I Chose Me Over My Marriage novel Chapter 78

The position of General Manager was originally supposed to be hers.

If she hadn't been so blindly determined to marry Maxwell, her career would have undoubtedly reached incredible heights by now.

It was the peak of the morning rush hour.

As Lyra walked through the lobby, she felt the heavy weight of countless eyes on her.

In their stares, she could read a conflicting mix of deep skepticism and lingering respect.

Two entirely contradictory emotions, coexisting in the same space.

Lyra knew that if she wanted to reclaim her rightful place at the top, she was going to have to put in a massive amount of grueling work.

She started by reporting to the HR department.

She had discussed this with Harrison beforehand. Jumping straight back into a senior management role after being away for so long wouldn't go over well, so they decided she would start in the design department.

Design was the absolute core of the company, which meant the pressure on her was going to be intense.

Harriet Shaw, the Director of the design department, had been with the company since its inception. She was a deeply kind woman, but when it came to the actual work, she was famously ruthless.

When she found out Lyra was joining her team, Harriet was both supportive and visibly pleased.

"I genuinely thought your father would drop you straight into executive management. I never expected him to put you in the trenches with us. I have total faith in your talent, but you need to know that we have an insane number of projects on our plate right now. This department is a madhouse. You'd better be mentally prepared."

Lyra had grown up understanding the intense corporate culture here. None of this phased her.

"Don't worry, Director Shaw. I'm ready for whatever you throw at me."

Harriet nodded approvingly and led her into the bustling design floor, pointing toward an empty desk. "You can set up there for now. It's a bit of a mess, so you'll have to organize it yourself."

Lyra thanked her and walked over to her new workspace, ignoring the curious whispers of the designers around her.

Eleanor kept piling food onto Lyra's plate, acting as if Lyra was on the brink of starvation.

Watching them, Harrison let out a helpless sigh. "The cafeteria food here isn't that bad, you know. Most of the staff actually love it. You're acting like Lyra hasn't eaten a decent meal in her life."

Eleanor shot him a lethal glare. "I'll cook for my daughter if I want to. Mind your own business."

"Alright, alright. I won't ruin the mother-daughter bonding time. I have a virtual conference with the regional branch anyway. You two eat, just save some for me."

With that, Harrison gathered his files and stood up, preparing to retreat.

"I know you have a meeting, but it doesn't start for a while. I made these freshly baked scones this morning. Take one with you, or your stomach will act up again."

At Eleanor's command, Harrison immediately made a U-turn, grabbed a scone from the table, and took a large bite before finally leaving the room.

With him gone, the vast office fell into a comfortable, quiet intimacy between mother and daughter.