During the annual company meeting, a new intern publicly accused me of embezzling company funds. The entire office stared at me in absolute shock. Flashing a financial statement on the big screen, the intern smirked triumphantly. "The CEO transferred $30,000 to you for office bonuses, yet you only gave us $200 gift cards each?" "There are only forty of us. As the CFO, you pocketed nearly $22,000 for yourself! If you don’t pay this back right now, I’m calling the cops!" The CEO sighed, leaning back in his chair, while my other colleagues remained silent. They all knew something the intern didn’t. That $30,000 transfer wasn't a bonus fund. It was the annual lease payment for the office space. And I own the building. 01 The conference room was so quiet I could hear the hum of the HVAC system. Chloe stood at the far end of the long mahogany table, gripping her phone. The screen was facing outwards, displaying a screenshot of a bank transfer record. She looked righteously indignant, but I caught the shimmer of excitement in her eyes. It was the thrill of a junior employee who thought she’d caught a C-suite executive red-handed, ready to burn down the old guard. "The boss transferred you thirty grand. Today, you handed out bonuses—two hundred bucks via digital gift cards to each person. You pocketed over twenty-two thousand dollars in the middle!" "Ms. Evans, you’re stealing the hard-earned money of everyday people. How do you sleep at night?" How do I sleep? Usually on high-thread-count sheets that I bought myself. That $30,000 was the annual rent payment from the company to me. According to the actual budget, there were supposed to be no employee bonuses this year. Every dime of that $200 per person came directly out of my own pocket. I just wanted to start the year off on a good note for the team. I’d done this every year for the past five years. Everyone in that room, except Chloe, knew the situation. I raised my eyes to look at my colleagues. The moment our gazes met, they snapped their heads away, looking anywhere but at me. Mark, who had lost a three-million-dollar account last year and cried in my office begging me to save his job, was now staring intently at a blank piece of paper, scribbling nonsense. The junior analysts I had hired and mentored personally for the last year kept their heads low, acting as if they were attending my funeral. My heart went cold in a single instant. Face expressionless, I turned to look at the man sitting in the central power seat: Brandon. "Brandon, what do you have to say?" Brandon Miller was my boyfriend of seven years. However, our relationship had never been disclosed to the company. Five years ago, when we graduated from college, he was obsessed with starting his own firm. I supported him completely. Without hesitation, I handed over the keys to a prime piece of commercial real estate listed under my name for his office. I charged him only 30% of the market rate for rent. Brandon was ambitious and worked brutally hard. He handled the tech; I handled the business operations. We grew the company quickly. For these five years, I had never taken a single dime in salary. Every bit of profit was reinvested into the business. He always said he’d make it up to me once the company stabilized, but currently, I was even paying the office utility bills out of my personal account. Chloe stomped her foot impatiently. "Mr. Miller! I know Ms. Evans is a company veteran, but she can’t be allowed to abuse her position like this. If she dares to steal bonus money, who knows how much she’s skimmed off other projects." I locked eyes with Brandon. I watched his brows knit tighter and tighter together. Finally, he opened his mouth slowly. "Harper, we can't let the team lose morale. Just… take care of it. Put the money back and distribute it fairly." I heard something inside me click. It didn't break. It detached. It was like letting go of a heavy weight I’d been holding for years. My muscles ached from the effort, but I didn't have to strain anymore. Five years ago, in the early days of the startup, I developed a bleeding ulcer from drinking too much at a business dinner trying to land a critical contract. Brandon’s eyes had been full of heartache then. He swore he’d give me every cent the company made. He blamed himself for not being strong enough. He said he was the luckiest man alive to have me. Now, with a net worth approaching ten million, he was accusing me of stealing. Chloe looked at me with the smug arrogance of a victor. "Ms. Evans, if you refuse to pay it back, I will personally call the police for you." She planted her hands on the table, leaning forward, surveying the room like a conquering queen. "Or, you could ask around and see if anyone here is willing to give up their bonus to bail you out." Absolute silence filled the conference room. You could have heard a pin drop. I glanced at Sarah, sitting across from me. Just yesterday, on the last day of break, she had text me, dropping massive hints about hoping for a good bonus and complaining about how cheap Brandon was. Now, her head was buried lower than anyone’s. Seeing that I wasn't speaking, Chloe seemed to lose patience. "I bet you’ve already spent the other twenty-two grand! Fine, save your explanations for the cops. Twenty-two thousand is grand larceny. That’s good for a few years in a cell, right?" Brandon frowned, looking like he wanted to stop Chloe from going too far. But I spoke first, my voice cutting through the tension. "Don't bother." Ignoring Brandon, I looked at Chloe with a blank stare. "I will return the money to the source account. How it gets distributed after that is none of my concern." I saw a flash of pleasant surprise in Brandon’s eyes. He thought he saw an opportunity to save on future rent. I stood up and walked straight out of the conference room. The moment I was in the hallway, I called a real estate agent and listed the office