A female employee from our external vendor made a massive error on a project proposal in our shared Slack channel. I planned to send her a direct message to kindly give her a heads-up. I sent her a message request, but she ignored it twice. She even changed her profile picture to a matching couple's photo. My assistant showed me the chat logs from their private company channel. She was bragging to everyone that I was aggressively pursuing her. "I’ve dropped enough hints, but he just won't let it go. He really needs to look in the mirror and see what a creep he is." "I literally have a boyfriend. How can he be this desperate? It's so gross." "That toad probably had a breakdown last night and didn't dare reply. He must feel so insecure now, right?" 1. Our company was working on a major project, an eighty-million-dollar deal. Although Manager Hayes was the lead, I was also in the main project Slack channel keeping an eye on things. There were over a hundred people in that channel, an absolute chaotic mess. The vendor was a young creative agency called Vanguard Creatives. A woman named Jessica from their project team dropped a file into the channel. I opened it and gave it a quick scan. The units for the material data were completely wrong. She had written "kilograms" instead of "tons." The decimal point needed to be moved over three places. It was an easy fix. But if nobody noticed, and the procurement, construction, and cost accounting teams proceeded with those incorrect numbers downstream, it would be an absolute disaster. Vanguard generally had a good reputation and was usually quite responsible. Everyone makes a slip of the finger sometimes. I felt a bit of sympathy. I found Jessica's profile in the project channel, clicked on it, and sent a direct message request. A day passed. My request vanished into the void. Manager Hayes was the public-facing lead for this project. I didn't want to step on his toes or seem disrespectful to his authority. So, I hadn't revealed my actual title in the channel. My display name was just my real name: Michael Thorne. I clicked on Jessica's profile again and sent another message request. This time, I specifically added a note: "Work-related communication. Need to verify some data in the file." That should be clear enough, right? Another day passed. Still nothing. I tapped on her profile again. Her profile picture had changed. Yesterday, it was a cartoon girl holding a coffee cup. Today, it had been swapped out for a matching couple's avatar. It was a little boy and girl, wearing matching goofy striped shirts, with a giant red heart in the background. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be... Does this person think I'm messaging her on a professional app to hit on her? And she specifically rushed to change her profile picture to a couple's photo just to mark her territory? I shook my head, throwing the thought out of my mind. No way. A normal person's brain doesn't work in such a bizarre way. It must be a coincidence. She just happened to change her picture. My assistant, Sam, knocked on my door and walked in. He had a weird look on his face. "Mr. Thorne..." Sam held his phone screen out to me. It was a screenshot of a Slack channel. Looking at the channel name, "#Vanguard-Watercooler," I guessed it was a private channel set up by the vendor's employees just to spill tea. The chat was blowing up. An ID named "Jessica (Design Dept Demon Boss)," whose avatar was the exact same matching couple's photo, was extremely active in the chat. "LMAO, that Michael guy from the client's side tried to message me again. This time he pretended it was for 'work-related communication'." "Ugh, men are so transparent. I can smell his desperation through the screen." "I think I dropped enough hints, right? I literally put up a couple's profile pic, and he still won't let it go. How obsessed with me is he?" "I have a boyfriend, and he's still acting this desperate. Total creepy, entitled male behavior!" 2. Below her message was a pile of people chiming in. "Hahaha, Jessica’s charm is irresistible!" "Seriously. He needs to take a good look in the mirror." "A toad trying to punch way above his weight." Sam scrolled his finger quickly down the screen. There was more. "Jessica’s boyfriend is so hot. He leaves that toad in the dust." "Right, right?! Handsome and so sweet!" "Of course! My man just bought me the newest designer bag yesterday!" It was that "Jessica (Design Dept Demon Boss)" again. "Some people can probably only drool over my profile picture, hehe." Sam coughed awkwardly. "Mr. Thorne, I think she really doesn't know who you are and totally misunderstood." I looked at the blindingly arrogant words on the screen and spoke. "Tomorrow afternoon, set up a meeting with CEO Mercer from Vanguard. Manager Hayes and I are going." Sam nodded quickly. "Understood, Mr. Thorne. I'll arrange it immediately." He practically sprinted out of my office, phone in hand. