With that, I opened Microsoft Word and started pretending to be busy.

I did not expect that with five minutes left until the end of the workday, Summer would already be standing beside me with her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Wait, why haven't you started packing up? Do I seriously have to wait for you?"

Annoyed, I crossed my arms and looked at her. "Summer, I told you this morning, I'm not a good driver."

She snorted, pulled out her phone, and played a video for me. The footage showed me driving into the company garage that morning, smoothly reversing into a parking spot in one go.

"Liar. I went to the security room and checked the surveillance footage. You parked in one move. Even my husband has to adjust twice! Stop wasting my time and let's go!"

The moment I saw her, my anger had already been simmering. After all this, though? I could not hold it in anymore.

I stood up and glared at her.

"Summer! Doesn't your husband have a car? Why isn't he driving you?! Is the kid not his? If you want a ride, fine! Pay me like you would for a private chauffeur! And sign a liability waiver. If anything happens to you in my car, I'm not responsible!"

Summer was stunned by my sudden change in attitude. She stared at me in shock, her lips trembling, unable to respond.

After a long pause, she finally snapped, "Alright, you dare talk to me like this? Just you wait!"

Then, she stormed off, one hand cradling her belly, the other supporting her waist.

I had never been pregnant before, but come on… Three weeks in, and she was already acting like this?

I knew she would not bother me again today, so I happily packed my bag, ready to head home.

Just then, a colleague walked over and whispered, "Sophia, Summer is infamous in this building. She's a nightmare to deal with, but since there are a lot of us, she can't pick on just one person for too long. Just go along with it; you really don't need to argue with her. You're only making things hard for yourself."

It was Harold.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Your car really in the shop?"

He glanced at the HR department and made sure Summer had left. He then scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled.

I sighed, exasperated. "So you'd rather not drive at all and make up a lame excuse than just outright refuse her ridiculous request? Is everyone else like this too?"

He nodded helplessly.

Other colleagues, overhearing our conversation, started gathering around, venting about Summer's antics.

Apparently, there was a time when she had food poisoning, vomiting, and diarrhea. The hospital confirmed it was caused by undercooked food she ate the night before. She had bought it in a group order with other colleagues, so the next day, she showed up with a reimbursement form, demanding they split her medical expenses.

She was even more outrageous as of late. She used to live near the office, but after moving farther away, coincidentally right when she got pregnant, she took advantage of her position to pull a list of colleagues who drove nice cars and created a carpool schedule for them to take turns driving her.

If anyone refused? Their attendance records for the month would mysteriously be marked with absences.

The more I listened, the deeper my frown became.

An HR specialist… with this much power?

I looked at my frustrated colleagues and asked, "You're the ones enabling her. What, just because she's pregnant, she gets a free pass? Or is the baby yours?"

Harold turned pale with fright and waved his hands frantically. "Hey, don't joke like that! You don't understand, she's got connections."

That piqued my curiosity.

Seeing my eyes light up, Harold lowered his voice and whispered, "She's the niece of our big boss, Manson Leeds. His actual niece."

… Huh?

She was Manson's niece?

Then who was I?

It only took a few days of observation for me to piece things together.

A few days later, my uncle returned from an overseas business trip. As soon as he got back, he messaged me to come to his office.

When I pushed open the door, Summer was already there, tidying up the office.

Seeing me enter, my uncle told her, "Summer, step out for a moment. Take the chocolates on the desk and share them around. I bought them abroad."

Summer shot me a glare of pure resentment before grudgingly picking up the chocolates and walking out.

However, before she left, she conveniently left a reimbursement form on the desk.

One glance told me it was for the taxi fare from the day I refused to give her a ride.

As soon as Summer left, my uncle eagerly pulled a fishing rod out of the cabinet.

"My dear niece, how's your internship going? Think you can take over tomorrow? I want to go deep-sea fishing! Just got this new rod. I have to try it out!"

I shrugged helplessly. "Uncle, I've only been here for a few days. You better keep being the boss here for a while longer."

He told me that, per my request, he had only informed one senior executive about our relationship. No one else in the company knew. He wanted me to focus on my work, grow into the role, and take over as soon as possible so he could finally step down.

This company was founded by my grandfather, but both my mom and uncle were too carefree to take it seriously.

Grandpa adored his daughter, so after my mom sweet-talked him, my uncle was forced to take over the company.

Since I finally graduated, it was finally my turn to be dragged into the mess.

I knew my uncle had been itching to hand things away. It had taken some serious effort to keep him patient for this long.

When I returned to my desk, I saw Summer handing out chocolates.

A bootlicking colleague asked where they were from. They looked fancy.

She lowered her voice mysteriously. "Mr. Leeds brought them back from overseas for me. But I'm pregnant, so I can't eat too much sugar. I'll share them with you guys."

Everyone looked at her admiringly when they heard what she said. Someone even fanned the flames. "Wow, Mr. Leeds really takes care of you! And he doesn't have kids… Does that mean the company will be yours one day?"

Summer waved her hand shyly, feigning modesty. "What are you saying? Mr. Leeds and I aren't even related."

The suck-ups immediately chimed in like a well-rehearsed comedy act.

"Ohhh, we get it, we get it."

Get what, you morons?

Then someone started calling her CEO as a joke, and she completely lost herself in the moment.

So this was her game, dropping vague hints to let people misunderstand.

