The Merciful Female Boss Chapter 03
I stared at the “You have been removed from the group chat” notification and quietly locked my screen.
Whatever.
I wasn’t about to risk my life climbing with two-hundred-dollar junk just to fit in.
I value my life.
Renzo was quick. He gathered his team’s physical stats and sent them over.
“Miss Moretti, thank you. But won’t your teammates be pissed if they find out?”
I gave a small smile. He was thoughtful, worrying I’d be ostracized for helping the competition.
Too bad for them, that wasn’t an issue anymore.
“They won’t. I just got kicked off the team.”
The second I sent that, Renzo added me to their group chat.
“Sophia’s with us now. Everyone, say hi!”
I sent a single question mark.
Had I even agreed to this?
Renzo replied, “I was afraid you’d say no, so I made the executive decision.”
I laughed.
The chat was on fire.
“Sophia, finally! You have no idea how long we’ve been drooling over your gear!”
“I knew Kevin’s gear looked too good. The fit was always seamless. I didn’t realize it was custom.”
“I traveled to every major city in the world trying to find a retail version of that setup. Nothing!”
“Wait, why did they kick you?”
I replied, “Because a rookie offered them gear for two hundred bucks a set. They think I’m a scammer.”
The whole group lost it.
“Two hundred? Do they have a death wish?”
“I saw that kind of stuff when I first started. The carabiners were barely stronger than paperclips. Pure amateur bait. You use that on a wall, you’re asking to die.”
“If they’re that stupid, we’ve already won!”
“If we win this, the sponsors will come crawling back. We won’t have to pay out of pocket to climb anymore!”
Ever since Kevin’s team started taking first, the sponsors who used to back Renzo’s crew had jumped ship.
Climbing was huge. A single sponsorship deal could be worth three hundred thousand dollars.
Over the years, Kevin had gone from a blue-collar guy who struggled to buy three-thousand-dollar gear to a pro who quit his job to live off five-figure monthly winnings.
That was exactly why he was so eager to kick me out.
Three hundred thousand dollars. One less person meant a bigger slice for him.
Competition day arrived.
At the team assembly point, Kevin and the others were waiting for Chloe to deliver the gear.
I drove up with my equipment. The moment I popped the trunk, Kevin ran over to block me.
“What are you doing, Sophia? We told you we don’t want your gear. Are you trying to force it on us now?”
“Can’t stop chasing that dirty money, huh? Is your shop going under without us or something?”
Nick frowned.
“Sophia, this is getting pathetic.”
Lily curled her lip.
“Still looking for suckers to rip off?”
I said, expressionless.
“I’m here to compete. This gear isn’t for you.”
Kevin looked like he was about to explode.
“Compete? You’re not on the team anymore!”
“Our sponsors and prize money have nothing to do with you!”
“I’m telling the judges right now that you aren’t a member. Don’t even try it!”
“Take your junk and get lost!”
Renzo and his team ran over, and he shoved Kevin aside.
“Sophia is with us. You don’t get to tell her what to do.”
Renzo’s guys helped me unload the gear, grabbing bags with their names on them.
“Holy hell, the feel of this!”
“How is this helmet so light but feels like a tank?”
“These shoes are heaven!”
Kevin and his crew stood there awkwardly, eventually scoffing as they walked away.
“Idiots. They’re being sold out and they’re helping her count the cash.”
Just then, Chloe’s car pulled up.
She opened her trunk and waved everyone over. “Come get your gear!”
As Kevin and the others grabbed their bags, they shot us smug looks.
“Man, I hope some people don’t start crying when they see our two-hundred-dollar gear.”
Nick laughed out loud.
“Don’t trigger them, Captain. What if they’re too busy sobbing to climb?”
Lily picked up the bag with her name on it.
“So light. It’s even lighter than the old stuff!”
Kevin couldn’t wait. He ripped open the zipper.
Chloe smirked. “I gave you guys the best—”
She didn’t finish. Kevin’s voice rang out, full of disbelief.
“What the hell is this?”
“Is this garbage?”
