My period came earlier than expected. I quickly turned to a female colleague. Without further ado, I asked if she could lend me a sanitary pad.

Veronica Gaines responded by narrowing her eyes and said coldly as she showed a mocking smile, “Girls these days really have no shame! You even dare to tell others about your period?”

I looked at her as I couldn’t help but get confused at what she said.

“What’s so shameful about menstruation? Don’t you have one yourself?”

But she instead pointed at me angrily, spit flying as she yelled, “Didn’t your mother ever teach you to hide such dirty things? Even your period can’t stop you from being indecent, can it?”

“No wonder you’re so cheap at such a young age, fighting for a position in our department. You must have slept your way up here!”

After that, Veronica raised her voice and shouted to everyone around us, “Everyone, listen! Isabella’s on her period today! If you want to sleep with her, you’ll have to wait!”

In that moment, I finally understood why this older woman disliked me so much. Her hostility wasn’t random. It was because she thought I was trying to take the Sales Manager position from her.

But she was only half right. I wasn’t here to fight for the job. I had been sent by the headquarters to secretly evaluate who was fit to become the next Sales Manager.

——

Since I didn’t want to argue, I quickly picked up the sanitary pad and prepared to go to the restroom. But Veronica stepped in front of me again, blocking my way. Her tone was full of fake concern as she said, “I’m doing this for your own good, you know?”

“A woman without self-respect is like trash! Don’t think you can get rich by lying down all day and dreaming of easy money!”

“I’ve seen plenty of girls like you before. Let me tell you something-”

I looked at her twisted, furious face and interrupted her coldly, “You can eat whatever you like, but you can’t say whatever you like. You should know that. It seems like you’ve made a lot of money by lying down, right?”

In an instant, she pointed her finger at my nose as her face turned red with anger, shouting, “I’m teaching you a lesson! Stop trying to twist my words! I’m not a cheap woman like you!”

“Look at yourself! You didn’t even bother to hide your sanitary pad. You’re just holding it in your hand. Do you have no shame at all?”

“No wonder you drive such an expensive car. Acting like this in front of everyone … what kind of things do you do in private?”

My coworkers started glancing at me with strange looks, whispering among themselves.

“Veronica has a point. Her Ferrari costs more than a million dollars. How could a girl in her twenties afford that?”

When my dad sent me on an unannounced inspection of this branch, I told him I wanted a simpler, more modest car. But he stopped me.

“You should be yourself,” he told me.

“I want you to see not only their work performance but also their morals and values.”

Now that I thought about it, my dad was indeed very smart. Some people couldn’t help themselves when they saw a young woman driving a luxury car and wearing designer clothes. Their jealousy blinded them.

The moment I thought about it, I responded calmly, “It’s true that I drive a Ferrari. My dad bought it for me. Is there a problem with that?”

Veronica sneered loudly.

“Oh, I know your type. You call every man ‘Daddy’. I bet you’re the most eager one in bed.”

“I’m warning you, go somewhere else if you want to sell yourself. This is a proper company that depends on real ability. Don’t bring your dirty tricks here!”

A colleague who couldn’t stand her anymore tried to speak up, “Veronica, that’s not true. Many young people born after 2000 come from rich families and work just to gain experience-”

Before he could finish, one of Veronica’s followers cut in and said mockingly, “Oh, so this is the new way to whitewash a mistress now?”

“What’s next? Sleeping with old men for money? Mistresses helping mistresses?”

Veronica crossed her arms and gave them a scornful look.

“You’re just jealous of Isabella’s rich sponsor and trying to get on her good side, aren’t you?”

“Since everyone is so eager to defend you, Isabella, why don’t you pick a few men to share your wealth with? Sharing happiness is better than keeping it all to yourself.”

“Ah, the world has really changed. People laugh at the poor, not the shameless! Everyone just wants to strip naked and climb into bed with some rich old man.”

She suddenly pointed at my pants with a cruel laugh.

“Oh, look at Isabella’s pants! My goodness, you’re so disgusting, so cheap and so shameless!”

Soon enough, I pushed her away and hurried into the bathroom. Behind me, Veronica’s mocking voice echoed through the hallway.

“A slut is still a slut. She can’t even hide her true self!”

“I’m telling you, don’t trust her. A woman like that might not just be someone’s mistress!”

Because my clothes were stained by my period blood, I left work early. When I reached the basement parking area, I saw Veronica standing beside my car. It seemed that she was waiting for me.

When she saw me, she gave a smug smile as her eyes were full of arrogance.

“Do you know how powerful I am?”

“If you admit defeat now and quietly withdraw from the race for Sales Manager, I’ll let you go.”

“Otherwise, I can destroy your reputation within a week. Do you believe that?”

I tilted my head slightly and looked at her, asking her back, “If you really believe I have strong connections, do you think your petty tricks will work on me?”

She laughed coldly, saying, “Girl, you’re so naive.”

“Do you know what people in this world fear most? Public opinion!”

“If your reputation gets ruined, do you really think your connections will still protect you? If things get ugly, they’ll abandon you without hesitation.”

“So, my advice? Don’t aim too high. Be a mistress, make some easy money and don’t fight over things that don’t belong to you.”

I raised my eyebrows, asking, “I heard that two capable young women suddenly resigned from the company not long ago. I guess you were the one who forced them out, too?”

Veronica didn’t look guilty at all. Instead, she smiled proudly.

“You’re quite clever.”

“You know, people still call them mistresses now. They can’t even find new jobs!”

“So, are they really mistresses?” I asked calmly.

“So what if they are? So what if they aren’t?” she said with a smirk.

“Their names are already ruined anyway.”

“If you don’t want to end up like them, you should leave while you still can.”

I shook my head, responding, “Veronica, I joined this company because of my own abilities. I won’t quit just because of your threats.”