Summer's smug expression faded when she noticed my look of disdain.

She strutted over to me and said in a sickly sweet tone, "Sorry, Sophia, all the chocolate's gone. There's none left for you."

I waved it off, unfazed. "That's fine. I don't like chocolate anyway."

Besides, my uncle had stuffed my entire trunk with souvenirs.

She let out a sneering laugh. "Oh? Did your sugar daddy buy you some too?"

At those words, my colleagues exchanged glances. Some started whispering.

"No wonder she can afford such an expensive car."

"You guys heard? She didn't even go through an interview. She just got parachuted in."

"She was just in the boss's office alone. Bet her sugar daddy knows Mr. Leeds and told him to look after her."

"Must be some old guy."

"Screw this, I don't want to work hard anymore!"

I stood up, towering over Summer, and retorted without mercy, "Oh, right, of course! If a young woman drives an expensive car and eats expensive chocolate, she must have a sugar daddy, huh?

"Then when your mom gave birth to you, did she lose the baby and take something from the toilet home instead? Because your mouth sure smells like it!"

She turned purple with rage.

Storming back into the HR office, she immediately altered my attendance records for the month.

She had already been marking me late and leaving early every day just because I refused to give her a ride. At this point, she was fully abusing the little power she had.

Unfortunately for her, she had messed with the wrong person.

A moment later, as if still unsatisfied, she messaged me on WhatsApp.

[Your team hasn't completed the referral task this month. You must recommend a few candidates for interviews and ensure at least one gets hired. Otherwise, it will affect your internship evaluation.]

I chuckled. If my fishing-obsessed uncle saw this, he might just apply himself.

Before I could even reply, she sent a few more messages.

[I've seen plenty of clueless rookies like you who think they can 'fix' workplace politics just because they learned a few snappy comebacks. You're no match for me.]

[Get someone with a nice car to join the company, and I'll let your past disrespect slide. I'll even fix your attendance records.]

[It's your turn to drive me home today. Also, remember to pick me up tomorrow morning and bring me breakfast. A bacon sandwich with two extra eggs.]

Not worried about high cholesterol, huh?

As soon as she saw I had read the message, she quickly retracted the last three texts.

Of course, I had already taken a screenshot and dropped it into our rant group chat.

[Any rich kids looking for a job? Playing alone is getting boring. Join me!]

My best friend, Cindy Smith, responded almost instantly. [How could I miss out on such a great opportunity? Do you get a referral bonus?]

[Yep. 50 bucks for an interview, 200 for getting hired.]

[Deal! We'll split it 50-50. That's enough for a dinner.]

I grinned.

Cindy did not just have a nice car.

She was a race car driver.

Since Summer loved hitching rides so much, we would let her have the ride of her life.

As expected, five minutes before the end of the workday, Summer's message arrived, [Remember to pack up early and clock out on time.]

I sent her a picture of my uncle's old second-hand car. [Mhm, this is tonight's ride.]

[?]

[.]

After work, I grabbed my keys and rushed to HR to find her, only to be told she was already downstairs waiting for her rideshare.

How boring.

40 minutes later, Summer sent me a screenshot of her ride receipt.

[38.79. Just give me 40. I can't keep expensing rides. This should be your responsibility.]

I ignored her and instead messaged my uncle. [Dear Uncle, has Summer from HR ever saved your life?]

He replied with a single question mark.

Then, I responded to Summer, [Summer, I found a friend to interview. She'll pick you up for work tomorrow morning! I'll deduct the fare from my referral bonus.]

She replied instantly, [What car? Send me a picture.]

After seeing Cindy's limited-edition sports car, she could barely contain her excitement, though she still had to take a jab at me.

[Your friend is more capable than you.]

Then, she sent an address and ordered me to pick her up at 7:30 a.m. on the dot.

The next morning, Cindy and I arrived early, waiting outside Summer's building.

Right on time, she appeared—no, waddled, downstairs, supported by a pig-like man.

Summer, acting all high and mighty, said, "Sophia, there's still time. Have your friend lend my husband the car for a quick spin. He's been eyeing this model."

Cindy snorted. "Can he afford it? There are only three in the world."

"What did you say?" Summer did not seem to catch that.

I quickly smoothed things over. "She meant, oh, you're not buying it because you don't like it."

Summer rolled her eyes. "Cut the nonsense. Hurry up, we can't be late. I have to set a good example."

Cindy shot me a look. I winked back.

Her expression said, 'Should I let him drive it?'

Mine said, 'Up to you.'

Cindy glanced at Summer's greasy, grimy husband and muttered impatiently, "Summer, you have terrible taste. I really don't want him touching my car. He'll leave grease all over the steering wheel."

Summer did not hear her clearly.

I immediately stepped in again. "She means, you're living the good life. Your husband is so handsome. Just gripping the steering wheel makes him look like a dream."

Cindy panicked. "Wait, is that what I said?!"

Before I could smooth things over again, Summer suddenly stiffened.

She protectively placed herself in front of her pig-husband, eyeing us suspiciously. "I almost forgot what kind of people you two are. Don't think you can set your sights on my husband."

Then she turned to him. "Just go home. It's not even that great of a car. If you want to drive one, we can just test drive at a dealership."

Cindy muttered under her breath, "Limited edition! Even test driving requires a financial background check. How much money do they think they have?"

I quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and shoved Summer into the car.