âIf I prove Iâm better than you at this, you owe me an apology and a swift return to your previous position, no fuss,â she challenged, her tone cutting through the air.
Damienâs brows furrowed at the audacity of her ultimatum.
Honestly, with Cherise being his wife, Damien couldâve easily let her slide into any role she fancied when she joined his company.
But instead of aiming for something cushy or high and mighty, she chose to play the role of an assistant.
Sure, being the presidentâs assistant mightâve been the bottom rung on the corporate ladder, but many would kill for this petty position. That was probably why Candace was so hell-bent on keeping the job as Damienâs assistant.
Damien didnât see any issue with Cherise assisting him; Candace was harassing her and causing trouble.
But now that Cherise had spoken up to prove her capability, Damien saw no reason to stand in her way.
Presumably, many in the company were unhappy with Cheriseâs return to work today.
If he wanted to shut those naysayers up, the best bet was to have them eating out of Cheriseâs hand, admiring her hustle. And his wife had it in her to make it happen.
After all, she had always excelled academically from a young age. Damien had every confidence that Cherise had what it took and more to be his right-hand woman.
Candace scoffed. âAlright. Letâs see how Mrs. Lenoir and I stack up!â
She doubted Cherise, always tied up in the hospital, had any skill with paperwork.
News of the showdown between Cherise and Candace quickly circulated throughout the company.
Departments dropped their morning meetings to witness the drama unfold on the twenty-fourth floor.
Damien didnât intervene. This was Cheriseâs chance to shine because if his wife earned respect, heâd benefit from it, too.
To ensure fairness, Lennon was chosen to oversee the competition.
When Cherise saw Lennon enter with a mischievous grin, she couldnât help but wonder, âIs he here for fairness or just for the spectacle?â
âMr. Belcourt, your reputation for fairness precedes you. Iâm confident youâll judge impartially,â Candace said, smiling at Lennon.
Cherise was left speechless.
Watching Candace and others fawn over Lennon, Cherise felt a twinge of frustration. Maybe they didnât know him as well as she didâ¦
Lennon had called Cherise last night, practically begging her to intervene with Lucy and end her avoidance. And now, out of the blue, heâs here to judge?
âIn the spirit of fairness, I think we should consider a new referee.â Cherise cleared her throat and protested.
Candace raised an eyebrow. âWhy the change? Mr. Belcourt is perfectly fine for the role! Mrs. Lenoir, you canât just dismiss Mr. Belcourt because youâre not familiar with him. If you want to prove your abilities, the referee shouldnât matter, right?â
Cherise found herself at a loss for words. With a resigned sigh, she glanced at Lennon. âWell, then, you better make sure to be fair and just.â
Lennon coughed awkwardly. âOh, absolutely! I pride myself on being completely impartial. Fairness is my middle name in this company!â
Cherise couldnât help but roll her eyes internally at his feigned innocence, âRight, and pigs fly!â
Ten minutes later, after a rushed setup, the competition began with a memory challenge.
Lennon produced a document and started reading aloud to Cherise and Candace, who were forbidden from taking notes.