The New CEO Locked in an Elevator

On my first day being sent to the branch office as CEO, I kept a low profile, wanting to observe privately.

In the elevator, I saw a male colleague struggling with an armful of supply boxes and casually pressed the floor button for him.

The female colleague next to me immediately slapped my hand away:

"Why are you touching my husband's hand?"

The male colleague awkwardly tried to calm her: "What's wrong with you? She was just helping!"

The woman pinched him hard, then grabbed my collar with her other hand: "What, you're addicted to being touched by her?! How dare you defend her!"

I frowned, trying to explain: "Ma'am, please be respectful. I'm new here..."

"New here and already trying to seduce my husband?" She cut me off with a scornful laugh.

Seeing the elevator had arrived, I didn't want to get further entangled and moved to leave.

But she thought I was guilty, grabbed my collar and screamed:

"You think you can just run after touching my husband? A slut like you can't stay in this companyyou must be fired immediately!"

"Everyone come look! Stop what you're doing and come see!"

The woman dragged me all the way from the elevator entrance to the main office area, deliberately raising her voice to shout:

"This new employee who just joined the company is a slut who specializes in seducing other people's husbands! Just now in the elevator, right in front of me, she dared to touch my husband!"

Over a hundred employees stopped their work and stuck their heads out to look.

The woman's husband stood beside her, his face red with anxiety, explaining quietly: "It's really not like that, she was just helping me..."

"Shut up!" The woman pinched her husband again. The man gasped in pain and didn't dare say another word.

The surrounding colleagues began pointing at me, their eyes full of contempt and excitement at the drama.

"Isn't that Jocelyn Brown? This new girl really doesn't have eyesof all people to provoke, she chose her."

"Exactly. Who doesn't know Jocelyn runs this place? This woman looks like a slutshe probably did something shameless."

"Daring to seduce Liamisn't that asking for death? She deserves to be caught red-handed."

All kinds of ugly comments drilled into my ears.

So this woman was the legendary Jocelyn...

I took a deep breath and looked coldly at Jocelyn: "Are you done making a scene? Let go."

"Let go? A slut like you can't stay in this company. Today, if I don't teach you a lesson your parents should have taught you, you'll suffer even more in society!"

Jocelyn raised her hand, about to slap my face.

Just as I was preparing to retaliate, a rough shout suddenly came from the far end of the office:

"What's all this noise during work hours! Don't you people have jobs to do!"

The crowd parted, and a middle-aged man with a beer belly, hands behind his back, walked over with a swagger.

As soon as Jocelyn saw this man, she immediately released my collar and greeted him coquettishly.

"Mr. Walker, thank god you're here!" Jocelyn pointed at my nose and cursed, "There's someone here who just joined and is already looking for shortcuts!"

"Just now in the elevator, she was seducing my man, and I caught her in the act! This shameless slut is corrupting the company cultureshe must be fired immediately!"

Richard Walker squinted his eyes and looked me up and down.

His gaze was extremely sticky, sweeping from my face down to my legs with undisguised lewdness.

"Pretty face," Richard snorted coldly, his expression full of disdain, "but a shame her mind isn't on the right things."

"Miss, if you want to climb the ladder, you need to know your place. Our branch doesn't hire sluts like you."

I was so angry I laughed.

I straightened my wrinkled collar, stood up straight, and looked at him coldly: "You're Richard Walker, the branch's vice president? As a company executive, to insult an employee with such language without knowing the factswatch your mouth."

Richard froze for a moment, probably having never encountered a new employee who dared talk back to him like this.

Jocelyn acted like she'd caught something damning, her voice sharp with anger: "Richard, look at her shameless attitudeshe's clearly a repeat offender!"

"She probably got by using these slut tactics all along. Today's the first day the new CEO takes office, and I heard she can't stand any nonsense. We can't let her see trash like this in the company!"

Hearing this, Richard coldly ordered me: "Then we won't waste words. You're fired."

My tone was calm: "Richard, firing an employee requires due process. This is my first day reporting to workI haven't violated any rules. On what grounds are you firing me?"

