My Spoiled Employees Tried to Blackmail Me

I was slacking off at work when I stumbled across a juicy Reddit thread.

The title read: [Gen Z Intern Exposes the So-Called Most Employee-Friendly Company.]

As I scrolled through the details, my brow furrowed. The description looked suspiciously familiar.

I immediately called an all-hands meeting to ask if anyone was unhappy with our company benefits.

Before I could even finish my sentence, Georgina, our newly hired intern, stood up.

"Honestly, Jessica, I don't think our benefits are that great," she said, tossing her hair.

"If we're really trying to build a 'humane' workplace, the company should provide free housing and a private shuttle service to pick us up and drop us off every day."

I literally gave each employee a 0-0,500 monthly stipend to cover rent and transit. That was more than enough for anyone to rent a nice place and Uber to work.

So, I shut her down. But to be fair, I told everyone they could vote: they could either keep the cash stipends or switch to company-provided housing. Once they reached a consensus, they could let me know.

I didn't expect that very night, the Reddit OP would update the post.

[Update: The boss totally lost her mind and is threatening to cancel housing stipends. Huge red flag. Avoid Firefly Creative at all costs!]

Reading the post, I was finally certain of the OP's identity. It was Georgina, our new intern.

After all, Firefly Creative was the boutique company I had founded.

Under her post, the comment section was already blowing up.

[OMG! Is this Firefly? Thats literally my dream company! I heard they have an amazing four-day workweek!]

Georgina replied: [You guys are so naive. Sure, its a four-day workweek, but you'll end up working until midnight every single day.]

[No way! Firefly is famous for its perks. My company only gives me a $50 transit allowance. I heard Firefly gives like a grand.]

Georgina argued back:

[So what? What if you live far away? A grand sounds like a lot, but it doesn't buy back the time you waste commuting!]

The commenter actually bought her logic and agreed.

Then, someone else chimed in:

[I heard a rumor that the owner of Firefly is actually a billionaire heiress. She only started the company for fun.]

I had no idea where they got that gossip.

But they weren't wrong. My family is rich. Very, very rich.

Even if I did absolutely nothing for the rest of my life, my generational wealth could easily fund ten lifetimes of luxury.

I only started this company because I was bored out of my mind.

In the beginning, I didn't care about scaling up or making massive profits. I just wanted to create a highly humane, stress-free workplace. Thats why I made the benefits ridiculously good.

We worked two days, took a day off, worked another two days, and then had a two-day weekend. It basically amounted to a four-day workweek.

Not only that, but the 0-0,500 stipend was always paid on time. If anyone struggled with their first month's rent deposit, they could even get an advance on that money.

Whenever I wanted iced coffee, I ordered Starbucks for the entire office.

For holidays and birthdays, I always curated personalized gifts and surprises.

Compared to actual management, I just enjoyed the vibe of taking care of people. Even if the company didn't make a dime, I had more than enough money to feed everyone forever.

However, because the benefits were too good, my employees used to feel incredibly guilty.

To repay my kindness, they worked their butts off.

In three years, instead of burning money, we actually made a killer profit. Even my parents were shocked by my success.

That was the only reason I had kept the company running for three years.

But the internet trolls didn't see it that way. The comments were turning into a total warzone.

[Oh, so she's a trust-fund baby? No wonder she doesn't know how to run a real business. Shes just playing house.]

[The only reason the company hasn't gone bankrupt is because her daddy funds it.]

[Exactly. That's why none of their employees brag online. Who knows if the perks are even real?]

[Working for a boss like that is lowkey terrifying. If you offend her, she could blackball you from the whole industry.]

I stared at my phone, completely speechless.

Did it ever occur to them that my employees didn't brag online because they didn't want the competition?

After all, my turnover rate was virtually zero. Over the last three years, the number of people who had voluntarily resigned could be counted on one hand.

Instead of commenting, I copied the Reddit link and dropped it directly into our company Slack channel.

I wanted to see exactly how Georgina would react.

After I shared the link, the Slack channel went dead silent for a solid thirty minutes.

Finally, the first notification popped up. It was Georgina.

[Yeah, I made the post. So what? I'm just starting a healthy workplace discussion!]

A "healthy discussion"? She was literally spreading flat-out lies.

I didn't bother arguing with her on Slack. I just typed out a brief message.

[Meeting tomorrow at 9 AM. We're putting this to rest once and for all.]

I thought I had made myself clear yesterday.

I wasn't against company-provided housing. I just told them to discuss it, come to a unanimous decision, and let me know so I could make the arrangements.

Who knew they would turn it into a conspiracy theory?

Moreover, I noticed that although the other employees remained silent, they were clearly swaying.

Having worked with them for so long, I knew them inside out. They loved the company perks, and usually, they loved interacting with me.

Before this, no matter what I posted in Slack, everyone would react with emojis and sweet messages. Today? Crickets.

It looked like Georgina hadn't just been whispering behind my backshe had successfully brainwashed them.

