All Chapters of My EA’s 160k Mistake: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I was called to the office unexpectedly on New Year’s Day. Once I was done with work, I noticed a post on social media from my EA, Poppy Lovin. The update had a huge number of likes. The comment section was blowing up too. In her replies to those comments, Poppy strongly hinted that I was the one trying to abuse my power and sleep with her.I frowned. That was the confusing bit. I was the one who hired Poppy to be my executive assistant. I had run the necessary background checks on hiring. She was a recent college graduate from a working-class family, paid right at the standard entry-level rate. The reason I recommended her for employment was her modest, small-town roots. Coming from humble beginnings, I assumed she’d be grounded and trustworthy. During her first couple of months on the job, Poppy had done remarkably well. She put her head down, worked hard, and wasn’t afraid to ask questions to learn. It all seemed completely above board. Then came the day she c

Once Brandon was gone, I called the legal counsel, Teddy, to the office and asked for the transaction history on the supplementary credit card to be pulled. As it turned out, Poppy had racked up $160,000 in charges. Hardly any of the transactions involved me or the business. Virtually all of it went straight into her personal shopping. Teddy said, “Mr. Milton, this is outright theft. If you file a lawsuit or press charges, she’s looking at some jail time.” “Just notify her to pay $160,000 back in three days, and make sure she understands the legal ramifications if she refuses.” “Sure thing.” Teddy took off. By the time I checked the message board again around eight that evening, while working overtime, the poster had already taken down the thread.I was about to pack my things and head out. To my surprise, the door to my office opened. Poppy stepped in, looking rather distressed. “I know I messed up, Mr. Milton. You know my financial situation. I don’t have $160,000.

I got in touch with Poppy and asked her to come to the office. Thinking I was ready to cave in, Poppy happily showed up. Back in the office, Poppy looked at me delighted. “Mr. Milton, if you had come to your senses earlier, we wouldn’t even be in this mess.” She approached me and threw her arms around my neck, setting her rear down on my lap. I pushed her away and said with a stoic face, “Your parents put you through school just for you to act like a cheap flirt in front of men?” Poppy went white, but a smirk quickly crept across her face. “I thought you were ready to play ball. Looks like you called me in for something else. “Out with it. What do you want?” I cut to the chase. “If you clear my name now, I’ll consider letting this go.” “Who are you kidding?” Oblivious to the gravity of the situation, Poppy remained aggressive. “If you had anything on me, you wouldn’t be negotiating with me in a private room. Since you want to do this the hard way, get ready to watch you

Instead of involving law enforcement, I ended the meeting and gave the mole a chance to find me. Near the end of the workday, someone finally came knocking at my office door.“Come in.” I kept my eyes on the door. When Raymond stepped into my office, a massive weight lifted from my chest. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Milton. I sold the IP to Poppy, but I had no choice… I had my back against the wall…” His face carried an agonized expression. Leaning into my seat, I kept a straight face. “Here is your chance to come clean.” “Poppy’s dating Clarence Hugh of the Hugh Group. She set me up, got me dead drunk, and took compromising pictures of us in bed just to get her hands on the formula.” Raymond scowled. “She blackmailed me, threatening to send these photos to my wife unless I gave her what she wanted. Given my wife’s weak heart, I panicked and gave in. “Rest assured that I never handed the real proprietary blend.” I was surprised. “Oh?” “I’ve been with this company for years. I

As soon as the words left Poppy’s lips, the room fell silent. Clarence was the only one whose face turned pale. “Who is this person in question?” The judge’s grave voice echoed through the court. Poppy pointed at Clarence sitting in the gallery. “That’s him.” “You’re lying!” Clarence jumped from his seat. “Do you have proof?” The judge asked. “Yes. I have a witness as well.” Poppy glanced at me before gesturing for her mother to retrieve the laptop. “The evidence is stored in my computer.” After the court technician loaded the files, the photos and videos flashed onto the gallery projector screen.Clarence appeared throughout the recorded footage and photographs. “These photos and videos are fabricated. That’s not me!” Clarence denied the allegations desperately. However, the court’s forensic expert quickly verified the files were authentic and unmanipulated. “You snake! You two have been working together all this time!” Clarence’s face twisted with rage. P