When the Hidden Intern Got Smeared, Her CEO Dad Lost It

1 In the company-wide group chat, the Head of Admin suddenly launched an attack. “Just saw a certain intern stumbling out of the CEO’s office, looking disheveled. Didn’t even bother to wipe her mouth clean. Talk about dedication!” The chat exploded. Everyone was guessing which department she was from. The supervisor, Brenda, didn’t stop there. “These Gen Z kids have no shame,” she sneered. “They’ll even stoop to the casting couch just to get a full-time offer. Absolutely no integrity.” “We kill ourselves working on proposals, and she gets an offer just by getting on her knees and opening her mouth.” “Isn’t she afraid of catching something? I can’t believe she’d go for that pretty-boy parachute CEO.” Finally, she sent a voice message, her voice dripping with contempt. “You shameless girl, you make me sick. The CEO just got engaged. You’re nothing but a homewrecker!” I frowned and typed a reply. “You might want to get your facts straight before you run your mouth.” A second later, she tagged me directly. “@Layla Oh, did I hit a nerve? You have the audacity to talk back? You want me to post the picture of you on your knees? You trash!” I was stunned. I was in my own father’s office helping him find a contact lens he’d dropped on the floor. How did that turn into me sleeping my way to the top? … I stared at the messages flooding my screen, my hand squeezing the mouse so hard I nearly crushed it. Brenda, the Head of Admin, was still on a rampage in the chat. “What’s the matter, Layla? Cat got your tongue? You act all innocent, but you’re a real piece of work behind closed doors, aren’t you?” “Everyone, come and see! This is the intern who will do anything to get ahead.” A photo appeared in the chat. The angle was malicious. Taken through a sliver of a gap in the blinds, it showed me kneeling in front of the office desk, my head bowed low. Because I was looking for a contact lens, the posture did look… suggestive. But I was just looking for something! Dozens of new messages popped up. “Oh my god, is that really Layla? She always seemed so quiet.” “You can never judge a book by its cover. Some people will do anything to stay.” “No wonder she got straight A’s on her performance review this month. She slept for them.” I took a deep breath and typed out a response. “Brenda, slander is illegal. I was helping the CEO find his contact lens.” The moment I sent it, Brenda’s sharp, piercing voice came through in another voice message. “Finding a contact lens? Who do you think you’re kidding? Does finding a lens require you to kneel between his legs?” “And you didn’t even wipe your mouth! What was that white stuff on the corner of your lips when you came out? Don’t tell me it was eye drops!” I subconsciously touched the corner of my mouth. It was a drop of milk from the glass I’d had earlier! Before I could explain, Brenda stormed over to my desk with a few of her cronies. Smack. A stack of files was slammed against my face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced my cheek, leaving a sharp, stinging pain. Brenda stood over me, pointing a finger at my nose. “You shameless thing. You still have the nerve to argue in the group chat?” “The entire company saw it. Do you think we’re all blind?” Colleagues started to gather around, pointing and whispering. “So disgusting. How did someone like her get into our company?” “Stay away from her. You don’t want to catch whatever she has.” “And the CEO… what’s he thinking? She’s not even that pretty.” I stood up, pushing the files off my lap. “Watch your mouth, Brenda.” “Do you have any proof? Or are you just going to sling mud with one misleading photo?” Brenda scoffed, crossing her arms. “Proof? I’ll go pull the security footage right now and let everyone see what you were up to!” Then her voice turned sly. “Oh, but there are no cameras in the CEO’s office, are there? That’s why you’re so bold.” She leaned in close, her voice a low, venomous whisper. “Listen to me, Layla. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pack your things and get out. Don’t wait for me to blow this up. When I’m done, you won’t be able to find a job in this entire industry.” I looked at her twisted face and felt a cold laugh rising in my chest. Blow this up? I was counting on it. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my father’s face when he found out he was being labeled a sleazebag who preyed on interns. “I’m not leaving,” I said, looking her straight in the eye, my voice even. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Why should I leave?” “You, on the other hand, as Head of Administration, are publicly slandering a colleague and spreading malicious rumors. You’re the one who should be leaving.” Brenda laughed, a loud, exaggerated sound. “Ha! Me? You should take a good look at yourself!” “I’m a veteran employee. You’re an intern who hasn’t even gotten an offer yet. You think you can challenge me?” “Fine. You don’t want to leave? I have plenty of ways to make you.” She turned to the gawking crowd. “What are you all looking at? Don’t you have work to do? Is this piece of trash worth your time?” She shoved past me, her heels clicking angrily as she stalked away. The eyes of my colleagues were filled with contempt and disgust. Even the few other interns I was friendly with quietly shifted their desks a few inches away from mine. I sat back down and picked up my phone. A text from the “parachute CEO.” “Layla, did you find the lens? My vision is still a little blurry in this eye.” I typed back. “Found it. It’s next to the leg of your desk. Pick it up yourself.” “And Dad? Your company’s got some real gems working for it.” He sent back a single question mark. I ignored it. If Brenda wanted to play, I was more than ready to join the game.

