Page 1 of The Rancher's Vengeful Heart

Tassy

WHAT KIND OF BOYFRIENDwould announce he wanted to break up just as his girlfriend received a promotion?

Her boyfriend, that's who.

Xylan was now staring at her with a mixture of guilt and horror while everyone else in the gleaming glass-walled conference room pretended they hadn't heard anything.

Every second that passed felt like a ticking bomb. The heater was on, and she had her trusty cream cardigan over her knitted sweater. So why did Tassy feel like she was about to freeze to death?

Words completely failed her, but one thing Tassy was absolutely certain of—-she shouldn't waste other people's time.

As she rose to her feet, a smile somehow found its way to her lips. Her ankle-length floral skirt swished softly against her boots as she moved.

Keep it steady.

Don't walk too slow or fast.

Her dark bangs fell across her eyes, and Tassy fought against the urge to tuck them back. Anything that hid her gaze from the world right now was good. Face-saving good, in fact.

Just take it one step at a time.

That had always kept her going, every time Tassy felt there was no one to turn to.

One step at a time.

The pity in everyone's gazes burned, and for once, Tassy wished she wore her hair long so she could hide behind it.

She was this close to wishing she could melt off the face of the earth. But since Tassy knew just enough about God to believe things would get better in time, she forced herself to focus on what she could control.

One step at a time, Tas.

Left foot forward.

Right foot next.

Platitudes came to Tassy's rescue as she reached the VP of Product Development—-the boss of her boss's boss. "Thank you so much." Her voice came out steady, with just the tiniest squeak at the end. "I honestly have no words. This promotion wouldn't have been possible without so many people supporting me."

Samantha squeezed her hand. "You deserve this, dear." Their department VP was in her mid-fifties, her grayish hair even shorter than Tassy's. She had been with Black Carpet International since it first opened its doors, one of the company's pillars of strength for three decades.

"But wait, there's more."

The words helped defuse the tension, and everyone laughed—the sound tinged with unmistakable relief.

The older woman presented Tassy with a sealed envelope. "Inside are the details of your first assignment, but you could say it's also a reward since it's for Foxtown's invite-only media conference for their Valentine campaign. The company will be shouldering all traveling expenses for you and your...oh, shit."

The discomfort inside the room skyrocketed, and Tassy mouthed,'It's okay'when she saw the aghast expression on the VP's face. Not even the pandemic had thrown Samantha off her game like this. Handling simultaneous promotions and breakups was obviously new territory, even for her. Tassy mustered another smile to keep the situation from spiraling further.

"This is such an amazing gift, Samantha. It's always been my dream to visit Foxtown. I really can't thank you enough."

The words gave her superior enough time to recover. Samantha's smile no longer seemed forced as she turned to face the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, the newest manager in our department, Tassy Bautista."

Clap, clap, clap.

The junior associates and her colleagues rushed forward, and Tassy eagerly allowed herself to be swept away by their enthusiasm.

I knew you could do it, Tas!

Youngest to make manager!

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