Chapter 22
Janice had completed her onboarding process. Kody glanced at the employee badge in her hand, a bright simile lighting up his handsome face.” Congratulations, Janice! Looking forward to working with you!”
“Same to you.” Janice curled her lip into a faint smile and casually tossed the badge into her bag
“To celebrate your successful start, let me treat you to a me” Kody enthusiastically suggested
Janice was about to refuse, but after a moment’s thought, she figured it was just a meal. “Alright, I’ll accept your kind offer
The two of them went to a nearby restaurant with a relined ambiance. Kody thoughtfully ordered dishes he knew nice lod. They charted as they ate, and the atmosphere between them was relaxed and pleasant
What they didn’t realize was that their cherth interaction was being carefully observed by Reina, who was hiding nearby. She watched them laughing and talking, her heart consumed by the flames of jealousy
“Danice, seducing Kody now?” Reina muttered through gritted teeth, her hand clutching her bag so tightly it distorted the shape.
Palling out her phone, she snapped a few photos of the two looking lntimate, a sinister smile tupping at her lips
“Janice, let’s see how you’re going to get out of this one.”
That very night, the company’s intemal chat group exploded
Anonymous messages appeared, featuring photos of Janice and Kody seemingly acting like a couple in love, ghing and enjoying each other’s company.
“Whoa, isn’t that the new doctor? What’s she doing with Kody?”
“She looked so pure and innocent! Who knew she was this skilled? She just started and already hooked up with Kody!”
“Exactly” Rumor has it she was involved with Mr. Gomez….”
The gossip spread like wildfire, infecting every comer of the company-
The next morning, Janice walked into the office feeling cheerful, completely unaware of the storm her dinner with Kody had stirred up
“Moming, Dr. Ludwig,” a passing colleague greeted her perfunctorily before hurrying away as it staying near her a second longer might contaminate them with something unsavory.
Janice frowned slightly. What’s going on with that person?
This odd behavior was repeated several times throughout the morning. By then, Janice began to sense something was off.
“What’s with everyone today…” She glanced around. The looks people were giving her ranged from disdain to disgust, with even a trace of… sympathy. Puzzled, Janice was certain she hadn’t done anything to offend anyone.
It wasn’t until she passed the pantry and overheard the hushed whispers inside that she finally understood
“Hey, did you see those photos in the group last night?”
“Yeah, who would’ve thought? She looks so innocent, but she’s really cunning! Just a few days in, and she’s already got Kody wrapped around her linger
“Exactly! And didn’t they say she used to… with Mr. Ludwig t
Janice smirked coldly. These people really had too much free time on their hands, didn’t they? Always looking for something to gossip about
She had no interest in addressing such trivial rumors. Heading to her desk, she was ready to start her day.
As she ignored the stares around her, Janice reached her desk to find a file and a small, exquisite box placed on it.
“Dr. Ludwig, Mr. Riggs asked me to give this to you. It’s a new product the company’s developing. He wants your opinion on it,” a colleague said Indiferently
Janice raised an eyebrow. A new product!
Opening the box, she found a test tube filled with a pale blue liquid. Beside it was as meant to promote calmness and improve sleep.
v a docum
detailing the formula and effects of the product, which was
However, the note section starkly stated, “Users may experience nausea and vomiting. A solution has yet to be identified.”
Janice immediately spotted the issue. “The imbalance in these herbal ingredients is causing the side effects.”
“Ha! Who do you think you are in criticize the work of the company’s research team after only a single day here? A sharp voice cut in. It was Katherine Brooks from the R&D department, who had been at odds with Janice. She seized the chance to sneer at her.
“Exactly! Do you even know how long this product has been in development? Even Mr. Higgs hasn’t solved this issue. Who are you to think you can?” another colleague chimed in
Janice couldn’t be bothered to engage in their petty taunts. Picking up the document, she pointed to a specific part of the formula.
“Honeysuckle is cool in nature, while Fallopia multiflora is warm. The two clash, which naturally causes discomfort. Reduce the honeysuckle by half and add a small amount of licorice to balance it out. That will resolve the problem.”
“Oh, how convenient. And if your idea fails, are you going to take responsibility?” Katherine shot back, her tone aggressive.
Janice’s gaze turned cold. “If you’re so confident, why don’t we test it? Let’s see if my solution works better than your current formula.”
Her tone was firm, exuding undeniable confidence. Even those who had doubted her began to waver.
“Fine! Let’s see what you’ve got!” Katherine’s competitive spirit ignited, and she stormed off to the lab.
An hour later, she returned, her face dark as she held two test reports. One for the original formula and one for Janice’s revised version.
“This… how is this possible?” Katherine stared at the reports in disbelief, her eyes wide.
The original formula still showed side effects in the test results, while the revised formula was flawless, meeting all expected outcomes.
“Well? Any questions now?” Janice glanced at her coolly.
Katherine’s face turned into a blotchy mess, but she couldn’t muster a single retort. Silently, she slinked back to her seat.
By midday, Samuel Riggs returned to the office. When he heard that Janice had resolved an issue that had stumped the R&D team for a month, a wide grin spread across his face.
“Dr. Ludwig, you’re a genius! Your medical expertise and intellect are truly top–notch! Come on, let’s go have lunch together. It’s my treat to celebrate you officially joining our company!”
Samuel warmly invited her. Though some colleagues had started to respect Janice’s ability, the earlier rumors made them reluctant to voice their support, leaving the atmosphere slightly awkward.
Janice simply smiled calmly. “You’re too kind, Mr. Riggs. It’s just colleagues helping each other out. It’s nothing.”
“Yes, yes, exactly! That’s the spirit!” Samuel laughed as he led the group downstairs,
As they reached the company’s entrance, they saw a young woman, her face pale, clutching her stomach. She wobbled before collapsing straight to the ground.
