Chapter 1463: Who is she? Your girlfriend?

One of the things Teddy disliked about working in the corporate world wasn’t the fierce competition, but rather, a certain type of people. People who thought they were better than everyone else — people who didn’t care if they trampled over others to climb the ladder, and those who abused their power and authority.

Despite never having a permanent job before, Teddy had aced every interview he attended. The issue was that he’d vacate his desk just a few days later. If it weren’t for the fact that he needed a decent job with a decent paycheck, he wouldn’t have kept trying again and again.

At one of the companies he worked at — the one before he applied to Prime Group — this guy had been his team leader.

"It’s good to see you again!" The team leader smirked, a malicious glint flickering in his eyes. He placed a hand on Teddy’s shoulder and nodded. "How are you? I didn’t know I’d run into you tonight. Wow! It’s been a while!"

Teddy smiled meekly and nodded. "Me neither. I didn’t expect to see you here..." of all places and of all times he could run into someone in his past.

"Haha." The man’s eyes lowered, assessing Teddy’s suit before slowly meeting his gaze. His hand still rested on Teddy’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly. "Are you job hunting around here?"

"..." Teddy didn’t answer, tempted to lower his head. But he was reminded of Yugi’s remarks at the convenience store that night, and Penny’s words to Shawn earlier.

He glanced at the man’s hand on his shoulder and sighed heavily. "I—"

"Who are you?" Patricia suddenly appeared at Teddy’s side, eyeing the man. "Can you not touch him like that?"

The man furrowed his brows and glanced at her before turning to Teddy. "Who is she? Your girlfriend?"

Patricia’s face immediately soured, and Teddy frowned.

"Hey, what nonsense are you talking about?" Patricia scoffed, noticing Teddy’s discomfort at the man’s lingering grip.

"Teddy, who is this guy?" Hayley asked, arms crossed, stepping beside Patricia, with Shawn just behind her.

"You know him?" Shawn added.

The man studied the three and their smart casual attire before his eyes returned to Teddy. He withdrew his hand and smirked.

"I see." He chuckled. "So you found a job, and they’re your new colleagues."

Teddy’s chest rose and fell as he faced the man squarely. A layer of coldness coated his gaze because he knew that look.

"Yes, I did," he replied coolly. "They’re my colleagues, but we’re heading home now. It was... great to see you. Good night."

With that, Teddy turned to leave, wanting to end the encounter quickly. But just as he stepped away, the man spoke suggestively.

"So, I’m guessing they still don’t know, huh?"

Teddy stopped, his colleagues frowning in confusion. Their curious expressions made his heart pound. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly imagined them looking at him with disdain — once they found out he was a fraud, and that almost everything on his resume was fake.

"What do you mean we still don’t know?" Patricia asked, glaring at the man.

The man chuckled and shrugged, eyes fixed on Teddy’s profile. "Well, why don’t you ask him?" He leaned in, whispering, "Teddy Arthur, if I were you, I’d submit my resignation before they find out how you cheated all the companies you worked at."

He tapped Teddy’s back, then turned to the others.

"It’s nice to meet his new colleagues," he said. "We used to work in the same department, once. But alas, we had to part ways too soon."

He laughed, casting Teddy one last look. "See you around, Teddy. Let’s grab a drink sometime."

As the man walked away laughing, Teddy remained frozen in place, his eyes trailing after him.

"That guy gives me the creeps," Patricia muttered. "Teddy, is he your friend or something?"

"No." Teddy let out a deep exhale and turned to them. "Like he said, he’s an old colleague. Don’t mind him. We weren’t as close as he made it seem."

Without another word, Teddy walked past the three. To him, this encounter was a harsh reminder: even though Penny and Yugi knew about his lies, these three didn’t. So why was he getting too comfortable with their company? He knew they’d never look at him the same once they found out.

"What’s wrong with him?" Patricia frowned, watching Teddy walk ahead. "The more I hang out with him, the more I realize how moody he is. One minute he’s nice, the next minute he’s cold. Ugh! So confusing."

Hayley chuckled in resignation. "Well, someone has to play the unfriendly one in our department."

"I wonder what made his mood drop," Shawn muttered as they walked. He glanced back in the direction the man had gone. "I wonder what that was all about."

---

An hour later...

Teddy sat on the sofa in his living room, arms resting on his legs, hands clasped together. Slowly, he looked around the apartment — a new place provided by Prime Group. It wasn’t too big or too small, just enough for three people to live comfortably. But compared to the apartment he had before getting hired, this one was a hundred times better.

No leaks in the ceiling. Hot showers. Everything he needed — and more. And this was provided to him even though his boss knew he had tried to deceive his way into the company.

Another heavy sigh escaped him. "Why should I be bothered?" he muttered. "Miss Penny already knows most of it. She’s not going to fire me unless I give her a reason to."

Still, running into his old colleague — his old boss — brought back unpleasant memories. Unlike other companies that kicked him out without question, the last one gave him a choice.

That was... if he agreed to sexual favors.

Teddy’s jaw tightened, his stomach twisting at the thought. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Don’t think about it anymore. It’s all in the past. There’s no need to dwell on it. It’s nothing. Just don’t make unnecessary trouble for Miss Penny, and everything’s going to be fine."