space for lease. Prime downtown location. Agents were fighting over the listing. "Ms. Evans, a spot like this will rent in a heartbeat. I guarantee I can get you at least $100,000 a year for this floor!" I looked back through the glass wall at Brandon, still sitting smugly in the conference room. "The current tenant’s annual lease is up in ten days," I told the agent. "Contact them then about renewal. But quote them the full market rate." "If they make a scene, call the police immediately for trespassing." Brandon wanted his $30,000 back, but he was about to lose a hundred times that. 02 About half an hour later, the staff filed out of the conference room, chattering excitedly. Mark was practically groveling to Chloe, bringing her water. "Chloe, seriously, thank you so much. I ended up with an extra eight grand!" Sarah shot me a nasty look and began talking loudly to no one in particular. "Wow, I really misjudged someone. I was practically thanking her while she was selling me out. Stealing that much money from us, and we were supposed to be grateful? People are truly wicked." I felt no emotional ripple inside. If a man I’d loved for seven years could screw me over, what did I care about some random colleagues? I went to the break room, filled my mug with water, and calmly watched the storm they were brewing against me. Brandon materialized beside me. I hadn't noticed him approach. "Harper, this is all for the good of the company. I’m just being objective. You can’t let personal feelings get in the way of business." I nodded, agreeing completely. Brandon seemed satisfied with my reaction. "I knew it. You’ve always been rational." Then he looked over at Chloe, who was laughing amidst a group of people. "Chloe is young. Her methods might be a bit… aggressive, but you can tell the girl has the company's best interests at heart." "She’s smart, too." I looked at Brandon. He was staring at Chloe, a slight smile playing on his lips. I let out a soft laugh and put down my water mug. "You're right. She sounds like management material." A flash of surprise registered in Brandon’s eyes. "You think so too?" I nodded. "Young, smart. If you mentor her personally, she’ll be able to run a department on her own in no time." Brandon’s eyes were practically beaming. I thought the conversation was over, but I had underestimated human greed. Just as I was about to leave, Brandon called out to me. "Harper, haven't you been saying lately that you're too tired and want a break? Hand over the Anderson account to Chloe." I froze. That was the company's biggest account. Series C financing. It was directly tied to whether the company could successfully expand or go public. I had been preparing for this for over a year. "I know how important this account is," Brandon continued. "I’ll supervise personally. It’s a great mentoring opportunity for her." I paused, then smiled. "Okay." Brandon didn't know that without me, even if he went in person, that deal would never close. Because the "Mr. Anderson" who was prepared to invest in him was my father. I am the only child of the Anderson family, the sole heir to the Anderson conglomerate. My dad had been nagging me to come back and take over the family business since I graduated. I told him to wait a bit—wait until Brandon’s company was stable, wait until I brought him home to meet the family. Now, there was no need to go home, and there was certainly no need for the investment to continue. 03 Brandon promoted Chloe to be his personal executive assistant. This meteoric rise made Chloe absolutely insufferable. She ditched her old trendy clothes and started wearing tight pencil skirts, black nylons, and red-bottomed heels. She marched around the office all day, clutching files like she owned the place. And of course, her favorite pastime was gloating in front of me. "Ms. Evans, I really have to thank you. Entrusting me with such a massive account for the company." "Mr. Miller said we need to thank you for your willingness to sacrifice your own position for the sake of the new generation. But don’t you worry, with Mr. Miller mentoring me personally, I will improve so fast I won't let anyone down." "Once I successfully close this financing round, I’ll tell Mr. Miller he has to take you out to dinner as a thank you." Her malice was blatant, like a needle pricking at me. She had no idea that this financing round, which the company had spent a year preparing for, was about to get crushed in her hands. I glanced at the calendar. "It's in a week. Good luck." Perhaps my reaction was too calm; it made her look like the one losing her cool. Chloe paused, then spat out furiously, "Keep acting calm! Once I land Mr. Anderson, we’ll see if there’s even a desk left for you in this building!" I smiled, saying nothing. From that day forward, I, the CFO, became a complete pariah. Wherever I walked, people dispersed like scattered birds. If the break room was noisy with chatter, it would go dead silent the second I walked in. People would grab their cups and leave. In the cafeteria, if someone saw me, they would immediately pick up their tray and switch tables, as if I were contagious. I didn't care. I actually enjoyed the peace and quiet. For once, I didn't have to work overtime. I left right on time and went straight to Brandon’s house. We had been effectively living together for years. It was almost funny—hanging in his bedroom was the very first contract I had landed five years ago. He had framed it, claiming he would always remember the excitement and passion of that day. I packed up all my belongings. Before leaving, I took one last look at that contract. Some people can share wealth but not hardship. Brandon was the opposite. The next day when I walked into the office, everyone was shooting me weird looks. I walked quickly to my office, only to find all my personal belongings thrown outside the door like trash. Chloe was sitting in my