Stopped Saving My Backstabbing Intern

The client came all the way from Germany to negotiate a major partnership, but my junior assistant, Chloe, proposed changing the dinner venue from a five-star hotel to a sketchy roadside food stall.

I tried to stop her, but when my warnings were ignored, I quietly went behind her back to swap the exotic, sketchy organ dishes on her menu for local comfort foods that would actually suit German tastes.

The deal went through smoothly, but Chloe ended up crying to the board, accusing me of playing dirty and intentionally trying to humiliate her.

My fianc blamed me for bullying the "helpless intern," the board accused me of being arrogant, and the entire staff turned on me like a pack of wolves.

I was forced out of the company I built, lost everything overnight, and became a public enemy on social media.

After throwing myself off the roof of our headquarters, I woke up. I had traveled back in time.

Looking at the intern who was currently pitching her "brilliant" idea in front of me, I smiled and nodded.

"Whatever you say, Chloe. Well do it your way."

I snapped my eyes open, a wave of intense dizziness washing over me.

"Every time clients visit, we always take them to five-star hotels. Its so bureaucratic and boring. It leaves absolutely no impression on them."

A soft, whiny voice pulled me back to reality.

I looked toward the sound. Sure enough, it was Chloe.

She was standing in front of the projector, wearing a smug "Ive discovered a new world" expression, talking passionately.

"We should show them the real, authentic local culture! I suggest we take them to that food alley in the old district for lunch. I guarantee itll blow their minds!"

A sketchy food alley. I instantly remembered this meetingthe exact moment that had dragged me into hell in my past life.

In my previous life, I was the only one who objected.

I had calmly pointed out that our German clients might not handle the hygiene and food differences well, and that a loud, chaotic environment would ruin any business conversation.

But before I could even finish, Chloe started tearing up.

She bit her lip, looking at the head of the table with watery, pleading eyesat my fianc, Mason.

Masons face darkened instantly. He tapped his fingers on the table.

"Audrey, Chloe is just trying to be creative and do what's best for the company. Do you really have to humiliate her in front of everyone?"

He paused, looking at Chloe with unconcealed admiration.

When he turned back to me, his eyes held nothing but annoyance.

"I think Chloes idea is great. Its way better than your boring, traditional, old-school methods!"

Back then, I shut up. I didn't argue. I just secretly modified the menu beforehand, asking the kitchen to prepare clean, standard dishes instead.

Later, the deal was saved, but at the celebration party, everyone congratulated Chloe.

They praised her, saying, "She handled the international VIPs so well," and "Shes the real MVP of this project."

My five exhausting trips across the Atlantic and the countless sleepless nights I spent drafting the contract didn't mean a thing compared to the "exotic experience" she had supposedly arranged.

And because I had objected at the start, I became the villain of the company.

Mason held the sobbing Chloe in his arms, accusing me of using my power as president to bully a defenseless intern.

The executives I had trained myself, people I thought were my partners, immediately jumped on the bandwagon, calling me arrogant and toxic.

The employees turned on me online.

They fabricated stories about how I "abused" Chloe and posted them on TikTok and Twitter. Overnight, I went from the respected CEO of Aura Group to a hated bully.

I was forced to resign from the board and was kicked out of the company I co-founded.

To make things worse, when I was at my lowest, Mason handed me a breakup agreement, his eyes as cold as a stranger's.

Left with nothing, I climbed to the top of Aura Group's headquarters and jumped without a single doubt.

"What do you think, President Audrey?"

A voice snapped me out of my painful memories.

Chloe was looking at me, a subtle spark of defiance in her eyes that I had failed to notice in my past life.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the burning hatred inside me and the sheer thrill of being reborn.

God gave me a second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it on the same mistakes.

I looked at Mason, the man I had loved with everything I had, who ultimately pushed me to my death.

Then I looked at the executives around the table, the ones who couldn't wait to carve up my shares and step over my corpse.

I met Chloes gaze and smiled warmly.

"I think Chloes idea is incredibly creative. Lets go with it. Whatever you say, Chloe."

Chloes expression froze. The words she had prepared to counter my objection got stuck in her throat.

She clearly hadn't expected this reaction. She blinked, stammering, "Oh... thank you, Audrey."

Mason was stunned too, but a satisfied smirk quickly returned to his face.

He nodded, sealing the deal. "Then its settled. Lunch tomorrow will be at the place Chloe recommended."

Now that the CEO had spoken, the other executives immediately began chiming in.

"Chloe, you're so thoughtful! Amazing job!"

"Exactly! Those foreigners are probably sick of steak and fine dining anyway. A change of scenery is perfect!"

Amid the sea of praises, Chloe stood tall, beaming with pride.

I sat there quietly, watching their fake, smiling faces.

Enjoy it while you can.

The happier you are now, the harder youre going to cry later.

Before leaving the conference room, Mason walked up to me and patted my shoulder.

"See? This is much better. Team harmony is what matters most."

His voice was still deep and gentle, but it only made me feel physically sick.

I didn't reply. I just subtly stepped away, letting his hand drop.

In my past life, I cared too much about this company and too much about him. That was how they manipulated me and ruined my life.

But in this life, those feelings would become the very weapons I used to destroy them.

Back in my office, I locked the door.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

"Audrey?"

He sounded surprised that I was calling.

Liam Vance. In my past life, he was my fiercest competitor in the market, but he was also the only person who tried to throw me a lifeline when I hit rock bottom.

