I got to the office before everyone else.
That alone felt like a personal victory.
The cleaners were still moving around with their carts, the air smelling faintly of disinfectant and coffee that hadn't been brewed yet. I checked the time twice just to be sure. Ten minutes early. Not late. Not rushing in with my hair half-done and excuses forming in my head.
Early.
I dropped my bag on my desk and went over the file again. "Presentation of a Brief Summary for Department 4D2." The title stared back at me like it was daring me to mess up.
My hands were slightly cold.
This wasn't even my report. I was summarizing another department's work. But somehow it felt bigger than that. Loretta had called it my "first test." The way she said it made it sound like an entrance exam to survive in this building.
When the board meeting started, I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.
Victor was there. Of course he was. Sitting at the head of the table like he belonged there—which he did. He didn't look at me when I walked in. Or maybe he did and I was too nervous to notice.
I stood when my name was called.
My throat felt dry.
"Good morning," I started, and my voice betrayed me immediately. Too soft. I cleared my throat. "Good morning, everyone."
Better.
I went through the first slide too quickly. I could hear it myself—the rush, the nerves. One of the board members adjusted his glasses and I almost lost my place.
My palms were sweating. For a second, I forgot what page I was on.
Breathe, Alyssa.
I slowed down. Looked at the paper. Then looked up. Actually looked at them.
I explained the numbers instead of just reading them. Pointed out the growth trend. Highlighted the risks. When someone interrupted with a question, I answered without panicking. My voice steadied as I spoke.
Halfway through, I realized something.
They were listening.
Not politely waiting. Actually listening.
By the time I finished, my voice wasn't shaking anymore.
"Thank you," I said, and this time it sounded like I meant it.
There was a small pause. Then one of the board members nodded. "Well summarized."
Another added, "Clear and concise."
I tried not to smile too wide.
And then I looked at Victor.
He wasn't clapping like the others. He didn't need to. But the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Just a small smirk. Quick. Almost invisible.
But I saw it.
And for some reason, that tiny smirk felt louder than the applause.
I walked out of the boardroom feeling lighter. Like I had just passed something important.
That feeling lasted exactly seven minutes.
Loretta was waiting in my office.
She was sitting on the edge of my desk like she owned it, legs crossed, arms folded.
"Well," she said slowly. "You didn't embarrass yourself."
I placed the file down carefully. "Thank you."
She tilted her head. "Don't misunderstand. You summarized someone else's work. That's not an achievement. It's basic."
The air shifted.
"The board clapping doesn't mean you've earned anything here," she continued. "You still need to prove you deserve this position. Applause fades. Shares don't."
There it was.
It wasn't about the presentation. It was about ownership. Control. Future stakes.
"I understand," I said calmly.
She studied my face like she was waiting for me to react.
I didn't.
She slid off the desk. "Good. Don't get comfortable."
And just like that, she left.
The rest of the afternoon moved slower.
I could feel eyes on me. Whispers that stopped when I passed.
"She's only here because of Victor."
"Must be nice having connections."
"I heard she was late yesterday."
I ignored them. At least I tried to.
I was walking down the corridor with a stack of files when someone slammed into me.
Hard.
The files scattered across the floor.
Paper everywhere.
For a second, I almost kept walking. Almost.
Then I stopped.
I bent down slowly and started picking them up. My jaw was tight. I could feel people watching.
The woman who bumped into me didn't apologize. She just stood there.
I straightened up and stepped closer to her.
Very close.
"I could get you fired, you know," I said quietly.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just enough.
Her eyes widened. She hadn't expected that. Her mouth opened slightly but no words came out.
I held her gaze for a few seconds, then turned and walked away.
My heart was racing, but I didn't show it.
I didn't know Loretta had seen the whole thing.
When I entered my office again, she was there. Sitting on the desk. Slowly clapping.
"Impressive," she mocked.
I ignored her and walked to my chair.
"What was that?" she demanded. "Who do you think you are?"
I didn't answer.
Today had gone well. I wasn't going to let her ruin it.
She stepped closer, her voice lower now.
"Don't get too comfortable just because you got a few claps downstairs. You are not special here. You're not above anyone. You're just another employee."
