My father handed the company to his goddaughter right in front of the Board. "After careful consideration by the Board of Directors, effective immediately, Olivia Moore will assume the position of CEO, with full responsibility for the company's core operations." I sat in the director's chair, head snapping up in disbelief. "Dad, you're joking, right?" Three years ago, when I graduated and came back, I wanted to lead a team at our family company. He shot me down with one vote, and made me start as an intern. "You're my biological daughter. If I just parachute you into leadership, what will the senior staff think?" "When you earn it, when you climb up with real results, then I'll have something to be proud of!" I believed him. From coffee runs to all-nighters on pitch decks, three years. I took the East Coast division—bleeding money, on the verge of shutdown—and turned it profitable. Last month, I closed the year as the top performer. And now he was handing the CEO position to his goddaughter, Olivia. No experience required. Dad averted his eyes, voice hard. "Leah, you're too ambitious. Too aggressive. You need a few more years to be seasoned." "Olivia's got a sweet temperament, she won't fight you for power. For the greater good of the company, let her take the CEO first." I stared at Olivia's smug, self-satisfied face, and my heart went ice-cold. "She can't even read a spreadsheet. That's your 'greater good'?" "Mr. Chairman, you really know how to play favorites. Your own daughter gets treated like dirt, while your foster daughter can do no wrong!" Dad's face went purple. I ripped off my ID badge and slammed it on the table. "Well, starting today, I won't stand in the way of your 'greater good.' You can pretend you never had a daughter." As I walked out of the boardroom, Olivia's fake-worried voice floated after me. "Dad, is Leah upset? Maybe... maybe she should be CEO instead. I really don't mind..." "Nonsense!" My father's voice was steel. "This position is yours. No one's taking it away." "She's spoiled rotten. The way she is now, if we don't make her pay her dues, she'll cause real damage later." He was working himself up, chest heaving. "LEAH! Get your ass back in here!" I froze. Behind me, whispers. "Leah's brought in how much revenue these three years? East Coast used to hemorrhage money, now it's our most profitable division." "Shh, keep it down. You see Marcus's face? The Chairman's playing favorites so hard it's embarrassing." "But she's his biological daughter." "So what? Olivia knows how to play the game. 'Daddy this, Daddy that,' took the Chairman golfing last week. What's Leah done besides work the last three years?" I listened to them talk, fingers curling tight. Yeah. What had I done besides work? Dad's birthday—I was out of state, closing a deal. Olivia was there. Mom in the hospital—I was building the bid proposal. Olivia brought soup every day. Company gala—I skipped it to hit a deadline. Olivia sang on stage, making my mother cry with emotion. It was decided back then, wasn't it? "Leah, don't be mad." Olivia walked up, eyes flashing with triumph under that earnest expression. "I know you don't think much of me, but I'll learn. If you really can't stand me, I honestly don't have to take this position." Her eyes actually welled up. Dad immediately melted, yanked Olivia behind him, jabbing a finger at me. "Look how mature Olivia is! And then look at you! You social climber! All you care about is power, you don't give a damn about family!" "I'm 'social climber'?" I laughed. My chest ached. "Dad, East Coast—three years in the red. I took over, turned a profit in year one. Doubled it in year two. Year three, it became a company pillar." "And all I get is you calling me 'social climber'." "Olivia lost the RFP documents last year—I stayed up all night cleaning up her mess!" Olivia's face went pale. She tugged at Dad's sleeve. "Dad, Leah's right. I really messed up that project. I'm sorry. I let you down." "You have nothing to apologize for!" Dad was even angrier now, glaring at me. "Everyone makes mistakes! Olivia's only twenty-five, you need to give her room to grow!" I looked at him and felt nothing but disappointment. "When I was twenty-five, you sent me to China alone to break into new markets. Told me not to come back unless I succeeded." "How come with her, it's suddenly 