Man in suit climbing the fire escape | Source: Midjourney
I believed getting the promotion would be my toughest challenge, but I never saw the betrayal coming from my biggest rival. My boss made a decision that turned everything around. It changed my entire life in ways I never expected.
Working at a large corporation was no easy feat, and my tasks felt endless. From morning till night, I was buried under spreadsheets, reports, and emails.
Still, I quietly held onto a dream to land a managerial position and finally present the project I had been developing for months.
This is my ticket. This is how I’ll prove I belong here.
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Then everything changed when Thaddeus, our new director, arrived.
"Did you see him yet?" my coworker Mara whispered one morning, nudging me as we both stood by the coffee machine.
"See who?" I asked, already distracted by the list of things I needed to get done before lunch.
"The new boss. Thaddeus. He’s... well, let’s just say you’ll want to make sure you look presentable when you meet him."
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I laughed it off, but when Thaddeus finally made his way into the office, I understood why everyone was talking. His presence was impossible to ignore.
People didn’t just talk about him because of his professional skills, though those were impressive enough. No, it was the way he carried himself, with this effortless charisma, that made you want to be around him.
"Don’t be ridiculous, Lorelai," I told myself the first time I felt my heart skip when I saw him.
"You don’t have time for distractions. Stay focused."
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But then the company announced the competition for the new project manager position.
My heart raced with excitement.
This is my chance.
I had been working tirelessly on my project, making sure every single detail was perfect. But I wasn’t the only one ready to fight for that spot. Beatrix, my biggest competition, was already in full gear.
“Looks like we’re up against each other, huh?” she said casually as she passed my desk one afternoon.
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“May the best woman win.”
“May the best work win,” I replied, emphasizing the word “work."
Beatrix was confident, always knew how to get noticed, and had been inching her way closer to Thaddeus every day.
I bet she’s already planning how to charm him into giving her the job.
But that was my moment. I wasn’t going to let Beatrix stand in my way.
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***
Beatrix didn’t need brilliant ideas. She just knew how to make people notice her. She had this ability to charm everyone, including Thaddeus. I watched her carefully position herself near him during every meeting, always speaking up.
“Maybe I’m just not bold enough,” I muttered one day while staring at my project.
Why can’t I be like her?
She made everything look easy. And here I was, working late every night, trying to perfect every detail.
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That evening, after a long working day, I planned to stop by Thaddeus’s office to discuss my project. I was nervous, but that was my chance to prove myself.
As I sat at my desk, reviewing my notes one last time, exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been working late every night for weeks, and it was finally catching up with me.
Just a few minutes...
I leaned my head against the desk. Before I knew it, I had dozed off on top of my laptop.
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***
Suddenly, I woke to the sound of voices. The office was dark, and I blinked in confusion.
What time is it?
I realized everyone had already gone home. The cleaning crew had even come and gone. But there were still voices. Laughter. I froze, recognizing the sound of Beatrix’s voice.
Panicking, I ducked under my desk, holding my breath.
What are they still doing here?
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I peeked out and saw the door to Thaddeus’s office open. Beatrix stepped out, leaning casually against the doorframe, looking far too comfortable. She was smiling, that same charming smile she used to get her way with everyone.
“Dinner?” she asked with a soft laugh, tossing her hair back like it was no big deal. “It’s late. You’ve been working too hard.”
Thaddeus smiled, but his response was quiet. I couldn’t hear his words, but he didn’t look uncomfortable. He followed her toward the elevator.
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Is she willing to go this far to secure the position? Is this what I’m up against?
It suddenly felt like I was suffocating. I quickly grabbed my things and headed home.
I opened my bag to review my project notes later that night. Something was wrong. My printed presentation was missing.
I froze. I had printed it before leaving the office. But it was gone.
Maybe I left it on my table. I’ll come earlier tomorrow to find it.
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***
The next day was supposed to be my moment. I had been working on my project for months, pouring every ounce of energy and creativity into it.
This is it. This is my chance to prove myself.
But the moment I stepped inside, I saw Beatrix. She was still wearing the same outfit from the night before.
She didn’t go home?
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Panic slowly crept in as I realized she hadn't been at home all night. My confidence wavered, but I forced myself to stay calm.
Nothing is going to ruin my day.
As we gathered for the presentation, Thaddeus looked up from his papers and announced, “Beatrix, why don’t you start us off?”
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Beatrix confidently took her place at the front of the room. Her voice was clumsy, not her usual polished self. As she clicked through the slides, I realized with horror that she was presenting ... MY work.
