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ENG Code,_Lies,_and_Revenge_How_I_Destroyed_My_Boss's_Career
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Short filmTranscript
00:02at the year-end company open bar party everyone was celebrating the successful delivery of
00:08project apex as i walked up to the front to speak amid the cheers susan myers the senior
00:13director of engineering suddenly snatched the microphone from my hand smiling she deleted my
00:18name from the project lead section on the google slides and replaced it with her own don't get the
00:23wrong idea everyone brandon just helped me with some grunt work the core architecture of this
00:27project i built all of it pulling all-a-nighters on my own brandon you're still young plenty of
00:31opportunities ahead of you as for this 150 000 performance bonus and the promotion slot i'll be
00:36taking those she looked at me defiantly the colleagues around us shot me sympathetic glances
00:41but no one said a word someone leaned toward the person next to them and muttered jesus no class at
00:46all others laughed at how pathetic i was a grown man taking this line down i didn't argue i didn't
00:51make a scene i just quietly stepped back with both hands i presented the project apex technical
00:57ownership and accountability agreement susan you're right the most capable should carry the heaviest
01:01load the final sign up on the project that should be yours too susan smile took the agreement flipped
01:06to the last page and signed her name without hesitation susan myers the party music hadn't even
01:11stopped and susan was already barging into my office with a few of her people brandon since you're
01:16just a grunt you don't deserve this corner office and she directed them to throw my things
01:20haphazardly into cardboard boxes the hot desking banks to the server room has pretty fast internet
01:26go stock there not like you have anything to do anyway i watched as she casually tossed my
01:30mechanical keyboard and noise canceling headphones into the trash miss myers was it really necessary
01:35to go this far susan let out a scoff her bright red manicured nail poking into my chest go this
01:41far
01:41this is just how the workplace works you're a nobody you're easy prey deal with it right at that
01:47moment the company-wide email notification chimed across the entire floor the official
01:51commendation had come down susan myers had been credited with all of project apex's achievements
01:56not only did she receive the 150 000 bonus she was also formally nominated as the candidate for vp
02:02of engineering the same colleagues who had just been giving me sympathetic looks instantly changed
02:07their tune congrats susan well deserved see i told you this project had to be led by myers
02:12hale never had the chops for it everyone crowded around susan handing her starbucks and croissants
02:17flooding the slack channel with flattery lifting her up while stepping all over me susan glanced at
02:21me smugly and announced loudly drinks are on me tonight at the bar across the street everyone's
02:27invited she made a point of walking up to me and slamming a steaming latte down on the corner of
02:32my
02:32desk the coffee splashed out and scalded the back of my hand red brandon you can sit this one out
02:37have some coffee don't take it personally
02:41a burst of laughter erupted around me
02:48i didn't say anything i just quietly wiped the coffee off my hand i pulled out my phone
02:53and posted an all hands message to the department slack channel congrats to susan on the promotion
02:58coffee and pastries on me this afternoon order up then i placed a group order on uber eats starbucks
03:03coffee and croissants from that trendy bakery down the street delivered straight to the office about
03:08two hundred dollars when the delivery driver wheeled in a cart piled high with everything
03:12the entire office erupted colleagues swarmed over to grab coffee and the slack channel instantly flooded
03:17with thanks hale and you're the real mvp susan held her latte a trace of smugness curling at the
03:23corner of her mouth wise choice then she condescendingly warned me as long as you keep your mouth shut
03:30and do as you're told from now on there'll be something in it for you i nodded immediately putting
03:35on a face full of fawning obedience don't worry i'll do exactly as i'm told oh by the way here's
03:40the final
03:40project handover checklist all the technical details are in here just need your signature i
03:44handed over a thick stack of documents dense with complex parameters and interface specifications
03:50susan didn't even glance at it too absorbed in the joy of her promotion she picked up the pen
03:54and quickly signed her name all right don't bother me with trivial stuff like this anymore