chair. When she turned around, her face was covered in a victorious smirk. "Oh, sorry. Mr. Miller said separate offices should be reserved for employees who actually contribute to the company." "As of today, this office is mine." She stood up, smoothing her skirt, and casually pointed to an empty, cramped desk in the far corner of the open-plan floor. "That’s your new spot." Everyone outside was waiting to watch the show. "Looks like Harper really pissed off the boss. Imagine being bullied like that by an intern who’s only been here three months." "Well, she stole company money. She deserves it." Hearing these comments, Chloe leaned close to my ear, her tone dripping with triumph. "Here's some news for you: Anderson Corp said they are coming in this afternoon to discuss the financing. I'm going to prove to you that without you, this company will only do better!" She was waiting for me to melt down, to scream, to slink away in shame. I completely ignored her and looked down at my phone, replying to my dad’s message. "Harper, Dad is preparing to personally come over to discuss the investment." "If that boy performs well this time, I’ll start letting him take over some of the family properties." I smiled at Chloe, then typed back to my dad: "Dad, I want to come back to Anderson Corp. I want to handle this meeting as the heir to Anderson Corp." My dad replied with multiple excited "Okay" emojis. I smiled. Chloe wouldn't suspect in her wildest dreams that the client she was about to meet was me. The position she was trying so hard to steal belonged to the owner of the entire building. After returning to my cramped desk, I made a call to the head of my father's legal team. "Ms. Anderson, what are your instructions?" I looked through the glass wall at the smirk on Chloe’s face. "The preliminary meeting scheduled with the startup today? Cancel it." 04 Within five minutes, Brandon slammed out of his office. "Chloe! What did you do? Why did Anderson Corp suddenly cancel today’s meeting?" Chloe froze, looking completely lost. Brandon continued yelling, "This financing round is the future of this company! No one is allowed to screw this up!" Every employee looked up. Chloe’s eyes immediately turned red with tears. "Mr. Miller, I swear I didn't do anything." Brandon was a workaholic. He drove himself hard and was brutal on his subordinates. Everyone kept their heads down, terrified to speak. But this time, Brandon actually massaged his temples and softened his tone. "I’m not blaming you." I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then, I watched him walk straight toward me. To my corner desk—the smallest, crappiest spot on the floor. "Harper, you were the one originally in charge of contacting Anderson Corp. Call them again." I glanced at my completely empty desk. "All the files regarding Anderson Corp were transferred to your new assistant. I don't have the contact info anymore." "You...!" Brandon’s face went dark. He turned, walked back to his office, and slammed the door. Such blatant preferential treatment made everyone look at Chloe with even more reverence. Excellent. Brandon had just cleared the last hurdle for me to let go. Because of this little hiccup, Brandon became obsessed. The Anderson Corp legal team text me almost every day: "Ms. Anderson, that Brandon Miller guy is trying to contact us again. The scheduled site visit for Wednesday... are we still doing that?" Of course. Brandon thought he could ice me out and make me useless. Being sidelined and isolated might have broken someone else. Too bad for him, he picked the wrong person to bully. Two days before the client visit, the entire company went into high-alert combat mode. Tuesday afternoon, Brandon held a four-hour meeting, micro-managing exactly where every employee should be standing on Wednesday. Only I was completely excluded, enjoying my free time. The projector was displaying Anderson Corp's profile—from my dad’s rags-to-riches story to his investment portfolio from the last three years. "This investment is vital to the company. No one is allowed to make a mistake." "I heard Mr. Anderson likes Longjing tea. Chloe, make sure you have the best quality ready." He had done his homework. His research was meticulous regarding the client’s tastes. Unfortunately, he failed to research that Mr. Anderson had a daughter named Harper Evans. After the meeting, Brandon called me aside, his tone unusually soft. "Harper, I didn't assign you any tasks because I want you to rest." "Once this busy period is over, I’ll take you on a vacation, okay?" Having been together for seven years, how could I not understand Brandon’s subtext? "Don't worry. I won't say a word that day." Brandon paused, the shadow of anxiety in his eyes fading significantly. Wednesday arrived. Everyone was at their desks thirty minutes early. "The Anderson Corp team arrives at ten! Everyone, get to work!" At 9:50, my dad’s assistant text me. "Ms. Anderson, Mr. Anderson has instructed that you are in full charge of this financing round." "We are outside. Is it okay to come in?" I glanced at Brandon and Chloe waiting by the elevator doors. "Come on up." A moment later, Chloe suddenly got excited. "They're here! They're here!" A black Maybach slowly pulled up to the curb outside. Brandon took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and strode toward the elevator bay. Chloe jogged to keep up with him, her high heels clicking against the floor like the opening drumroll of a grand performance. The car doors opened. It wasn't my dad who stepped out. It was his lead assistant. Seeing that my dad hadn't come personally, Brandon paused for a second, but quickly extended his hand. "Hello, sir. Is Mr. Anderson not..." The assistant completely ignored Brandon. His eyes locked onto me, standing way in the back, in the pariah section. He strode directly toward me...
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