Chapter 1After graduation, my childhood best friend offered me a job at his startup.
Brooks played favorites for everyone—his sister, his buddies, everyone got the hookup.
But with me? Suddenly he's all about "stay professional."
My team loved my campaign pitch.
He shut it down in front of everyone. "This is sloppy as hell. Do it again."
My director pushed for my promotion—said I'd earned it.
Brooks blocked it. "Years here don't mean shit if you can't deliver."
My coworkers said I was killing it, the best hire.
He cut in. "Money makes anyone look competent. She's just deadweight."
I told myself it was because we were close. That he was protecting us both.
Then one day, his co-founder asked him straight up:
"Brooks, Hadley's obviously good. So why the hell did you promote that intern over her?"
Brooks leaned back in his chair. Face blank.
"Because she can't even beat an intern."
I was standing outside his office. Phone buzzing in my hand.
Text from my REAL parents—
"Come home. The company's yours when you're ready."
I looked down at the proposal in my arms. The one I'd rewritten six times trying to make him see me.
Then texted back.
"Coming."
Can't even beat an intern?
Fine.
Let's see him say that when I own his company.
---
Back at my desk, I dropped the folder and grabbed my phone.
Mom left another voice message. Same stuff she always says.
"Leaving you at that train station was wrong. I came back, but you were already gone..."
"We had no money. Your sister stayed with us and she died because we had nothing."
Dad's text was short: "You're all we got now. Don't want marry the Harrington kid? Fine. Just come home."
I put my phone down face-first.
I hate them for picking my sister back then.
And I hate that right when they find me, they wanna marry me off to some business guy.
Like that's all I'm worth—a bargaining chip.
That's why I didn't go back. I wanted to show them I could do it myself.
They let me. Didn't bug me for a while.
But I didn't really make it.
My love life sucks. My job sucks worse.
Morning meeting. Brooks trashed someone's pitch, then looked at me.
Before? I would've said "I'll redo it."
Today I just sat there.
Brooks frowned. "Hadley, what do you think?"
I looked up. "Mr. Ashford, that's not my project. No opinion."
Room went dead quiet.
His jaw clenched.
After the meeting, he caught me in the hall. "Where's that draft you did last night?"
"What draft?"
"The Calloway project. You said you'd do it."
I looked right at him. "Did you a favor. Doesn't mean I owe you."
Walked right past him.
My phone rang. I breathed, put on a smile, picked up. "Mr. Calloway! Hey!"
"Hadley, thought you were running this? This new pitch is a mess. What happened?"
My stomach dropped.
Mr. Calloway and I go way back—we've done like a dozen deals together. He wanted me on this one.
But Brooks last minute gave it to the "new people." Said they need the practice.
I said some stuff, hung up, stared at the folder.
Was gonna take it to Brooks. Then Ivy showed up holding coffee.
"Hey, you busy?"
She's from our school. Younger. Brooks put her in charge of Calloway out of nowhere.
Other guy who had it got yelled at this morning, kicked off. Now she's running it.
"What?"
"Nothing really, just—oh shit!"
She tripped. Coffee went everywhere. All over my stuff.
"Oh my god I'm so sorry!"
Didn't even get to say anything. Brooks' assistant showed up. "Hadley, pitch in thirty. Mr. Ashford wants the new version."
My jaw locked up.
That's how he always did it.
Wanted something from me? Sent someone else to ask. Then he'd tear my work apart in front of everybody.
Worst part? Outside work, totally different guy.
Remembered everything. Important dates. When I got my period. What I liked to eat. Celebrity crushes.
I could say I want the moon, he'd figure out how to get it.
Long as it had nothing to do with the office, he was perfect.
Five years of this two-faced crap though? I was done.
Chapter 2
I threw the coffee-soaked thing in the trash, went to print another one.
But my USB was gone.
Got to the conference room. Ivy's version already got approved.
I didn't even get a word out. Brooks came at me.
"Perfect timing. Wanna tell me why our cost sheet got sent from your email?"
I just stared at him. What?
IT guy put the logs up on the screen. My email. Sent a file to some guy at Orion—our biggest competitor.
I looked at Brooks. "You think I'm that dumb?"
His face didn't move. Cold. No trust.
"Your email. Your computer. You think I'm just gonna let it go because you say you didn't?"
Wasn't gonna get anything fair from him.
I turned to Ivy. "Where'd you get that proposal?"
She blinked. All sweet. "I was up all night—"
"You took it off my USB this morning. You came to my desk. You sent that email from my computer."
Her face changed. "Hadley... why would I even—"
"Enough." Brooks cut in. "Hadley, don't act like we'd fall apart without you. Client liked a pitch. Doesn't mean it was yours."
"I'll get someone to check the email thing. Till then, nobody talks."
After the meeting, I asked for the camera footage.
Cameras were "broken."
I almost laughed.
Place this big, cameras just happen to stop working?
