Part 3

Soon, word spread that I was promoted to junior assistant to the general manager. This was because I had to report on a large project multiple times, which meant frequent trips to the general manager's office. As people saw me going in and out of his office, their looks became more and more contemptuous.

"Oh, she's got connections!"

"Wonder how much she had to 'pay' for that salary."

"Better not say anything. If she gets mad, she might get us kicked out."

I dealt with these insults quietly. When the general manager asked how I was doing, I just said, "It's fine, Mr. Jones. No worries."

I'd never been one to silently take crap and I definitely didn’t like to rely on others to fight my battles. If someone messed around with me, I would only feel better when I hit back hard.

At the latest quarterly work report meeting, I called out Sasha and her team, professionally critiquing their performance. I highlighted their poor work efficiency, high return rates and negative customer feedback.

I took the final assessment form and called in one of her team members to fire her.

“What? Why me?” she blurted out.

She'd been with the company for six years and had a decent salary. Finding another job with the same pay would be tough.

“Ms. Murphy, my assessment isn’t the worst, right? Why not dismiss Sasha instead of me?”

Performance-wise, Sasha was indeed at the bottom, but she had Yves backing her up. Those who got the axe had no such protection.

“The company’s performance evaluation isn’t just about numbers. You've been gossiping during work hours and your work quality has seriously declined. This violates company policy.”

She realized right away that this was a personal vendetta. But even if it was blatant revenge, it was based on solid reasons and evidence. She couldn’t find a flaw in my argument.

Flushing with anger, she said, “This is not fair!”

She knew Sasha was the cause of the gossip and everyone had recently learned that Yves was Sasha’s backer. Sasha was just jealous because my backer was more powerful and this poor woman ended up as collateral damage.

"What are you looking at me for? Don’t you know your level?" Sasha, who had been friendly with her before, now wore a contemptuous expression. "Pack up your things and leave quickly! Don’t make a fool of yourself here! It’s not like I harmed you!"

The woman was lost of words, packing her things at her workstation while Sasha began gossiping about me with other colleagues. Unfortunately for her, everyone saw her true colors and ignored her.

"Cassandra, do you think stirring up trouble can make you stand out in the company?" Sasha shouted, waving her fists, dropping the pretense entirely. "I will tell Mr. Jones you have another man! If he knew you are cheating, he won’t spare you!"

"Oh, really?" I smiled lightly, noticing the woman behind her suddenly holding the packed box and smashing it onto Sasha's head.

"Bitch! It's all your fault! Why pretend to be pure and innocent?" she shouted. "You have an affair with Mr. Simpson! What a pathetic side chick! I’ll tell his girlfriend right now!"

Part 4

The woman’s yelling spread throughout the office. Sasha's head was busted open, blood streaming down. Soon enough, Yves's girlfriend showed up and they both went after Sasha like wild animals, shoving her into the bathroom toilet, splashing sewage on her face and then laying into her with punches.

Nobody dared to step in and Sasha's cries only seemed to attract more violence. It wasn't until the cops showed up and hauled the two girls away that Sasha finally got taken to the hospital for treatment.

On her tenth day in the hospital, I went to pay her a visit. The moment she saw me, she threw a water glass to the ground, the pieces barely missing my feet.

"Don't think I don't know! You're using Shelly to come after me, right?" she accused.

I just gave her a small smile and came clean, "Yeah, still feel like being another woman?"

"Pfft! Yves's girlfriend isn't all that sweet or caring. Only him and I are the real deal. Even if she got to him first, so what? If he has to choose, he's picking me!"

She acted all proud, like she didn’t even know the meaning of the word "shame".

I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction as I tossed a document onto her bed.

"Take a peek," I said.

She opened it and found her resignation notice along with Yves's letter. The company rule was clear: in an office romance, one had to hit the road. With Yves holding a top spot, he obviously wasn't keen on quitting. So, when push came to shove, he chose to let her go.

[We’re not a good match, Sasha. I made a mistake with you. You should find a better job. I know you’ll find something great with your skills,] his letter read.

Sasha was livid, tearing up the letter and cursing Yves for leading her on. She angrily told me to get out.

The next day, she caused a ruckus at the company in hospital clothes, accusing Yves of being ungrateful and demanding he take care of her. She even threatened to jump off the building if he didn't.

Little did she know, I had struck a deal with Yves beforehand. If he got rid of Sasha, the company wouldn’t hold him responsible for his past wrong-doings.

Sasha stirred up trouble for a few days and saw Yves's cold and heartless side. Feeling defeated, she ended up applying for a job at a neighboring company.

Part 5

"Cassie, get me some coffee," she commanded when she barged into our company for a work discussion, acting all high and mighty. None of us expected her to climb up to the CEO position at the neighboring company.

And to add to the surprise, I had just been promoted to Vice President of our company. Serving her coffee was definitely not in my job description, but she made it clear she was running the show in our meeting, putting me in a tough spot.

"What kind of coffee is this? Can't you serve it without burning my tongue?" she snapped, slamming the cup onto the table. The CEO didn't want to lose the big order, so he pushed me to replace it quickly.

As I walked away, her curses followed me.

"Mr. Jones, what kind of people are you hiring? If she can't handle it, kick her out!" she barked, causing a stir.

In the end, the cooperation fell through because Sasha felt my service attitude wasn't up to snuff.

Suddenly, I found myself the target of criticism within the company.

That evening, she arranged a meeting with me, but when I showed up, she was nowhere to be found. Instead, she left me an envelope.

[I've dug up evidence of your shady relationship with your company's CEO. Either you quit and apologize to me, or I'll broadcast it on your company's big screen, ruining your reputation,] came her message.

In the envelope, there was a photo taken at a private restaurant. It showed Grayson Jones and me sitting together, him smiling as he served me dishes.

I texted her back, "[Do you even know if the person you're cozying up to has a wife? Grayson isn't married. Before you start pointing fingers at me, maybe grab a mirror.]"

She laughed mockingly, claiming I finally confessed to using the CEO to climb the ladder. She vowed to expose all my skeletons and trash my reputation in the industry.

Ignoring her, I fired up my computer and started compiling the evidence I had collected.

The next day, Sasha boldly posted a video of me dining with Grayson on the company screen and even got some people to share my life story.

Growing up in an orphanage, without parents and hustling to get a college degree.

"I know some people are struggling, never feeling a father's love, longing for a partner who's like a father figure."

"But using someone to get ahead? Spare me the hypocrisy! Saying everything she's got is just from her own hard work!"

My coworkers gathered around the screen, watching as the footage showed me as a kid, dressed in rags, scrapping with dogs for scraps and scavenging for food in the market. I'd never had a proper bath, my face was grimy and I'd even been roughed up by homeless folks.

I glared at Sasha's smug face as my colleagues whispered and pointed at me.

Suddenly, Grayson pushed through the crowd, rushing over and pulling me into a tight hug.

"Turn that off! Now! Cassie, are you alright? My dear girl, forgive Dad for being late..."