Part 1Petty Games

My boss’s girlfriend decided I was her arch-nemesis.

During a company dinner, she walked right up to me in front of everyone.

"I hear you're the queen of kissing the boss's ass," she sneered. "Tell you what. Bark like a dog for me, right now, and I’ll give you a hundred bucks."

The room went dead silent.

I just smiled, raised my glass, and addressed the table.

"Here’s to Liam! May the company be prosperous, may his health be prosperous, and may his future be prosperous. Cheers to prosperity, prosperity, prosperity!"

I turned back to her, my smile widening. "That’s six cheers for prosperity. Since you went with the dog theme, I’ll take that cash via Venmo."

The team burst out laughing. Even Liam had a slight smirk on his face.

Only the girlfriend’s face instantly dropped.

* * *

"Unbelievable. A true salesperson. Always on script," Hailey said, her smile not reaching her cold eyes as she dragged out the words.

"No wonder Liam is always bragging about how many deals you close. You really know how to work a man. Not like me—I’m just too simple to think of such... creative toasts."

The atmosphere turned awkward again.

Anyone with a brain could hear the venom dripping from her tone.

Yet my boss, Liam Hayes, seemed completely oblivious. He just gave her nose a playful, adoring pinch.

"Babe, you don't need to worry about that corporate speak," he cooed. "Just stay right here by my side and let me take care of you."

"But..." Hailey lowered her gaze, her voice suddenly trembling, on the verge of tears.

"People online always say bosses are so easily seduced by the female employees close to them. Liam, you promoted Sarah to VP so fast... I... I just feel so insecure."

As she spoke, she actually managed to squeeze out two tears, giving me a pathetic, resentful look.

"And... she was so disrespectful just now. I just wanted to do something funny with the dog thing, but she used that 'prosperity' joke to mock me. She completely disregarded me."

I almost laughed out loud.

She publicly insulted me, asking me to bark like an animal, and somehow I was in the wrong?

I knew better than to engage with a woman like this. Trying to prove my innocence would be a waste of breath.

I put down my glass and looked directly at Liam.

"Liam, your girlfriend has gone in a huge circle, moving from questioning my professional ability to attacking my character. Is this all just... some elaborate excuse to bail on the six hundred dollars she owes me?"

"Pfft—" In the corner, a coworker couldn't hold it in. A mouthful of wine almost sprayed out.

Hailey’s face instantly turned bright red, like a cat whose tail had been stomped on.

"Liam, see! She’s always targeting me! Just because I’m your girlfriend and she’s not, she’s miserable. She tries to humiliate me every chance she gets!"

Liam immediately went into damage control, holding her and shushing her, then glared at me with a frown.

"Sarah!" His voice was stern. "Hailey is young. She says what she thinks; she doesn't mean any harm. You're a veteran in this company. Couldn't you have just spoken to her nicely? Did you have to make her look bad?"

He impatiently pulled out his phone.

"It’s just six hundred bucks, right? I’ll cover it for her."

He quickly processed the transfer. Hailey tried to stop him but failed, a flash of annoyance and stinginess washing over her face.

My phone vibrated right on cue. The screen lit up:

[Venmo: You received $600.00 from Liam Hayes.]

Six hundred dollars for a single sentence to calm her down? What a deal.

I raised my glass to Hailey, locking in a perfect, professional smile, my voice airy and cheerful.

"Don't worry, Hailey. I keep my business and personal life strictly separate. When I'm on the clock, I'm only looking for one thing: money. After all..."

I paused, letting the smile hit my eyes. "...sleeping with the boss sounds like it would really slow down my earning potential."

A few colleagues couldn't hold back their laughter anymore.

Hailey froze in Liam's arms, her face turning a ghastly shade of white, then red.

The look she gave me said she wanted to skin me alive right then and there.