Part 2Petty Games

Hailey painting a target on my back wasn't a new development.

She was a micro-influencer with a tiny, dwindling following. Ever since she hooked up with Liam, she had acted like she owned the place.

In the office, any female employee who dared to speak more than a few words to Liam received Hailey’s signature "death stare."

And I was her prime suspect.

Simply because I was the Chief Revenue Officer and reported directly to Liam.

And because I had been with the company since day one, building it up alongside him.

That history of shared struggle was, in Hailey’s eyes, a massive thorn in her side. That’s why she pushed me to bark like a dog in front of everyone.

It was the most primal, crude way to assert her dominance as his woman.

I had assumed tonight’s drama ended there.

I was wrong. As we broke up to leave, a single sentence from Liam put me right back in the line of fire.

"Sarah, the client just emailed about the new pitch. There are a few major issues, and it’s urgent." He glanced at his phone.

"Get in. I'm heading in your direction; I'll drop you off and we can talk on the way."

The words had barely left his mouth. Hailey, standing beside him, instantly went pale.

She clutched Liam’s sleeve, her voice trembling slightly.

"Liam, you... you even know where she lives? How far has this..."

"Where is your head going?" Liam immediately softened his voice, frantically trying to soothe her. "We shared a car after a business meeting last time and the driver dropped her off first. That’s how I know. Hailey, this is strictly business."

Hailey bit her lip, putting on a show of a deeply wronged woman forcing herself to trust him. She nodded "forgivingly."

I felt my temples throbbing. I wanted absolutely no part of this mess.

"Liam, I'll just call an Uber. We can talk about work tomorrow at the office."

"No, the client is pushing hard. We need to get a head start tonight."

I had no choice but to follow them to the parking garage.

As we reached the car, Act Two began.

Hailey rushed forward like an Olympic sprinter to claim the front passenger seat, sitting down like she was occupying a throne.

Then, she shot a victorious smirk at me through the window.

"Sorry, Sarah," she said, her voice dripping with fake innocence. "This is Liam’s 'designated girlfriend seat.' I can't let you have it. You know how some women are... always trying to steal the front seat, thinking sitting here actually means something."

She paused, sighing dramatically to emphasize her point. "Honestly, what's the point? Trying to squeeze into a position that isn't yours... it’s just so desperate and sad, isn't it?"

Looking at her playing the oblivious "mean girl" act, my annoyance finally settled into cold clarity.

It seemed she hadn't learned her lesson at dinner.

I pulled open the back door, my voice flat and deadpan.

"You're overthinking it, Hailey. I actually hate riding shotgun."

I sat down in the seat directly behind the driver, waiting a beat before I added:

"You probably don't know this, Hailey, but functionally, the front passenger seat is known as the 'suicide seat' in car accidents. It has the highest fatality rate. In a crisis, a driver's instinct is to jerk the wheel to the left to protect themselves, exposing the passenger to the impact."

I looked up, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror as her face instantly locked up in horror. I gave her a tiny smile.

"So, I prefer this spot. The safest. Even if we crash, I have the highest survival rate. Unlike the front seat...啧. Quickest to die."

Hailey’s face went dead white. Instinctively, she fumbled frantically for her seatbelt, her movements panicked and clumsy.

"Sarah!" Liam snapped, starting the car, his tone accusatory. "What is wrong with you? Hailey scares easily. Stop trying to freak her out."

He started cooing at his terrified little rabbit again.

I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes to rest. I listened to their nauseating sweet-talk until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Liam, are we talking business or not?" I asked coldly. "If you two are going to keep making out, just drop me at my place. I'll handle it over email, assuming Hailey doesn't decide that's 'evidence' of something untoward."

That statement was like a bucket of ice water, putting an instant stop to their cuddling.

Hailey was silent for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly turned around, forcing a broad, "gracious" smile.

"Sarah, don't be mad. Earlier... I was probably just too sensitive. I misunderstood you."

She pulled out her phone and held it out to me, her eyes commanding rather than requesting.

"To avoid any misunderstandings in the future, we should exchange contact info. In case... you have an 'urgent business matter' with Liam after hours, you can just contact me first. I can pass the message along. That way, everyone is comfortable."

I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity.

I have an urgent work issue, and instead of contacting my boss, I have to go through his clueless, micro-influencer girlfriend?

I looked at Liam in sheer disbelief, expecting him to say something sensible.

Instead, he patted Hailey’s hand approvingly, nodding with a smile. "That’s a great idea. Hailey just wants to understand my work more, to feel more secure. Sarah, just add her. I want my girlfriend and my top CRO to get along."

In that moment, a wave of cold disappointment washed over me.

To appease his little girlfriend, he was willing to make a mockery of professionalism.

Under his watchful eye, I suppressed my disgust and scanned Hailey’s QR code.

The friend request went through. A nickname popped up on my screen:

[Hailey ❤️’s Liam]

Her profile picture was a shot of them passionately kissing.

Before I could even process the annoyance of that, my phone vibrated with a ding. Hailey had sent her first message.

[Designated Girlfriend seat: Sarah, if anything happens with Liam’s work in the future, remember to tell me first! ~ [Cute Emoji]]