I grabbed an extra work meal to entertain a client. My boyfriend's sister saw it and went ballistic, docking my entire $500K commission.

She pointed at my nose and screamed, "Are you taking me for a fool? You're just hiding behind 'client entertainment' to rip off the company! It's shameful, damaging the company's image! All of your commission for this month will be deducted as a warning to others."

The client looked at me, wide-eyed in shock.

I shrugged. "Do what makes you happy. Just don't regret it later."

From then on, I started slacking off, and she freaked out.

...

"Regret? Who do you think you are?" Adeline Mason looked at me with utter disdain. "Don't think that just because you hit $500K in commissions, you're hot stuff. Everything you've got is thanks to this company. Without it, you're zilch."

She folded her arms on her chest, staring at me arrogantly. I remained silent, staring back.

Unable to hold back, the client spoke up. "That's absurd! Ms. Malone was just hosting me as a client. Is that a crime?"

Adeline whipped around to him with a mocking cackle. "Our products are for high-end customers. Your cheap getup probably doesn't even add up to $200. Do you really qualify as a client? Give me a break. I bet Bessie paid you to show up and freeload."

David Esposito's face flushed with anger. He jabbed a finger at her. "You..."

"What?" Adeline slapped his hand away. "You've got some nerve trying to freeload at our place. Get out now, or I'll have security throw you out!"

David was so mad he couldn't even form words.

I chimed in coldly, "Do you have any clue what you've done? Mr. Esposito is our top client. Apologize to him now!"

Sure, David dressed down and kept a low profile, but he ran the Esposito Group, which was our most crucial supplier.

We'd captured 70% market share in just a year, all thanks to him. He wasn't just important; he was our golden goose.

I'd tolerated Adeline's nonsense before because she was my boyfriend's sister, but this was too much.

Undeterred, she burst out laughing. "Nice try, Bessie. Inventing some big-shot supplier to cover your cheap lunch scam? You must think I'm brain-dead."

She signaled security, and two guards hauled David out. The scene drew a crowd of colleagues, all staring at me in confusion.

I held my ground, my tone flat. "You get what this could cost the company, right?"

Adeline snorted, like it was the funniest joke she'd heard. "Some bottom-feeder bum? What consequences could there be? Better check your own situation. You're in hot water now for offending me."

With that, she snatched a boxed lunch from the table and poured it right over my head. Rice and gravy dripped down my face, soaking into my clothes and leaving me a total mess.

I clenched my fists, glaring at her, but she clapped her hands smugly. "Before you leave work today, submit a 5,000-word self-reflection essay to my email and copy it to all colleagues."

She sauntered off like she owned the place. I watched her leave, slowly unclenching my fists.

Not long after, she posted a punishment notice in the company's main chat group.

[Sales Manager Bessie Malone has maliciously tarnished the company's image with serious misconduct. Upon review, her monthly commission of $500K is revoked in full, and she is demoted from her position. Consider this a lesson to all.]

My colleagues were stunned. Mark Mann, my right-hand guy, barged into my office, fuming. "Has that idiot lost her mind? Ninety percent of the company's performance comes from you, and she demoted you?"

I gave a wry smile, staying silent. Deep down, I knew this was just the opening act.

...

"Why don't you talk to Mr. Mason?" Mark suggested hesitantly. "He's your boyfriend. He can't just let Adeline pull this crap, can he?"

I remained silent, shaking my head.

Although Adeline was Elliott Mason's sister, her position in the company was in HR. Firing a department head like me needed approval from the top. She couldn't have done so otherwise.

As if on cue, Adeline breezed back in, with a woman trailing behind her. It was none other than Cheryl Whitfield, Elliott's childhood sweetheart, who had grown up with him.

Adeline's intention was plain to see. She was scheming to slide Cheryl into my spot.

She clapped sharply to gather the sales team. "Listen up, two announcements. First, starting today, Cheryl Whitfield is your new Sales Manager. She's got an overseas degree and skills that blow certain people out of the water. I believe she'll take this team to the next level."

I kept my cool, but my colleagues were seething. After all, most of the deals had been secured through my hard work. In fact, 80% of the annual revenue came from my contributions.

Shoving Cheryl in now was nothing short of stabbing me in the back after I'd carried them across the river.

Adeline plowed on, ignoring the tension. "Second, Cheryl's office is relocating to the 13th floor, right next to the Chairman's. As for this space..."

