After getting engaged, I went back to work, handing out celebratory treats and accepting congratulations from my colleagues. Suddenly, a chilling voice cut through the cheerful atmosphere, its words sharp and grating: “A wife who’ll do your laundry, cook your meals, pop out babies, and take care of your parents – all for free.” “Plus, she’ll help you earn money, pay off your car and mortgage, and ease all your financial stress.” “The best part? She’s *happy* to do it. Honestly, she’s such a dream wife, even *I’d* consider marrying her.” “Seriously, where can I find a free live-in maid like that?” The joyous mood instantly froze. Everyone turned to stare at the speaker: Bethany. Noticing all eyes on her, Bethany just smiled, unwrapped a treat, and popped it into her mouth. “What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve?” “Must have.” Bethany chuckled, her gaze fixed on me. “Chloe, why don don’t you just call off your engagement and get engaged to *me*, marry *me*?” “You’re going to be a free maid anyway, so why not be mine?” “We’re both women, I can empathize with you way more than any man could.” “And besides, I really could use a free maid who’s willing to contribute financially and physically.” All eyes shifted to me. I shot Bethany a glance and tried to change the subject. “Don’t joke around, everyone! Don’t just stand there, grab some candy…” I didn’t finish. Bethany cut me off, winking playfully. “I’m not joking, I’m serious.” “You look like such a fool, happily counting the money for the person who just sold you out. It honestly makes me want to take advantage of you.” “I truly, genuinely want a free maid like you. I want to experience a man’s joy. Think about it.” A wave of irritation surged inside me. I took a deep breath, stopped handing out candy, and looked directly at Bethany. “You? No thanks. You don’t impress me.” Bethany, who had been smiling, didn’t seem to expect that answer. Her expression instantly stiffened. “What do you mean I don’t impress you?” “My qualifications are more than enough for someone of your caliber…” I cut her off, letting all my pent-up frustration spill out. “My fiancé is six-foot-one, handsome and clean-cut. You’re barely five feet tall. Is there really any comparison? My fiancé has abs and great stamina. You’re built like a bowling ball and get winded just walking downstairs for takeout. Is there any comparison? My fiancé owns his home and car outright, with a healthy savings account. You have no house, no car, no savings, and you barely clear three thousand a month, which is less than me! My fiancé is twenty-seven, cheerful, charming, and knows how to make a woman feel special. You’re thirty-three, a blabbermouth, and utterly venomous.” “Honestly, if you were a guy, you’d be the type who’s permanently single because no one could stand you.” “Me with you? Doing your laundry, cooking your food, having your kids? Haha, you’ve got to be kidding.” Everyone’s eyes had been on me, buzzing with excitement, ready for the drama. By the time I finished, they gasped, holding their breath, their faces even more expressive. And Bethany’s face was the most exaggerated of all. Her features twisted and contorted. With a loud bang, she slapped the table, stood up, and glared at me. “You’re lying! Don’t you dare slander me! I’m nothing like what you said…” Since I had already decided to argue, I wasn’t going to back down. I cut her off again. “I’m lying? Slandering you? Nothing like what I said? Which part? Your height? Did you lie about being five feet tall? Are you actually less than that, not even five feet? Your salary? Oh, this month you missed a few days, so you’ve been docked, making it closer to three thousand? Your age? Did you lie about that too? Are you actually… forty this year?” “Wow, you’ve aged well, can’t even tell. You look, at most… thirty-nine.” Some of the watching colleagues couldn’t hold it in and burst into laughter. Bethany, already furious, lost all control. Her eyes wide, she roared. “Shut up! Don’t you dare laugh! Get out! All of you, get out!” I was unfazed. I snatched back the celebratory treat I had just given Bethany. “At your age, you should watch your sugar intake. It’ll make you look even older. Don’t eat it! And talk less. Your breath stinks, like you haven’t brushed your teeth in forty years!” With that, I ignored Bethany’s venomous glare, turned, and walked away. A colleague hurried towards me, passing by with a snicker. “Chloe, that was amazing! She’s such a jerk, you should have stood up to her sooner!”
