My Secretary Stole My Credit and Smeared My Name

I sold my shares in the startup Id built from the ground up, ready to get married.
But the two partners who had sworn theyd never marry anyone but me? They didn't know.
They were too busy throwing a celebration for the new assistant.
I was the one who landed that deal, drinking with the client until my stomach bled. But while I was passed out, the new assistant, Sophie, left me alone in the hotel room. She took the signed contract back to the office and claimed all the credit. And just like that, my partners believed her.
The next day, pictures of me "asleep in bed" circulated through the company group chat. Everyone was whispering that Id slept my way to the top.
Lying in a hospital bed, I called them, desperate to explain. But they cut me off.
"Dont bother coming up with some pathetic lie about stomach issues. Youre the woman who drinks eight cups of coffee a day. Stop playing the victim."
"Sophies a hero. Were celebrating her right now. Dont ruin the mood."

The day I returned to the office, I sold my shares to their biggest competitor. Then I made a call home.
"Ill marry him. You can tell the Vance family to start planning the wedding."

1
Gary and Scott were just walking into my office when they heard me. Their brows shot up.
"Wedding? What wedding?"
It was only ten days away. There was no point in hiding it.
"My wedding. Ill send you both an invitation."
They didnt believe me.
Just then, my mother sent over a dozen different wedding dress designs, my phone buzzing incessantly.
They leaned over my shoulder, their eyes widening as they saw the sketches.
Garys face soured. "Mina, whats this? Are you playing dress-up?"
Scott interrogated me like I was on trial. "Youre a workaholic. You dont even have a boyfriend. Who are you marrying?"
The irony was crushing. These were the two men who had vowed to spend their lives with me. Now they just looked ridiculous.
Sophie, holding a stack of papers for them to sign, overheard our conversation. Her face was a mask of disbelief.
"Ms. Thorne, youre not marrying Mr. Davis, are you? I heard hes already married. That would be really inappropriate."
Thanks to her, the entire company now thought I was having an affair with our biggest client.
My eyes went cold as I looked at her.
"Not knocking before you enter my office is just bad manners. But stealing my credit and spreading vile rumors about me? Is that just ignorance of the law?"
My sharp tone made Sophies eyes well up with tears.
She wrung her hands, apologizing profusely. "Ms. Thorne, I didnt I never thought people would misunderstand like that. But you and Mr. Davis, in that hotel room"
She trailed off, blushing as if she couldnt bring herself to finish the sentence.
But it was enough. Gary and Scotts faces darkened.
The way they looked at me was dripping with contempt.
"That's enough!" Gary snapped. "If you didn't want people to know, you shouldn't have done it. Don't take out your own humiliation on Sophie."
"Shes just looking out for you," Scott added. "Mr. Davis is old enough to be your father. Are you really that determined to be a homewrecker?"
I laughed, a bitter, angry sound. Without another word, I kicked all three of them out of my office.
Years of friendship, five years of building a dream together, and they didn't trust me. They trusted a girl whod been at the company for less than two months.
I refused to let them get to me. I went back to looking at the dress designs.
Not two minutes later, Gary made an announcement in the group chat. I was to switch offices with Sophie.
The reason? As his assistant, Sophies office needed to be closer to his and Scotts to "increase efficiency."
In a chat with hundreds of people, half of them immediately started congratulating Sophie, sucking up to the new favorite.
But I still had a few loyal people on my side. Someone immediately questioned the decision.
Sophie was a fresh graduate, two months into her first job. Giving her the general managers office felt wrong.
I was about to privately message them to back off when Sophie sent a voice note to the group, her voice thick with tears.
"Gary, its all my fault. I was so focused on the contract that night that I didnt take care of Mina. I dont deserve her office. Im too ashamed to even face her. Im officially resigning!"
Her sobbing voice was so fake it made my stomach turn.
Scott kicked open my glass door, his eyes blazing. "Look what youve done! Pack your things and clear out for Sophie. I dont want you bullying a young girl whos just starting her career."
Gary, right behind him, urged me to hurry up, all while typing a comforting message to Sophie in the group chat.
Then someone shouted that Sophie had gone up to the roof. The color drained from both of their faces. They sprinted out of my office and towards the emergency stairs.
As I watched their frantic figures disappear, I pulled out my phone and contacted the person who had expressed interest in buying my shares.

