"But don't worry about paying me for those extra minutes. I've always been reasonable like that."
The moment those words left my mouth, I felt a weight lift off my chest.
The line went dead silent for a long time, like the calm before a downpour.
While I waited, I scrolled through the work group chat to catch up. It turned out that without me there to help, the negotiation with that client fell apart completely. The company took a massive loss over it, and the owner personally called Vivian to chew her out.
On top of that, since I hadn't picked up any of the miscellaneous tasks people usually dumped on me, everyone's workload shot up overnight. Nobody could adjust, and productivity tanked across the board. By the end of the day, the entire office was in shambles.
It wasn't until they were truly desperate that they started calling me. But I'd already turned on "Do Not Disturb" after clocking out, so I never got a single one.
Vivian stayed quiet on the line for what felt like forever. Finally, she forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Fine. I got it, Sadie. Just make sure you're at your desk on time tomorrow."
I knew she was up to something, but I didn't care anymore. I was almost out the door for good. There wasn't much she could do to me now.
The next morning, I arrived at my desk right on time. But Vivian still came looking for me.
She approached with a smile. "Sadie, this company isn't some kind of torture chamber. There's no need to avoid it like the plague, is there? Just be honest with me. If you have a problem with me, I can sort it out."
I laughed to myself. Of course. All that smiling was just a fox circling the henhouse.
I understood exactly why she was doing this. If she could've just fired me outright, she would have. The fact that she only docked my pay told me I was too valuable to let go.
She wanted to use the contract to keep me in line, but she didn't actually want me to leave. The only flaw in her little scheme was her terrible memory. She'd forgotten exactly when my contract expired.
I kept my composure. "Vivian, what are you talking about? Of course I don't have a problem with you. We've worked together for years now. Why would I?"
Seeing me play along, she dropped the subject of last night entirely. Instead, she scribbled something on my pay sheet and knocked off another 200 dollars.
"Sorry, Sadie. I told everyone to be here on time today, but you were late."
I stared at her in confusion and was just about to argue when she cut me off, feigning surprise.
"Oh, I forgot. I announced it during overtime last night. Everyone was supposed to come in half an hour early today.
"But since you didn't stay for overtime, you must have missed it. You should really keep up with your messages after hours so you don't miss anything important. Understood?"
She bit down hard on that last word. It was a warning, plain and simple.
Then she tossed a file onto my desk. "I'm leaving on a business trip soon, so I need you to take over this. It's a new deal, and the client is one of those tough ones you've closed before. Take Hailey with you this time and get it done."
"Next week we'll be bidding against Yorker Corp, and I'll be there for that. But once we win the bid, don't hog the spotlight in front of the boss. Give the younger people a chance to shine. Got it?"
She didn't wait for my response before someone called her away, and she was gone.
I had to hand it to her. She played her cards well. Everyone knew Hailey was her niece. This whole thing was designed to let me pave the road, then hand everything over to Hailey before kicking me to the curb.
I knew it had always bothered her that I was better at my job than she was and that the boss valued me more. That was why she'd been quietly undermining me all along, trying to strip away my influence piece by piece.
But I wasn't going to fall for it.
It was Tuesday, just three days until I was gone. And in those three days, I wasn't going to touch this deal.
After all, in three days, I'd be reporting to Yorker Corp as their newest hire. Leaking confidential information was illegal, and I'd never do something like that.
But showing up just to rub it in her face? That I was absolutely going to do.
"Vivian, I'll be there for the bid. Just not as your employee."
Hailey walked in and picked up the file.
I followed her out, but she immediately assumed I was trying to steal the credit. "Sadie, Vivian said I'm taking the lead on this one. You're just here to assist. So don't overstep."
The second I heard that, a weight lifted off my shoulders. I'd just been racking my brain trying to figure out how to distance myself from this deal. Now I didn't have to lift a finger.
A little while later, I casually dropped some bait around the office. "Wendy, I heard this deal is a big one. The boss is apparently paying close attention to it personally. If it goes well, interns could get brought on full-time, and senior staff could get promoted. Anything's possible."
Wendy eagerly agreed, playing right into it. Hailey, sitting across from me, didn't say a word, but I could practically see the gears turning behind her eyes.
Right before the end of the day, she came straight to me. "Sadie, I'm the lead on this project. You know that, right?"
I nodded.
"Then you don't need to be involved at all. I'll let Vivian know."
I was laughing on the inside, knowing she'd taken the bait, but I put on an irritated front. "Hailey, what's that supposed to mean? Are you messing with me? What if something goes wrong and they pin the blame on me?"
Seeing me dig my heels in, she snapped. "Then what do you want?"
I smiled. "A written statement confirming that during my employment with the company, I was not involved in or given access to any part of this project's bidding, pricing, or proposals. That's the only way to make sure nobody pins anything on me later."
We went back and forth for a while, but she eventually agreed. Before the end of the day, I had the document in hand. With that in my pocket, no one could come after me down the road.
Over the next few days, Hailey and the team she'd handpicked busied themselves with the deal while I quietly wrapped up everything for my departure. I also made a point of screenshotting the work group chat every single day, proving I hadn't touched anything related to the project.
Finally, my contract expired, and I walked out cleanly.
On my last day, a group of coworkers gathered around. They looked genuinely sad to see me go, insisting they'd take me out for dinner. Hailey, on the other hand, looked downright smug, convinced I'd been fired.
Just before I left, she strolled over to my desk. I didn't even have to look up to know exactly what kind of expression she was wearing.
"Sadie, so you're leaving, huh? Wait, you didn't get fired, did you? Well, if you ever need anything, feel free to reach out. Maybe I can put in a good word for you."
I didn't bother responding. I just turned around and walked out of the building.
Even though things ended on an ugly note, this place really did shape who I was. But now, it was time to move on.
The bid was only three days away, and I didn't waste a second of it resting. Every spare moment went into preparation.
This wasn't just about showing anyone up. It was about proving what I was capable of and earning myself the kind of opportunity I deserved.
The day arrived quickly. I walked into the building alongside the Yorker Corp team, and not far behind, Hailey filed in with hers.
Just before the bidding started, I felt a sudden urge to use the restroom and hurried off. Because of that, I missed the initial lineup entirely, and Vivian didn't spot me.
By the time I got back, things were just getting underway. I didn't stare openly, but I could feel Hailey panicking beside me.
Three companies were competing in total. The first wrapped up quickly, and Hailey's team was up second.
Right around then, Vivian and the boss finally showed up, fashionably late.
The moment she walked in, Vivian barked across the room. "Sadie Lawson, get up on that stage right now! What do you think you're doing standing with a competitor?"
