Chapter 8 The Dead Rat in the Lunchbox

As soon as Melinda finished her sentence, she keenly sensed the temperature in the office drop instantly.

And the center of the pressure was Stanley, right in front of her.

The gentleness in Stanley's eyes disappeared in an instant, so quickly that Melinda thought she was imagining it.

His face turned grim, and he cast a cold glance at Melinda.

Then he strode out of the office.

The door was slammed shut forcefully.

Melinda looked down at her wrist, which was red from being pinched, and couldn't help but mutter.

"Stanley, what kind of madness is this again?"

Melinda returned to her workstation.

She pulled down her sleeve forcefully to cover the red mark.

Tenley waved her phone at her: "Melinda, I've sent over the contact information. You two can talk it out yourselves. Let me know if there's any progress."

Melinda coughed awkwardly and said, "Maybe we should forget about it. Actually, I've always had a boyfriend, but it's a long-distance relationship, so you guys didn't know."

Tenley raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Are you serious? You've hidden it so well?"

After being colleagues for so many years, she had no idea about Melinda's relationship status.

Melinda braced herself and continued with her excuse.

"There's no other way. We're in a long-distance relationship and rarely get to see each other."

Tenley shook her head regretfully: "That's a shame. My friend is really a great guy."

Melinda smiled and said nothing.

She refocused on her work. The urgent task was to come up with a design that would satisfy Stanley.

The team of three worked tirelessly until evening, revising three versions of the design.

Melinda was so busy that she felt dizzy, and a faint pain started to rise in her stomach.

As long as they could submit a design that satisfied Mr. Douglas today, they could go home.

However, Stanley just glanced at the submitted drawings and pushed them back.

"No, it doesn't meet my expectations."

Melinda silently gritted her teeth.

She knew in her heart that this was Stanley's revenge.

Their entire team had worked so hard, and Stanley didn't even bother to look at the details.

Tenley mustered the courage to speak: "Mr. Douglas, there are two other versions of the design. Please take a look."

"All these drawings are to be discarded and redone."

Stanley's voice was indifferent and distant, his gaze fixed on Melinda.

"If this is the true capability of your design team, I seriously doubt the success of our collaboration."

Tenley wanted to say more, but Melinda tugged at her sleeve and shook her head.

"Alright, we'll redo them."

Stanley was clearly making things difficult for them. Even if the drawings were as perfect as artworks, they still wouldn't pass in Stanley's eyes.

This was the most difficult client their design team had ever encountered.

He not only didn't provide any specific requirements but also rejected all the meticulously designed drawings.

Tenley slumped over her desk, pulling at her hair in despair.

"Why is this so hard? I just want to go home."

Melinda felt a bit guilty: "How about this, you guys go home first. I'll continue working here."

It was because of her that their drawings didn't pass.

Tenley shook her head tiredly: "We're a team. We face everything together. I refuse to believe we can't handle Stanley."

Melinda didn't say anything more, but there was still guilt in her eyes.

"After this project is over, I'll treat you all to dinner."

"Yay!"

Tenley instantly perked up.

"Then I'll have to think about what to eat and make sure to get a good meal out of you."

"No problem."

Although their conversation temporarily lightened the mood, the work still had to continue.

At this moment, Genevieve walked in with several boxed meals.

"Thank you all for your hard work. Mr. Douglas specifically asked me to order dinner for you."

Melinda's eyes turned cold.

Was Stanley's current approach a slap followed by a sweet treat?

But just a boxed meal, wasn't this sweet treat a bit too little?

She didn't say anything, but Tenley quickly nodded: "Mr. Douglas is so considerate, even thinking about our dinner."

Genevieve's smile was a bit forced: "Thank you all for your hard work."

As she spoke, she handed out the boxed meals to everyone.

Melinda noticed the different colored labels on the lids of the boxed meals but didn't pay much attention to it or ask about it.

Tenley and another colleague, who were already starving, immediately opened their boxed meals and started eating voraciously.

Melinda continued to sketch on the paper.

Tenley swallowed her food and said, "Melinda, take a break and eat something."

"Just a little more, and if Mr. Douglas is satisfied, we won't have to suffer tomorrow."

Melinda's current design still focused on a simple and refined theme, but she chose a lot of white and light yellow for the color blocks.

This color scheme made the entire room layout look much more spacious and bright, compared to the oppressive cold tones.

But now Melinda wasn't sure if this design would pass.

Tenley threw her empty boxed meal into the trash can and checked her phone, suddenly exclaiming in surprise.

"Mr. Douglas said we can go home! Finally, this torturous day is over."

Melinda smiled: "Hurry home, take a shower, and relax. The best thing after work is lying in bed and watching shows."

Tenley quickly put on her coat.

"I can't wait to get back to my big bed. By the way, Melinda, aren't you leaving?"

"I'll finish this bit of work and then go."

With just a little left, Melinda didn't want to leave it unfinished. The main thing was she didn't want to come back to the Douglas Corporation tomorrow.

Now seeing Stanley and Genevieve together, she just felt annoyed.

"Alright, but make sure to go home early. No matter how busy work is, remember your health is important."

"Okay."

Tenley and another colleague left, leaving Melinda alone in the office.

She finished the last bit of drawing and then rubbed her aching stomach.

She had once again forgotten the doctor's advice.

Melinda turned her attention to the boxed meal. It had been sitting for a while, and the food was cold, but it could still fill her stomach and ease the pain a bit.

However, as soon as Melinda opened the lid, her face changed dramatically, and she started retching uncontrollably.

Because right on top of the food lay a huge dead rat!