Just a Workhorse, Not His Lover

My boss has started dating, and his girlfriend is already acting hostile toward me at the first meeting.

She looks me up and down and says passive-aggressively, "You're Theodore's secretary, the one he's been taking special care of?"

I'm left speechless for a moment, staring at her in disbelief.

I am Theodore Grant's secretary—that part is true.

When I graduated, my dad deliberately arranged for me to work under Theodore to learn company management.

For over a year, I have been working overtime late into the night every day, handling stacks of documents that never seem to end. Everyone says that I'm the hardest-working workhorse in the company.

So, why have I gone from being a workhorse to some kind of side piece the moment my boss gets a girlfriend?

When Theodore Grant showed up at the office with his new girlfriend, Cassandra Callahan, I happened to be delivering documents to his office.

She was clinging to his arm, her high heels clicking crisply against the floor. The moment she looked up and met my eyes, the smile on her face faded slightly.

"Who is this?" she asked.

Theodore answered easily, smiling as he introduced me, "My secretary, Yvette Saccone. She just graduated not long ago. She's reliable in her work."

I gave her a polite nod.

Cassandra responded with a soft hum, but her gaze lingered on my face.

Then, she suddenly leaned closer to Theodore, her voice syrupy sweet. "Theodore, is she the one they were talking about? The little lover you keep hidden in the company?"

I paused.

Theodore frowned. "That's nonsense. Where did you hear that?"

As if realizing the mood had shifted, his tone softened. "You know exactly who I keep around me. Yvette is a colleague, nothing more. Don't joke about things like this again."

Cassandra pouted, looking wronged. "But everyone at the company is saying it. They say you take special care of a young secretary and never let her do any of the tedious work."

She shot me a glance before turning back to him, her voice growing even softer. "And look at her. She really is pretty, and you speak so highly of her abilities. Isn't it normal for me to feel a little jealous?"

Then, she smiled again and turned to me. "Still, since Theodore says so, I believe him. Ms. Saccone, just remember to keep your distance from now on."

The corner of my mouth twitched slightly. What a masterclass in pretentiousness.

She played the part of the innocent girlfriend while quietly shifting every accusation onto me, implying that I lacked boundaries and harbored ulterior motives.

I lowered my eyes and said nothing.

I didn't deny that I had my own reasons for staying close to Theodore, but they were nothing like what she imagined.

Creation Enterprises was selecting a general manager for promotion to headquarters. As the chairman's daughter, I had entered the branch company as a secretary to learn the ropes and evaluate candidates firsthand.

Theodore was