The company held a management meeting, and my husband's secretary was standing at the door, checking everyone's identity. Every person who entered the conference room was greeted with a bright smileuntil it was my turn.

Then came a derisive snort.

I frowned and handed over my badge from the Cybersecurity Department, but he didn't even bother to look. "Skye, Mr. Fraser only pitied you enough to make you a manager. Don't tell me you actually think you're something special?"

I didn't respond. Instead, I turned around and dialed the CEO's direct line. "Someone just said this position was yours to grant out of pity. Is that true?"
Chapter 1 The Fall of the Cybersecurity Department
"It's nothing serious. Don't take it to heart. I'm busygotta go."
Julian Fraser's voice came through cold and clipped, though I could tell from the background noise he was already on his way over. The secretary obviously heard it too; he rolled his eyes so hard it was almost theatrical before finally letting me into the conference room.
I thought that little act of pettiness at the door would be the end of it. But the moment I stepped inside, I could feel the air change. Everyone avoided me as if I were contagious. Wherever I sat, the people nearby would shift their chairs within seconds.
I raised a brow but didn't bother to react. I'd never been popular here anywaypeople whispered, pointed, and sneered behind my back all the time. I was long past caring.
"Thank you all for attending this management meeting. Since Mr. Fraser hasn't arrived yet, I'll begin with a brief introduction on his behalf."
The secretary who had stopped me earlier took the stage, launching straight into the agendaroutine business adjustments, personnel changes, and a few other minor issues. I listened half-heartedly, scrolling through my phone from time to time just to stay awake.
"As company profits have dropped by 3% compared to last quarter, the board believes that reasonable budget cuts are necessary," he continued. That was when I noticed everyone suddenly turning to look at me, their eyes gleaming with glee that I couldn't quite understand.
Then, the secretary faced me directly. "Skye Solen, the Cybersecurity Department will be dissolved first. You haven't brought in any profit all these years, and you're the only one in that department. What's the point of clinging to a title and coasting on the company's dime? It's been a terrible look for us!"
So, that was why everyone's attitude had been off that day. I couldn't help laughing under my breath at how absurd it all was. "Are you sure? You're actually shutting down my department?"
The secretary snorted, as though I were too dense to understand human language.
That was when a few of my colleagues jumped in to pile on.
"Give it up, Solen! How much clearer does it need to be?"
"If you can't handle it, maybe you should start with some self-reflection. You've been on your phone since the meeting began!"
"Disrespecting the secretary means disrespecting Mr. Fraseryou know that, don't you?"
I could only stare at them, speechless. "I was checking the firewall logs to make sure no malware breached our core systems while I was away. How did that turn into me being disrespectful to Mr. Fraser?"
Did none of them even understand what I did for this company?
However, my words only stirred another wave of mockery.
"What's the point of monitoring? When has the company ever been under that much threat?"
"Exactly. You probably sit in your office daydreaming half the time. Suddenly, you're pretending to work hard now that Mr. Fraser's on his way?"
Looking around the room, I finally realized just how many of them despised me. I'd never noticed it before. The irony hit me hardafter years of keeping the company's systems airtight, I was now being ridiculed for doing my job too well.
It reminded me of a joke I'd once seen online: a programmer, afraid people would think he had nothing to do, secretly created bugs so others would call him to fix them. That way, at least he looked useful.
Maybe I should've done the same. Staying quiet and just doing my work clearly didn't earn me any respect.
Well, fine. If that was how they wanted to play it, I wouldn't bother being polite either.
I rose slowly to my feet, letting my gaze sweep over every one of them. "If it weren't for me, this company would've gone under a long time ago. You think you can talk down to me? Let me make one thing clearthe Cybersecurity Department is the most important department in this company. Got it?"
The secretary scoffed even louder. "And what gives you that confidence? Mr. Fraser? Don't be naive, Skye."
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the conference room door swung openand a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Enough!"
Chapter 2 The Accusation
Julian strode into the conference room, dressed in a tailored suit and polished leather shoes that struck sharply against the floor.
The room fell silent in an instant. The secretary hurried to pull out a chair for him, but Julian didn't sit. Instead, he walked straight up to me, his tone cutting and cold. "Skye, stop fearmongering. Acting self-important only makes me despise you more."
I froze for a moment. I had thought his earlier "enough" was aimed at his assistantbut now I realized it had been meant for me.
Before I could even open my mouth, Julian went on, his voice laced with irritation. "The only thing I regret is letting you join the company in the first place. I'll never understand why Grandpa insisted on bringing in someone as useless as you.
"Who do you think you are? You think this company can't survive without you?"
We'd been married for five years. Even if our marriage was just for show, he could've at least maintained some semblance of harmony in public. His harsh, humiliating words stunned me. The shock faded quickly, replaced by a cold, sinking anger.
Five years ago, his grandfather, Edward Fraser, had reached out to my family, hoping I could help when Julian's company was on the brink of collapse.