She stared straight into my eyes.
"Know your place."
Then she walked out.
I exhaled slowly once the door closed.
"If you weren't Victor's sister," I muttered under my breath, gesturing with my hand, "I would have punched that artificial face of yours."
I stayed buried in work for hours after that.
It wasn't long before Victor's parents arrived.
You could feel it before you saw them.
The reception area went quiet. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Even the assistants stood straighter.
His father walked in wearing a sharp blue suit and black shoes, looking every bit like a man used to being obeyed. His mother followed in a refined lace gown, holding a golden clutch purse. She looked elegant, composed—probably in her sixties—but her eyes were observant.
The air felt heavier.
I had been holding my pee for what felt like forever, so I slipped toward the restroom. On my way back, I slowed down when I heard raised voices from Victor's office.
The door wasn't fully closed.
I didn't mean to listen.
But I did.
Victor's mother was seated beside the table, silent.
His father's voice cut through the room.
"I decided to come see you in person, Victor. What mess have you created, the press has been harassing us.."
I didn't move.
I don't even know why I didn't move.
Victor was standing in front of his father now, his head slightly bowed. Not weak. Not defeated. Just… quiet.
"We didn't raise you and make you an executive of this company only for you to lose control," his father said, voice sharp and heavy at the same time.
Victor didn't argue.
His mother's voice came next. Softer. Almost trembling. "You never acted this way. What's gotten over you, son?"
There was disappointment in her tone. Not anger. That kind of disappointment hurts more.
"You spoil him way too much," the father snapped at her. "Our name is all over the news. What an embarrassment." He paused, then added coldly, "And where's that wife of yours?"
The word wife felt heavy in the air.
Victor finally lifted his head.
"Leave Elena out of this, Dad. It's all my fault."
The room went silent for half a second.
Then his mother snapped.
"You should not defend her, son! This is all her fault. How could a refined woman like her dare to get drunk on camera?"
"Enough, Mom!" Victor shouted.
I flinched outside the door.
His voice wasn't something you heard raised often. It filled the office in a way that made my chest tighten.
"Things didn't play out like the press made it out to be," he continued, breathing harder now.
His father suddenly sat down heavily, pressing his hand against his chest.
For a second, nobody spoke.
"Are you okay?" Victor's mother rushed to him, holding his arm.
"Get me… something to drink," he said, slightly out of breath.
He looked old in that moment. Not powerful. Not strict. Just tired.
"You see?" Victor's mother shouted, looking at Victor. "I have always told you your father doesn't need stress!"
Victor quickly reached for his phone. "Water," he said into it, his voice controlled again. "Bring water. Now."
I stood there frozen.
I was shocked at how strict they were with him.
The same Victor who controlled boardrooms. The same Victor who made everyone nervous with just one look. Standing there like a child being scolded.
And here I was, always feeling sorry for myself. Acting like I was unloved. Like I had it worse.
My chest felt tight.
Maybe everyone carried something heavy. Just in different ways.
I knew I shouldn't be there.
I slowly shifted my weight, ready to take a quiet step back. If I moved carefully, maybe they wouldn't notice. Maybe I could disappear before—
My elbow hit something.
The flower vase beside the hallway table.
Time slowed.
It wobbled.
I stared at it like I could use my eyes to hold it up.
It fell.
Crash.
The sound echoed through the quiet hallway.
Too loud. Way too loud.
My heart jumped into my throat.
Inside the office, everything went silent.
Footsteps.
The door swung open wider.
All three of them turned instantly toward the sound.
Toward me.
I was on the floor, half tangled with the broken vase, trying to push myself up, my palms stinging from the impact. Tiny pieces of ceramic were scattered around me.
For a second, nobody spoke.
Victor's mother looked shocked.
His father looked confused.
Victor—
Victor looked straight at me.
Not soft. Not angry.
Just… intense.
I could feel my face burning.
"I—" My voice refused to work. I swallowed. "I didn't mean to—"
This was bad.
Very bad.
I had just eavesdropped on a private family argument.
And now I was sitting on the floor like a thief who got caught.
My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure they could hear it.
And in that moment I knew my good day was officially over.