The Intern Stole My Face

Catfishing a billionaire with my photos is one thing. Asking me to approve time off so she can surgically reconstruct her face to match mine?

That is a special kind of delusion.

Hailey, our resident intern and professional scammer, just dropped the bomb. She needs next week off.

Why?

To get surgery. Specifically, to copy my eyes before she meets Alistairthe CEOin person.

The holographic chat feed floating in my peripheral vision is losing it.

Once Hailey gets the surgery, Alistair will never know shes a fraud! Shes going to marry into money and crush that jealous witch!

Jealous witch?

If the narrative wants an Evil Villainess, Ill give them a performance worthy of an Oscar.

I looked up, locking eyes with her. A cold, sharp smile cut across my face.

Request denied. I have a project that requires an all-nighter. And you are the only one for the job.

You want to be the CEOs wife?

You have to get past me first.

Chapter 1

The room went silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Hailey froze. Her jaw went slack.

The Chicago expansion? Her voice cracked, eyes widening in disbelief. Youre giving that to me? But Im just an intern. I have zero field experience.

I nodded, leaning back in my chair. I let my voice drop into that reassuring, mentor-like register.

Relax. The point person over there is an old sorority sister of mine. Ive already briefed her. Shes going to walk you through everything, step by step.

I tapped my pen against the desk.

Youve been begging for a seat at the big table, havent you? I thought about it, and youre right. We need fresh blood on this.

But

Its going to be brutal, I cut in, not giving her room to breathe. The schedule is a nightmare. Back-to-back meetings, 5 AM flights, conference calls at midnight. You will need to dedicate every waking second to this launch.

I leaned forward, dangling the bait.

But if you nail this? The full-time offer is yours. Senior associate track. Maybe even a corner office sooner than you think.

Any other intern would be hyperventilating with joy. Theyd be thanking me profusely.

But Hailey?

Hailey was doing the math.

In her head, a mid-level corporate salary didn't stand a chance against Alistairs black card.

Why be a corporate wage slave when you can secure the bag and become the CEOs trophy wife?

Being a kept woman beats being a corporate drone any day.

She made her choice in a heartbeat.

I I cant. She shook her head, panic flickering in her eyes. My surgery. Its booked for tomorrow afternoon.

She clasped her hands together, pleading.

Regina, you don't understand. Dr. Sterling is impossible to get into. He does all the top influencers. I booked this appointment a month ago. I cant reschedule.

I really appreciate the offer, she added, her voice trembling with fake sincerity. But Im just not ready. Id mess it up. You should send someone else.

Predictable.

I stood up.

Bam.

My palm hit the desk hard enough to rattle her coffee cup.

Are you out of your mind, Hailey?

I channeled every ounce of corporate rage I could muster.

You are turning down a career-defining launch for cosmetic surgery? Do you have any idea how many people would kill for this ticket?

The opportunity is right here. Ive already approved the budget. The flight is booked. The team in Chicago is expecting you.

I narrowed my eyes.

Think very carefully about your next sentence. If you walk away from a major project because you want to get your eyes fixed, I will put that directly in your official performance review.

When HR asks for my evaluation on your conversion to full-time? Ill tell them the truth. Sharon in HR doesn't hire people who can't prioritize.

The threat hung in the air.

Suddenly, the holographic chat feed in my vision exploded.

Oh my god, look at her! The Villainess is actually threatening our sweet Hailey!

Who does she think she is? Shes just a Director. Acting like she owns the place.

Regina needs to chill. Shes going to regret this when Hailey takes over.

Just wait until our girl marries Alistair. First order of business: Firing Regina.

Firing? No. Make her scrub the toilets. Thats what she deserves.

Chapter 2

The chat feed kept scrolling.

A waterfall of vitriol.

Most of it was directed at me. They called me toxic. A dream-crusher.

You shouldnt stop true love!

Let them meet!

Thats when the cold reality settled in.

Im trapped inside a trashy billionaire romance novel.

In this story, Hailey is the Heroine. After falling for Alistairs corporate headshot on her first day, she stalked his socials and realized he had a specific obsession with doe eyes.

My eyes.

