The Intern Claimed To Be My Father's Daughter

The day I closed a massive deal for the company, I treated myself to a short, chic manicure as a reward.

But the next morning at the office, Sienna, the intern, slammed a stack of files onto my desk. She pointed her finger right at my nose and started screaming.

Chloe, can you keep your typing noise down? It's freaking annoying!

She was shouting in front of the entire department, her words getting nastier by the second.

"So you signed one stupid contract, big deal! What are you so proud of? You get your nails done and then bang on the keys just to show off? It's pathetic."

I looked down at my simple nails and my nearly silent keyboard. I was speechless. This girl was delusional.

Sienna didn't stop. She grabbed my hand and yanked my fingers toward her.

"Go get these things removed right now! This is a professional company, not some trashy club. With those flashy nails, people will think you're out here hooking!"

I slapped her hand away and stood up. "There isn't a single rule in the employee handbook about manicures. Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

The intern let out a cold, mocking laugh.

"Who am I? I'm the daughter of the Chairman!"

"If you don't get those nails off your fingers right now, you can pack your bags and get the hell out!"

I froze.

I didn't know my father had another daughter.

The office went dead silent.

Everyone's eyes were darting back and forth between me and Sienna.

"The Chairman's daughter? Is that for real?" someone whispered.

"I mean, look at how she acts. She wears designer brands and carries limited-edition bags"

"No wonder Mark has been so protective of her. Last week, when she was thirty minutes late, he told everyone she was at a client meeting."

"Chloe is screwed. So what if she's been the top sales rep for three years? You don't mess with the boss's daughter and expect to keep your job."

Hearing the whispers, Sienna lifted her chin even higher.

"Chloe, did you hear that? Are you scared yet?"

She stopped in front of me and crossed her arms, looking down at me with pure disdain.

"But hey, I'm a generous person."

"Go remove those nails right now. Then, come back and bow to me in front of the whole department and apologize."

"Tell me you were wrong. Tell me you won't ever try to act tough in front of me again."

"If I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll let you keep your seat at this desk."

I stared at her, saying nothing.

Sienna took my silence for fear. she leaned in closer, her voice dripping with venom. "What? Not so talkative now?"

"You're just a lowly worker bee. How could you ever compare yourself to me?"

"So you signed a thirty-million-dollar deal? Who cares? If I wanted to do that, my dad would just make one call and clients would be lining up to sign with me."

"You work your ass off just to get a fraction of what I can get with one sentence."

"Do you really think you're special? Stop pretending."

She was on a roll now, getting louder and more animated.

"I wanted to be a normal intern, but then I ran into a fake like you."

"Coming in first and leaving last every single day? Who are you trying to impress? You're just trying to look hard-working, aren't you?"

"Getting a manicure to celebrate a deal? Why don't you just frame the contract and tape it to your forehead?"

I finally spoke, my voice calm and steady. "Are you done?"

"If you're finished, go back to your desk. Stop wasting my billable hours."

I turned around, sat down, and opened my laptop.

The entire office gasped.

Sienna's face turned a deep, angry shade of purple.

"Chloe! What is wrong with you!"

She slammed her palm onto my desk. "You think being the top seller makes you untouchable? Believe me, I can have you fired before lunch!"

At that moment, my assistant, Joey, couldn't take it anymore and stood up.

"Sienna, Chloe has been the top salesperson for three years. She just landed the biggest overseas order in this company's history. Do you have any idea how much money she's made for this firm?"

"Even if you really are the Chairman's daughter, you have no right to talk to her like that!"

Being called out in public made Sienna's fake composure crumble instantly.

"Who do you think you are? A pathetic assistant dare to talk back to me?"

Her eyes turned vicious. She swung her hand, aiming a slap right at Joey's face.

Before her hand could connect, I grabbed her wrist and shoved her back.

"If you have a problem, take it out on me. Don't you dare touch my people!"

I glared at her, my eyes cold.

Sienna, humiliated for the second time, looked like she was about to explode.

"Chloe! You're dead!"

