So It's My Fault Her Daughter Flunked?

By the time I woke up to my phone going off, the family group chat had already exploded with hundreds of messages.I tapped into the group and scrolled all the way to the top. The first message was from my sister-in-law, Denise Snyder, sent at 5:00 am. She had sent a screenshot first, followed by an extremely long essay underneath.The screenshot was of a recruitment system interface from a well-known company prominently displaying the words, "Sorry, your application has been rejected."The name on the application belonged to her daughter, Erica Cortez.Denise's message was very accusatory."I can't believe that the top student from the best university in the country actually lost out to shady dealings like this!"Siobhan Cortez! You're a successful manager at that company! How can you have absolutely no conscience when it comes to your own family?"Erica ranked first during the preliminary interview! How could she possibly fail to get hired? You deliberately struck her off th

I pushed open the door to the CEO's office and saw Philip Woodward sitting in his executive chair, his face as dark as thunder."Just look at this, Siobhan Cortez!"He shoved an iPad in front of me, his voice as cold as ice.I glanced at the screen and read the shocking headline. "The Dark Side of Corporate Life: Niece of Senior Executive Failed Interview Due to Aunt Replacing Her With Another Candidate".The post was filled with photos and text. Although the name of the company wasn't mentioned, my job title, name, and even the photos I'd taken of the company that I'd only ever posted on my private Instagram were all published for the whole world to see.The comments under the post were filled with angry netizens."How can someone like that still be a senior executive?""Fire them! Fire them immediately!""Poor niece. Imagine being screwed over by your own aunt.""This is what capitalism does to you!"I read the comments and felt my stomach churning."These are all fabricat

I connected my phone to the projector in the yard. It had originally been installed outdoors for watching soccer games. I certainly didn't expect that I would be using it like this.The screen lit up, and the evaluation form was clearly displayed for everyone to see."This is Erica's interview evaluation form and the interviewer's comments for her preliminary interview," I said in a loud and clear voice, pointing at the screen. "Take a look for yourselves."Everyone craned their necks as they gathered around the screen to read."Professional Ability: 60/100"Communication Skills: 40/100"Teamwork: 30/100"Overall Comment: Candidate displayed an extremely arrogant attitude and lacked basic workplace etiquette. She was impatient with the interviewer's questions and repeatedly emphasized her family background. Candidate fails to meet the company's hiring standards."A heavy silence fell over the courtyard, broken only by the sound of the trees rustling in the back.Denise's face

Life after my resignation was a lot calmer than I imagined.I spent a month thoroughly spring-cleaning and decluttering the house.Nate clearly wasn't happy with my resignation, but he didn't dare to boss me around like before anymore. After that last ordeal, he was very careful with his words and actions at home, as though he was trying to make amends.However, the crack that had appeared in my heart couldn't be healed that easily.A month later, I received a phone call from an unknown number."Hello? Is this Ms. Siobhan Cortez? I'm a reporter from The Daily News."The reporter sounded urgent. "This is in regard to your previous recruitment scandal. We've just learned of some new developments in the case, and we'd like to verify them with you.""What new developments?" I asked, feeling my heart sink again."Someone reported that Ms. Erica Cortez's interview evaluation scores were fabricated, and she also allegedly bribed the interviewer. Were you aware of this, Ms. Cortez?"I

Several years passed. The flower shop did so well that I opened a second location in the neighboring town. Meanwhile, Nate was also promoted to head chef at the restaurant.We took out a small loan and bought a small house with a garden, and life was peaceful and happy.One day, I received a letter from home. It was from Aunt Melissa. She wrote to tell us that Simon was very ill and on his deathbed, and his final wish was to see us before he departed.Although Simon had taken Denise's side in causing trouble for me in the past, he was essentially an honest man. He'd just been manipulated by his wife. I did feel sorry for what happened to him afterward, but that didn't mean that I felt responsible for it.I deliberated for a long time and finally decided to fly home to visit him. However, I wasn't going to forgive him. I just wanted to give myself closure.When I stepped into the Cortez manor, I realized that everything had changed. The once bustling courtyard was dilapidated and