So, she did what any rational protagonist would do: she started catfishing the CEO using my selfies.

The original plot was simple: She gets the surgery to replicate my eyelids, meets Alistair in person, they fall in love, and she secures the bag.

And me?

Im the Villainess.

According to the script, when I find out about the catfishing, I try to expose her. The narrative twists my actions into seduction attempts.

Hailey, terrified of losing her golden ticket, uses her status as the CEO's wife to destroy me. She leaks edited chat logs, frames me, and gets me blackballed from the entire industry.

The finale? Destitute and homeless, I get run over by a vigilante stan in a tragic accident.

Okay. Fine.

If the universe wants a Villainess, Ill give them a survivor.

The thought of Hailey becoming Mrs. CEO sent a literal shiver down my spine. It wasnt just jealousy; it was a survival instinct. If she wins, I die.

I looked at her, really looked at her.

I remembered the day I hired her. HR had tossed her resume in the trashunderqualified, wrong degree, zero experience. I rejected her.

But she was relentless. She ambushed me in the lobby every morning for a week, begging for a shot.

I saw a brave, determined girl. I went soft. I let her in.

Now I realize that wasnt kindness. It was plot armor. It was fate forcing the pieces onto the board.

But we are still in Chapter One.

I can still flip the board.

I stared at Hailey, my voice dropping to absolute zero.

The flight takes off in three hours. I hope you make the right choice.

Ping.

I forwarded the flight itinerary directly to her calendar.

Hailey looked at the notification. Her face crumpled. The mask of the hardworking intern slipped, replaced by pure entitlement.

She scowled.

Regina, seriously? Why are you sabotaging me?

I told you I have a personal emergency tomorrow. Why are you forcing this trip on me?

Her voice rose an octave, shrill and defensive.

Just because youre my boss doesnt mean you own me. You cant force me to do things I dont want to do.

She snatched her bag from the desk, knuckles white.

I dont care if you approve the time off or not. Im not coming in tomorrow. That surgery is happening.

She turned on her heel to storm out.

Chapter 3

Haileys defiance set the invisible chat feed on fire.

The chat feed scrolled so fast it was a blur of neon rage.

Yaaas queen! Stand your ground!

Who does Regina think she is? That bitter old hag needs to sit down.

Screw the project! Securing the bag with Alistair is way more important!

Regina is so shameless. Shes literally doing everything to block their meet-cute.

Hailey needs that surgery tomorrow! If Alistair sees her without the Regina-eyes, the gig is up!

Once she gets those doe eyes, Alistair is going to melt. Thats his weakness!

I smirked.

Thank you, internet trolls. You just handed me the gun.

I was struggling to find a pressure point, but you served it up on a silver platter.

So, Alistair has a fetish for these specific eyes? And Hailey is terrifyingly desperate to replicate them before they meet?

What happens if the entire company knows shes going under the knife?

How does she explain that her natural beauty was bought and paid for on a Tuesday afternoon?

I picked up my phone. I didn't chase her. I didn't yell.

I just opened the company-wide Slack channel.

@Channel: Hailey is taking urgent leave tomorrow for cosmetic eye surgery. The Chicago lead is now open. Who wants it?

Send.

Hailey had her hand on the doorknob.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She glanced at it.

She froze.

The blood drained from her face so fast she looked like a corpse.

She spun around, sprinting back to my desk, practically tripping over her own heels.

Regina! Delete that! Now!

Her voice was a strangled shriek.

Why would you post that? Its private medical information! Take it down!

I looked at her, keeping my face perfectly blank. I didn't blink.

You said you weren't going, I said, voice smooth as silk. I need a replacement. Its standard protocol to explain why a slot opened up.

I'll go!

She slammed her hands on my desk.

Ill go to Chicago! Okay? Ill do the project! Just delete the message! Please!

I held her gaze for three agonizing seconds.

Then, I tapped my screen.

Message Deleted.

Hailey slumped. The tension left her body in a rush, leaving her trembling.

She wiped a bead of cold sweat from her forehead, then looked up at me with teary, accusatory eyes.

God, Regina. Why do you have to be so toxic?