Just then, a deep, authoritative male voice boomed from the entrance of the department.

"What the hell is going on here!"

Everyone turned their heads at once.

Mark Sterling, the Regional Director, stood at the entrance. He was wearing a sharp charcoal suit, looking every bit the stern executive.

The moment Sienna saw him, her eyes welled up with tears.

"Mark! Thank God you're here!"

Sienna's voice cracked as she ran toward him.

"Chloe attacked me!"

"I just told her that her typing was a bit loud and asked her to be more careful. She lost it and hit me! Look, my wrist is already turning red!"

Mark's brow furrowed. "Chloe, what is the meaning of this?"

I opened my mouth to explain. "Mark, that's not what happenedD"

"I only believe what I see!" Mark snapped, cutting me off.

"You're a senior employee, and you're getting into physical altercations with an intern who's only been here a month? In front of everyone?"

"Do you have any idea how this looks for the sales department? How it looks for the company?"

He grew more agitated, pointing his finger toward me.

"You think because you signed a big deal, you're the queen of this office? You think you can just do whatever you want?"

"This company doesn't need you. There are plenty of people more talented and more professional than you!"

"With an attitude like this, how can I trust you with any more important projects?"

The office was silent, but the gossip was traveling through eye contact alone.

"See? Mark is totally on her side"

"The favoritism is insane. He didn't even ask for the full story."

"Well, she's the Chairman's daughter. Who would dare to cross her?"

Sienna stood behind Mark, throwing a triumphant, mocking smirk my way.

Watching them perform this little play, I finally understood everything.

Mark had been the Regional Director of this Chicago branch for five years. His performance was mediocre, and he'd been desperate for a promotion to headquarters.

He needed an edge.

Sienna's arrival was like a golden ladder falling from the sky for him.

No wonder he ignored her being late. No wonder he covered up her mistakes. No wonder he was so biased.

He didn't actually believe her. He was sucking up to the "Chairman's daughter."

I looked at Mark and felt a sudden urge to laugh.

Over the last three years, I actually thought he was a decent leader.

I thought he was responsible and hardworking.

I had even planned to recommend him to my father during the next annual review.

Now, I realized there was no point.

Mark took my silence as an admission of guilt. His tone became even harsher. "I'm giving you twenty-four hours to write a formal apology. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning. Then, you will apologize to Sienna in front of the whole company."

"If this isn't handled perfectly, consider your quarterly bonus and your annual performance rating gone."

He turned to Sienna, his voice instantly softening. "Sienna, are you okay? Do you need to see the company nurse?"

"No, I'm fine, Mark. As long as justice is served, I'm okay."

Sienna shook her head obediently, tears still glistening in her eyes. She looked so fragile and innocent.

Mark nodded and led Sienna away.

The office returned to a deathly silence.

Joey looked at me with red eyes, her voice trembling. "Chloe, how can they do this? You've made so much money for them. They have no right to treat you like this"

I patted her shoulder and didn't say a word.

Joey wiped her nose and tried to force a smile. "It's okay, Chloe. You're going to be the General Manager soon. After the annual awards gala, you'll be promoted. You won't have to deal with Sienna or this department ever again."

I nodded slowly.

When I graduated college, my father told me to come straight to headquarters to prepare for taking over the family business.

I refused.

I told him, "I want to hide my identity and start as a junior sales rep at one of the branches."

"I want to see how far I can go without being the Chairman's daughter."

My father had stared at me for a long time before finally laughing.

"Fine. You've got spirit. Go for it. I'll support you."

"But don't expect any special treatment from me."

So, I joined the company as a regular sales rep.

No one knew my relationship with the Chairman.

For three years, I started from scratch. I made hundreds of cold calls, got rejected constantly, and visited clients in the pouring rain.

My first month, I didn't sign a single deal.

My third month, I signed a contract for only fifty thousand dollars.

But I never gave up. I climbed my way up to being the top seller three years in a row.

At the next annual awards gala, I was scheduled to be officially appointed as the new General Manager of the branch.