This wasn’t the first time Bethany had been passive-aggressive with me. When I joined the company, Bethany had already been there for two years. Initially, she was very friendly. She helped me learn the ropes at work and answered my questions. During breaks, she’d share snacks and tell me which takeout places nearby were good. I was grateful, and we quickly became close. The change happened three months after I started. My project proposal was excellent, and Mr. Davies was very pleased. He praised me and gave me a bonus. Half an hour later, Bethany was reprimanded for a work error. Her salary was docked, and Mr. Davies disparaged her, saying she wasn’t as good as the new hire—me. It was just a casual comparison from Mr. Davies, and it had nothing to do with me. But Bethany couldn’t accept it. She took it to heart. She started being passive-aggressive and belittling me. When I needed to talk to her for work, she’d give a twisted, sneering smile. “Oh, look, the company’s star new employee is here to guide this old timer. What an honor.” “Hey, even if you’re guiding me, don’t get too close. You’re dirty, so dirty!” When I shared snacks or drinks with her, she’d feign shock. “Wow, that brand is expensive! You can afford that now? Got a raise, become a rich girl, huh?” “No need to share with me, though. I don’t eat that stuff. Only my dog eats that brand.” I tried to talk to her, hoping to resolve the conflict. But it was useless. She didn’t want to. She only wanted to belittle and disgust me. It escalated over time. I’d wear a new outfit, and she’d quip, “Well, expensive clothes sure are different, you look like you raided your great-grandmother’s attic!” I’d get a new haircut, and she’d snicker, “A hundred sixty bucks for *that*? You somehow managed to look like a complete idiot – a perfect match for you!” I’d put on full makeup, and she’d joke I was ready to audition as a scare actor for a haunted house. She seized every possible opportunity to humiliate me. From initial hurt, I grew angry and wanted to argue back. But an older colleague, before leaving the company, clued me in: “You know how some people act like they’re experts on everything, from rocket science to politics? The type who, if you just nod along and agree, they’ll be thrilled, ready to treat you like their best friend. But if you dare to point out even one tiny inaccuracy, they’ll flip out, ready to kick you out of their metaphorical car. What does that tell you about that person? What do they really see you as?” Bethany was arrogant and conceited. She never saw me as a friend. What she always needed was a naive new hire, less capable than her, who would praise her and provide her with emotional validation. Now that I was familiar with the company and my skills had improved, I naturally didn’t need to flatter her. I no longer fit her criteria, so I was “to be kicked out of the car.” Besides, I came to work to earn money, making friends was just a bonus— My core purpose needed to be crystal clear. Instantly, my internal struggle vanished. I stopped dwelling on Bethany, no longer bothered by her words. I just ignored her. I ignored her so thoroughly that the entire department was shocked by my apparent lack of temper. Everyone knew I wouldn’t argue with her. I had originally planned to keep ignoring her today. After all, in my mind, she was just a buzzing fly. But she kept making me unhappy, even on such a joyous occasion. Not to curse her out, not to make her lose face, wouldn’t that be a disservice to her?
The day after I unleashed on Bethany, I went back to work on the project proposal I’d been developing for three months. I sent the latest revised document, as requested, and waited for client feedback. But after I clicked send, I froze. In the chat window, the message hadn’t gone through. All I saw was a bright red exclamation mark and the message below it: “You are no longer friends with this contact.” What? The project was progressing so well, why would they suddenly delete me? A mistake? Just as I was thinking of re-adding them, Mr. Davies suddenly called me into his office. As soon as I walked in, he slammed a file onto the desk in front of me. “I told you to speed things up, communicate more with the client, and finalize the proposal quickly!” “Look at this, look! Right at the finish line, the client bailed, saying they’re canceling the contract!” “All that time wasted, all those company resources used, for nothing!” “You… I don’t even know what to say to you!” “If you can do the job, do it! If not, get out!” I was utterly confused. I opened the file Mr. Davies had slammed down. It was the client’s information – the client I’d been communicating with for three months! They had canceled the partnership, they had deleted me. So… it wasn’t a mistake? But that couldn’t be right! I’d been on this for three months, revising the proposal countless times to meet the client’s demands. I’d pulled who knows how many all-nighters, lost who knows how much hair. Even on the morning of my engagement party, I was still working on client requests. There were many challenges, but the client’s satisfaction was high! This project had been progressing steadily, it was practically in the bag! How could it suddenly be canceled? I still couldn’t believe it. “Mr. Davies, this must be a mistake, it’s impossible…” Mr. Davies’s anger flared. “Impossible? What’s impossible?! It’s in black and white, signed and sealed! Am I forging this to trick you, or is the client tricking you?” “Your bonus for this month is gone!” “If this happens again, you can go home and be a full-time housewife!” “Get out!” Holding the file, my steps felt unsteady. A sense of unreality