Part 1The 15-Year-Obsolete Patent

For a mandatory company retreat, I took the day off to be with my husband for his surgery.

When I came back, my manager fined me five thousand dollars in front of the entire office.

"Company policy is crystal clear: group morale takes precedence over everything!" she declared. "Kate, as a department head, you led the charge in defying company rules. Your penalty is doubled!"

The next day, I saw her new assistant, a fresh college grad, sporting a brand-new five-thousand-dollar watch. And just like that, it all clicked.

So that's how we're playing it. Fine. I'm done.

* * *

The news that I'd been fined five thousand dollars for skipping the company retreat spread through the office like wildfire.

In the breakroom, my old rival, Jenna, gave me a look dripping with pity. "Honestly, Kate, you should've just played along. You have to request time off in advance, you know."

"I submitted the request a week ago," I countered, pouring myself a coffee. "She sat on it. She never intended to approve it."

Jenna looked shocked. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you. Her niece just got back from overseas, graduated from some fancy university. Rumor is, she's looking to 'get some experience' here."

It hit me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't about "making an example" of me. It was about creating an excuse to push me out and bring in her own family.

I got the message. I'd move aside for her.

But when I got back to my desk, her new assistant, a young man named Sam, was waiting for me. He tapped on my desk with a smug look. "Kate, you're moving. Out to the main floor."

I glanced at the open-plan workspace. The design department was all cubicles. As the department head, I had a private office—essential for confidential client meetings. Being forced to move out there wasn't just a relocation; it was a demotion.

"Sam, you can't just move me without a formal notice," I said, keeping my voice even.

"A notice? Sure, here's your notice," he sneered. "You're demoted. You're a junior designer now. Got it?"

As if on cue, my manager, Diana, stepped out of her office. Seeing me still in mine, she frowned. "What's going on? Kate, why haven't you moved yet?"

"Sam here tells me I've been demoted," I said calmly. "All because I missed the retreat?"

"That's right," Diana confirmed, her voice sharp. "I've already informed the CEO. You've shown a complete lack of team spirit, actively working against company culture. We're putting you on probation."

"If you don't like it," she added with a smirk, "you can file a complaint."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Fine. Then I'll require a formal, written notice of this change. Otherwise, I'm not moving."

Diana pointed a trembling finger at me. "You just wait, Kate! Sam, get that notice out to her now!"

"She wants to play hardball? We won't indulge her."

Less than two minutes later, Sam posted a formal document in the company-wide group chat, officially demoting me. I saved a copy and began packing my things.

Immediately after, Sam added a new member to the chat.

"Everyone, please welcome our new Head of Design, a top graduate from an Ivy League school. She'll be leading the department from today. Let's give her a warm welcome!"

My team looked at me, confused. I said nothing, just pulled out my phone and started a game. A few people slowly posted celebratory emojis in the chat, welcoming the newcomer. The message was clear. I had been replaced.

My team was furious on my behalf.

"Kate, they can't just kick you out like that! It's not right," one of my designers whispered.

"Yeah, and we just submitted the new design proposal. What are we supposed to tell the client when they ask for you?" another added.

I shrugged. "The company has its reasons. We just follow orders."

My calm response left them baffled. But I knew what was happening. They were using my work, my success, to prop up their new hire.

But they had made one critical mistake. They had acted too soon.

Half an hour later, Diana's niece, a young woman named Chloe, arrived. New boss, new rules. And her first order of business was to target me.

"This department has thirty designers," she announced, her voice full of unearned authority. "Some of you are not pulling your weight, just collecting a paycheck. That ends today."

"From now on, each designer will submit one new design every day. If you can't finish, you work overtime. If you can't handle it, the door is open."

Then, she pointed at me. "You! Kate, right? I've heard about you. I don't care what you've achieved in the past. From now on, you follow the rules. Understood?"

She looked at me, her face a mask of arrogance.

I nodded, my voice flat. "Understood."