At the end of the year, the company organized a team retreat to Hawaii as a reward for its employees. But right before we were supposed to leave, my female superior, Jessica, told me I wasn’t allowed to go. “There are limited spots for this retreat, someone has to stay behind and cover,” she said, a saccharine smile playing on her lips. “Your husband is the VP, Sarah. Do you really care about one trip?” Twenty-plus people were in the conference room, and not a single one spoke up. I stared at her. Five years. My performance had been number one every single year, yet my name never appeared on any commendation list. I knew Jessica was deliberately trying to suppress me. “Fine.” I nodded. “I won’t go.” Jessica froze for a second. She probably hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. I pulled out my phone. The HR manager from our rival company had called me thirty times. I’d initially rejected them, but now, I decided to call back. I stood up. “But Jessica, are you sure about this?” The conference room fell silent for three seconds. Jessica’s smile faltered, her face stiffening. “Sarah Miller, what do you mean?” “Nothing.” I walked toward the door. “I’m going to cover.” I turned and left the conference room. Whispers erupted behind me, but I didn’t look back. At the end of the hallway, the elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside. The moment the doors closed, I saw Jessica standing at the conference room entrance, her face a thundercloud. I pressed the button for the first floor. My phone vibrated. It was my husband, David. “Honey, don’t be mad. Jessica is just looking out for the company.” I stared at the message, not replying. Another one popped up: “I’ll make it up to you when I get back from the team-building trip. How about Bora Bora?” Bora Bora. They were going to Hawaii, a trip costing about twenty-eight thousand per person. He’d “compensate” me with Bora Bora. I walked to the break room and poured myself a glass of water. My phone rang again. It was my colleague, Lisa Chen. “Sarah, are you crazy? Your husband’s the VP! Why don’t you just ask him to say something?” I didn’t reply. She sent another message: “Ugh, but I guess it makes sense. What good is your performance? You only get by because your husband helps you at work.” I stared at that message for five long seconds. “Thanks to my husband.” My thirty-two million in annual sales, *that* was thanks to my husband? I put down my glass and looked out the window. The sky was as gray and heavy as my heart. The company’s WhatsApp group buzzed with team-building notifications and the list of staff staying behind. I saw my name listed alongside three interns and said nothing. Lisa immediately followed up with a laughing emoji. I exited the group chat and opened the contract details for Zenith Corp. The renewal was next week—a twelve-million-dollar order, right smack in the middle of the team-building trip. I smirked. Jessica sure knew how to pick her timing. Chloe, the receptionist, saw me and hesitated. “Ms. Miller, are you really not going?” “No.” “But…” She lowered her voice. “You’re the *only one* not going from the whole company.” I just smiled. “Someone has to cover.” She looked like she wanted to say more but held back. I knew what she wanted to say. Out of thirty-two people in the company, twenty-eight were going to Hawaii. Besides me, three interns were staying behind. Three interns. I was in my fifth year, a Sales Manager, with annual sales of thirty-two million. And I was on duty with interns. At 5:30 PM, people started trickling out. I was still at my desk. David came out of his office and walked over to me. “Honey, done for the day? Want to head home together?” I looked up at him. “Do you know about the team retreat?” He paused. “I know.” “And you didn’t say anything to help me?” He sighed heavily. “Honey, Jessica’s the Sales Director. Even though I’m the VP, sales falls under her. It’s not my place to interfere.” I just stared at him. “For three years, my performance has been number one.” “I know.” “Half of Jessica’s sales are from *my* clients.” “I… know.” “You *know*?” I stood up. “You knew she was taking credit for my work, and you stayed silent. You knew she was pushing me out, and you stayed silent. Now she’s got me on shift with interns, and you’re *still* silent?” “Sarah…” “David, you’re my husband.” He opened his mouth, but no words came out. I picked up my bag. “I’m going home by myself.” “Honey!” I didn’t stop. The moment the elevator doors closed, I saw him standing there, his face a roadmap of conflict. The parking garage was quiet. I got into my car and started the engine. My phone rang. David: “Honey, please don’t be angry. I’ll explain everything when I get home.” I didn’t reply. I’d been married to David for three years. He was a VP, and I was just a manager. Everyone thought I’d married above my station. Including Jessica. The first day she met me, she’d said: “Oh, so you’re David Miller’s wife? Work hard under me, don’t embarrass your husband.” Back then, I was a new hire, with zero sales. Now I had thirty-two million in sales, and she still looked at me with that same disdain. When I got home, David wasn’t back yet. I changed my clothes and sat on the couch, lost in thought. The doorbell rang. It was Mrs. Miller, David’s mom. “David told me you’re in a bad mood?” “No, I’m not.” “What’s all this fuss about team-building trips? You’re just an office drone at that company, what difference does it make if you go or not?” I looked at her. “Mom, I’m a Sales Manager, not an office drone.” “Manager, drone, whatever. You’re still working for someone else.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You just focus on what’s important: taking good care of David and giving me a grandson.” I took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen. I opened the fridge; it was completely bare. “Mom, where are all the groceries?” “Oh, I took them.” Her voice floated in from the living room. “Emily’s pregnant, she needs the nutrition.” My hand, gripping the fridge door, tightened. Three years. Three years of marriage, and David’s mom never once looked at me as an equal. She thought I’d married above my station, that I wasn’t good enough for her son. I closed the fridge door. I walked to the window, looking out at the night. It was time to take action. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. “Hello, is this Ms. Amanda Stone, HR Director at Ascend Solutions?” “It is. Who’s calling?” “This is Sarah Miller from Nexus Innovations. The new position you offered, I’m willing to consider it.” Amanda on the other end seemed surprised, but quickly regained her professional composure. “Ms. Miller, hello. I know who you are. Ascend Solutions is very interested in you. If it’s convenient, we can meet to discuss further.” “Alright. Tomorrow at 3 PM. Please send me the address.” I hung up the phone and looked out the window.
