Chapter 1

The new intern, Vivian, reported me for slacking off for the third time:

"Mr. Hayes said no one is allowed to eat snacks, drink water, or use their phones at their desks. You did all three, so you're getting fined three thousand dollars—a whole month's salary."

Looking at her young, refined face, I smiled.

With CEO Sebastian Hayes backing her, she ran rampant throughout the company.

But she didn't know that I was the largest shareholder.

What right did she have to report me?

My name is Laura, and I'm thirty-eight years old.

Ten years ago, I founded this interior design company.

Now I've stepped back from the frontlines, handing daily management over to CEO Sebastian Hayes, whom I personally promoted.

Sebastian was the successor I had the most faith in.

Now, I just kept a desk for myself in a corner of the office, with flexible work hours.

My colleagues only thought I was some powerless old-timer.

Until half a month ago, when Vivian appeared.

She was personally escorted into the design department by Sebastian.

"This is Vivian, an honors graduate from an Ivy League school. She'll be joining our design department from now on. Everyone, please help her get up to speed."

Sebastian's tone was full of admiration.

Vivian smiled as she greeted everyone, her gaze sweeping across the entire office.

When it finally landed on me, her eyes held scrutiny and contempt.

But from her very first day, she didn't act like an intern at all.

She complained the company-issued computer was outdated and demanded the latest model.

She complained the coffee beans in the break room weren't good enough, and the next day had a colleague go buy freshly ground Blue Mountain coffee.

When people whispered about it, she heard them and just smiled faintly:

"Mr. Hayes says good ideas need a good environment. We can't cut costs on these small things."

She really was quite clever.

She quickly gathered a group of young designers as arrogant as herself.

Toward us "old employees," she showed nothing but disdain.

In front of everyone, she said my design philosophy was "too outdated, can't keep up with the times."

She would also, during the director's project review meetings, bluntly point out "the color scheme is too old-fashioned, doesn't fit mainstream aesthetics."

At first, I didn't pay much attention. I even helped her once.

One time, there was an urgent project. Vivian volunteered, saying she could handle it.

But with only an hour left before the deadline, she'd only finished half.

She was nearly in tears. It was me who sent the design proposal to the client at the last moment.

She looked at me then, her eyes filled with gratitude and shock.

I thought that after this incident, she would at least change her attitude somewhat.

I was wrong.

The next day, I overheard her conversation with someone else.

"That Laura is nothing special. Just has a bit more experience, that's all."

The other person chimed in: "Exactly. I heard she's just an old employee coasting by. Relies on her seniority and slacks off at work all day."

Vivian laughed lightly, her tone full of superiority.

"Don't worry. The company won't keep supporting deadweight like that forever. Mr. Hayes said the future belongs to us young people. Those who can't keep up with the company's development will be eliminated sooner or later."