03:58i'm the one making strategic decisions now looking at that scribbled signature i lower my head the
04:04corner of my mouth curling into a faint imperceptible cold smile that was no ordinary handover checklist
04:10it was ironclad proof that pinned all responsibility on her in black and white impossible to deny with
04:16that signature any problem with project apex from now on would be her responsibility and hers alone
04:23susan's good days didn't even last two days before trouble came knocking whitford capital suddenly sent
04:29an email requesting an additional high concurrency stress test and they specifically demanded that the
04:35project lead presented in person susan stared at the red error codes on the screen her eyes
04:40practically popping out of their sockets code she couldn't write a single line of code she didn't
04:44even know how to open the terminal relying entirely on reading from google slides she came rushing to the
04:49hot desking bench next to the server room to find me her heels clicking sharply against the floor
04:54brandon write me an automated demo script her tone was as demanding as ever as if this was my actual
05:00job
05:01completely forgetting how she had humiliated me just two days ago i kept typing in my keyboard not
05:06even lifting my head my fingers flying across the screen churning out line after line of code mrs meyers
05:12i'm just a grunt around here now you revoked all my core team access even if i wanted to help
05:17i can't
05:18susan got worked up and slammed her hand on my keyboard so hard that the keys flew off cut the
05:23crap i'll give you temporary access if you can't handle this simple thing believe me i'll have you
05:29out of here right now the colleagues around us turned their heads their eyes full of schadenfreude
05:34waiting to see me embarrass myself i pretended to flinch standing up with hunched shoulders my voice shaky
05:41don't don't fire me i still have student loans to pay off seeing her intimidation had worked susan's
05:47expression softened a bit she pulled two stacks of cash from her bag and tossed them onto the desk
05:52three thousand dollars get it done the money's yours if not pack your things and get out i stared
05:58at the three thousand dollars swallowed hard and put on a show of being greedy for the money
06:03my hands even trembling okay okay thank you miss meyers i'll write it right now right away i accepted
06:09the temporary access and wrote a script as fast as i could except deep within the code in the underlying
06:16logic she could never understand i planted a little surprise a surprise that would trigger only at a
06:22specific time after getting the script from me susan gave a very successful demo at the department
06:29meeting watching the data run smoothly on the big screen the cto nodded repeatedly praising susan as
06:35a rare all-around talent susan was glowing basking in the adulation of everyone around her so happy
06:41that her foundation was starting the cake after the meeting she came back with a few people and snatched
06:46the three thousand dollars back and under the pretext of project confidentiality she had it come
06:52and completely wipe my computer brandon it's not that i don't trust you standard security protocol
06:57you understand i've deleted all these backups and logs to prevent any leaks after all this is the
07:02company's core proprietary information she looked down at me as if i were a piece of junk that had
07:07outlived its usefulness as for the three grand i'll circle back on that end of year maybe with that she
07:14clicked away in her high heels hips swaying without so much as a proper glance at me i looked at
07:19the
07:19completely empty computer screen and instead of getting angry i almost laughed out loud go ahead wipe
07:25it the cleaner the better she had personally destroyed the only evidence that could prove her
07:30innocence she'd burned every escape route she had now not even her guardian angel could save her
07:37the day that 150 000 bonus hit her account susan picked up the red porsche taiko she deliberately
07:44parked it in the most conspicuous spot right at the company entrance afraid someone might miss it
07:48she even spent half an hour posing for photos next to it on her instagram story she showed off the
07:53steering wheel and that hermes birkin bag the post also featured the cover of the project apex
07:58technical ownership and accountability agreement the caption read heavy is the head that wears the
08:03crown all the hard work deserves to be seen beneath it was a flood of likes and comments from colleagues
08:08fawning over her like lapdogs i scrolled past that story while sitting in the office kitchenette
08:12eating instant ramen the whole room smelling like chicken flavor the female colleague next to me was
