dark with anger. His eyes darted from the two women to the chaos around him, and for a second, he said nothing.

“What the hell is going on here?!” he demanded, his voice booming. The office fell into an eerie silence as all eyes turned to him.

Rita’s breath came in ragged gasps, and Linet glared up at him, her chest heaving. Both women were panting, their clothes disheveled, their faces flushed with rage.

“It’s nothing,” Linet snarled, standing up and brushing herself off. “Just a little... misunderstanding.”

Rita stood still, not saying a word, but the fire in her eyes was undeniable.

The general manager wasn’t convinced. His gaze shifted between them, and the tension in the room thickened. “This will be reported,” he said, his tone cold. “Both of you, in my office, now.”

The employees, still in shock, exchanged uneasy glances as Linet and Rita were both forced to march toward the general manager’s office, their pride and anger palpable.

As the door closed behind them, the office fell into a silence that could only be broken by the whispers of what had just happened.

Just as the door to the manager’s office clicked shut behind them, Linet made her move. Her heels clicked sharply against the polished floor as she walked with an undeniable confidence toward the manager’s desk. She didn't waste a second, her every step calculated to command attention. She could already feel the manager’s tension from the earlier chaos, and she knew just how to manipulate it.

The manager stood by his desk, arms folded, his face darkened by the altercation in the hallway. The irritation in his eyes was clear, but Linet, with her practiced poise, wasted no time in disarming him.

"You think you can just come in here and cause all that trouble?" he asked, his tone clipped and stern, though his voice faltered a little under the weight of her presence.

Linet didn’t respond immediately, instead, taking a slow step forward, lowering her body ever so slightly. Her eyes locked on his, and her gaze didn’t waver, like she was drawing him in.

"I think you know exactly why I’m here," she purred, her voice smooth and seductive. Her lips curled into a subtle but confident smile, and she stepped closer. "You don't want someone like her—" she flicked her head back toward the door as if referring to Rita without actually saying her name, "—to keep stirring up trouble around here, do you?"

The manager's expression softened for just a second. The tension in his shoulders started to ease as he followed her every move. Linet, knowing the power of her presence, didn’t waste the opportunity.

Her hand, delicate and purposeful, brushed against the edge of his desk, and she let her fingers linger just long enough for him to notice.

"You’re in charge here,” she whispered, leaning in slightly. “And I know you have a lot of control. You don’t have to tolerate that kind of behavior.”

The manager’s resistance crumbled. His eyes followed the graceful sway of her movements, and before he knew it, he was leaning toward her, a hint of admiration—and more—beginning to stir in him.

Linet’s smile grew, a glimmer of victory flashing in her eyes. She could tell she had him right where she wanted him.

“I’m sure you can make sure she understands who’s really in charge around here,” she murmured, her breath warm against his ear. “If you’d just help me out.”

The manager swallowed hard, the pressure of the situation beginning to cloud his judgment. His professional demeanor was vanishing, and he found himself nodding in agreement. “Yeah... yeah, I’ll make sure she knows her place,” he muttered, almost to himself.

Linet straightened up, a satisfied glint in her eye. She took a deliberate step back, casually glancing at her reflection in the glass of his office window. It was a silent celebration. She had done it. She had made her move, and the manager was falling for it—completely.

Just then, the office door opened with a quiet creak. The manager paused, catching himself before exiting. He glanced at Linet once more, a flicker of something darker passing between them.

Without another word, he walked out of the office, a few steps ahead of Linet. They moved down the hallway together, their body language intimate, something only the sharpest of observers would notice. Rita, having been standing nearby, saw them exit the office, and her heart sank.

Rita froze, her eyes darting between the manager and Linet. She hadn’t expected this—hadn’t seen it coming. She felt a pang of humiliation as she watched the manager walk so closely with Linet, his posture completely different from the cold demeanor he had shown earlier. Linet’s victory was clear, and Rita couldn’t help but feel a wave of resentment welling up inside her.

Rita stood there, stunned, watching the pair walk away. Linet had clearly won. And Rita had no idea what had just happened—but she knew that she had lost, at least for now.

As Linet brushed past her, her voice, laced with satisfaction, sliced through the air. “You should learn how to handle things with a little more finesse, Rita. Not everyone likes to be messy about their power plays.”

Rita opened her mouth, but no words came out. The anger, the shock—it all mixed in her chest, but she couldn’t respond. Not yet. Linet had won this round, and Rita could only stand there, watching the aftermath unfold.