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers unconsciously tapping the desk. Interesting. I've lived this long, and nobody has ever laughed at me for being a "toad" before. Not long after Sam left, my phone screen lit up on my desk. A notification popped up: "Jessica (Design Dept) has accepted your message request." Now she accepts it? I looked at that matching couple's profile picture and let out a cold laugh. I didn't send a message. I didn't want to say a single word to her. Talking to someone whose brain operated on such a bizarre frequency was a waste of breath. If I wasn't careful, it would just become new material for her "harassment" claims. My phone buzzed again. It was a message from her. "Mr. Thorne, hello. First of all, thank you for your admiration." "But I must formally state: Between us, aside from necessary project-related communication, there will be absolutely nothing else." "Please ensure you keep your distance from me. This is not only a matter of basic respect for me as a person, but also respect for my boyfriend." "Emotional boundaries are necessary. I hope you understand and act accordingly." "Secondly, I am officially being promoted to Project Lead in the Design Department tomorrow." "I love my work and will be pouring all my energy into it." "I simply do not have the extra time or energy to deal with unnecessary personal entanglements." "I've said all I need to say. I hope you have some self-respect. - Jessica." I stared at this massive, righteous, logic-defying "declaration." My finger hovered over the keyboard. I typed something, deleted it, typed something else, deleted it again. In the end, I didn't reply with a single word. Reason with her? That would just be asking for a headache. I simply put my phone face down on the desk. Out of sight, out of mind. 3. The next afternoon, Manager Hayes and I arrived right on time outside the Vanguard Creatives building. The vendor's CEO, Robert Mercer, was indeed waiting by the main lobby entrance with several of his people. As soon as the car stopped, Robert jogged over, his face plastered with an enthusiastic yet slightly nervous smile. "Ah, Mr. Thorne! Manager Hayes! Welcome, welcome! It’s an honor to have you here. You grace our humble office!" He personally opened the car door for me, his posture incredibly deferential. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Robert led us toward the elevators. "The conference room is all set up. Right this way, gentlemen." The elevator took us straight to the fifth floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I could faintly hear a burst of giggling and chatting. It was a group of women's voices coming from the large conference room at the end of the hall. Chirping away. Robert’s face changed slightly, and he quickened his pace. "These guys. I told them we had important clients coming today." He muttered under his breath, turning back to give us an apologetic smile. "I'll have them quiet down immediately." We reached the conference room. The heavy frosted glass door was closed. The laughter inside was even clearer now. Completely unrestrained. "Haha, Jessica, what happened next? Did that Michael guy reply to you?" An excited female voice asked. My heart sank a little. It was Jessica's voice next, carrying an undisguised tone of mockery. "Reply? Do you think he'd dare?" "He probably saw my message and completely broke down." "From last night until now, not a single peep out of him." "Tsk, I’ve seen so many guys like him. Once I called out his dirty little thoughts, he probably felt so ashamed of himself." "What a coward!" The room erupted in laughter. "Hahaha, a coward! Jessica, that description is too perfect!" "Right, right?! He doesn't even know his place, and he dares to hit on Jessica?" "Our Jessica is about to become a Project Lead!" "Exactly, our Jessica is so capable." "Beautiful, capable, and her boyfriend is so handsome and spoils her so much." "Some toad could never even compare to one of her boyfriend's fingers!" Jessica's voice carried a hint of smug "humility." "Oh, stop it. My boyfriend is just okay, I guess." "Yesterday he insisted on taking me to that Michelin-star French place that costs two grand a head. It was so overwhelming." "I told him we could just eat anywhere, but he wouldn't listen." "Oh, right. He also said that once I officially get promoted to Lead, he's taking me on a trip to Europe to celebrate." "It's so annoying. Who has the time? Ugh, he's such a pain!" Robert Mercer's face was completely black. His forehead was covered in sweat. He raised his hand to push the door open. I stopped him, signaling him to stay quiet. Manager Hayes stood next to me, his expression also looking a bit stiff. Robert looked at my ice-cold profile. His Adam's apple bobbed. He didn't dare breathe too loudly. 