08:18touching up her makeup and mocking me loud enough to make sure i heard oh my god some people are
08:23just
08:23born to be worker bees look at susan now that's a queen a real winner exactly if you don't have
08:29the
08:29skills don't cry when someone else takes the credit it's a dog-eat-dog world if you lose you lose
08:34when
08:34you're winning they step on you when you're losing they step on you too the same people who used to
08:40call
08:40me brandon and mooch off me for food and drinks were now trampling all over me just to suck up
08:45the
08:45susan just then the cto's assistant rushed in to drop a bombshell announcement next monday richard shaw
08:53from hq in new york is coming to inspect in person he specifically wants to see project apex's live
08:58data performance the entire company immediately erupted
09:04richard shaw the man who truly held the power of life and death the one whose single word could
09:10decide the fate of the entire branch when susan heard the news she got so excited her face turned
09:16red and she nearly spilled her coffee to prove how hands-on she was she flat out refused any offers
09:23of
09:23assistance from others in the engineering department no one else touches this this project is like my
09:27child i know it best nobody lays a finger on it i'll personally present to richard i'll show hq what
09:33i'm made of this vp position is mine she ran into me in the kitchenette and made a point of
09:38stopping
09:39fanning the air with disgust as if i were a walking germ oh reeks of broken here living large on
09:45instant
09:45ramen are we see brandon the project runs just fine without you you're a replaceable part don't
09:50overestimate your own importance she looked down at the instant ramen in my hand contempt practically
09:55spilling out of her eyes i slurped up a mouthful of noodles and drank the broth clean not a drop
10:01left then i lifted my head and put on a face full of ingratiating smiles susan you're absolutely
10:06right i'm just a part you're the queen hope you crush it next week and don't forget to bring your
10:12little brother along for the ride susan gave a cold wolf turn on her heel and left the sound of
10:17her
10:17heels as grating as ever at least you know your place late at night my phone buzzed it screamed glaring
10:23harshly in the darkness it was a voice message from susan her tone was as bossy and commanding as ever
10:30write a speech for me by tomorrow morning the focus should be on my innovative thinking and the
10:34details of how i pulled all-nighters to crack the problems none of that boring code stuff make it
10:38sound impressive if it's not good enough you can wait for your termination letter don't blame me
10:42for being ruthless listening to the voice message a cold smirk curled on my lips i tapped lightly on
10:48the screen i replied with a single word got it the day before the inspection right before the end of
10:55the work day susan's face suddenly changed with hr manager angela cross in tow she cornered me right
11:01at my desk holding a document that had clearly been printed well in advance brandon hale it has
11:06been verified that you have been slacking off during work hours with a poor attitude severely
11:11impacting team morality susan flung a separation agreement in my face the edge of the paper cutting
11:16my cheek sharply sign it now right now get lost i've already had someone back your things for you
11:22absolute dead silence all around me no one dared speak up for me looking at susan's face twisted
11:27with excitement i instantly understood her intentions she was done using me and now she
11:33was getting rid of me tomorrow was the cto's inspection she was afraid i might say something
11:37damaging about her steal her spotlight or cause some kind of disruption so in this moment she wanted
11:42to kick me out of the company completely to keep me from becoming a threat miss myers is it really
11:47necessary to go this far i just finished writing your speech for you i picked up the agreement
11:52from the floor my voice trembling slightly feigning disbelief my eyes even reddening susan sneered
11:59crossing her arms over her chest her eyes full of venom cut the crap don't think i don't know what's
12:05going on in your head keeping you here is a ticking time bomb i can't sleep at night knowing you're
12:10around get out now don't make me call security to throw you out that would just make things ugly
12:16for everyone i took a deep breath picked up the pen and signed my name on the agreement fine i'll
12:22go
12:25while packing my things i deliberately placed a black usb drive in the most conspicuous spot this
12:30is the final project documentation and encryption key backup it's all in here don't lose it susan
12:35snatched the usb drive plugged it warily into her computer and checked it seeing that all the
