The new assistant my boyfriend hired was in charge of our client's holiday gifts. The following Monday, at our all-hands meeting, she walked up to the podium and plugged in a USB. "If I hadn't gone to the supplier myself, I'd have no idea how much our procurement department is skimming off the top!" "This shop's 'Premium Grade' artisanal cheese is half the price of what we were quoted! And it's the same for everything else!" She turned to me. "Sarah, you picked the supplier. You approved the budget. I guess this means you're the one lining your pockets, right?" My boyfriend, Mark, immediately turned on me. "Were you taking kickbacks?" I explained that the "Premium" cheese on the shelf was their standard stock. What I had ordered was the "Reserve Batch," a private selection not available to the public, hence the price difference. Mark just frowned. "Why can't we just use the Premium? You're the VP of this company, and you don't have the common sense of an assistant when it comes to saving money!" "From now on, Chloe handles the procurement budget!" I gave a cold smile and relinquished control without a fight. Under her diligent "cost-saving," the company's client retention budget was slashed by 80%. Simultaneously, our client roster was slashed by 90%. 01 I had started preparing the holiday gifts for our clients two weeks ago. To get the best quality, I’d personally driven to small dairy farms upstate, comparing quality. And now, Chloe was slandering me for embezzlement. "These are business gifts, Chloe. We're sending the 'Reserve Batch,' not the standard 'Premium Grade.' They're not the same," I explained. "Furthermore, some of these are limited-run products. If we send a lower-grade item, we risk quality issues, which will cause us even bigger problems." Chloe just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. It's all just cheese. Are you really falling for their marketing ploys, Sarah?" From across the table, the other VP, Alex, scoffed. "She's not 'falling for it.' They're thick as thieves." "There's no way Sarah, who's usually sharp as a tack, would 'fall' for a 'scam' like this unless she was in on it." He turned to Mark. "Right, Mark?" Alex was clearly backing Chloe, so I ignored him and looked straight at my boyfriend, the CEO, Mark. His brow was furrowed, his eyes full of disappointment. "Sarah, a 60% price difference? How much of a kickback were you taking?" My heart went cold. "Mark, you don't believe me?" "The evidence is right here. How am I supposed to?" I looked at Mark's so-called "evidence." It was two, shoddily-made price comparison charts. I pointed to one of the "high-value" shops Chloe had highlighted. "As far as I know, that shop's 'Premium' grade is just a marketing gimmick. It's standard, mass-produced cheese. It doesn't even come in a decent gift box." "These gifts are for our most important clients. In our business, a stable, long-term relationship is worth far more than a one-time expense." I tried to keep my voice even. Chloe immediately turned to Mark, her head bowed. "I'm sorry, Mark. I was just... I was just trying to save the company money. I didn't mean to make Sarah upset." "It's my fault... I'm just not used to this corporate world. I guess I care too much about money." And then, she started to cry. Alex, sitting next to her, immediately handed her a tissue, glaring at me. "You really had to bully a new hire just because she cut into your kickbacks? That's a pretty bad look, Sarah." "Don't throw around accusations you can't prove, Alex," I shot back. "Are two "charts" all the proof you need to convict me?" This just made Chloe cry harder. "Mark, I'm so, so sorry. Maybe... maybe I should just quit..." "Boo-hoo... it's all my fault. Sarah, please don't be mad..." Now even Mark was comforting her. "It's okay, Chloe. It's not your fault." He gently wiped her tears, then turned to me. "Sarah, Chloe's right." "Why can't we use the Premium grade? You're the VP, and you have less business sense than an assistant!" "From today on, Chloe approves all procurement budgets!" 