The next day, I went to work as usual. The atmosphere in the office was a little strange. Passing by the break room, I heard people chatting inside. “Did you hear? Sarah isn’t going on the team retreat.” “She’s not going? Jessica isn’t letting her go.” “Why not?” “What else? Her husband’s the VP. Jessica’s probably afraid she’ll steal her thunder.” “Pfft, with her sales numbers, *she’ll* steal thunder?” “You don’t know? Her sales are actually…” The voices suddenly stopped. I pushed the door open and walked in. The two female colleagues’ faces changed, and they quickly grabbed their cups and left. I poured myself a coffee, saying nothing. My phone vibrated. It was Jessica. “Sarah, my office, now.” I put down my cup and walked over. Jessica sat behind her desk, a smile on her face. “Sit.” I sat down. “No issues with the team retreat, right?” “None.” She nodded. “Good. Oh, and the Zenith Corp contract is up for renewal next week. Get all the materials ready; I’ll handle the negotiation myself.” I looked at her. “Zenith is my client.” “It’s the *company’s* client,” she corrected me, her smile fading slightly. “You’re just the liaison.” “Mr. Edwards only deals with me.” “Mr. Edwards deals with *deals*,” she countered, her eyes holding no warmth. “Sarah, you’ve been at this company for five years. You should understand one thing: clients belong to the company, not to you personally.” I said nothing. She continued, “You do your job covering. I’ll take care of Zenith.” I stood up. “Jessica, are you *sure* you want to handle this yourself?” She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “Nothing.” I turned to leave. At the door, I paused. “Jessica, Zenith Corp’s annual order is twelve million dollars, accounting for 35% of the company’s revenue.” “I know.” “Good that you know.” I pushed the door open and stepped out. Behind me, Jessica’s voice rang out: “Sarah, you better not be trying anything funny.” I didn’t look back.
At lunchtime, I skipped the cafeteria and went to a coffee shop downstairs by myself. Amanda was already there. She looked like a very capable woman. “Ms. Miller, hello.” She handed me a file. “Here’s the detailed information about Ascend Solutions. Take a look.” I opened it and read carefully. Regional Sales Director for the East Coast, an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars, plus commission. “Amanda,” I said, using her first name, “I wanted to ask, if I bring my clients with me, would the company be open to that?” She smiled. “Ms. Miller, Ascend Solutions is hiring you precisely because of your client base. Especially Zenith Corp.” “So, for Zenith…” “If you can bring the Zenith order with you, the company will give you an additional bonus.” She paused. “However, you’ll need to handle it cleanly, avoiding any legal complications.” I nodded. “I understand.” “How long will you need to consider, Ms. Miller?” I looked at her. “Amanda, I have one condition.” “Go ahead.” “I need my start date to be in a week.” She thought for a moment. “That works. It’ll be right after the team retreat ends.” “Then it’s settled.” I returned to the office that afternoon and went straight to the fire escape, dialing Mr. Edwards. “Mr. Edwards, it’s me, Sarah Miller.” “Sarah, what’s up?” “Regarding the renewal next week, the company might be replacing me with Director Jessica Reed to liaison.” “Jessica? Never heard of her.” Mr. Edwards’ tone was blunt. “Sarah, I work with your company *because* of you. If they change my contact, there’s no deal.” “Mr. Edwards, I understand.” I paused. “What if… I’m no longer with this company?” Silence on the other end for a few seconds. “You’re leaving?” “Yes. An opportunity came up.” Mr. Edwards laughed. “Then the contract here, I’ll follow you. I deal with *you*, Sarah Miller. When’s a good time to firm up the details?” “Great. Thank you, Mr. Edwards.” A twelve-million-dollar order, and I could take it with a single phone call. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Back at my desk, Lisa leaned over. “Sarah, were you just in Jessica’s office?” “Yeah.” “What did you guys talk about?” “Nothing.” She scoffed. “Don’t be ungrateful. Jessica putting you on duty means she trusts you.” I turned to look at her. “Lisa, what were your sales last year?” She froze. “What’s it to you?” “I think it was around three point eight million, right?” Her face changed. “My sales were thirty-two million.” I turned back to my computer. “That’s over eight times yours.” Her face flushed crimson. “You… What’s so great about you! It’s all because of your husband!” I ignored her. She huffed and turned away. At closing time, David came to find me. “Honey, dinner together?” “No, I have plans.” “What plans?” “Work stuff.” I picked up my bag. “You go eat by yourself.” “Sarah…” I didn’t stop, walking into the elevator. I arrived at the agreed-upon coffee shop with Amanda and signed the letter of intent. Everything went smoothly. Stepping out of the coffee shop, the evening breeze blew on my face—a little chilly, but very refreshing. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Mr. Edwards: “Mr. Edwards, it’s confirmed. Please proceed with the plan and call Jessica Reed next Monday.” He quickly replied: “No problem. Waiting for your good news.”
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