12:40directories and files were there she finally breathed a sigh of relief a victor smile appearing
12:46on her face you've got some sense after all don't let me see you in this industry again or i'll
12:51find a
12:51way to make sure you can't get work anywhere carrying my cardboard box i walked toward the elevator under
12:57everyone's gaze passing by susan's workstation i paused in my steps i watched as she directed someone
13:02to project the powerpoint from the usb drive onto the big screen in the conference room for a test run
13:07her face full of pride i suddenly leaned in close to her lowering my voice so only the two of
13:13us could
13:13hear mrs meyers a friendly heads up so you don't say i didn't hand things over properly that core
13:18algorithms license expires at midnight tonight remember to renew susan was busy adjusting the
13:23font on the powerpoint she rolled her eyes dismissively without even turning her head stop
13:28trying to scare me with all your tech jargon this project is already delivered what expiration date
13:33you trying to squeeze money out of me get lost already just hearing your voice annoys me
13:37i shrugged turned around and stepped into the elevator the moment i stepped out of the company
13:41entrance with my cardboard box the cold wind hit my face but i felt an incomparable sense of exhilaration
13:47i took out my phone on the screen was a red countdown button that was the remote control for
13:52the trial version kernel of project apex i glanced back at the brightly lit building a smile curling at
13:57the corner of my mouth susan since you wanted this project so badly let me give you a gift you'll
14:02never
14:03forget for the rest of your life i pressed the red button remote deactivation a line of small text
14:08popped up on the screen command sent core components will self-destruct in 12 hours tomorrow morning at
14:14nine o'clock the time richard shaw's inspection begins the time susan meyers goes down in flames
14:18since she loves stealing credits so much i'll end her career with my own hands
14:26on inspection day the company lobby was set up with welcome boards for richard shaw and a receptionist had
14:31changed into a crisp new suit susan wore a borrowed haute couture dress and had even hired a makeup
14:36artist to do touch-ups anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was walking the
14:39oscars red carpet today she stood at the entrance smiling even brighter than the flowers on the welcome
14:44board she even insisted on opening the car door for richard shaw herself bending so low she almost
14:49touched the ground richard shaw walked into the conference room surrounded by an entourage his
14:53presence commanding susan clicked up to the podium in her high heels and opened google slides she began to
14:58recount how she worked day and night to overcome obstacles for this core algorithm i pulled three
15:02consecutive all-nighters i lost clumps of hair i couldn't even spare time to eat or sleep at the most
15:07emotional part she even squeezed out a few tears dabbing the corner of her eye gently with a tissue
15:12careful not to ruin her eye makeup her voice choked up her performance was oscar worthy it was hard
15:17but the moment i saw the project come to life i knew it was all worth it for this company
15:22i'm willing to
15:23give everything the administrative assistant in the audience was moved to tears and clapped
15:27furiously for her richard nodded repeatedly his eyes full of approval and turned to his assistant
15:32beside him this is exactly the kind of execution we need for the vp role she's the perfect candidate
15:36susan heard it and couldn't suppress the corners of her mouth from curling up david kessler the
15:40representative from whitford capital was a rigorous tech stickler mrs myers the slides are very pretty but
15:45we're more interested in seeing the live data dashboard after all algorithm stability is what matters most
15:49pretty words are easy data doesn't lie susan switched screens confidently twirling the remote
15:55in her hand rapidly no problem our system stability is top tier in the industry it can absolutely
16:00withstand any test please take a look on the big screen the system loading screen appeared smoothly
16:05the progress bar filled up rapidly and the green indicator light blinked steadily susan glanced back
16:10at richard with a got this look her face overflowing with smug satisfaction as if that 150 000 bonus was
16:17about to double the data bar charts on the big screen started bouncing wildly red and green lines
16:22intertwined looking highly high-tech susan pointed at the screen straightened her back and started
16:27talking absolute nonsense with a straight face ladies and gentlemen what you're looking at is our