4. I gave Robert a slight nod, signaling him to go ahead. Robert looked like he had just received a royal pardon. He took a sharp breath and violently shoved open the heavy glass conference room door. BANG. The door slammed against the wall, making a massive racket. The conference room instantly went dead silent. Inside sat three or four young women, gathered around the conference table. Several half-empty iced coffees were scattered across the table. Jessica was sitting next to the head seat, legs crossed, holding a Starbucks cup. She was wearing fairly heavy makeup today and a rather form-fitting dress. The smug, animated look on her face instantly switched to a standard, sycophantic corporate fake smile the moment she saw Robert. "Mr. Mercer!" She was the first to stand up, her voice sickeningly sweet. The other women also scrambled to stand up, plastering smiles on their faces. "Hello, Mr. Mercer." "Mr. Mercer, you're here." Robert's face was livid. He glared fiercely at Jessica and the others, then stepped aside. "Mr. Thorne, Manager Hayes. Please come in, please." He forced a smile, gesturing for us to enter. Manager Hayes and I walked in. Jessica's gaze swept over Manager Hayes, carrying a familiar respect. Then her eyes landed on my face, and the warmth in her eyes visibly plummeted. Manager Hayes coughed, trying to ease the tension. "Mr. Mercer, this is?" I cut him off directly, looking calmly at Jessica. "Hello. I'm Michael Thorne." I stated my name, my voice not loud. But in the excessively quiet conference room, it was exceptionally clear. The smile on Jessica's face froze for a second. A flash of shock quickly darted across her eyes. She seemed to think the name sounded familiar. But that brief shock was quickly replaced by a much stronger sense of impatience and disdain. She looked me up and down. Her gaze was like she was evaluating a cheap, defective product. The corners of her mouth curled into a mocking sneer. "Oh?" She dragged out the syllable. "So it's you, Mr. Michael Thorne." "Tsk, tsk. You really don't know when to quit, do you? Are you that desperate?" "You actually chased me all the way to my company, right behind our CEO?" "What, did I bruise your ego when I called you out last night? So you came here today to corner me?" She let out a scoff. "Was my message yesterday not clear enough? Do I really have to repeat it in front of all these people to get it through your thick skull?" "I told you to keep your distance!" "Do you not understand English?" The air was dead silent. The other women's eyes darted back and forth between me and Jessica, filled with the excitement of watching a trainwreck. Robert's lips were trembling. "Jessica, shut your damn mouth!" "Mr. Mercer!" Jessica suddenly raised her voice, cutting Robert off, wearing an expression of someone who had suffered the world's greatest injustice. She pointed her finger at me, almost jabbing it into my face. "Look at him! I was trying to be nice yesterday. I gave him enough face on Slack, hoping he'd take the hint and back off." "But what does he do? He actually follows me to the office today to harass me." "Is there no law? Is there no justice?" "Mr. Mercer, you have to do something about this, otherwise I can't work in peace!" Her voice carried a dramatic sob. Her acting skills were practically Oscar-worthy. 5. Robert's face was now as white as a sheet. Cold sweat was pouring down his face. I raised my hand and gently batted away the finger that was about to poke me in the eye. "Everyone out." I glanced at the other women. Robert immediately acted like he had received a divine command, roaring at the women who were watching the show. "Did you hear him?! Get out, immediately! Right now!" The women flinched in terror. They quickly grabbed their drinks and phones, kept their heads down, and scurried out, hugging the walls. As they passed me, their eyes were filled with undisguised disdain and schadenfreude. They definitely thought I was sending everyone away to create an opportunity to be "alone" with Jessica so I could "pursue" her. Truly incredibly stupid. Jessica stood her ground. Watching her coworkers scurry away, the fake grievance on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a smug "I knew it" expression. She even shot a look toward the door, her lips pouting high, and mouthed the words: "See? I told you this toad wouldn't give up. I yelled at him, and he still wants to be alone with me." Manager Hayes coughed awkwardly. "Mr. Mercer, Mr. Thorne is..." Robert let out a ragged, heavy breath. "Jessica, shut your f*cking mouth! Do you have any idea who you are talking to?!" Jessica stiffened her neck, looking completely defiant. "Mr. Mercer, how could I not know? He's the Michael who's been harassing me!" "I made it very clear to him last night. I told him I have a boyfriend. Even if you're trying to play matchmaker for him, I'm not going to agree." "Work is work, and private life is private life. Even if you are the boss, you can't