The next morning, when I walked into the conference room, everyone was already seated.

The atmosphere was completely different from yesterday. It was heavy, tense, and cold.

I walked to the front of the room, rested my hands on the table, and before I could even open my mouth, a voice cut through the silence.

"So, Jessica, have you figured out how you're going to fix this?"

I followed the voice and saw Georgina looking at me, her chin tilted up with sheer arrogance.

For a second, I couldn't tell if she was just young and stupid, or if she was actively trying to sabotage my company.

I ignored her completely, turned my gaze to the rest of the team, and asked, "What do the rest of you think?"

Silence stretched for a few agonizing seconds. Finally, Sarah, one of our senior employees, spoke up.

"Jessica, honestly, I also think company housing would be much more convenient. Georgina might be young, but she has a point."

"We didn't think about it before, but since Georgina brought it up, I support the idea."

I nodded, keeping my face blank.

I remembered when Sarah first interviewed here. I had asked about her career gap, and she told me how hard it was for a mother to re-enter the corporate world.

So, I hired her.

For three years, she had been a dedicated, hardworking employee who always expressed how grateful she was for this job.

This was the very first time she had ever challenged me.

Then, another employee chimed in.

"Yeah! Last month, my landlord suddenly decided to sell the place, and I had to scramble to move. If the company provided housing, we wouldnt have to deal with that kind of stress."

With Sarah taking the lead, the floodgates opened.

"I agree! It would take a huge load off our shoulders so we can focus on work."

Throughout the discussion, I could feel Georgina smirking at me from the corner of my eye.

When almost everyone had spoken, the two quiet girls sitting in the back, Grace and Margaret, stood up.

"Jessica, we don't have any complaints. We're happy with whatever the company decides."

These two had joined last year. They were extremely introverted and had struggled to find jobs elsewhere because of it.

Although they weren't big talkers in the office, their Slack DMs to me were always filled with genuine gratitude.

To say I didn't feel hurt by the others would be a lie. But these two girls managed to warm my heart, bringing a sense of calm back to me.

But before I could speak, Georgina let out a loud, dramatic sigh.

"Are you guys stupid? We're literally trying to fight for our rights here. Unbelievable!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her.

She was a fresh graduate. During her interview a week ago, she seemed like a sweet, polite girl. I had no idea she was actually a toxic drama queen.

I curled my lips into a cold smile and said quietly, "Since youve all reached a consensus, we will implement this starting next month."

"The company will provide shared housing and a daily shuttle. Consequently, all housing and commuting cash stipends are canceled."

I gave them exactly what they asked for. Yet, the moment the words left my mouth, their faces turned pale.

I didn't care about their reaction. I simply closed my laptop.

"If theres nothing else, meeting adjourned."

I waited two seconds. No one spoke, so I turned to walk out of the room.

But just as my hand touched the doorknob, Georgina's voice shrilled behind me again.

"Jessica, what is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to threaten us by taking away our stipends?"

I turned around, looking at her in genuine confusion. "How on earth did you reach that conclusion?"

She crossed her arms, her tone incredibly self-righteous. "If you aren't trying to threaten us, why are you canceling our 0-0,500 cash stipends?"

For a second, I didn't grasp the level of audacity she was operating on.

I asked flatly, "Didn't you guys just say you wanted company-provided housing?"

"Yeah, but why do we have to lose our cash stipends just because you're giving us housing?" Georgina barked. "Aren't you a billionaire heiress? How can you be so cheap?!"

Hearing the sheer entitlement in her voice, I almost laughed out loud.

If I didn't get what they were playing at now, Id be a complete idiot.

I swept my eyes over the rest of the room. Every single one of them had a look of silent agreement on their faces.

Wow. So after all this drama, they wanted both.

They wanted the 0-0,500 cash and free luxury housing with a private chauffeur.

Did they think money grew on trees?

Since they chose to treat me like a brainless cash cow instead of a boss, I had no intention of spoiling them anymore.

I grew up with parents who never let me suffer a single day of disrespect. Why should I take attitude from my own employees?

I slammed my laptop onto the table, my voice dropping to a freezing temperature.

"You want free housing, private shuttles, and the cash stipends? Are you guys delusional, or do you just think I'm an idiot?"

"Look at the market. Tell me, which company offers better perks than I do?"

"And yet, youre letting a fresh-out-of-college intern manipulate you like puppets. Pathetic."

Seeing my genuine anger, the rest of the employees finally looked guilty. They shifted in their seats, refusing to meet my eyes.

Clearly, I had been too nice for too long, making them believe I had no spine.

While the others stayed quiet, Georgina kept barking.

"Its just 0-0,500! Do you really need to be this dramatic? Its not like youre hurting for cash!"

"Or is that billionaire heiress title of yours actually fake?"

I didn't understand where her intense malice came from.

But I didn't care to investigate. Whether she was just young and dumb, or consumed by jealousy, she was absolutely nothing to me.