16:32proprietary ai algorithm engine capable of auto balancing loads and processing data at the billion
16:36level susan spread her arms wide basking in the room's applause with a glowing face i sat in the cafe
16:41across from the company watching the real-time footage on my phone screen the corner of my mouth curled
16:46slightly i silently counted down from three a massive red warning box suddenly popped up in
16:51the center of the screen accompanied by a piercing beep beep alarm that exploded in everyone's ears
17:00everyone was stunned the conference room went silent except for the blaring alarm richard's smile
17:05froze the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched his coffee cup stopped midair the coffee spilling out
17:10and scalding his hand without him even reacting susan froze for a second her smile instantly petrified
17:17on her face then she frantically scrambled to click the close button oh that's probably just a false
17:21positive from the anti-vossics software don't worry everyone it does this kind of thing all the time i'll
17:26deal with them later as she forced out this explanation she clicked the mouse frantically the
17:31clicking sounds loud and rapid beads of sweat forming on her forehead and running down her cheeks
17:36streaking her foundation but the more she clicked the more pop-ups appeared dense windows spreading
17:40like a virus across the entire screen completely covering even the beautiful google slides then a
17:46second even more fatal pop-up appeared red background with black text shocking and bolded susan completely
17:51panicked the remote in her hand dropped to the ground shattering into pieces parts bouncing
17:56everywhere what is going on who touched my computer did someone hack in she tried to force restart the
18:02system even bending down and unplug the power cord and plug it back in looking as frantic as a mad
18:06woman but the boot screen no longer showed the company logo instead it changed to a massive scrolling
18:11line of text the text was terrifyingly large and piercingly red as if mocking her incompetence
18:15then through the conference room speakers susan's familiar voice rang out at maximum volume it was
18:20the voice message she had sent me a few days ago i don't need to understand code i just need
18:24results
18:25just grab some random open source stuff and ship it the boss doesn't understand it anyway and the client
18:30won't check it carefully as long as it runs it's fine we split the money we save nobody complain
18:36about the cut this recording echoed through the vast conference room over and over crystal clear
18:41carrying her unmistakable arrogance and greed but ship it the boss doesn't understand it anyway susan's
18:46face instantly turned deathly pale her lips trembled unable to utter a word as if the bones had been
18:51ripped from her body she collapsed limply on the podium richard's face was livid with rage the veins on
18:56his forehead bulging david kessler slammed his folder heavily on the table this is your professionalism
19:01this is a joke dead silence filled the room only the recording still playing tirelessly on loop
19:06like slap after slap across susan's face this was her so-called working day and night to overcome
19:11obstacles this was her so-called proprietary algorithm in this moment all the glamour was torn to
19:15shreds leaving only the naked ugliness and disgrace
19:21richard slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet the solidwood conference table shook with a
19:26thunderous bang and the coffee cups on it toppled over coffee spilled across the table but no one
19:31dared to wipe it up this is your proprietary algorithm this is the result of your all-nighters
19:36he pointed at susan's nose his finger trembling with rage spittle flying onto her face what do you
19:41take this company for do you take us all for fools where is your professional integrity susan was
19:45completely unhinged tears and snot streamed down her face smearing her carefully applied makeup into a
19:51mess she looked both pathetic and ridiculous she looked around frantically like a madwoman finally
19:55pointing at marcus webb in the audience and shrieking it's them they set me up engineering
19:59gave me the wrong version they're jealous i was getting promoted i'm being framed richard you have
20:04to believe me i would never dare deceive the company marcus was already furious at this point
20:08he stood up directly his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh screech with a cold expression
20:12he opened his laptop flat on the table displaying the detailed back-end operation logs miss myers you
20:18need evidence for your claims all code commit records are from your account and the ip addresses are from
20:23your office to prevent anyone from commit under someone else's name you personally revoked all