It was the ultimate proof of my hard work.

Thinking of this, I took a deep breath and pushed down the humiliation.

I just had to endure a few more days.

The annual awards gala arrived quickly.

The conference hall was packed, and the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation.

Mark was standing on the stage in a tuxedo, looking incredibly smug.

"Over the past year, thanks to the hard work of all our employees, this branch has reached record-high profits. The sales department, in particular, has been outstanding."

Most people instinctively looked at me.

Being the top seller for three years and recently landing a thirty-million-dollar deal, there was no doubt who the winner was.

"After a strict review by the management team, the Salesperson of the Year isD"

"Sienna Sutton!"

The room exploded into murmurs.

"Sienna? The intern who's only been here a month? She hasn't even closed a real deal yet!"

"What about Chloe? Didn't she just bring in thirty million?"

The whispers were like a rising tide.

I sat in my chair, my nails digging into my palms.

Joey suddenly stood up, her face flushed with anger. "Mark! This isn't right! Chloe's numbers are right there in the system! She's the clear winner!"

"Enough!" Mark's face darkened with impatience. "This was a unanimous decision by the board. What right does a junior assistant have to question us?"

Joey wanted to say more, but Mark gestured toward the door. "Security, escort her out."

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Joey out of the room.

"This is unfair!" Joey's voice faded as she was pulled away.

Mark scanned the room, his voice dripping with fake sincerity. "Does anyone else have a question?"

Silence.

The colleagues I had helped, the juniors I had stayed up late trainingDthey all lowered their heads, trying to disappear into their chairs.

The room was hauntingly quiet.

Mark nodded, satisfied. "Furthermore, the board has decided to promote Sienna Sutton to General Manager of the Sales Department. She will be overseeing all operations immediately!"

The room erupted again, but this time, no one dared to speak up.

Sienna, wearing a bold red dress, strutted up to the stage. She looked like she had known she'd be the star of the show all along.

As she took the trophy from Mark, she gave a modest little bow.

"Thank you, Mark. Thank you to the board."

"Honestly, I just got lucky to be on such a great team."

She turned to the audience, her eyes locking onto mine. A wicked smirk played on her lips.

"I especially want to thank Chloe. She taught me so much. Even though we had some small misunderstandings, I'm truly grateful to her."

The smile was pure provocation.

Mark's expression suddenly turned cold. "Speaking of misunderstandings, Chloe, we're not done with the way you treated Sienna the other day."

"Come up here. Apologize to Sienna in front of the entire company and give us your formal self-reflection. Then, we'll consider this matter settled."

Sienna stood on the stage, looking down at me with a victorious grin.

Around me, the whispers started again.

"Chloe is finished. Apologizing in front of everyone? That's so humiliating."

"She shouldn't have messed with the boss's daughter. She brought this on herself."

"She should just do it. At least she might keep her job."

Watching this absurd farce, the fire in my chest finally erupted.

Three years of hard work. Three years of sweat and tears. Three years of sleepless nights.

All of it was stolen by an intern who had been here for four weeks.

And now, I was expected to apologize to her?

I slowly stood up and walked toward the stage.

Mark, thinking I was coming to beg for forgiveness, smiled and reached out to pat my shoulder. "See? This is the right move. After you apologize, you can go back to being a good employee."

I stopped in front of him, ripped my ID badge off my neck, and threw it right at his chest.

"I quit."

"If you have any problems from now on, talk to your new MVP."

With that, I turned around to walk out.

Mark's smile froze. His face turned livid. "Chloe! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

I ignored him. He kept screaming behind me. "You think this company can't survive without you? Let's see what kind of job you can find after this!"

Sienna piped up with her fake, sugary voice. "Mark, don't be angry. Chloe is just being immature. She has no idea how hard the job market is. Once she hits a wall, she'll come crawling back."

Mark laughed bitterly. "I wouldn't take her back if she begged! We don't need ungrateful losers like her!"

I didn't look back. I pushed open the doors and walked out.