The graphs, the concepts, even the phrasing... it was all mine! I felt like the ground had been ripped from under me.
This can’t be happening.
When it was finally my turn, I stood up, my heart pounding.
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“She stole my work!” I blurted out, unable to hold back any longer.
I pointed toward Beatrix, my voice trembling with anger. “That presentation was mine. She copied everything!”
Thaddeus frowned, glancing between us. “Lorelai, what are you talking about?”
I rushed to open my laptop, desperate to prove it. But my screen was blank. My project files were gone.
“No, no, no,” I whispered, frantically clicking around.
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Beatrix stood there, her smug smile plastered across her face.
“Looking for this?” she said sweetly, pulling out her tablet and casually flipping through my entire presentation.
She had deleted my work and framed it as her own. My mind was spinning. And then Thaddeus spoke.
“Beatrix cleared this with me last night. She presented it, and we discussed it already. She’s just sharing it with everyone else now.”
I could barely breathe.
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She did it when I was sleeping. She won.
After the meeting, Thaddeus asked me to stay behind.
I couldn’t look him in the eyes as he said, “Lorelai, you failed to safeguard your work. This situation is on you.”
“You’re defending her because of your... personal involvement with her,” I snapped, crossing a line I knew I shouldn’t.
“You’ve lost your objectivity! Maybe I like you too, but don’t let myself… I don’t…”
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Thaddeus’s face hardened.
“You’re making false claims, Lorelai. Go have a rest.”
***
I was certain my career was over. The weekend became a blur of tears, ice cream, and old sitcom reruns. I didn’t move from my bed, still in the same pajamas I had put on two days earlier.
My apartment looked like a war zone—clothes thrown everywhere, empty snack wrappers piling up on the coffee table.
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How did it come to this?
Everything I had worked for was slipping through my fingers. Beatrix not only stole my work but also made me look like a fool.
In a moment of desperation, I grabbed my phone and created a fake social media account. I searched for her profile and scrolled through her posts. Nothing.
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But then, something caught my eye. The night I thought she had been with Thaddeus? She hadn’t been with him at all. She had been with her friend in the bar till morning.
Wait, what?
That whole time, when I was hiding under my desk, she wasn’t even doing what I thought she was. All my suspicions were for nothing.
Exhaustion washed over me. I had fallen asleep with my phone still in my hand.
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But my peace didn’t last long. A loud knock at the door startled me awake.
Who could that be?
I peeked through the peephole. My heart jumped.
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It was Thaddeus! I didn’t want to let him in. My face was swollen from crying, my hair a tangled mess, and I felt far too vulnerable for this conversation.
I called through the door, “Thaddeus, not now. I... I need time.”
I finally heard silence and sighed with relief. But later, I heard something strange outside my window. I rushed over, pulled back the curtain, and couldn’t believe what I saw.
Thaddeus was climbing up the fire escape with a bouquet of roses under his arm!
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The sight was so ridiculous and unexpected that I burst out laughing.
He looked genuinely apologetic.
“I made a mistake trusting Beatrix,” he began, his voice low. “I didn’t see what was really going on, and I’m sorry.”
The hurt was still fresh, but hearing him admit it made my heart soften just a little.
He continued, “I’ve reviewed everything. Your work... It’s brilliant. It’s clear now. You were right all along.”
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I felt a small spark of relief, but before I could respond, his expression changed from regret to something else, something... nervous.
“Lorelai, do you... have feelings for me? You told me there... I need to know.”
The question hung in the air. I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. After a beat, I simply nodded, unable to trust my voice.
Thaddeus let out a breath, smiling shyly, even.
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“I’ve liked you since the moment we met,” he confessed. “I just didn’t want to cross any lines. But if you’re interested... maybe we could make this work?”
I felt warmth spread through me, a smile slowly forming on my face. I couldn’t believe what was happening.
Then, he added casually, “Oh, and by the way, you’ve been promoted. You’ll be leading your own department now.”
“What?” I whispered.
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“You earned it, Lorelai. Fair and square. And we are going to celebrate it. I'll be waiting downstairs.”
He started moving toward the fire escape, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You know, you can use the door this time.”
Thaddeus stopped mid-step and turned back, chuckling.
“Right, the door. Probably more practical.”
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I watched him head toward the door, shaking my head in disbelief. My career wasn’t over. It was just beginning. And maybe my love life, too.
“Take your time. We’ve got all the time in the world,” Thaddeus called over his shoulder.
I smiled to myself, feeling lighter than I had in days. As I quickly tried to pull myself together, I realized that both my career and my life were about to take a new turn.
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