20:27right permissions we only have read access we couldn't even change a single punctuation mark
20:31these code files were absolutely committed by you it couldn't have been anyone else the evidence
20:35was so clear she had no more excuses to hide behind
20:41david kessler let out a cold laugh stood up and straightened his suit his eyes full of contempt
20:46it appears nova tech has serious integrity issues this kind of a fraudulent behavior is something we
20:52cannot tolerate the contract is terminated expect a formal notice of legal action we will pursue this
20:56to the fullest extent and report this throughout the industry with that david kessler and the whitford
21:01capital team stormed out without looking back slamming the door behind them richard was apoplectic
21:06he grabbed a coffee cup from the table and smashed it to the ground ceramic shards scattering everywhere
21:11he pointed at susan and roared you've destroyed this company the penalty is more than
21:15you could ever repay in your lifetime susan broke down crying then suddenly remembered something
21:20a vicious glint flashing her eyes it's brandon it was brandon hale who set me up he's the one who
21:26wrote the code he tampered with it i'm gonna sue him he's the one who ruined me she frantically
21:31pulled out her phone to dial my number her fingers trembling so much she almost hit the wrong keys
21:36and she put it on speakerphone trying to pin it all on me the call connected my lazy voice filled
21:41the room carrying a bit of sleepy raspiness and the sound of crunching chips hello susan screamed into
21:46the phone her voice shrill and piercing brandon you bastard did you rig the code you're dead i let
21:51out a light laugh my tone so calm it was infuriating mrs meyers you need evidence to back that up
21:57i've
21:57already left the company i'm a free man now the exit handoffer form states it clearly the project is
22:02fully your responsibility and the code was reviewed and approved by you you signed it pretty quickly back
22:07then didn't even bother to look what now you want to pin it on me susan was hysterical on the
22:16phone
22:16her voice cracking sounding like nails on a chalkboard so harsh it hurt the eardrums you set me up you
22:22deliberately gave me bad code i'm calling the police i'll have you sent to prison calmly into the phone
22:27my voice carrying clearly to everyone's ears unhurried as if telling someone else's story mrs meyers
22:33stop the theatrics the project apex technical ownership and accountability agreement is right
22:37there in black and white the developer guarantees all code is original didn't you say you built the
22:41core architecture yourself pulling all-nighters how are you pinning this on me now the logic doesn't
22:46hold richard snatched susan's phone and shouted at me so loud it rattled the ears brandon hale what
22:51exactly do you know explain yourself a pause deliberately took a sip of water and in a helpful
22:56tone advised richard you could have audit check susan's expense reports from last week that can't be
23:01tampered with finance would find out with just a quick look that so-called proprietary algorithm
23:06the core is indeed the trial version i wrote just grab some random open source otherwise how would it
23:10play susan's voice accurately but susan must have forgotten that the company approved an eight
23:14thousand dollar software licensing budget for her to purchase the genuine license to pocket that money
23:20she forced me to write the code for free while also finding a shell vendor to issue a fake eight
23:24thousand dollar invoice to embezzle the cash that shell company specializes in issuing fake invoices for
23:30money laundering to steal that eight thousand dollars she skipped the genuine license verification
23:34entirely and directly used my trial version code by the way her reimbursement form says 8 000 but she
23:40actually only spent 500 to buy the fake invoice the remaining 7 500 all went straight into her own
23:46pocket these words were like a bombshell that completely blew up the entire room everyone gasped
23:51their eyes filled with utter disbelief so project apex wasn't just about stolen credit it was a total
23:56sham job and it even involved embezzlement a federal felony punishable by time in federal prison
24:05the room erupted colleagues murmured among themselves their eyes full of contempt and shock
24:10as if looking at someone on death row oh my god she's got some guts so stupid now look no
24:15way out
24:15richard was so furious his face turned purple he violently threw the phone to the ground it was the
24:20latest model he just bought its screen shattering instantly the crisp cracking sound was like a death knell
24:24tolling for susan restrain her on is to step in immediately investigate go through everything
