She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 80

"That's what true brilliance looks like. Geniuses are never afraid to share."

Abby sat motionless in her chair, deaf to the excited whispering around her as she stared blankly at Hulda.

Hulda was K-07. She was her absolute idol.

To think, K-07 was nothing more than an internal employee ID from nearly a decade ago!

No wonder she had never been able to find a single digital footprint of her online, no matter how hard she searched.

"Alright, I know I've taken up a lot of your time today, but I just have one last thing to say." Hulda's voice cut through the chatter. This time, the room fell into a pin-drop silence instantly, completely enraptured by her every word.

"I realize this is my first day back at the institute, and my sudden appointment naturally caused some friction. I completely understand that. Moving forward, however, if you have an issue with me or my methods, I expect you to bring it to me directly. You are more than welcome to complain about me in private. But under no circumstances will I tolerate malicious smear campaigns—especially inappropriate rumors regarding anyone's personal character. The damage that kind of toxicity causes is severe, and it ends here."

She didn't name any names, but everyone in the room knew exactly who she was talking about.

Over the last few weeks, Ursula had been relentless in spreading vile rumors about a supposed affair between Hulda and Brandon. It was her toxic gossiping that had soured the entire department against the new hire before she even walked through the door.

It had gotten to the point where it was practically accepted as fact that Hulda was just the Deputy Director's mistress. A few people had even joined in, actively helping Ursula spread the lie to other departments.

Those who had eagerly participated in the rumor mill were now sweating nervously in their seats.

Ursula's already lifeless face turned completely ashen.

It was easily the most entertaining and satisfying meeting he had sat through in years.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time, Brandon," Hulda said, genuinely feeling a bit guilty for dragging him away from his busy schedule.

But she knew that if he hadn't been in that room, the meeting would have never gotten off the ground. No one would have respected her authority—least of all Ursula.

"Waste my time? Are you kidding? I loved every second of it. Watching you effortlessly bend those stubborn researchers to your will with pure intellect was worth its weight in gold." Initially, he had been worried she wouldn't be able to establish dominance quickly and would end up being bullied and ostracized.

He never expected her to come in swinging, using the biggest bully in the room as an example, and winning everyone over through sheer, undeniable talent!