2
Gary and Scott's arch-nemesis, Kevin, had somehow heard I was selling. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
I checked the email Id sent to Gary and Scott. It had been exactly thirty days.
Their lack of a reply meant they had forfeited their right of first refusal.
Kevin had given me three days to consider, but I replied instantly, telling him we could sign the papers now.
By the time Gary and Scott had coaxed Sophie back from the ledge, I hadnt moved a single thing from my desk. They were losing their patience.
"It's an office swap, not a cross-country move. Why is it taking you so long?"
Sophie bit her lip, her eyes red and swollen as she looked at me. "Ms. Thorne, Im sorry, I don't really need this office"
"It's fine. If you like it, its yours. You can have the general manager title, too."
My words sent fresh tears streaming down Sophies face. All traces of the ruthless credit-stealer were gone.
"Mina, what is with the sarcasm?" Scott snapped. "It's just an office. Do you have to be so petty?"
I'd already sold my shares. I couldn't care less about the damn office.
The disdain on my face clearly enraged Scott.
He strode over and swept my few personal belongings off the desk and onto the floor outside.
Gary gave me a cold glance before personally helping Sophie arrange her new space.
HR was in and out, bringing potted plants and fresh flowers. You'd think they were decorating a princess's chamber.
Finally, the day ended. Gary tapped on my temporary desk. "Don't leave when you clock out. We're having a team dinner to celebrate Sophies new office."
I was a little stunned. A new office warranted a celebration?
But I didn't refuse. I figured it would be my last dinner with my old colleagues.
At the restaurant, I realized that the few employees who had defended me in the group chat were gone. Gary had fired them all on trumped-up charges.
I messaged each of them.
They told me Gary and Scott had ordered them not to contact me, threatening to blacklist them from the industry if they did.
To appease Sophie, they had no problem sacrificing loyal, veteran employees.
After that public execution, no one else dared to cross them for my sake.
One of them even tried to kick me while I was down. "Mina, you missed Sophie's last celebration. You'd better toast her properly tonight. If she hadn't closed that deal, who knows what else you would have had to sacrifice."
His insinuation brought back the disgusting things Id overheard in the restroom earlier that day.
"Mina has some serious nerve, showing her face after hiding for so long."
"What does she need a face for? Shes the type who just spreads her legs to close a deal."

Ignoring the stares, I poured myself a glass of soda and took a small sip.
Gary's face went cold. He snatched the glass and poured it out.
Scott seamlessly filled it back up with hard liquor. "You nearly drove Sophie to suicide today. A drink to apologize isnt too much to ask, is it?"
"Besides, you owe her one from the last party you skipped."
Without a second thought, I threw the drink in Scotts face. "Who the hell is she to deserve a toast from me?"
Everyone gasped.
Gary, ever the stoic one, just poured another glass and pushed it toward me. "Mina, this is for team unity. You're drinking it, whether you like it or not."
Sophie put on a show of defending me. "Gary, it's okay. I know Ms. Thorne looks down on me. If she doesn't want to drink, let's just drop it. Its not worth fighting over."
But Scott, dripping with alcohol, wasn't having it.

3
Furious, he grabbed me when I wasn't looking and forced the glass to my lips, pouring the liquor down my throat.
"You, who sell your body for contracts, what right do you have to look down on Sophie?"
The two men who once feared a single drop of alcohol might harm me were now force-feeding it to me for Sophies sake.
And their words were just as foul.
The fiery liquid burned a path from my throat to my stomach. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
But neither of them noticed my distress. They were too busy pouring Sophie her favorite juice.
Sophie downed her drink in one go, then smiled sweetly at me. "Ms. Thorne, thank you for your sacrifice. Ill work even harder from now on."
Anyone else would think she was just talking about the office, but I saw something more in her eyes.
She was determined to conquer Gary and Scott.
"Well then, I wish you a speedy promotion to Mrs. Boss."
I finished, clutching my stomach as I tried to get to the restroom.
Gary blocked my path. "You had two sips of alcohol. Is that an excuse to talk nonsense and then fake being sick?"
The burning pain in my stomach was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.
I looked up at Gary, my eyes stinging. "I just got out of the hospital for a bleeding ulcer, and you force me to drink?"
His hand, holding me back, froze. "Can't you come up with a more believable excuse? You've been drinking for years and never had a problem before."
Scott, the one whod poured the drink down my throat, also accused me of lying. "I barely got a drop in you. You can drink anyone under the table. Dont be so dramatic."
Of course it wasnt dramatic. They werent the ones in pain.
It used to be that when Scott saw me drinking with clients, hed ask, "Mina, there will always be other clients. Is one deal worth all this?"
Back then, he and Gary would look at me, drunk and exhausted, with tears in their eyes.
Theyd make me hangover soup, take turns staying up all night by my side, just to hand me a glass of warm water when I was thirsty. The next day, theyd go to the office with dark circles under their eyes and work like madmen, terrified of wasting my efforts.
We survived the hardest parts of building a company from scratch. The two men who swore they'd marry only me were now using Sophie as a weapon to destroy me.
"I just need to use the restroom. Is that so dramatic?"
My stomach was cramping so badly I could barely speak, leaning against the wall just to stay upright.
A male colleague was the first to notice something was wrong and got up to help me.
But Gary pushed him away, refusing to let him touch me. "Mina, is this your trick? You get drunk, play the damsel in distress, and thats how you land your male clients?"
The colleague who tried to help me flushed with embarrassment. "Gary, I think you're mistaken. Look at her, she really doesn't look well."
Scott scoffed. "She knows she's embarrassed herself. Shes just putting on a show."
I couldn't blame him for not seeing it. For years, no matter how sick I felt after drinking, Id always powered through it like a soldier.
This was the path I chose, and I was determined to see it through.
I loved the grind of a startup; I loved the validation that came with success.
In their eyes, I was made of steel.
Sophie, having enjoyed the drama long enough, now played the part of the concerned friend, pushing a cup of hot water into my hands. "Ms. Thorne, no matter how you landed the deal, youre a hero to this company. Were all grateful for your contribution."
Her words were like gasoline on a fire.
Gary, who had been supporting me, snatched his hand away as if I were contaminated.
"Since you don't want to be here, you should just go home."
He then marched over to the sink and began scrubbing his hands obsessively.
Under the contemptuous gazes of everyone in the room, I clutched my stomach and turned to leave.
But Sophie wouldn't let me go.
As she grabbed me, the scalding water from her cup sloshed out, and I instinctively pushed her away.
The hot water splashed all over both our hands.
Scott rushed over, yelling for a waiter to bring an ice pack for Sophie.
He didn't see that most of the water had landed on my hand.
Sophie had a red spot the size of a quarter. My entire hand was crimson.
Gary came back from washing his hands, saw Sophie on the verge of tears, and his anger finally boiled over.