interfere in your employees' personal matters." She turned to look at me. "If you keep doing this, I'm going to expose your disgusting behavior right in the main project channel. Let everyone from both companies judge who's right!" I was completely speechless. What the hell was she talking about? Her imagination was running wild. What disgusting behavior? Was it just a direct message request? Robert almost roared, cutting her off. "Are your eyes glued to the ceiling?! This is Mr. Thorne from the client's corporate headquarters! CEO Michael Thorne!" "The biggest boss of our entire project! The eighty-million-dollar deal depends on Mr. Thorne's approval! Who the hell do you think you are, talking to Mr. Thorne like that?" "His net worth is in the hundreds of millions. He's the most sought-after eligible bachelor in the city. How many socialites and celebrities are lining up for him? You think he'd look at you?!" "And you dare falsely accuse Mr. Thorne of harassing you? I think you've lost your damn mind!" 6. Robert roared until his voice was hoarse, spit flying everywhere. He really couldn't hold it in anymore. If he let this idiot keep talking, Vanguard Creatives would be shutting its doors tomorrow. "Mr. Thorne from the client's corporate headquarters?" Jessica's eyes—which just a moment ago were filled with disdain and impatience—suddenly went wide. Her pupils practically dilated in shock. She stared at me, her mouth slightly open, as if trying to confirm whether Robert was talking crazy. Manager Hayes appropriately chimed in with a low voice. "That's right, Jessica. This is CEO Michael Thorne from the corporate group. He is responsible for the final review of this project. The project proposal was personally reviewed and vetted by Mr. Thorne." "The project proposal?" Jessica muttered, repeating the words. Her face started turning from white to red, and then back from red to white. Beneath that shock and disbelief, did I actually catch a hint of secret delight? Her eyes flickered rapidly, and her posture seemed to unconsciously straighten a bit. That shrew-like, aggressive stance she had just a second ago instantly vanished. Her entire aura changed. Hah. I couldn't be bothered to watch her rapidly changing expressions. I walked straight over and sat in the head seat of the conference table. Manager Hayes and Robert quickly stood on either side behind me. "Sit." I pointed to the chair across from me. Jessica forced out what she probably thought was her most graceful, even slightly shy smile. "Mr. Thorne, it really was a misunderstanding just now. I didn't purposely ignore your message request. I just really didn't expect you to be so young." "Since you are so sincere, I will definitely give you some serious consideration." I couldn't believe it. Even at this point, she still thought I was trying to hit on her. Was her brain broken? I didn't listen to her nonsense at all. I simply threw the manila envelope in my hand onto the conference table. The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough to make her jump. I pulled out a printed document from inside. It was the exact file she had uploaded to the main project channel. I flipped to the critical page and tapped my finger heavily on the glaringly incorrect unit. "Jessica. Project Lead Jessica." My voice was ice-cold. "Is this how Vanguard Creatives works?" "The most basic material data unit possible. You wrote 'kilograms' instead of 'tons'? Moving the decimal point three places?" "Do you know what this means?" "If we procured materials based on this incorrect data, how much would the cost accounting be off on an eighty-million-dollar project?" "How massive of a disaster would the construction materials be?" "The entire project's timeline, quality, and even safety could have landmines planted in them because of this incredibly stupid mistake!" "Is this the work you 'love'? Is this the professional competence you are 'proud of'? Is this the level of someone who is about to become a Project Lead?" I pushed the document forward. "This is why I tried to message you. I wanted to tell you privately, to save you some face." "But instead of appreciating that, you go full drama queen and imagine this whole theatrical plot." "And you go around telling everyone I'm harassing you? Desperate? Creepy entitled male? A toad trying to eat swan meat?" "Jessica, tell me. What exactly is inside that head of yours?" My voice wasn't loud, but every word was a kill shot. Robert's face turned green listening to this. He violently slammed his hand on the table. "Jessica, you incompetent, blundering idiot! You almost killed the company! You almost ruined all of us!" "And you dare to slander Mr. Thorne? Accuse him of harassing you? Who the f*ck do you think you are! You think Mr. Thorne would look at you? I spit on that!" "Apologize! Apologize to Mr. Thorne immediately!"
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