All Chapters of They Thought I Was Just Staff: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Whitney's smug little smile was working on me, and not in the way she thought."Tomorrow night, right? I'll be there. I'll come give my regards to you and the CEO."Whitney's smile widened. She liked that one.She tossed her hair. "I'm not even angry that you stole my work. You used to steal from me in high school, too. It's habitual at this point."The other women joined in."I heard about her in college. She'd hook anyone with money. Anything that wasn't bolted down.""Right. If she'll steal a man, she'll steal a thesis.""Whitney is too kind. She knew what kind of person Skylar was, and she still didn't ask the CEO to have HQ fire her."I looked at Whitney like she had grown a second head. Why did she like making things up about me this much?In college, I had caught her doing it more than once. I had reported it to my advisor.The advisor had given me a sympathetic look. "Whitney came up in a single-parent home. Her mother is disabled. Some of her habits, you have to unde

Chapter 2

Whitney lit up at the offer.She bumped my shoulder on the way out, chin in the air. "Get back to work. Stop embarrassing yourself."She left. So did I.On my way out of the lobby, I pulled up Shane Wilson's pending VP appointment letter on my phone and shredded it.I had barely cleared the building when Shane himself called."Director Reed, you came to Crestwood today. Why didn't you tell me? I would have come down."I watched Whitney's silhouette disappear at the end of the lobby. One corner of my mouth lifted."No need. The team here was very welcoming.""Director, I am so sorry. If I had known you were coming, I would have postponed the client meeting."And tomorrow night, you'll be hosting the gala. Take care of yourself. If you need anything, just have the staff handle it."He sounded almost overly deferential.If he knew his fiancee had been calling me a thief, what would he sound like then?I had no time for this. Tomorrow night was my company's fiftieth anniversary

Chapter 3

She slapped me. The side of my face went hot. There was a high whine in my ear.She turned to the desk staff."I am the fiancee of the host company's incoming corporate vice president. This is an internal matter. Do not call the police. If you do, this hotel will lose every contract we send your way."The two clerks exchanged a look. They put the phone down. Nobody moved.Whitney let out a cold laugh."When the chairman of HQ hears tonight that I caught one of the company's parasites, she'll be very pleased."I tasted blood. I wrenched free of her grip."You want to know who the chairman is? I am the chairman."She froze for half a second.Then she shoved me into the corner of the elevator. My back slammed against the wall."Now you're pretending to be the chairman?"You really think I'm that easy to fool?"I'm going to tear that face of yours apart."She didn't give me a chance to respond. She dragged me back into the room.The moment we entered, she scanned every corner

Chapter 4

The room went silent.Several people rushed to shut the banquet hall doors, clearing all the staff out in a panic.Whitney froze for a second. "What did you call her? Skylar Reed is my college classmate. I know exactly who she is.""In college, she dressed like trash. She smelled. Her family probably lived off collecting scraps. She steals. She steals men. There's no way she's some chairman."She let out a cold laugh. "Good thing this stayed among ourselves today. Otherwise, imagine the damage it would do to the company."She kicked me hard in the waist, then stepped on my back."Stealing men right into the company, and still pretending to be somebody? Get on your knees in front of the executives. Apologize. Then get out."I struggled to lift my head.I caught sight of my parents in the front row. They stared for a few seconds before recognizing me. My father shot to his feet, his hands shaking."This is outrageous!"Whitney thought she had their support. The smug look on her

Chapter 5

I held her gaze, the corner of my mouth lifting slightly."Whitney, weren't you telling me to get on my knees? There's still time."The color drained from her face. "No… no, that's impossible. You're just a clerk! There's no way you're really the chairman!"My parents rushed onto the stage. My mother pulled me into her arms, tears streaming down her face."Skylar! What did they do to you?!"My father was trembling with rage, pointing at Whitney."You've got some nerve! Laying a hand on my daughter!"The company had been built by my parents when they were young. Back then, they were so focused on their careers that they didn't have children.It wasn't until the company went public and broke into the top five nationwide that they finally relaxed and decided to have me.They had me late in life, and because of that, they cherished me deeply. I had been trained in business from a young age, and before I even graduated, they had already handed the company over to me.Seeing me lik

Chapter 6

The boutique manager was already trying to stay patient."Ma'am, there is dried blood and a tear on the gown. The return policy excludes worn or damaged items. You signed the receipt."Whitney was nearly screaming."I know how the blood got there! I'm telling you, I want to return it!"The manager glanced past Whitney. Her expression instantly changed."Director Reed, you're here? Would you like to order another gown?"Whitney froze for a moment, then turned around. Her tone immediately turned sharp."So it's you. No wonder my fiance refused to reimburse me. You blocked it."I almost laughed. I pointed at my leg."You beat me into this state, and you still expect me to pay for your gown? Are you insane, or am I?"Not only did she feel no guilt, her anger surged even higher."The gown was deliberately ruined by her! The stains and the blood, she did it on purpose! She just didn't want me to succeed in returning it. Make her pay!"The manager frowned and cut her off."Direct

Chapter 7

Lisa stopped pretending."Whitney paid me a thousand to take that photo. She told me she and Shane were not actually broken up. She said when she married into the corporate level, she'd bring me with her."I sat back. There was something heavy in my chest.The Lisa I had known in college had been simple, like a blank sheet of paper. I still remembered her freshman year, holding her textbooks, asking me to lend her my notes.The woman standing in front of me now… felt like a stranger.I still asked."Lisa… why are you doing this to me?"She let out a cold laugh, her voice suddenly rising."Doing this to you? When you stole my thesis back in college, did you ever think about what you were doing to me?"A chill shot up from my feet."I never stole your thesis!""And you're still pretending!" She was flushed with anger, her finger almost jabbing into my face. "I saw it myself, on your computer! My thesis, with your name on it!""If it weren't for the tuition you paid for me, I

Chapter 8

Lisa's testimony pushed Whitney's assault case forward quickly. The police brought her in for questioning.She sat in the interview room with her legs crossed, denying everything.The officer placed Lisa's chat logs and the surveillance footage in front of her. She still did not admit anything, insisting it was all fabricated.They had no choice but to release her for the time being. Once the case went to trial, she would not be able to talk her way out.That night, I received a message from Lisa. She said she had important evidence to hand over in person and asked to meet.I did not think much of it and went to the agreed location.As soon as I reached the entrance, I realized it was an abandoned construction site.Something felt wrong–but before I could react, a hand clamped over my mouth from behind and dragged me inside.Before I could process what was happening, I was struck hard on the back of the head. Everything went black, and I collapsed.When I came to, I was tied t

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