"On what grounds?" Richard laughed coldly. "Seducing colleagues, disrupting family harmony, seriously violating Article 3 of the employee handbook, creating a hostile work environment. Is that reason enough?"

"Miss, I can see you haven't experienced the real world yet. In this company, I have the final say on personnel matters. If I say you're fired, you leave now!"

I looked into his eyes and said word by word: "Is that so? But I'm not someone you can just fire at will."

"I'm the new CEO sent by headquarters to take over the branch. My name is Serena Smith."

Richard froze for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

But Jocelyn immediately jumped out, pointing at me and cursing: "You dare impersonate the new CEO?"

"Everyone working here knows the new CEO is coming today! Not only do you try to seduce men, but you also try to deceive people?"

She turned to Richard, her face full of flattery: "Richard, don't let her fool you! Young women these days are so scheming."

"If she really were the CEO from headquarters, wouldn't headquarters' special assistant, Zack Lee, be with her? I think she's guilty and trying to buy time!"

The surrounding colleagues chimed in:

"Exactly. She doesn't even draft her lies properly. Would a new CEO dress so shabby and take the regular elevator?"

"Young people these days are crazythey'll say anything to avoid getting fired."

Jocelyn grew more pleased with herself, her voice louder: "And even if the new CEO really came today, so what?"

"Our Richard is the chairman's nephew! This branch is practically Richard's domain. Even the new CEO has to respect Richard!"

This statement was extremely arrogant, but among the hundred-plus employees present, not one person dared speak out against it.

Everyone looked at Richard with awe and flattery.

Richard basked in Jocelyn's flattery, looking immensely satisfied.

He walked up to me, looking down from his height: "Miss, did you hear that? Don't think those 'workplace reformation' tricks from the internet work in real life."

"As your senior, I'll give you some face today and teach you a lesson."

Richard pulled out his phone and said with a cold smile: "I'll call Zack Lee at headquarters right now. If what you said isn't true, not only will you get out of this company, I'll also report you to the police for fraud!"

He made the call in front of everyone and deliberately put it on speaker.

"Hey, Zack, this is Richard from the branch." Richard's tone became extremely polite. "Where are you?"

Zack's slightly anxious voice came through the phone: "Richard, I'm on my way. There's a bit of traffic."

Richard immediately reported as if seeking credit: "Oh Zack, you don't know this, but a female scammer came to our company today, causing trouble and brazenly impersonating the new CEO. I've got her detained!"

Zack's tone changed instantly on the other end: "What did you say?! I'll be right there! Don't anyone do anything before I arrive!"

Clickthe call ended.

Richard put away his phone and looked at me contemptuously: "Did you hear that? The new CEO is still on the way! You imposter, still trying to pretend?"

I looked at his smug face and laughed coldly.

"You don't believe me? Fine, I'll give you proof."

I pulled out the headquarters transfer document from my bag and threw it directly onto the nearby desk.

"You say you're the chairman's nephew?" I stared into his eyes, my tone ice cold. "What a coincidenceI'm the chairman's daughter."

"How come I didn't know my father had such a poor relative working as vice president at the branch?"

Faced with the red-stamped transfer document I threw out, Richard first froze, his beady eyes fixed on the red seal on the paper, his expression changing.

"Bullshit!"

Richard suddenly grabbed the document from the desk, didn't even look at it, tore it in half with both hands with a loud rip, and threw it viciously at my face.

"You think you can impersonate the new CEO with some fake paper from a print shop on the street?" Richard pointed at my nose and laughed maniacally.

"Take a good look at yourself! Would the chairman's daughter wear cheap clothes like yours worth two hundred bucks? You think I'm stupid!"

Seeing this, Jocelyn immediately incited all the employees: "Did everyone hear that! This woman is not only a slut but also crazy! Forging official seals can land you in prison!"

She turned and pulled her cowering husband from the crowd, pushing him forward roughly: "Liam! In front of Richard and everyone, tell them what happened in the elevator again! Didn't she actively seduce you!"

Liam stumbled from being pushed. When he met my eyes, he visibly flinched.

"I..." Liam opened his mouth, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Richard spoke ominously from the side: "Liam, tell the truth. The company will back you up. If anyone dares threaten you, I won't stand for it."

