Part 2The Chairman’s Daughter Intern

I guess it was an easy mistake for them to make. I took my mother’s maiden name, Bennett, to stay under the radar. Tessa was the only intern in the entire batch with the surname Crawford.

And just like that, she was crowned the queen bee of the office.

I watched her soak up the adoration, her smile bright and completely fake. I didn’t rush to expose her.

The chaotic chatter only died down when the department supervisor walked in.

Right off the bat, I noticed something off. The way the supervisor looked at Tessa was noticeably... different. Sweeter. More indulgent.

Before the meeting was even over, he appointed her as the intern team lead, giving her full authority to delegate our tasks.

I wasn't about to swallow that kind of blatant favoritism.

I stood up, keeping my tone deadpan. "Shouldn't we keep things fair? A quick vote seems more appropriate."

"The company doesn't have time to hold elections," the supervisor snapped back. "Tessa’s resume is the most outstanding out of all of you. It makes perfect sense for her to take the lead."

I practically choked on a laugh.

Just last night, my dad had patted my shoulder in his study and told me, "Harper, your portfolio blew the rest of the applicants out of the water. I know you’re going to shine."

Faced with the supervisor’s bold-faced lie, I bit my tongue. Just like I held off on exposing Tessa's fake heiress routine.

Some lies are way more satisfying to watch when the liar finally runs out of runway.

I really wanted to see what kind of "outstanding" skills Tessa actually possessed.

But before she could show off, I became public enemy number one.

A stack of folders halfway up to my chin was slammed onto my desk. Tessa stood over me, looking down her nose. "I need all of these digitized, sorted chronologically, and in my inbox before tomorrow morning."

She turned on her heel, pausing just long enough to throw a glance over her shoulder. "Oh, and grab me a coffee on your way back."

The sheer entitlement in her voice made my skin crawl.

"Are your legs broken?" I asked.

Not even my own father had the privilege of ordering me to fetch his coffee.

"It’s on your way. Why are you being so difficult?" Gwen, another intern who had glued herself to Tessa’s side all morning, instantly jumped to her defense.

"Yeah, it’s just a cup of coffee. Don't be so petty."

Listening to them, you’d think I was the one bullying the poor, defenseless rich girl.

I picked up the empty mug and shoved it right into Gwen’s chest. "If it’s no big deal, you do it."

Whoever wanted to play the maid could go right ahead.

Gwen’s face flushed an ugly red. "What the hell is your problem, Harper? Are you trying to start a fight on your first day?"

Before I could even fire back, Tessa gracefully stepped between us.

"It’s okay, it’s my fault. I shouldn't have asked Harper for a favor. Please, let’s not ruin the team spirit over me."

Look at her, playing the martyr.

I didn't actually care about making coffee. I just refused to bow down to her snobby, condescending attitude.

Gwen fanned her face, glaring at me like I was a piece of trash. "If you can't even handle basic teamwork, I have no idea how you passed the interview."

"I got hired to do my job," I shot back, "not to act as a glorified barista."

"You..."

"Tell you what!" Tessa clapped her hands together. "I’ll treat everyone to afternoon tea later. Let’s all just get back to work!"

With her audience appeased, Tessa took a step closer to me. "Harper, please don't be mad at me, okay?"

The sugary sweetness in her voice made me want to gag.

I brushed past her and walked away, a heavy knot of annoyance tight in my chest.

How could someone be this fake?

But the real shocker came later. Walking back from the rooftop terrace, I took the stairwell to avoid the elevator crowd. That’s when I stumbled right into Tessa and the supervisor.