'room to grow'?" The conference room fell silent. A few of the old-guard directors exchanged glances. Some shook their heads. Some sighed. The VP Marcus spoke up. "Leah, the Chairman must have his reasons for this decision." "Olivia may lack experience, but she's good with people and builds team cohesion. That matters too." "Exactly, exactly." One of Olivia's cronies chimed in. "Leah's capable, sure, but sometimes she's too controlling. People under her have complaints." Just as the tide was turning in Olivia's favor, Tom from Marketing suddenly stood, voice loud. "I have a complaint!" Everyone turned to look. Tom—one of mine, I'd brought him up myself—face red, voice shaking. "Mr. Chairman, seventy-eight employees from the East Coast signed a petition." "If Leah doesn't become CEO, we're all resigning." He pulled a thick stack of papers from his folder and tossed them on the table. The signatures covered every page. Dad looked stunned. Olivia's eyes darkened, but she quickly rearranged her face into innocence. "Tom, don't do this. It's all my fault." "I shouldn't have accepted Dad's offer. Leah, please—talk him down. The company can't lose these people." "Shut up." I looked at Olivia, tearing off her mask in front of everyone for the first time. "Who gave you permission to speak? What even are you?" Dad's eyes went wide. "LEAH!"
"What, did I say something wrong?" I turned to my father. "Someone who only got her bachelor's degree through your connections, who has assistants ghost-write her project reports—she's going to run core operations?" "Dad, are you trying to destroy the company you spent thirty years building?" Dad was shaking with rage. He grabbed the cup next to him and hurled it at me. I didn't dodge. It grazed my temple. Warm liquid ran down the side of my face—tea or blood, hard to tell. Everyone gasped. Olivia shrieked—and rushed to grab my father's hand, fussing over him. "Dad! Are you okay? Does your hand hurt?" Like he'd just thrown a boulder, not a cup. I was standing there with blood running down my face, and my biological father didn't even glance my way. He was too busy comforting Olivia. "Leah, you're bleeding!" Olivia acted like she just noticed. "Let me call a doctor!" "Don't touch me." I stepped back, looking at her. Looking at him. So this was what it felt like when your heart died. Not anger. Not pain. Just... flat calm. I pulled out my ID card, dropped it on the floor, and turned to leave. "Leah! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Dad barked behind me. "Nothing." I didn't turn around. My voice was level. "Just realized something. I'm too ambitious, too aggressive. I really don't belong in such a harmonious company." I paused, glanced back at Olivia. Caught the flash of contempt in her eyes. "The CEO job? Give it to whoever you want." I wiped the blood off my face, smirked. "From now on, enjoy doting on your goddaughter. See if she can take the company public." I walked. My father's voice thundered behind me. "Leah! If you walk out that door, don't even think about coming back!" I didn't look back. Employees in the hallway scattered. Their eyes went wide when they saw the blood. Whispers followed. "Leah got hit with a cup by the Chairman." "Why? Her numbers are the best, aren't they?" "Olivia's the new CEO. Leah didn't take it well." "But that's his daughter." "Daughter? Who cares when Olivia's so good at sucking up? She bought me coffee once when I was working late. Leah? All she does is work, work, work. If I were on the board, I'd pick Olivia too." I glanced at her. She shrank like she wanted to disappear. I couldn't help but laugh. Turns out ass-kissing beats actual results. The elevator doors opened. My boyfriend Jasper stepped out. Saw the wound on my forehead. Froze. "Leah, your head—" He was cut off by Olivia rushing up, face full of fake concern. "Leah, where are you going? Dad didn't mean it, just go apologize, and everything will be fine." She spotted Jasper, lit up. "Jasper? Oh, good, you're here. Please talk some sense into her—she and Dad had a fight." Jasper looked at me, then at Olivia. Hesitated. Then spoke to Olivia first. "What happened? Are you okay?" I stared at him in disbelief. My heart shattered. Olivia bit her lip and shook her head lightly. "I'm fine, Jasper... really."
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