Liam closed his eyes and steeled himself: "Yes! It was her! When no one was in the elevator, she pressed herself against me and... and touched my hand! I couldn't push her away!"

"That's a lie!" I shouted angrily.

"Did you hear that!" With her husband's testimony, Jocelyn completely exploded.

"Why waste words with this slut! She's probably from some sales company, saw my husband was honest, and wanted to use those dirty tricks to drum up business! Shameless whore!"

Before the words finished falling, Jocelyn rushed at me and slapped me hard across the face with a loud smack.

The slap was extremely forceful. My face instantly turned to the side, my ears rang, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

"Hit her! Strip her clothes off and see how she seduces men then!" Jocelyn shrieked, calling over several female cronies she was close with. They swarmed toward me, frantically shoving and tearing at my clothes and hair.

My scalp burned with pain, but I wasn't one to take things lying down.

I steadied my stance, grabbed Jocelyn's wrist as she pulled my hair, bent it downward forcefully, and at the same time lifted my right leg and kicked her hard in the stomach.

"Ow!" Jocelyn screamed, kicked backward several steps by me, and fell on her rear.

Richard saw this and flew into a rage.

He pointed at me and gave orders to all the employees:

"What are you all standing there for! This woman isn't just a fraudshe's a corporate spy! She came to our company to steal secrets! Where's security? Pin her down!"

Richard had been at the branch for so many years that he'd turned it into his personal fiefdom.

Everyone feared his "chairman's nephew" connections and didn't dare provoke himsome even wanted to show their loyalty by taking this opportunity.

Several security guards and male employees eager to curry favor immediately rushed at me.

With two fists against many hands, I was quickly restrained by several burly men who pinned my arms and pressed me against a nearby desk, unable to move.

Jocelyn got up from the floor, clutching her stomach, her face twisted as she walked up to me and kicked my shins twice.

"Run! Try to kick me again!" She cursed through gritted teeth.

Pinned to the desk, I stared coldly at Richard and Jocelyn, memorizing every single face present.

Just as Jocelyn was about to continue her attack, the receptionist rushed in from outside:

"Richard! Zack has arrived downstairs with people! They're coming up right now!"

Hearing this, the arrogance on Richard's face instantly froze.

If the new CEO and Zack saw the branch in such chaos on their first day, he as vice president would definitely be in serious trouble.

"Quick! Get her out of here!" Richard panicked, lowering his voice to an angry roar. "Don't let the new boss see her!"

Jocelyn's eyes rolled as she leaned in with a clever suggestion: "Richard, there's a backup freight elevator at the end of the hallway that nobody uses."

"Let's lock her in there between floors first. After the CEO finishes the inspection and leaves, we can deal with her slowly!"

"Do it! Hurry!" Richard grabbed onto this like a lifeline, waving his hands frantically.

Under Jocelyn's direction, several security guards grabbed my arms and forcibly dragged me toward the depths of the hallway.

"This is illegal detention!" I warned coldly, struggling with all my might.

"Shut up!" Jocelyn pinched my waist hard and, together with the guards, roughly shoved me into the narrow, dark backup elevator.

Bangthe elevator door closed.

I heard Jocelyn press the emergency stop button outside. The elevator lurched to a halt with a grinding sound, stuck between floors.

Jocelyn's vicious voice came from outside the door: "Stay in there and behave! After the inspection, we'll see how I deal with you, you bitch!"

The elevator was pitch black, with only a weak emergency light flickering.

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, took a deep breath, my eyes cold as ice.

They were finished.

A few minutes later, the glass door of the main office area was pushed open violently.

Zack from headquarters, along with several headquarters executives, rushed breathlessly into the lobby.

Richard immediately put on an extremely flattering smile and led all the employees to greet them: "Zack, you're finally here! Where's the CEO? Why didn't she come up with you?"

Zack ignored his flattery. His eyes fixed on the floor.

It was covered with torn document fragments.

Zack crouched down and picked up a piece of torn paper with half a bright red seal on it. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

He suddenly looked up and roared at everyone: "Where did you take Miss Smith!!!"