He didn’t read the technical analysis, just skimmed the conclusion, nodded, and pushed it aside.
Then he looked at me.
I must have had no expression left, not even the strength to fake a polite smile.
He noticed.
Setting down the mug, he laced his fingers together, leaning slightly forward with a tone meant to sound fatherly.
“Sophie, sit.”
I didn’t move.
He didn’t seem to care and kept going.
“You’re upset, aren’t you? Because I praised Vivian in the meeting and didn’t mention your contribution?”
I stayed silent.
He sighed, like he was disappointed in my lack of emotional intelligence.
“Sophie, honestly, you really should learn from Vivian.”
He said it as casually as if he were commenting on his coffee.
I stared at him—the man I had followed for five years, the one I had personally helped build this company’s entire technical framework from scratch.
His face carried an expression that said, I’m enlightening you.
“All these years working together, you’ve always just buried yourself in code. You finish your tasks, hand in your reports—and that’s it. No involvement in team-building.”
“Once the system is stable and the report is filed, then what? Nothing.”