Lilly was utterly confident that she knew every woman who had crossed paths with Victor over the past four years a privilege that had always been hers alone, one Gloria had never been granted. For reasons that baffled everyone, Victor had steadfastly refused to let Gloria work in his office, even when she'd offered her services multiple times. She possessed all the qualities of an exemplary secretary: sharp organizational skills, unflappable poise under pressure, and an intuitive grasp of his needs. But Victor had only scoffed at her overtures, dismissing her as a "dumb b***h" unfit for the intellectual demands of the role. "You're too busy crying and playing housewife," he'd sneered. "Secretary work requires real brainpower—something you squander on tears."
Lilly had always taken immense