enveloped me. How could this be? I followed all the requirements, and the client never showed dissatisfaction before… Should I call them again to confirm, in case there was some misunderstanding? Just then, I bumped into Bethany. I was too preoccupied to deal with her, but she blocked my way. “Well, well, company superstar. Client bailed, got chewed out by Mr. Davies, huh?” I ignored her, trying to walk around her. But Bethany’s next words stopped me cold. “When there’s a free, ready-made option, who’d be dumb enough to pay big money for an identical proposal?” My steps faltered. I turned back, incredulous. “What did you say?” Bethany smirked triumphantly. She glanced left and right to make sure no one was around, then leaned close to my ear, lowering her voice. “I said, I secretly copied your data and anonymously sent it all to your client.” My eyes widened instantly. I stared hard at Bethany’s face. Mischief, mockery, triumph, glee… Bethany stared back at me. “Still don’t believe me? Then let me tell you a few data points only you would know…” Bethany casually reeled off a string of numbers. They were exact, the core data from my proposal! It really was her! A fire ignited in my heart. “You’re crazy! Why would you do this? You…” Bethany’s eyes narrowed, and she cut me off. “Why would I do this? How dare you even ask!” “Every single venomous word you used to humiliate me yesterday? I remember them all!” “You bitch, didn’t expect karma to come knocking so soon, did you?” Every single venomous word I used to humiliate her yesterday? I gritted my teeth and grabbed Bethany’s collar. “My humiliation of you wasn’t even one-thousandth of what you’ve done to me!” Bethany ripped herself free, her voice suddenly louder, her fury intensifying. “What right do you have to compare yourself to me? You’re not worthy!” “You and I are not equals! I have more seniority, I’m more capable, I’ll always be better than you!” “You should be trailing behind me, letting me promote you!” “But you didn’t!” “Not only did you not, but you dared to humiliate me, those words…” Bethany paused, took a deep breath, and spread her hands. “The client got your proposal, canceled the partnership, you got chewed out by Mr. Davies, and lost your bonus.” “After three months of working your ass off, the forty thousand dollar bonus you were about to get is gone.” “So many benefits!” “But it’s still not enough!” Bethany savored my anger, then laughed, raising her hand to lightly tap my face in disdain. “There’s more fun to come.” “Mess with me, and you’ll regret it!” Bethany finished, shoved me aside, and walked away.
Watching her leave, feeling the lingering warmth on my face, I was livid. I turned, ready to march back and explain everything to Mr. Davies. But a sliver of rationality held me back. Bethany dared to openly admit this to me, so someone must have helped her. Everything must have been prepared. I wouldn’t be able to expose her with just words. But what she did wouldn’t be flawless! There were cameras in the office, and only I knew my computer password. So she couldn’t have copied it physically. It had to be online. And if it was online, my computer, the one that was copied, must have left traces. Those traces were evidence! I swallowed my rage and returned to my desk, meticulously checking my computer. As I was sifting through files, my phone rang. Messages from my mom and Liam popped up almost simultaneously: [Daughter, I got a text from a short number saying you’re selling your body for work!] [Your dad and I both got it. It also said you have an STD. What’s going on?] [Honey, did you upset someone?] [Someone Photoshopped nude pictures of you and sent them to me and my parents from a virtual number.] [It also said ninety percent of your job opportunities came from selling your body.] [The words… were really, really disgusting…] I froze, then quickly clicked to have Liam send me screenshots of the messages. Liam initially refused. But finally, he couldn’t resist my insistence and sent them over. I opened them: [The woman you’re about to marry for hundreds of thousands in dowry? She’s been passed around countless times!] [She throws herself at any man, any job opportunity, like a slutty dog.] [Image], [Image], [Image], [Image], [Image], [Image] [You haven’t seen her acting like this, have you? You haven’t enjoyed her being so eager?] [Marry a rotten whore, you stupid man, you betrayed animal, wait till you get an STD.] [Then she, you, and your kids will all have STDs!] [Oh, I’m being optimistic. The child she gives birth to might not even be yours!] My knuckles turned white gripping the phone. My breathing hitched. Rumors! Now? Rumors about me? I didn’t even need to think who was behind it! I shot up, glaring at Bethany across the office. She was looking at me. Our eyes met, and she immediately smiled. Her lips mouthed: The, real, show, is, yet, to, come! More to come! She wasn’t stopping! My job! My reputation! My family! My single act of defiance had earned me her disgusting revenge! Now, it seemed, in her eyes, I was not only never a friend, never an equal. I was more like a dog! A dog that, upon even the slightest resistance, Bethany, its owner, would utterly destroy! I looked down at my computer, which still showed no traces, and then at my phone, displaying those vile messages. She attacks me, I passively accept, then search for her weaknesses. No, no, that’s too passive. Offense is the best defense! If she wants to play, I’ll play with her! Who’s the human and who’s the dog remains to be seen! No! There’s something… It won’t just defeat her, it could ruin her entire life!
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