She scanned the room dismissively. "I just got a Husky pup with no place to stay. It'll make a great kennel."

On command, a security guard brought in the adorable, clumsy dog, which promptly started bounding around and marking its territory on the rug.

The team exploded in anger.

"Adeline, what do you mean by this?"

"Turning the manager's office into a doghouse? You're insulting the entire sales team!"

"This is too much!"

"You went too far!"

"Big deal," Adeline snorted. "Our stuff sells itself. With your track record, a dog could outperform you all. Don't like it? Quit. Plenty of replacements are out there."

Her words hung like a slap. My team reined in their rage, turning to look at me.

They all respected me. If I said the word, they'd all quit without hesitation.

But I just flashed a casual grin at Adeline, who stared back at me with a mocking expression. To her disappointment, though, I didn't act impulsively and quit on the spot.

Instead, I shrugged. "Since it's the company's decision, I'll support it unconditionally."

Adeline's smug expression cracked. I knew what she was trying to kick me out since the company was stable now. They believed I had outlived my usefulness.

My colleagues deflated with disappointment, but Cheryl chuckled faintly, "Everyone, I'll be counting on your support from now on. I believe under my leadership, we'll hit new heights."

With that, the two women exited triumphantly.

Mark turned to me, exasperated. "Boss, how can you stomach this? Without you, this place would've tanked last year. And now Adeline's parading around like she's the queen."

The others piled on in agreement.

"Yeah, we can't let her get away with this humiliation."

"Let's all bail! See how Adeline and Cheryl handle it without us."

Their genuine loyalty warmed my heart. I finally broke my silence. "Why quit? It's them who'll be packing up. Wait and see. In three days, they'll slink out in disgrace."

...

Seeing how confidently I spoke, my colleagues exchanged puzzled glances. Only Mark seemed to catch on, his eyes sparking with realization.

I didn't elaborate; I just moved some office supplies to the outer cubicle. My new assigned spot was in the corner of the hall, right next to the storage room and the restroom.

It was a blatant dig from Adeline, but I didn't care. Her time in the office was running out anyway.

I'd cut her slack for so long because of Elliott, figuring she'd be family one day. Not anymore.

Glancing at my phone, I replayed a video my best friend had sent. It showed Elliott and Cheryl locked in a passionate embrace outside a hotel.

A chill ran through me as I chuckled darkly. "Used me to steady the ship, then kick me overboard once it's smooth sailing? But did you ever think one word from me could sink the whole damn thing?"

I pocketed the phone and fired up my computer, using AI to whip up a sloppy self-criticism email for Adeline. Then I submitted my vacation request.

Without waiting for Elliott's approval, I grabbed my bag and headed out.

Adeline didn't care how half-hearted my self-criticism was; she posted it on the intranet and took the opportunity to mock me.

[Some folks ride the company's coattails to a bit of success and forget their place. Let this be your wake-up call, or end up like her.]

I ignored her sarcasm. Back home, I took a relaxing bath and curled up on the sofa to binge-watch TV shows.

This past year, I'd been running around for the Mason Group, working overtime on proposals and market research like it was routine. Now I finally had time to enjoy this rare leisure time.

In the office, Adeline and Cheryl weren't idle. Cheryl snatched up my client files from Mark, clearly aiming to make a splash.

By 8 a.m. the next day, Adeline started boasting in the chat group: [Congratulations to Cheryl Whitfield for securing a $500K order on her first day! Let's aim for even more success ahead!]

Cheryl chimed in with polished platitudes, the pair hyping each other like they'd closed a multimillion-dollar deal.

Mark messaged me privately: [A $500K order? Even my retail deals are bigger than that. I don't know where they get the nerve to brag in the group.]

I texted back with a laugh: [Hey, a win's a win. Let them bask for now.]

Mark: [When is your move, boss? Can't wait to see them crash and burn.]

Adeline's unpopularity was no secret.

Me: [Patience. Let it build a bit more.]

Holding the trump card, I wasn't in a hurry.

In the following days, Adeline posted several more "victory reports" in the group. Cheryl, leveraging the old clients I'd cultivated, secured multiple renewals totaling $50 million.

They dropped all pretense, constantly shading me in the group and tagging me at every opportunity. Little did they know, every client had looped me in first for approval.

Those deals were greenlit by me, and everything was going according to my plan.