I just wanted to fix my eyes. Is it a crime for a girl to want to look better? Why are you bullying me?

I threw my hands up in mock surrender.

Bullying? I was staffing a project. You quit, I found a solution. Thats business.

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my laced fingers. A shark-like smile played on my lips.

But you you reacted like I posted your search history. Why the panic attack, Hailey? Its just surgery. Unless

I lowered my voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

Unless youre hiding something? Is there a specific reason you're treating a simple procedure like a state secret?

Before she could stutter out a lie, the chat feed exploded again.

OH MY GOD. Regina is actually evil. That was a calculated hit.

She did that on purpose! She specifically wrote 'cosmetic surgery' to ruin Haileys reputation!

That was close. Alistair doesn't check Slack, but Grant does. If Grant saw that, hed tell Alistair immediately.

Alistair hates fake women. If he knew she was plastic, hed dump her before the first date.

Poor Hailey. Shes being totally gaslit right now.

Bingo.

I suppressed a laugh.

Gotcha.

Chapter 4

Alistair is a billionaire. A Titan of industry.

Men like him don't date projects. They date the genetic lottery.

Hes surrounded by supermodels and heiresses. He has a radar for authenticity. If he found out his natural beauty was actually a surgical receipt, he wouldn't just dump her.

Hed be disgusted.

And lets be realhes probably thinking about the gene pool. You can buy a new nose, but you cant buy new DNA.

Hailey looked like a deer in headlights. My question had short-circuited her brain.

I no! That's not it, she stammered, her eyes darting around the room. I just I believe in privacy. Not everyone needs to know my business.

She took a shaky breath, trying to regain her footing.

The doctor said the recovery requires total isolation. No screens. No stress. That's why I needed the time off. I cant have you blowing up my phone about work while I'm trying to heal.

Ah. There it is.

She wasn't just dodging work. She wanted a digital detox excuse so she could recover from the operation without me noticing her swollen face on a video call.

Smart. But not smart enough.

I checked the clock on the wall.

Tick-tock, Hailey. Traffic to the airport is a nightmare this time of day. You can get your eyes done when youre dead.

She glared at mea look of pure, unadulterated hatred.

But she knew I had her cornered.

She spun around and marched out.

SLAM.

The door frame rattled.

The second she was gone, I pulled up my phone.

I texted Mia, my best friend and the lead on the Chicago project.

Regina: Target is inbound. Flight UA452. Do not let her out of your sight. If she sneezes, I want to know about it.

Mia: Roger that. Ill be her shadow.

With the babysitter secured, I needed to confirm the intel from the chat feed.

They said Alistair was coming back next week. But official channels were silent.

Was the CEO flying halfway across the world just for Hailey?

I needed to confirm.

I grabbed two lattes and headed down to HR.

Sharon, the HR Director, was burying her face in a spreadsheet. I slid the coffee onto her desk.

Sharon, spill it. The Gala is next Friday. Any surprise guests?

Sharon took a sip, looked left and right, then leaned in close.

Keep this to yourself, she whispered. Alistair is flying in. Hes attending the Gala personally.

She tapped the desk for emphasis.

And get thishe added a Grand Prize to the raffle this morning. The winner gets a one-month all-expenses-paid fellowship at the Paris Headquarters.

She shook her head.

Youve been here five years and never seen him, right? Suddenly he shows up and invents a trip to Paris? Its weird.

It wasn't weird. It was a setup.

I nodded slowly.

The Lucky Employee draw wasn't random. It was rigged.

Hailey was already the pre-selected winner.

The fellowship was just a corporate cover for a romantic getaway in the City of Love.

Classic billionaire romance move.

I walked back to my office, my blood running cold.

I sat down and opened my laptop. It was time to go digging.

I uploaded my best selfiesthe ones with the most engagementinto a reverse image search engine.

It took hours. I combed through Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and niche dating apps.

Finally, I found it.

A private Instagram account.

@SweetHailey_

Account age: 3 months.

I scrolled down, and my jaw hit the floor.

It wasn't just a few stolen photos. It was me.

She had copy-pasted my entire digital existence.

My selfies. My brunch photos. My hot takes on industry trends