I went back to my desk to pack my things.

Joey came over, her eyes still red.

"Chloe, are you really leaving?"

"You did so much for them. How could they treat you like this?"

I patted her shoulder to comfort her.

Before I could speak, the doors to the conference hall slammed open, and a crowd poured out.

Sienna led the way, followed by several security guards.

She walked toward me with a sneer.

"Chloe, you think you can just walk away after what you've done?"

"You stole confidential company files. You really thought you could just leave?"

I was stunned.

"What are you talking about?"

Sienna smirked and pulled a document from her pocket.

"Accounting just found out that the eight-million-dollar project you handled was compromised. Client info, contract floors, and core dataDyou copied everything."

"That's theft of trade secrets!"

"According to company policy, we have the right to search you!"

I stared at the document in her hand.

"You're lying! I never copied any confidential files!"

"All the client info was developed by me, and every contract followed the company's legal protocol!"

"This is a setup!"

Sienna laughed, her eyes filled with malice.

"A setup? Then explain why the USB drive at your workstation contains the company's core data?"

"You were here until 3:00 AM last night. Did you think no one was watching?"

"The security footage clearly shows you downloading a massive amount of files from the system!"

Then it hit me. I did stay late last night, but I was just cleaning up my monthly sales reports.

Everything I did was standard procedure.

"Show me the footage then! Let me see it!"

Sienna shrugged.

"Of course we have the footage, but we don't need to show it to you."

"You are a suspect in a corporate espionage case. We have every right to search you."

She gestured to the guards behind her.

"Search her!"

Two guards immediately grabbed my arms.

"Get your hands off me! Let me go!"

I struggled, but the men were too strong. I couldn't break free.

Sienna walked over and started dumping out my bag.

Wallet, phone, keys, hand cream she threw everything onto the floor.

Finally, she pulled out a silver USB drive and held it up in the air.

"Found it!"

"Here it is!"

She looked around at the gathered colleagues, her voice booming so the entire floor could hear.

"Look at this! Here's the proof that Chloe stole our trade secrets!"

"I knew it! How else could she be the top seller for three years? She's been stealing data all along!"

The coworkers began to gossip. Some looked shocked, some suspicious, and some were clearly enjoying the drama.

"Is it true? Chloe really stole from the company?"

"No wonder her sales were so good. She was cheating the whole time."

"And I thought she was actually talented. What a fraud."

"She deserves to be fired and thrown in jail!"

My eyes burned with tears. Not from pain, but from the sheer injustice.

For three years, I gave everything to this company.

How many nights did I spend alone in this office?

How many times did I end up in the ER because I worked myself to exhaustion?

And now?

A fake accusation was enough to wipe out every sacrifice I ever made.

Sienna wasn't done.

She tucked the USB into her pocket and suddenly swung her hand.

Slap!

The sound of her palm hitting my face echoed through the room.

My face stung, and my ears began to ring.

"That was for the company," she spat.

"Consider it a lesson on the price of stealing!"

She raised her hand to strike me again.

"That's enough!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I used every ounce of my strength and bit the guard's wrist as hard as I could.

He screamed and let go.

I scrambled back, pulled out my phone, and dialed 911.

"I need the police! I'm being illegally detained and assaulted at Vance Enterprises!"

"I'm also being framed for corporate theft!"

Sienna blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing.

"The police? You think calling the cops will save you?"

"My dad is the Chairman. Do you think the cops will believe a thief like you or me?"

She crossed her arms, looking completely unbothered.

"Go ahead. When they get here, I'd love to see who they haul away in handcuffs."

She sat down in a chair and crossed her legs, waiting for the show.

The colleagues looked at each other. Someone whispered to me.

"Chloe, just drop it. You can't win against her."

"Her dad really is the boss. The police won't help you."

"Just apologize. Maybe they'll let you go without charges."

I let out a cold laugh and dialed another number.

"Dad, someone is bullying your daughter at the office. And she's claiming her father is the Chairman."

"I didn't know I had a sister. Care to explain?"