When we were competing for this German client in Berlin, he had even voluntarily stepped back to help me secure the deal.

Back then, I didn't understand why. But now I realizedunlike Mason, Liam actually knew how to respect and appreciate my worth.

"Liam, are you still trying to get in touch with Dr. Horn, the German client?"

Silence fell over the line as he tried to read my intentions.

"Why? Are you calling to flex your victory, or are you offering me a second chance?"

"Neither," I said, looking at my reflection in the window.

"Im quitting Aura Group. I want to join Vance Global. And Ill bring Dr. Horns contract with me."

This time, the silence lasted much longer.

"Your reason?" he finally asked, direct and sharp.

"Aura Group is about to crash and burn, and I dont plan on going down with the ship. As for my capability, you already know what I can do."

Liam let out a low chuckle.

"Name your terms. If you bring the client and the project, what do you want?"

"A VP position."

This was a bold moveeffectively poaching a major client from my current company to join their rival. Any logical boss would worry about the legal risks and ethics.

But Liam wasn't just any boss. He didn't hesitate.

"As long as you want to come, the doors of Vance Global are always open to you. Name your terms, the resources are yours."

He didn't ask what happened between Mason and me, nor did he doubt my sincerity.

That was Liam. He only cared about true value.

After hanging up, I leaned back in my chair and let out a long sigh of relief.

My ally was secured. My escape route was paved.

Next, I just had to watch them walk straight into the grave they were digging for themselves.

My mind drifted back to the night the deal went through in my past life.

Mason had thrown a stack of papers onto my desk, coldly ending our relationship.

"Audrey, lets break up. And I need you to step down from the board."

I had stared at him, unable to process his words.

"Why, Mason? Just because I didn't agree with Chloe's stupid idea?"

He frowned, sighing with deep annoyance.

"Look at yourself. You're aggressive, bitter, and paranoid! You've made Chloe cry so many times. The company doesn't need a toxic, dramatic woman running things!"

Toxic? Dramatic? I had sacrificed everything for this company, only to be called a toxic drama queen.

I had trembled with rage, tears spilling over.

"The employees have signed a petition asking you to leave. I have to take action to protect the company. Take care of yourself, Audrey."

With those cold words, Mason had walked out, leaving me with a formal termination notice.

The employees who used to smile at me either watched coldly or whispered behind my back. Some even clapped.

I shook my head violently and slapped my cheeks to wake myself up.

Don't think about the past. Since I'm back, none of that will happen again.

For the next two days, I did absolutely nothing.

Chloe, on the other hand, was full of energy. She took a few interns to scout different sketchy food trucks and local joints.

She quickly put together a detailed proposal and presented it at the management meeting.

It was exactly the same as in my memory.

The three venues she chose were overhyped social media traps. They had a lot of online clout, but the reviews were terriblecomplaining about dirty environments, horrible service, and mediocre food.

And when I saw Chloes customized menu, I almost laughed out loud.

It was packed with weird organ meats and exotic street food.

"Audrey, do you have any feedback?" Chloe called me out directly.

Mason stared at me, his eyes carrying a clear warning.

I slowly looked over the menu and spoke up.

"Chloe, did you actually check the dietary restrictions and preferences of our German clients beforehand?"

Chloe froze, her expression turning slightly defensive.

"Of course I did! But we want to give them an authentic experience. This is different from what they usually eat, and who knows? They might actually love it!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Are you aware that most German business professionals do not eat pig intestines or tongue? They have very high standards for food hygiene and presentation."

Chloes face flushed red, and she snapped.

"Audrey, aren't you being a bit too paranoid? It's just lunch! If there's really something they can't eat, we can just order something else! Why do you have to be such a party pooper and ruin the mood?"

"Audrey!"

Mason couldn't help himself. He cut me off sharply.

"Chloe has already done a lot of research. Do you have to find fault in everything she does? If you don't have any spirit of adventure, how are we supposed to break into new markets?"

Looking at his desperate attempt to protect his precious intern, I found it hilarious.

In my past life, his blind favoritism had driven me to suicide.

I smiled, putting my hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"You're right, Mason. Maybe I'm just too old-school."

"Since Chloe is so confident, lets hand this entire project over to her. She will lead the reception and the following negotiations. It's a great opportunity for her to show everyone what she can do."

The moment I said this, not only Chloe, but Mason and the other executives were stunned.

They probably didn't expect me to give up my power so easily, especially on such a massive project.

Chloes eyes widened in disbelief, which quickly turned into pure ecstasy. She couldn't wait to accept.

"Thank you for your trust, Audrey! I won't disappoint you or Mason!"

Mason looked at me with a complicated expression, but ultimately just nodded.

Seeing this, the other executives quickly put on fake smiles and showered Chloe with praises.

"Young people should take on more responsibilities!"

"Great job, Chloe! You have a bright future ahead of you!"

Yes, praise her. Let her fly high. The higher she climbs, the harder she will fall.

Back in my office, I opened the company portal on my laptop.

I uploaded my pre-written resignation letter and zipped all my current project files, sending them straight to Masons approval inbox.

I knew he was too busy celebrating with Chloe to check his emails.

By the time he noticed, I would be long gone.

Once that was done, I texted Liam:

"The deal between Aura Group and the Germans will fall through tomorrow. We can meet them the day after."

Liam replied almost instantly with one word: "Perfect."