Didn't need them to kick me out. I'd go myself.
End of the day, I dropped my resignation on Brooks' desk.
"Mr. Ashford, can't prove I didn't do it? Fine. I'll take it."
"I'm done."
Brooks didn't look up. "Go to HR. Finish your stuff."
Felt like something broke inside me.
He used to fight to keep shitty employees.
But me? This.
Garrett, his business partner, looked freaked out. "Brooks! What're you doing? Hadley—"
"Her choice."
Brooks glanced at me. "Before you leave, fix what you broke."
I didn't say anything.
That night I stayed late fixing it.
Ivy came over. Sweet voice. "Hadley, Mr. Ashford was gonna have you train me longer, but since you're leaving, guess he'll do it."
"Can't you just say sorry? I really wanna keep learning from you..."
I looked at her fake smile. Laughed.
From day one, Brooks handed her everything. Never trained interns himself—except her.
She wasn't here to make me stay. She was here to rub it in.
"Proud of yourself? Stealing my stuff?"
"Hadley, I get it, you're scared I'm replacing you. But don't just accuse me like that."
Tears came quick.
I didn't look at her.
If it wasn't for Mr. Calloway, I wouldn't even be fixing this.
Brooks walked in. Saw Ivy crying.
His face went dark.
"Hadley. Really? Going after an intern?"
I put my pen down. "Mr. Ashford, if we're talking pathetic, she wins."
Grabbed my bag, walked to the door.
"Stop." His voice was sharp. "What's your problem?"
I didn't turn around.
"Performance bonus? Gone. Calloway project? You're off it. We don't keep people who don't pull their weight. And we don't keep bullies."
My hands shook holding my bag.
"Five years here. 372 late nights. 31 deals closed. That's dead weight?"
He looked up. "Company gave you everything. Wasn't you."
I opened my mouth. Nothing.
Throat locked up. Eyes burning.
But crying wasn't gonna fix anything.
I wanted him to say I did good. Give me a real shot at moving up. Back me up just once.
Never gonna happen.
I went back to my tiny company place. Twenty square meters. No space.
Photo on the wall—me and Brooks in college, holding my dog Biscuit.
I pulled it down. Flipped it over.
His handwriting on the back: "When we make it big, I'll get you and Biscuit a real house."
Real house. Could've bought one years ago.
I laughed. Sounded bitter. Threw it in the trash.
Chapter 3
Next day, I met up with Owen Graves. Guy from Orion.
Turns out he left the company two months ago. Email was personal.
Weight came off my shoulders.
Plus, I'd spent all night with some department heads putting together a fix. Updated the cost sheet. Risk was handled.
I reported everything. Walked out.
Passed the break room. Heard people talking.
"Hear about Ivy? Moved into one of those waterfront high-rises. Three bedrooms, giant windows."
"For real? She's been here what, three months?"
"Brooks isn't even hiding it. Think she's gonna be his wife?"
My hands gripped my folder tighter.
Last month I'd asked Brooks about getting my own place. Company housing AC was busted, landlord wouldn't fix it. Wanted somewhere closer so I could bring Biscuit.
He said, "Need someone I trust watching the employee building. Just deal with it?"
"If it's that bad, stay at mine."
His place was downtown. Big. Nice.
But weekends only. Never let me stay over during the week.
Every late date, he'd call me a car back to this shithole with no elevator.
Knew why. Wanted to "keep it professional."
During lunch, Garrett sat across from me.
"Brooks bought another penthouse last week. Waterfront," he said quiet. "Gotta be for you. Don't leave, okay?"
I forced down some food. "Mm-hmm."
He didn't know.
Penthouse wasn't for me. For an intern.
When the company started doing well, all the founders got places. Early partners too.
Everyone but me.
I was still in employee housing.
But whatever. I stopped caring forever ago.
That afternoon, I went to Brooks' office.
He was leaning over Ivy's shoulder. Looking at some proposal.
Saw me. Ivy smiled. "Hey, Hadley."
"What?" Brooks said. Flat.
I put down an expense report. "Need you to sign this."
Ivy grabbed it. Flipped through.
"Hadley, this travel thing is way over. And it says the project wasn't even yours."
I glanced at her. "That was for the client you messed up last month. Hotel was their pick, not mine."
Ivy's face went red.
Brooks looked at me. "Even if they picked it, should've asked me first. Five years here. You know how it works."
He pushed the form back.
"Deal with it yourself."
I stared at the rejected thing.
Three days fixing her screw-up. He wouldn't even cover the hotel.
Knew he'd pay me back later. Privately.
But here? At work? My confidence was gone. Dignity too.
I didn't say anything. Just took the form and left.
That night, I sat by the window. Replied to my parents.
Payment notification popped up.
Brooks sent the money.
Message with it: "Big client tomorrow. Dress nice."
I stared at it for a second.
Then typed back: "Brooks, we're done."