24:29security guard the doors no one is allowed to leave several security guards rushed in grabbing susan
24:35from both sides and swift susan struggled desperately her hope couture dress was pulled askew
24:39exposing the cheap underwear beneath the straps snapping her hair was disheveled her makeup smeared all
24:44over her face eyeliner smudged into raccoon eyes looking like a crazy woman who'd escape from an asylum
24:48let go of me i'm a vp you can't arrest me i have stock options i'm one of the founding
24:53employees
24:53richard i'm innocent brandon hale is lying he's framing me unfortunately no one believed a word
24:58she said anymore everyone was watching the spectacle some even pulling out their phones to record video
25:03to post on twitter colleagues no longer felt any sympathy they took out their phones and snap
25:07photos flashes going off non-stop freezing her disgraceful state in time forever messages flew
25:12through the slack channel in a frenzy the captions all eerily uniform karma's a
25:15greed always collects its debt play stupid games win stupid prizes
25:22the audit results came back on the spot with terrifying efficiency within half an hour even
25:27her previously faked uber receipts were dug up the same screenshots submitted over a dozen times
25:31without even changing the timestamps not only had susan fake the project she had also embezzled over
25:35sixty thousand dollars through fraudulent expense reports even her regular lunch reimbursements were
25:40faked the same restaurant receipt submitted over a dozen times with only the date altered richard's
25:45hands were shaking as he read the audit report the general counsel pulled out the project apex
25:49technical ownership and accountability agreement with a deadpan expression pushing up his gold-rimmed
25:53glasses his gaze cold according to the terms miss meyers is liable for all economic losses caused
25:57by the project this is your own signature including the client's liquided damages the company's
26:01reputational damages and project r&d costs totaling 750 000 if you are unable to repay we will apply to
26:08freeze all assets under your name and pursue criminal liability 750 000 upon hearing that number susan's
26:15eyes rolled back as she collapsed to the ground as if her soul had been sucked out of her reduced
26:19to a puddle of mud her brand new porsche tycum barely broken in and that hermes birkin bag instantly
26:24repossessed too bad the car was bought on a loan and the bag was secondhand practically worthless not
26:29even enough to cover the interest sobbing she crawled to richard's feet clutching his leg and pleading
26:33wiping her snot and tears all over his tailor designer trousers richard i was wrong please
26:38let me go i'll return all the money i'll do anything for you from now on please don't call
26:43the police i'll lose everything please just give me one more chance richard kicked her away in
26:48disgust as if he were kicking aside a bag of rotting garbage he turned away coldly not even sparing her
26:53glance go explain yourself to the fbi we don't pay dead boat sirens wailed downstairs red and blue lights
27:00flashing piercing through the daytime noise the fbi was here on charges of embezzlement and wire fraud
27:04they placed handcuffs on susan that crisp click sound was the most beautiful music to my ears
27:09in that moment the light in her eyes went out completely leaving only endless fear and despair
27:16as a former core employee i was personally called by richard and asked to return and assist with the
27:21investigation when i walked into the company i was treated like a hero the receptionist smiled
27:26and proactively pressed the elevator button for me colleagues passing by all addressed me
27:31as mr hale richard shook my hand his face full of guilt and even insisted on personally pouring
27:36me a cup of coffee brandon i was wrong about you i completely misjudged you this company can't
27:42function without you you've been treated unfairly i've already had susan's office cleared out it's yours
27:47from now on if you need anything else added just let me know salary doubled full equity grant as long
27:54as you're willing to come back the platform engineering department is yours to run i watched
27:58as the fbi led susan into the vehicle she looked back once her eyes full of remorse and jealousy
28:04the tears having washed her false eyelashes right off i waved at her a faint smile curling at the corner
28:11of my mouth not a trace of pity in my eyes you brought all of this on yourself enjoy making
28:16those license
28:16plates susan news of susan's imprisonment spread throughout the entire industry it became
28:24the biggest scandal even recruiters blacklisted her in the industry she had become completely
