Chapter 2
Sophie Summers, twenty-eight, Content Lead. She updated her Instagram stories way more than her work reports.
She spent three hours a day picking the perfect filter for her "office aesthetic" posts.
Aria Blake, twenty-nine, the visual designer, was Sophie's best friend. They shared an apartment and constantly took time off together under the guise of "off-site client pitches."
Lauren Chandler, thirty-six, Media Manager. She hoarded the contact lists for various media outlets and spent half the month "out networking."
And then there was me. The Operations Specialist.
My actual job description? Everything else. I did all the heavy lifting while Serena signed off on documents and schmoozed clients.
I handled all the proposals.
I pulled the data.
I built the presentation decks.
I broke down the client briefs.
I even proofread and formatted the company's weekly newsletter.
When I hit my six-month mark, I went to Serena's office to discuss my permanent status and a raise.
An expensive candle burned on her desk next to a bouquet of white lisianthus, which her husband supposedly sent every week like clockwork.
"Serena, I'd love to chat about my performance review and a salary bump." I stood in the doorway, my voice shaking a bit.
Serena looked up with a warm smile. "Nina, come in. Grab a seat."
She waved me over to the sofa. "I see how hard you've worked these past six months. Passing probation is a given. I already spoke with HR, and we're bumping you up to 1,600 dollars."
A 200-dollar raise.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
"I know you probably think it's low." Serena lowered her voice like she was sharing a corporate secret. "But Nina, the real world isn't college. You don't get paid more just because you do more busywork.
"Look at Maya. She has ten years of strategy experience and industry connections. Julian has major clients in the palm of his hand. Sophie's content instincts are renowned. And you?"
She paused. "To be perfectly honest, any fresh grad with two months of basic training could do what you're doing."
When those words hit me, I didn't argue.
"However," she pivoted, her smile returning. "I see a lot of potential in you. Keep killing it, and I'll absolutely fight for a bigger raise for you next year.
"It costs the company a lot to train someone. Don't take this opportunity for granted."
I said, "Okay."
Walking out of her office, I heard her pick up the phone. "Maya, did you book that spa for Saturday? Bring Sophie. Three is the perfect number."
That night, I made a cheap box of mac and cheese in my cramped apartment. I told myself to just wait. Things would get better next year.
*****
Things didn't get better.
At the end of 2022, Brand Ops won Project of the Year. It came with a 40,000 cash bonus.
The project was called Project Renewal, a massive annual brand revamp for the agency's biggest client.
I broke down the strategy. I built the user personas. I mapped out the campaign timeline. I even spent two straight weeks working until 1 AM to design the final forty-seven-page pitch deck.
On the day of the awards ceremony, Serena wore a brand-new designer coat and stood on stage to accept the trophy.
"I want to thank the company for this recognition. This was truly a collaborative team effort," she said.
Applause erupted. I sat in the very back row, clapping with a polite, practiced smile.
The next day, she announced the bonus distribution.
Serena got 16,666 dollars for Oversight and Direction.
Maya got 6,700 dollars for Strategic Support.
Julian got 5,000 for Client Retention.
Sophie got 4,000 for Content Coordination.
Aria got 3,000 for Visual Presentation.
Lauren got 2,700 for Media Coordination.
I got 1,000 for Execution Support.
A thousand bucks.
I carried the entire project from start to finish, and I got a thousand dollars.
That afternoon, Maya treated the whole team to a premium steakhouse to celebrate. It cost about 66 bucks a head.
I told them my stomach was acting up and stayed behind.
That evening, sitting alone at my desk, I opened a job board on my browser.
But I didn't send out any resumes.
Serena's words kept echoing in my head. 'Any fresh grad could do it.'
I was afraid she was right.
*****
Another year passed.
In 2023, I quietly earned two industry certifications, completed a data analytics credential, and taught myself Python and SQL.
I spent my evenings writing guest columns for three major industry blogs, building a solid following of professional readers.
Nobody at the agency knew.
To my coworkers, I was just the silent grunt who kept her head down. No ambition, no original thoughts.
At the end of every department meeting, Serena would toss out a casual, "Thanks for grinding this month, Nina."
And that was it.
Until this September.
Victor Vance from Galaxy Interactive connected with me on LinkedIn.
He read my campaign strategy breakdowns on the blogs and invited me out for coffee.
He said, "Nina, you've been at Aurora for three years. I've looked closely at the work coming out of there.
"Project Renewal, Urban Voices, the Spring Initiative. You were the real mastermind behind those campaigns."
I held my coffee cup and stayed quiet.
He continued, "We're setting up a new Brand Ops department at my agency, and we need a Director. Come work for me. The base salary is 10,000 dollars a month, plus equity."
Ten grand.
It was over six times what I was making now.
"Let me think about it," I told him.
I thought about it for two solid months.
I wasn't hesitating about taking the job. I was waiting for the perfect moment.
My contract expired on November 15th.
If Serena tried to negotiate a renewal before then, I'd hand her my resignation letter to her face.
If she didn't, I'd just pack up and leave quietly.