4
"Mina, have you no shame? Sophie was trying to help you, and you have to attack her?"
In that moment, a wave of grief and betrayal washed over me. I fought back the tears, a bitter smile on my face.
Seeing me smile, Gary dragged me in front of Sophie. "I don't know how you can find the nerve to smile. Apologize to Sophie. Now."
Scott, busy applying ice to Sophie's hand, chimed in, "She has to apologize! If a girl gets a scar from a burn, it's a disaster!"
My hand was trembling as I held it out, showing them the angry red burn. Scott didnt even look. He just slapped it away.
The impact sent a fresh wave of searing pain through my hand.
Gary watched me like a hawk. "What? You won't apologize? Are you going to hit her again?"
I shouldn't have even tried to show them I was hurt too.
A colleague sitting nearby saw my burn and spoke up hesitantly. "Gary, Minas hand is burned too"
Gary frowned, and for a second, instinct took over. He grabbed my hand to inspect it.
I saw a flicker of concern in his eyes.
But then Sophie let out a pained hiss, and he dropped my hand like it was hot coal.
"Serves you right! If you hadn't been causing trouble, you wouldn't have gotten burned. You're a menace to yourself and everyone else. Just looking at you is annoying."
"Apologize and get out."
An apology was impossible. But I wouldn't humiliate myself any further.
Seeing my defiance, Sophie pouted, feigning strength. "Gary, I'm fine. You should take Mina to the hospital. Burns really, really hurt ah!"
Her sudden cry of pain sent Gary and Scott into a panic, both scrambling to check her hand again.
In the chaos, someone even called 911.
I had no interest in watching the rest of their farce. I turned and walked away without a second thought.
Sometime during dinner, it had started to rain. As I stood outside, wondering if I should just make a run for it, Scott came out.
I thought for a moment that his conscience had kicked in. But he just threw a jacket at me. "Get your things together. Stop leaving stuff everywhere and expecting me and Gary to clean up after you."
I glanced down at my light-colored blazer, now soaked with red wine, and tossed it into the nearest trash can.
Scott was furious. "Mina, what is your problem?"
He and Gary had given me that custom-made suit together.
They used to fight over whose gifts I wore. Eventually, they started splitting the cost of everything so there would be no question of favoritism.
"Its stained. Its trash."
Just like them. Their hearts were stained, and it was time to throw them away.
For a split second, I saw a look of loss on Scott's face, as if he'd just lost something precious.
But his attention was quickly drawn back to Sophie.
I ran out into the rain, caught a cab, and went home. I took some medicine for my stomach and held an ice pack on my hand until the throbbing subsided.
The next morning, I woke up to a flood of texts from unknown numbers.
They were all flirtatious, some explicitly sexual.
A stranger sent me a link to a website. My private information, my photo, had been posted on a porn site.
The photo if I remembered correctly, Gary and Scott had taken it for me.
I called them to confront them. They denied everything, then turned it back on me. "Mina, can you please be more careful about your private life? This is really bad for the companys image."
"You should stay away from the office for a while."
Id already sold my shares. I had no reason to be their workhorse anymore.
"Fine."
My easy agreement seemed to stun them. They had expected a fight, not this cheerful, unburdened tone. It was as if a massive weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
"Mina, you" Gary started to say something, but Sophie called his name, and he immediately hung up.
They had shown me no loyalty. I would show them no mercy.
Spreading revenge porn, leaking my private information they really thought I was a pushover.
I handed everything over to the police and my lawyers, then packed my bags and flew to the capital to get married.

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