I had believed Mr. Hawthorne.

In year one, the company operated out of a puny 200-square-foot apartment in a residential neighborhood. It had been stiflingly hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter.

As the only woman on the team, Mr. Hawthorne had made sure to look out for me. Every month on payday, he'd slip me an extra 500 dollars to make up for the rough conditions.

"Sophia, you're a top graduate from a prestigious university. I hate putting you through this," he had admitted. Back then, everyone else had made just four grand a month, while I'd started at six grand right out of the gate.

Year two, things had started looking up. We relocated to an 861-square-foot office in a prime commercial building, and I finally had my own office.

Mr. Hawthorne was over the moon on moving day. He generously granted me a 5% raise at the end of the year, which amounted to an extra 300 dollars. That same year, Mason joined the company as my subordinate with a base salary of 8,000 dollars.

In the third year, I was barely sleeping, churning out 16 different proposals in half a month to secure Imperium Group's project. It was a massive windfall that permanently put the company on the map. My reward, however, was a cheap, wholesale award banner and a mountain of new responsibilities as the sole contact for all major accounts.

Mr. Hawthorne had patted me on the shoulder and said, "I knew I could count on you, Sophia. The future of this company rests entirely on your shoulders now."

I was 25 that year, pulling in a grand total of 6,300 dollars.

Flash forward to the fourth and fifth years; my portfolio grew, the business boomed, and we took over four entire floors of a commercial building in one fell swoop. Ironically, I lost my office in the move because Mason had been promoted to manager, and his new status required my square footage.

Mr. Hawthorn had already spotted a beer belly from all the wining and dining then. His eyes were always cloudy, jaundiced, and he radiated pure, unadulterated corporate sleaze.

"Look, don't take this the wrong way, Sophia. We passed on you for this promotion because your real strength belongs out in the field with clients, not behind a desk." Mr. Hawthorne took a drag from his cigar, acting as if he only had my best interests at heart.

"Mason may have joined the company later than you, and he may not have many achievements, but he's still a man. It's a lot more convenient for him to entertain clients at dinners. Plus, when your subordinates step out of line, a guy just has an easier time keeping them in line, wouldn't you agree?"

I had been so naive back then. I thought he had a point.

Besides, I genuinely hated being chained to a desk. So long as my boss valued me, a hollow title didn't mean a thing. Yet now, with Mason's entitled words ringing in my ears—"We're on different rungs of the ladder"—I realized what a joke I'd been.

Just then, the elevator chimed as it reached the fifth floor. I took a deep breath, walked to Mr. Hawthorne's office, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I pushed the door open to find Mr. Hawthorne smoking. When he saw me, he casually stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray next to him and said lowly, "Harper already filled me in about your resignation."

He personally poured me a glass of water. "Look, I get it; you're unhappy with your salary. However, you're one of our day ones. The company has nurtured you for so many years, and now you're just going to walk out on us? That's a pretty low blow, Sophia."

There it was again. Holding the glass of water, I met his gaze calmly. "I've been with this company for six years, and I make 6,615 dollars a month, Mr. Hawthorne. That intern has only been here for three months, and he makes 12,000 dollars."

His expression stiffened for a split second before morphing into a look of solemn concern. "Yes... Well, the payroll discrepancy was a total oversight on my end. Tell you what, I'll give you another 5% raise. How does that sound?"

A 5% increase on 6,615 dollars would bring me to 6,945.75 dollars. It didn't even crack seven grand. It left me short of that intern's pay by a staggering five grand.

I stood my ground. "I've stuck by you for six years, Mr. Hawthorne. When we were scraping bottom, we didn't even have a water cooler, and we had to stock our own toilet paper. But back then, you started me out two grand more than the others.

"Now that the company's thriving and my baseline projects are clearing five million dollars, you won't even put me on an even playing field with an intern. Why is that?" I locked eyes with him, waiting for the final blow that would make me walk away for good.

Mr. Hawthorne tugged at the corner of his lips and instinctively reached for a cigarette. "Sophia, I seriously didn't want to spell it out for you in this manner, but since you're forcing my hand, let me lay it out for you; it's because you're a woman!"

"Okay, and?"

The fat on his face suddenly quivered. "I've done my research. Do you know the percentage of female executives in Fortune 500 companies? 21%!

"In fact, there are elite corporations out there with zero women in the C-suite. What does that tell you? Biologically speaking, women just don't measure up to men!"

"But my sales revenue has consistently been number one in this company," I bit back.

He scoffed. "So what? Aren't you going to tie the knot with Mr. Brooks any day now?"

I stiffened. "So what if I am?"

"So, you've lost your value," he explained in a deadpan, matter-of-fact tone. "Think about it; once you marry him, you'll have to stay home and be a traditional housewife, and once you have kids, you'll have to be a good mother. How are you going to juggle a job and a household?

"If the company keeps you on, we'll be on the hook for your marriage leave, maternity leave, and childcare leave down the road. Who's going to cover those losses for us? Besides, everyone on the internet claims that women lose their edge after marriage.

"You're 28 now; you're basically 30, and menopause is just around the corner. The market is flooded with fresh, young talent. Why the hell should I keep you on the payroll?"

The warmth had completely drained from my eyes. "My performance is unmatched," I stated apathetically.