02 Mark made the decision, just like that. Having won, Chloe's tears vanished, replaced by a bright smile. "Thank you, Mark! From now on, this company is my family. I'll pinch every penny for us!" Alex actually laughed and clapped. "Hey, if you're saving Mark money, what about my department? We could use some savings too!" Chloe blushed, looking at Mark with pure adoration. "Well, that's up to Mark." A flash of disappointment crossed Alex's face, but he kept his arm resting on the back of her chair. Even Mark was smiling. The other employees just looked at each other, uncomfortable. Finally, our CFO, Jessica, spoke up. "Mark, Chloe just got off her probationary period. And her degree is in... biology. She doesn't know anything about procurement or client relations..." Several others nodded in agreement. Alex's face darkened. "What's wrong with being young? Young people are fearless. They're the only ones who can take a stand for what's right!" He shot me a nasty look. "Not like some of the 'old guard' around here, who just care about the smell of money." I laughed, a slow, cold sound. "Alex, last month, that new client I worked my ass to land demanded a full refund, plus damages, because your tech department screwed up the rollout." "If I hadn't paid the damages out of my own pocket and sent them a $20,000 antique vase as an apology, you'd be buried in lawsuits right now." "But since you 'hate the smell of money' so much, feel free to pay me back." Alex shot up from his chair. "Are you threatening me, Sarah?" "Enough!" Mark's voice cut through the room. "Chloe will handle procurement for now. It's time we fixed the... culture... in this office." "If any problems come up, Sarah can take over." So, I'm just supposed to clean up her mess? No, thank you. I smiled, holding my hands up in surrender. "Mark's right." "But if we're giving the new hire a chance, let's really give her a chance." "Since you trust her so much, why don't you give her all your accounts? Let her manage all client relations." 03 My public surrender made Mark pause. Before he could respond, Alex jumped in. "Great! Sarah, that's your idea." "So how about a little bet? Let's see who has a higher client retention rate, you or Chloe?" Our company structure was simple. Alex ran tech. Mark and I handled clients and business development. But as we grew, Mark became the full-time CEO, and I ended up managing his client relationships, too. Alex was practically vibrating with excitement. Chloe's eyes were sparkling. "What... what's the bet?" Alex sneered at me. "If we win, you pack your things and get out!" That stirred the pot. The room erupted. "This is insane! Our entire quarterly revenue depends on Sarah!" our CFO, Jessica, protested. Others agreed. But Mark, at the head of the table, just watched, his expression dark. "Wow, Sarah," Alex sneered. "You've really got them all on your side." Finally, Mark spoke. "Sarah, you're the VP. Stop picking on a new hire. Apologize to Chloe, and we'll drop this." Alex slammed his hand on the table. "Hell no! We're not dropping it!" I just stared at Mark. He wanted me to apologize. This wasn't the first time. Ever since Chloe arrived, it had been one thing after another. And in Mark's eyes, this unqualified, inexperienced girl could do no wrong. And me? The woman who built this company with him? I was suddenly the problem. No. I wouldn't. I turned to Chloe, my voice sweet. "And if you lose?" 04 Chloe flinched, her eyes immediately filling with tears. Alex yelled, "She's not leaving!" Even Mark frowned, as if he was afraid I'd demand she be fired. "She can stay." I leaned back, tapping my pen. "A bet with an assistant is boring." My pen stopped, pointing directly at Alex. "I want you gone." Alex froze. Chloe, however, lit up. She tugged on Alex's sleeve, her face a mask of tragic self-sacrifice. "Alex, no. You don't have to do this for me... I'll just... I'll just apologize to Sarah. It's fine." She made a slow, pained show of starting to stand up. Alex grabbed her arm. "No." A classic "retreat to advance" maneuver. It worked every time on men like Alex, who thought they were white knights. I had to hide my smile. Alex was so obviously in love with her, he was trapped. He hesitated, looking to Mark for help. Mark said nothing. Alex gritted his teeth. "Fine. It's a bet." I smiled. In front of the entire senior staff. He was done. And Chloe... I glanced at Mark. His eyes were full of a poorly disguised relief. And they were fixed, tenderly, on Chloe.
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