All Chapters of Because of Sexism, I Earn Half: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Harper's words sank into my chest like a knife. Before I could even process how absurd that sounded, I instinctively asked, "In that case, what about you? You're five years my senior, and your second child is already in kindergarten. How much do you make a month?"Harper curled her lip and responded casually, "Eight grand, but Mr. Hawthorne is my cousin."That one sentence knocked the wind out of my sails. All of a sudden, I recalled the countless all-nighters I'd pulled over the last three years, the countless slices of cold office pizza I had shoveled down at my desk just to meet deadlines, and the professional training courses I'd paid for out of my own pocket just to upskill. I had busted my ass for so long and put up with so much bullshit, and in the end, none of it mattered because, according to my boss, I was a woman. Because I was a woman, my staggering contributions meant less than a male intern who didn't know how to do a damn thing. Because I had no connections, I

I stood my ground. "I've stuck by you for six years, Mr. Hawthorne. When we were scraping bottom, we didn't even have a water cooler, and we had to stock our own toilet paper. But back then, you started me out two grand more than the others. "Now that the company's thriving and my baseline projects are clearing five million dollars, you won't even put me on an even playing field with an intern. Why is that?" I locked eyes with him, waiting for the final blow that would make me walk away for good. Mr. Hawthorne tugged at the corner of his lips and instinctively reached for a cigarette. "Sophia, I seriously didn't want to spell it out for you in this manner, but since you're forcing my hand, let me lay it out for you; it's because you're a woman!""Okay, and?"The fat on his face suddenly quivered. "I've done my research. Do you know the percentage of female executives in Fortune 500 companies? 21%! "In fact, there are elite corporations out there with zero women in the C-suite.

Radio silence fell over the venue. Then, a torrent of hushed whispers erupted as everyone's gaze converged on Mr. Hawthorne. A kaleidoscope of emotions flashed across his face in a split second—utter bewilderment, profound shock, burning guilt, and ultimately, blinding rage."Who played that? Turn it off! Turn it off right now!" He slammed his fist onto the table, any trace of his usual composure completely gone from his voice. The technician in charge of the equipment fiddled with the machine, but the tape had already run its course. It was pointless to turn it off now.Right then, Ms. Waverly, who hadn't uttered a word, rose to her feet. After shooting daggers at Mr. Hawthorne, she said quietly to her entourage, "The signing ceremony is postponed. We will notify you of a new date later." Even though she was soft-spoken, her words carried perfectly across the room. Mr. Hawthorne immediately panicked. He rushed toward her. "Ms. Waverly! Ms. Waverly, I can explain! This is a gra

Later that night, Mr. Hawthorne's company issued a statement on their official account, but the comment section had already fallen, overwhelmed by an escalating demand for a public apology. Netizens even dug up the fact that the company's management was almost entirely male and that there were obvious unfair practices in how projects were assigned. Subsequently, one after another, partner brands announced that they were suspending or terminating their collaborations with them. It was a classic case of kicking a man while he was down, except this time, the public rejoiced in their downfall. Right before 1:00 am, I received a call from an unknown number. I hesitated for a moment before picking it up. To my surprise, it was an offer of employment from Imperium Group. I splashed some water on my face and climbed back into bed. This time, I drifted off to sleep almost instantly and slept through the night without a single dream. Little did I know, when I woke up the following mornin

I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. After expressing my gratitude to Ms. Waverly, I ended the call. Just then, the doorbell rang. I wiped away my tears and answered it. There was no one outside, but a bouquet of flowers was sitting on the floor. A small card rested atop the blooms, bearing a simple message. "Hang in there, Sophia!" Right next to the bouquet was a small courier envelope. I brought it inside, opened it up, and found a USB flash drive. After plugging it into my computer, I played the only video file inside. The camera was pointed at Mr. Hawthorne's office. Mr. Hawthorne sat in his grand leather chair, his face grim, while Mason stood across from him with his back to the camera, but I recognized his suit. Mr. Hawthorne was furious because of the audio recording, and Mason proposed using a live stream to completely ruin me. I sat quietly in front of my computer. I wasn't angry, sad, or even the least bit surprised. I unplugged the USB flash drive, clutched