I didn't need her approval, and I certainly didn't owe her an explanation.

I gave her a long, cold stare before addressing the room.

"Since none of you actually care about reasonable perks, this discussion is over."

"We will keep the current system as it is. And from now on, I will no longer accept any requests for benefits changes."

Then, I locked my eyes onto Georgina, my voice laced with warning.

"And youinstead of wasting your time plotting workplace rebellions, you should start worrying about whether you'll even pass your internship."

"Because if you don't, the company's amazing benefits won't have anything to do with you."

I rarely fired anyone, but she had officially blacklisted herself in my book.

Hearing my underlying threat, Georginas face flushed a deep, angry red.

I let out a mental scoff and turned to the rest of the room.

"If anyone is unhappy with the company's current benefits, you are free to hand in your resignation. I won't stop you."

"But if anyone tries to pull another stunt like this under my roof, don't blame me for getting ugly."

This time, when I walked out, nobody dared to say a word.

However, by the end of the workday, not a single person had resigned.

I didn't think much of it and headed straight home.

But that night, when I opened Reddit to check on the thread, I saw that Georgina had updated it again.

This time, the post read:

[Billionaire heiress my ass. Shes just some old rich guys kept sugar baby.]

[No wonder shes so cheap. Guess her sugar daddy isnt giving her enough allowance!]

I zoomed in on the attached photo. It was a picture of my dad picking me up from work today.

The photo only caught the back of my head, but my dad's face was clear as day.

Judging by the angle, it was taken secretly from the office lobby.

As soon as the photo was posted, the internet mob immediately began tearing me apart.

[Ew, that guy looks old enough to be her dad.]

[Society is so trash. Even side chicks can open companies now. Anyone know who his wife is?]

[I do! Isn't that the CEO of SKY Group? I'm going to DM their official Instagram right now!]

[This sugar baby is disgusting. If I were the wife, I'd ruin her life.]

Of course, there were a few rational people in the comments.

[Isn't it a bit much to make up rumors like this? What if thats literally just her dad? Didn't you guys say shes a billionaire heiress?]

Georgina immediately clapped back at the rational commenter.

[Are you seriously defending her? Are you a side chick too?]

[Also, Im not making things up. I looked it up online. The CEO of SKY Group is named Mr. Rodriguez, but Jessicas last name is Vance!]

I let out a cold laugh.

She had done some homework, but unfortunately, she was still an idiot.

The CEO of SKY Group was indeed Mr. Rodriguez. But the actual Chairman of the entire conglomerate was Mrs. Vancemy mother.

My dad had married into my mother's old-money family, which meant he basically worked for my mom. I proudly carried my mother's surname.

Instead of arguing in the comments, I forwarded the link to my familys personal attorney.

[Please send a cease-and-desist letter and prepare a defamation lawsuit for everyone in this thread who is fabricating rumors about me, starting with Georgina.]

I hated drama. I preferred solving my problems with quick, brutal efficiency.

Once my lawyer replied with a professional 'Understood,' I went to sleep.

But to my surprise, before my lawyer's letters could even be sent, my employees decided to double down.

The next morning, as soon as I sat down in my office, my laptop kept pinging with new email notifications.

I clicked on them. Every single one was a resignation letter. Even the reasons they wrote were identical.

It was clearly a coordinated strike.

If they thought they could intimidate me with a mass walkout, they were sorely mistaken.

I chuckled, and right on cue, someone tagged me in the Slack group chat.

"Jessica, please approve my resignation. Thanks!"

"Jessica, mine too."

I took a screenshot of my flooded inbox and dropped it into the group chat.

I typed: [Georgina convinced you all to quit, yet she hasn't sent in her own resignation.]

The chat went dead silent.

A few minutes later, Georgina typed back defensively: [My internet was just lagging!]

Almost instantly, her resignation letter popped up in my inbox.

I nodded in satisfaction. Since they wanted to stand in solidarity, they might as well go down together.

I didn't reply to any of them, nor did I approve the letters yet. Instead, I called Grace and Margaret into my office.

Nobody knew what we discussed during that hour.

All I knew was that the moment they stepped out, the rest of the office pounced on them.

"Grace, what did Jessica say to you? Did she ask you to convince us to stay?"

Before Grace could even answer, Georgina scoffed loudly.

"Of course she did! If we all leave, the company will literally fall apart. Shes desperate."

Grace ignored the noise and simply looked at them with pity. "You guys are going to regret this."

The office erupted into mocking laughter. It was at that exact moment that I opened my office door and stepped out.

The laughter died down instantly.

I swept my gaze across the smug faces in the room and said calmly, "Everyone, conference room. Now."

Once everyone was seated, their faces practically glowing with triumph, I couldn't help but curl my lips into a smile.

"I didn't approve your resignations immediately because I wanted to make sure your final paychecks are calculated correctly before you leave."

"We will do this one by one. Once your paycheck is settled, I'll approve your resignation. Let's begin."