28:28toxic waste that project apex she was once so proud of had become the industry's laughing stock
28:34watercolor talk with everyone using her as a cautionary tale and me i took back over the
28:38company's operations using the real core code i helped i fixed the system within three days passed
28:43the stress test and the performance scores were double what they were before watching those garbled
28:47codes get sorted out line by line under my hands that sense of control was more satisfying than
28:52anything with four capital not only renewed the contract but also increased the budget specifically
28:56requesting that i be in charge long term david kessler even sent me a private email asking if i
29:02considered jumping ship to their side offering an astronomical salary those colleagues who used to
29:06mock me were now lining up every day to bring me coffee mr hale here's the iced americano you love
29:11light ice no sugar i specifically ran two blocks to get it for you mr hale susan's old desk had
29:17bad feng shui
29:18uh i mean a bad layout i've rearranged it for you uh i mean adjusted the layout looking at their
29:22fawning faces all i could do was laugh this was human nature they side with whoever's way terrifyingly
29:27realistic i sat in my spacious right private office sitting in the same ergonomic chair susan used to
29:32use the genuine leather did feel pretty nice i locked the new project apex ownership agreement
29:37in the safe this time only my name was on it no one could ever take it away again
29:43richard shaw the man who truly held the power of life and death the one whose single word could
29:49decide the fate of the entire branch when susan heard the news she got so excited her face turned red
29:55and she nearly spilled her coffee to prove how hands-on she was she flat out refused any offers of
30:02assistance from others in the engineering department no one else touches this this project is like my
30:06child i know it best nobody lays a finger on it i'll personally present to richard i'll show hq what
30:12i'm made of this vp position is mine she ran into me in the kitchenette and made a point of
30:17stopping
30:17fanning the air with disgust as if i were a walking germ ugh reeks of broken here living large on
30:23instant
30:24ramen are we see brandon the project runs just fine without you you're a replaceable part don't
30:29overestimate your own importance she looked down at the instant ramen in my hand contempt practically
30:34spilling out of her eyes i slurped up a mouthful of noodles and drank the broth clean not a drop
30:40left
30:40then i lifted my head and put on a face full of ingratiating smiles susan you're absolutely right
30:46i'm just a part you're the queen hope you crush it next week and don't forget to bring your little
30:51brother along for the ride susan gave a cold turn on her heel and left the sound of her heels
30:56as grating
30:57as ever at least you know your place late at night my phone buzzed it screamed glaring harshly in the
31:03darkness it was a voice message from susan her tone was as bossy and commanding as ever write a
31:09speech for me by tomorrow morning the focus should be on my innovative thinking and the details of how
31:13i pulled all-nighters to crack the problems none of that boring code stuff make it sound impressive
31:18if it's not good enough you can wait for your termination letter don't blame me for being
31:21ruthless listening to the voice message a cold smirk curled on my lips i tapped lightly on the screen
31:27i replied with a single word got it while tidying up i spotted the hermes birkin bag susan had left
31:34behind in the corner upon inspection it was a fake from canal street not even a good knockoff the kind
31:39you find on a street stall for a few dozen bucks with loose threads sticking out just like her fake
31:43persona all shine on the surface hollow inside just like that fake birkins leather one scratch and the
31:49whole illusion falls apart i picked up the bag and tossed it straight into the trash without a second
31:54pot the trash can clank shut like finally closing the cover on a terrible book and turning to the
31:59very last page disgusting to look at just like its owner watching the traffic flowing outside the
32:04window the city's neon lights flickering on i took a sip of hot coffee an incomparable calm
32:09filled my heart the corporate world doesn't care about your tears and stolen credit it always comes
32:14down what goes around comes around you sign it you live with it for life hope she figures that out
32:18while she's making license plates in federal prison i turned around and dove back into the new code
32:22the cursor blinked on the screen line after line of code flowing out mine something no one could ever
32:27take away
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