They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 364: Invitation

Chapter 364: Invitation

“Again?” Abel asked, amused. “Has it even been two months since they were supposedly ‘fired’ the first time?”

His tone was calm, but it carried weight. He turned to face Juliet fully, expression unreadable.

“Little sis, you are just here to gain some experience before heading back to school,” he said, his voice still composed but firm. “So tell me, why are you firing my core staff?”

Juliet’s expression darkened. The people behind her looked confused, this wasn’t the support they expected from him.

“I just thought I could help share your burden while I’m still here,” Juliet said, quickly adjusting her tone. “These three have been disobedient, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional. I thought it was only right to let them go.”

Abel paused, then nodded thoughtfully. “I see.”

He let the silence settle before asking again, this time slower. “Then why didn’t you ask for my permission first?”

“I thought you were busy, so I didn’t think to—” Juliet’s voice trailed off as she caught the look on Abel’s face. It was the kind of look that ended arguments before they started.

Abel shook his head and sighed. “Everyone, go back to work.”

The crowd that had gathered behind Juliet immediately began to disperse, sensing the shift in power. Lilian and Kosi returned to their offices after Nnenna gave them a small, reassuring nod.

But Juliet wasn’t done.

She noticed Nnenna was still standing there, calm and unmoved. It irritated her.

“Didn’t you hear my older brother?” she snapped. “Get back to work. Now.”

Nnenna didn’t flinch. She simply looked at Juliet with a faint, unreadable smile. She couldn’t quite reconcile the smart and shrewd Abel with this… impulsive and shortsighted girl standing in front of her.

Juliet’s face twitched. Even if she had to be cautious in front of Abel, weren’t the orders from him? Couldn’t she at least act like she was defending his honour?

“See, brother?” Juliet said, turning toward Abel again. “Disobedient, disrespectful, and unprofessional. She doesn’t belong here.”

“Forget about it, Julie,” Abel replied, brushing it off.

“But she’s clearly in the wrong,” Juliet insisted.

Taking Abel’s silence as approval, she turned back to Nnenna with confidence. “You’re fired,” she declared.

Nnenna’s smile only widened, clearly amused. Juliet bristled.

“What are you smiling about, ex-employee?” she snapped.

Nnenna glanced briefly at Abel, who made no move to interfere. Then she spoke, her voice calm.

“Don’t you get it, Miss Juliet? You can’t fire someone who’s already resigned.”

“What?” Juliet blinked. “What do you mean by that?”

“It means I already resigned,” Nnenna replied, still smiling. “So you don’t have any rights over me.”

“Resigned?” Juliet echoed, stunned. “Who in their right mind would resign from a position like this? This is one of the best stores in the capital city, and it pays well too!”

Nnenna simply shook her head, then gave Abel a polite nod before turning to knock on Lilian’s office door. She pushed it open.

“Ouch!” Lilian cried.

The door had bumped into her, she had clearly been standing right behind it.

She had been eavesdropping.

Lilian’s face flushed with embarrassment, but Nnenna didn’t say anything. She understood immediately, Lilian had been listening in case things went south, ready to jump in if she needed help.

“Is everything okay?” Lilian asked quickly, trying to recover. “Why did you resign? Don’t you like working with us anymore?”

“Don’t worry,” Nnenna said with a soft smile. “I only resigned because I’m going off to school in a few days. It has nothing to do with you guys or the work environment.”

“Oh my gosh… you’re going off to school?” Lilian repeated, stunned.

There it was again, that same surprised look the old man had given her. But Lilian’s reaction was even more vivid. She clearly hadn’t expected Nnenna’s family to make plans for further education, especially since she was already employed.

But still, it was a good surprise. A really good one.

“That’s good. I don’t think you should stay here any longer,” Lilian said carefully. “Juliet has her eyes on you, and I really don’t trust her. Not with the kind of backing she has, Head Manager Abel being her brother and all.”

Nnenna smiled. “I don’t think Juliet would be a threat even if i stayed” she replied simply.

Lilian didn’t fully understand, but she didn’t push further. She just nodded, quietly, and followed Nnenna out to say goodbye to Kosi as well.

The hall was quiet now. Abel and Juliet had already left.

Inside Abel’s office, Juliet sat on the visitor’s chair like a child who had done something wrong but refused to admit it. Her shoulders were stiff, her arms crossed, her lips pursed in defiance.

She was annoyed, annoyed that Nnenna had slipped out of her grip. She had been so close to getting some revenge, and now the girl had resigned.

Just like that. No drama. No power play. No chance to humiliate her properly. And clearly, her brother had no intention of helping her do that.

“You were wrong, and you know it,” Abel said, finally breaking the silence. “This behavior is childish. You should have outgrown it by now.”

“You should apologize to those girls.”

“No,” Juliet snapped. “I’ll never apologize to them. And you can’t make me.”

Abel sighed, tired of the same pattern.

He picked up his phone.

“I’m calling the driver. You’re going home,” he said calmly. “And you’re going back to school this evening.”

“No, brother,” Juliet objected quickly. “I still have a few more days. There’s a national holiday coming up because of the coronation. That gives me Monday off, remember?”

She stood, her voice rising slightly with urgency. “You promised you would take me to the castle for the coronation. You promised!”

This was not just about staying a little longer, this was a once in a lifetime chance. Her brother was friends with the Second Prince, and they had received an official invitation to attend the coronation ceremony.