Chapter 1

"Camilla, tell me it is not you." Derek points angrily at a photo to Camilla, "You are the image of the company!" It is a photo that an attractive woman with curvy figure and athletic legs sitting on the desk of her office and making seductive gestures.

Camilla feels dizzy, everything suddenly becomes unreal.

- Two hours ago -

Camilla leans back to her chair, after a full day of conference call and in person meetings with senior executives while no trace of tiredness is on her face. The clock indicates it is past five o'clock already. The room is dimmed by the lighting system automatically switched off for the night. No one else except her is here at this hour.

Her office is spacious and elegant and decorated with expensive furniture and paintings. Family photo and well trimmed plants shows that her husband comes from good family background. She keeps the picture of her daughter prominently in view to remind herself of her duties to her loved ones. There is so many duties for her: taking care of her child, being wife to her husband and keeping up the image of Purly Group. But she can always survive, a genuine survivor.

She has been in this company since its inception twenty years ago. She has seen it grow into a multinational giant. Its employees are large in number. Each year it hires new graduates from top universities and trains them extensively. By now many have risen to high positions. The company is making huge profits. It has become one of the largest companies in the world.

Looking back her career, she made significant progress and promotion. This is in spite of the fact that she was never trained formally or even given any degree. Camilla is the brainchild of Purly Group, without her it would not exist at all.

"Miss Camilla, will you join us for dinner?" asks her colleague "Of course." A smile plays on her lips. If there is a time to be free then it is now, but she must keep up appearances.

When she is leaving, a woman enters Camilla's office. She looks at the woman with a suspicious gaze and a sneer. This woman is wearing a very short skirt and low cut blouse.

Entering the restaurant, Camilla sees the other three women seated at a table and smiling politely at her. But they are not alone, two men sit across from them. A man sits opposite her at the head of the table. His name is Derek, Camilla's manager, he looks like a bulldog, and she has heard rumors about him.

Derek seems happy when he sees Camilla dressed elegantly. "Hey, here comes our queen of Purly Group." Derek says, and everyone laughs with kindness.

Over dinner the conversation turns to business matters, and Camilla listens intently. After a while, she says, "I am sorry, Derek, but I don't understand what you just said. Do you mean I am going to in charge project Cilla?"

Derek replies, "Yes, Miss Camilla. We will let you take over the management of project Cilla. I have been working on it for quite some time now. You know, this project is very important to the company."

Camilla is so surprised, she hardly knows how to react. Derek comforts her rudely as usual, "Don't worry, Miss Camilla. You will do fine. I think your experience in managing people is essential to this project."

Camilla responds, "I am honored, Derek, that you think highly of me. I will do my best."

Another milestone, the wine Camilla is drinking tastes better than ever.

When the dinner is close to end, a waiter bends over to Derek and whispers to him, after handing to him a sealed envelope. Derek's expression changes and he looks troubled.

He excuses himself and asks Camilla to meet her outside of the restaurant. When they reach the car park, Derek hands her the envelope. A photo slips out the envelop and falls on the ground.

It is the photo mentioned in the beginning. The woman in the photo dressed same as Camilla, with a wild and shameful expression and making seductive gestures.

Camilla has never known such feeling before, her body is shaking uncontrollably. She cannot speak. She can only stare at the photo with a horrified look.

Derek takes her hand and says, "Please listen carefully. I give you the responsibility of project Cilla because I believe in you. I trust your ability to complete this job satisfactorily. Now this photo could ruin you and me. I want to protect myself against any accusation should anything go wrong. So please promise me that you won't take any action until we discussed it together. That way, no one will know about this."

Camilla is speechless, and so is Derek.