2 The rest of the afternoon was torture. Brenda rejected all of my work, citing everything from incorrect formatting to half-assed content. She then dumped a pile of miscellaneous tasks on my desk that had nothing to do with my role. “Manually copy all of these archives. They’re needed for the meeting tomorrow morning.” “Also, clean the coffee machine in the breakroom, and the bathrooms are out of toilet paper. Go restock it.” I looked at the mountain of expired files and smirked. “Brenda, I’m an intern in the Operations department. I’m not a janitor or your personal assistant.” “These tasks are not part of my job description.” Brenda leaned back in her chair, casually filing her nails. “Interns have to start from the bottom. What’s the matter? Gotten too used to serving the CEO to do any real work?” “If you don’t want to do it, then get out. No one’s begging you to stay.” She paused, a malicious glint in her eye. “Oh, by the way, I heard the CEO’s fiancée is coming to inspect the company in a few days.” “If she finds out there’s a little fox trying to seduce her man, what do you think will happen to you?” A wave of snickers rippled through the office. “That’s obvious. She’ll be stripped naked and thrown out.” “The wives of these tycoons don’t mess around. Especially a new fiancée. She won’t tolerate any competition.” “Layla, if I were you, I’d buy a bus ticket home right now and hide.” I ignored their taunts and picked up the pile of archives. “Fine. I’ll copy them.” I wanted to see just how far she was willing to take this. I returned to my desk but didn’t start copying. Instead, I opened my laptop and started researching the company’s employee handbook and labor laws. Then, I sent an email to the Director of Human Resources, formally reporting Brenda for workplace harassment and slander. Less than ten minutes later, Brenda stormed over, her face red with fury. “Layla! You dare report me?” She snatched the mouse from my hand and slammed it on the floor. It shattered into pieces. “You think HR will listen to some intern’s whining?” “The Director of HR is my cousin! You want to bet I can have him fire you right now?” I looked at the broken plastic on the floor, my voice calm. “Destruction of company property. You’ll have to pay for that.” “As for firing me, you’re welcome to try.” Brenda’s chest heaved with rage. She raised her hand to strike me. I caught her wrist and threw her hand back. “Don’t get physical. There are security cameras here.” Brenda stumbled back, grabbing a desk to steady herself. She glared at me, her eyes filled with pure hatred. “Fine. You’ve got guts.” “Since you’re so desperate to stay, I’ll grant your wish.” “Tonight, the entire Operations department is working overtime. No one leaves until next quarter’s proposal is finished!” “Especially you, Layla. If you can’t finish it, you’ll kneel at the company entrance and bark like a dog!” Groans of despair erupted from the surrounding desks. “What? Overtime again? It’s all Layla’s fault.” “Yeah, she brings her drama here and drags us all down with her.” “Layla, if you want to crash and burn, do it on your own time! Don’t take us with you!” The blame shifted entirely to me. Brenda watched, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Hear that? That’s the voice of the people.” “You’re a rat, Layla. Everyone wants you gone.” I glanced around at the angry faces of my colleagues without a flicker of emotion. A bunch of fools being used as pawns. I sat down and pulled a spare mouse from my bag. “Overtime it is.” “But we’ll see who’s barking like a dog.” Brenda snorted. “Tough words.” “Tonight, I’m going to show you the meaning of a living hell.” She turned and walked into her office, slamming the door behind her. I watched her go, my expression turning cold. You brought this on yourself, Brenda.

3 At nine o’clock that night, the office was still brightly lit. Everyone was hunched over their desks, the air thick with resentment. Brenda had ordered a feast for herself: fried chicken, milk tea, and barbecue skewers covered her desk. She took pictures and posted them in the group chat while she ate. “Aw, is someone still eating bread? So pathetic.” “As long as everyone works hard tonight, you’ll be eating well with me from now on.” “As for the one dragging us all down, just let her starve. I’m sure she’s already full from sucking up to the CEO.” My colleagues, eager to curry favor, chimed in. “You’re the best, Brenda!” “Not like some people who only cause trouble.” “Brenda, save a drumstick for me! I’m almost done!” I quietly chewed on my whole-wheat bread, my eyes fixed on the data on my screen. This proposal was child’s play for me. My father had been training me in business strategy since I was a kid. I could write a plan of this caliber in my sleep. Ten minutes later, I stood up, walked over to Brenda’s desk, and placed the printed proposal in front of her. “It’s done.” Brenda froze, a chicken wing halfway to her mouth. “What? Done?” She snatched the document and flipped through it haphazardly. “Impossible! This is a month’s worth of work! You finished it in half an hour?” “You must have copied it! Or it’s just a piece of garbage you threw together!” Without even reading a single word, she ripped the proposal in half and threw it in the trash. “Do it again!” “How dare you bring this trash to me? Are you trying to insult my intelligence?” I looked at the shredded paper in the bin, my fists clenching at my sides. “You didn’t even read it, Brenda.” “Or can you not understand it?” My words hit their mark. She shot to her feet, enraged, and pointed a finger in my face. “Are you questioning my professional ability?” “I was a supervisor back when you were still in diapers!” “I said it’s not good enough, so it’s not good enough! Do it again! And you’re not going home until it’s perfect!” She picked up a cup of ice-cold Coke from her desk and threw it at me. The cold, sticky brown liquid ran down my hair and clothes. A collective gasp went through the office, followed by muffled, gleeful chuckles. “Ooh, a wet t-shirt contest.” “Now she really looks the part. No wonder the CEO is into her.” “Brenda’s a legend. That’s how you deal with people like her.” I wiped the soda from my face and took a deep breath. “This is the second time you’ve put your hands on me, Brenda.” Brenda arrogantly slammed the empty cup on the floor. “So what if I did? Go on, report me!” “Where’s your CEO sugar daddy? Why isn’t he here to save you?” “Oh, right, I forgot. His fiancée is coming tomorrow. He won’t have time for a piece of trash like you!” She laughed so hard her face jiggled. “Let me tell you something, Layla. When the CEO’s fiancée gets here tomorrow, I’m going to tell her everything.” “I’m going to let her get a good look at the little homewrecker you are.” “And then, I won’t even have to lift a finger. She’ll be the one to tear your face off!” I looked at her, cold as ice, like she was a clown in a circus. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.”