Page 65 of Auctioned to My Bratva Boss

"Oh my God, Riley! We thought you weren't coming back!" A female colleague's voice carried exaggerated surprise.

"Why wouldn't I?" I tried to make my voice sound normal. "The project's done. Of course I'm back."

I ended the conversation quickly and headed to my workstation. I just didn't have the energy to deal with these vultures.

"Whose stuff is this?" I pointed at the mess covering my desk, fighting to control my anger.

My once-neat workspace was buried under junk—makeup, trash paper, even a used coffee cup with lipstick smeared on the rim.

My colleagues' eyes unanimously shifted to the workstation farthest from me. Miranda stood up, arms crossed, looking down her nose at everything.

"Oh—that's mine." Miranda dragged out the words, rolling her eyes in disgust. "How was I supposed to know you'd get kicked out?"

I hadn't seen her in a while. She was still just as goddamn unbearable.

"I just left some stuff on your desk. I really don't know what you're getting so worked up about." She sauntered over to me, glancing at the items with her nostrils flared. "Why don't you just throw them away?"

"You dump your crap here and expect me to clean up after you? Not a chance!" I'd had enough. I grabbed the lipstick and trash paper and hurled them at her.

Miranda clearly hadn't expected my reaction. She looked down at the stuff on the floor, her face turning iron-dark.

"Are you insane?" she shrieked, her eyes venomous. "You let Bykov screw you a few times, and suddenly you think you're somebody?"

Her voice grew louder. The whole office could hear.

"Look at you now, pale as a ghost. You got used up and tossed back like garbage, didn't you!"

A few suppressed laughs rippled through the room.

"Miranda." I clenched my jaw. "Shut up."

"Why should I shut up?" She sneered, her eyes raking over me. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. You thought you were special? You thought climbing into Bykov's bed would change anything?"

Honestly, I didn't care what they thought of me. They could say whatever they wanted—it had nothing to do with me. What really hurt was that with every word they said, Matvey's words echoed in my head again.

The pressure behind my eyes built. That burning, stinging sensation came flooding back.

"And you know what the most pathetic part is? Bykov's wife came to the company this morning. She must've found out something, which is why you got kicked back here." She continued, "You thought you could replace Bykov's wife? You're delusional!"

I never wanted to replace anyone. I just couldn't figure out which Matvey was real. Yesterday, he forced me to say I loved him. Today, he said I was just a plaything. I wished someone could tell me why he treated me this way. He could've just chosen Veronica from the start, but he kept making me think he had feelings for me.

"See, everyone?" Miranda turned to our colleagues, triumphant. "This is what happens when you sleep your way up."

Bitterness rose up my throat. Even my mouth tasted salty and acrid. I didn't even have the strength to argue with her anymore.

"So she really was kicked out by Bykov's wife?" A voice drifted into my ears.

"What else? When the real wife comes back, the mistress has to go." Another voice chimed in.

"What are you all doing?" A stern voice rang out from the doorway.

Everyone turned. Our supervisor stood there with a folder, his face severe.

"You think this is some gossip magazine?"

The voices died.

"Miranda." The supervisor walked up to her. "What did you just say?"