"You're a woman. For all I know, you got those clients in bed," he grumbled under his breath.

"I'm highly capable."

"No matter how capable you are, it doesn't change the fact that your boyfriend's the one running the department," he sneered.

"I've been with this company for six years. I built this place up from scratch. I have the highest seniority here."

"And that's the only reason I haven't cut you loose. I even offered to give you a raise. 5% is nothing to sneeze at."

I checked out of the conversation. Staring at the glass of water in front of me, I let the silence stretch.

Mr. Hawthorne reached out and patted me on the shoulder. "Come on, let's put a smile on that face. I'll do you a favor and round it up to a clean seven grand. Consider your resignation revoked. So long as you work hard, the company will take care of you.

"Oh, right, the signing ceremony with Imperium Group is on the books for tomorrow, isn't it? Make sure you prepare well. This is our biggest project of the year. Don't let me down!"

Imperium Group was a client I had been managing for three years. Within the industry, it had always been renowned for a corporate culture that respected women's rights in the workplace and opposed gender discrimination. In a delicious twist of fate, their newly minted CEO, Cecilia Waverly, was a powerhouse of a woman who had once suffered from severe workplace discrimination.

Lifting my gaze to look at the beaming man, I rose from my chair. "Rest assured, Mr. Hawthorne, I won't let you down."

With that, I spun on my heel and left. Hidden inside my breast pocket, the voice recorder and mini-cam—which had been rolling the entire time—cast a faint, barely noticeable red glow.

…

For once, sleep eluded me that night. I wasn't sure if justice would be served tomorrow. I only knew that certain actions must be taken, and someone had to take them. I was willing to be the brave pioneer.

At 8:00 am, I arrived at the company right on time, and everything was business as usual.

Harper had already caught wind of my meeting with Mr. Hawthorne. When she passed by my workstation, she couldn't help but glance at me several times with pity in her eyes.

At 10:00 am, Mason asked me out for lunch to celebrate the fact that I hadn't been fired. "Fortunately, Mr. Hawthorne's a good man, and he didn't hold your reckless resignation against you. If my mom knew you were unemployed, she'd call off the wedding for sure."

I picked up my tray and left, without sparing him so much as a glance.

At 3:00 pm, Mr. Hawthorne arrived at the office. After striding into the bullpen, he announced triumphantly, "To celebrate us successfully securing the project with Imperium Group, I had Harper prepare a generous bonus for everyone!"

"You're the best, Mr. Hawthorne!"

"You're the best boss ever!"

Mr. Hawthorne chuckled and waved them off. "Go ahead and hand them out, Harper."

One by one, the bonuses were handed down.

A male assistant, who had been with the company for three years, gasped, "Five grand! You're way too generous, Mr. Hawthorne!"

"Mine is five grand too. Stick with Mr. Hawthorne, and you'll always eat well!" cheered a male colleague, who was seven years older than me, married, and had children. He grinned so widely his eyes narrowed into slits.

Vivienne Westwood, from the workstation next to mine, eagerly tore open her envelope, only to frown the second she looked inside. "Why did I only get three grand?"

"I got three grand as well."

The ones who received three grand were all female colleagues like me.

"Oh well, three grand is nothing to sneeze at. It's better than nothing, I guess."

"But we pull the same weight as the men. How is that fair?"

Exactly. How was that fair?

Repeating the question to myself, I tore open my own envelope. Neatly arranged inside were exactly five bills—500 dollars.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Sophia. It's mostly because I just gave you a raise yesterday. If I gave you a fat bonus, I was afraid the others would complain," Mr. Hawthorne explained with a smile. He studied me, as if he were gauging my reaction.

I was well aware that he was attempting to break me in. However, I didn't argue or make a scene. I simply pocketed the bonus with a straight face. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne."

…

At 7:00 pm, Imperium Group's fleet pulled up downstairs, and Ms. Waverly led her team into the venue. Mr. Hawthorne and Mason eagerly stepped forward to receive them, and the atmosphere was warm and convivial.

At 7:30 pm, the ceremony officially commenced. Mr. Hawthorne took the podium to deliver his address as chairman. "First and foremost, I would like to thank Imperium Group for granting our company this invaluable opportunity.

"Ever since our very first collaboration, our company has always approached our partnership with an open, fair, and just attitude. Through our joint efforts, we have achieved milestone results.

"Moving forward, we will continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service as we work alongside Imperium Group. Together, we look forward to achieving mutual success, creating greater value, and reaching even greater heights!"

Ms. Waverly, who was seated in the VIP section, nodded with apparent approval. She took the microphone and said, "After several years of collaboration, we have absolute faith in your company's capabilities.

"However, beyond competence, we care deeply about whether your core values of transparency, fairness, and justice are actually practiced in your employee relations, especially when it comes to gender."

Mr. Hawthorne's expression stiffened, a forced, awkward smile freezing on his face. "Of course it is!" As soon as his words fell, the large screen on the stage suddenly went black.

In the blink of an eye, the conversation I had with Mr. Hawthorne, in his office, blasted through the hall. "Women just don't measure up to men…" His voice, trading words with mine, broadcast through the speakers, echoing loud and clear into every single corner of the auditorium.