“Oh, and let me remind you that spreading false rumors is illegal.”

I opened my car door, got inside and started the engine. As I drove away, I caught a glimpse of her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her face was twisted with rage and hatred.

Sure enough, Veronica came up with another trick after only a few quiet days. The moment I walked into the office, I noticed several colleagues smiling at me with mocking looks. Veronica sat nearby, looking extremely pleased with herself.

“I told you, didn’t I?” she said loudly.

“That slut in the photo … who else could it be?”

I ignored her and walked toward my desk, but she suddenly stretched out her leg to block my path.

“Why are you so late today? Were you tired after sleeping with someone last night?”

I frowned, asking her, “What are you talking about?”

Veronica stood up, her chin lifted proudly. “Don’t act innocent. I know everything. You spent a thousand dollars on a perm yesterday!”

“Your monthly salary is only $4,500. So, where did you get the money for such an expensive hairstyle?”

She sneered and continued, “If you’re making money with your body, just admit it! At least your clients might send you more business if you stop pretending.”

“How can you expand your business if you keep it secret all the time? I’m just helping you out. You should be thanking me for being so kind!”

I looked at her in disbelief as I asked her, “How do you even know how much I spent on a perm?”

Veronica waved her phone proudly.

“Not only do I know that, I also know which hotel you booked a room in afterward.”

She leaned closer, her voice dripping with mockery as she continued, “You’re really brave, girl. You even hooked up with Mr. Boyle from head office!”

“He’s old enough to be your father, but you still slept with him?”

I met her eyes coldly when I warned her, “Veronica, I’ll take you to court if you keep spreading lies and stirring up trouble.”

Veronica rolled her eyes that were full of scorn as she responded, “Wow, you’re unbelievable! So shameless, yet you still dare to talk about suing someone?”

“The judge would probably spit in your face the moment he heard your story.”

Several coworkers nearby started mocking me.

“Isabella, your reputation’s already gone. Stop pretending to be innocent, okay?”

“Veronica is just trying to teach you a lesson. She doesn’t want to see you go down the wrong path, so don’t be ungrateful.”

“If you’re afraid of what people will say, then stop doing those dirty things. You want to sleep around and still act like a pure woman? You’re really something, you fucking slut!”

I couldn’t help but shake with anger, shouting at them, “Who gave you the right to insult me like that? You actually believe Veronica’s nonsense? Don’t you have your own judgment?”

A colleague snorted and said with a smirk, “The photos of you sleeping with someone are already all over the internet. Do you still have no idea about it?”

“Go online and see for yourself! You might be famous soon. An internet star in minutes!”

I unlocked my phone. Sure enough, the first notification on the city’s news feed was a video of Mr. Boyle and me entering a hotel together. The headline was bold and eye-catching.

[To Get a Promotion, She Seduced A Married Manager And Became His Mistress!]

I looked at Veronica’s smug face and asked coldly, “Have you been following me?”

She raised her chin proudly, responding, “What’s the problem? You did something dirty, but now you’re afraid of being exposed?”

“I’m just doing the right thing. Standing up for justice and punishing evil. I can’t stand women like you destroying other people’s families.”

Just then, the office door slammed open. A furious woman stormed in, her face twisted with rage. Veronica immediately rushed forward with a fake smile.

“Mrs. Boyle! I’m the one who messaged you just now. This is the woman who seduced your husband!”

Mrs. Boyle glared at me with eyes full of hatred and shouted, “You shameless slut! How dare you become my husband’s mistress! Do you even know who I am, you bitch?”

Before I could react, she grabbed my hair and drove her knee into my stomach. Pain shot through me as I almost fell to the floor. Meanwhile, Veronica opened her phone camera and started a live stream.

“Everyone, look! This is the mistress from the video I just posted!”

“She earns $4,500 a month, drives a luxury car worth millions and gets her hair done at a fancy beauty salon!”

“Yesterday, I even checked and found out she had a hundred thousand dollars in her salon account and each perm costs over a thousand!”

“I kept wondering where all that money came from. Then, I saw her going into a hotel with a manager from the head office!”

People online loved gossiping about mistresses. With the earlier video already spreading, Veronica’s livestream exploded the moment it started.

[Her slutty look says it all. She’s a real pro at seducing men.]

[You must charge a fortune for that body. Is it made of gold?]

[She’s not just a mistress. She’s using her dirty status to steal someone’s job! She deserves this humiliation.]

[Girl, hit her harder! Ten more slaps, I’ll send you money!]

My cheeks burned with shame and anger. Mrs. Boyle grabbed my hair again and screamed, “You’re going to return every cent my husband spent on you! After that, you will kneel down, apologize and swear to stay away from him! If you don’t, I’ll strip you naked right here!”

I tried to explain between breaths, “I have nothing to do with Mr. Boyle! I went to the hotel with him yesterday to meet a client!”

“Nonsense! You’re just a low-level salesperson from a branch office. How could you possibly be meeting a client?”

“Stop lying to me! Do you think I’m stupid?”

Veronica jumped in eagerly, “As soon as you walked into the hotel yesterday, I went to the front desk and asked around. It was obvious you booked a room!”

I turned to her, my voice cold and steady as I told her, “Veronica, spreading lies comes with responsibility. Are you ready to take responsibility for every word you’ve said?”

Veronica sneered, responding, “What else? Ask anyone here who would believe that a manager from the head office would bring a low-level employee from a branch to meet a client?”

“Your story isn’t even believable! If you’re that desperate, why not just admit you sold yourself?”

Her vulgar tone made my whole body tremble with anger.

I met her eyes and said firmly, “You’ve got it wrong. It wasn’t Mr. Boyle who took me to meet a client. It was me who took him there.”