Chapter 2

"Katherine Ochoa, tell us what the core KPIs for the Business Development Department were last quarter," Bethany asked.

I was caught off guard. It was my first day on the job, and I hadn't even logged into the company systems yet.

"Ms. Weber, I just started today. I haven't had a chance to look at any data yet—" I tried to explain.

"You show up to work without even doing the bare minimum of preparation?" Bethany cut me off, raising her voice sharply.

She said, "Do you have any idea how strict Averon Group's hiring is? With that attitude, any other company would've already let you go."

The conference room fell silent.

Over forty pairs of eyes were fixed on me.

My face was burning.

"I..." I tried to speak.

"Sit down," Bethany said, waving her hand dismissively, as if she were granting me a favor. "Next time, be careful. Don't embarrass our department again."

I sat down, my palms slick with sweat.

Elena quietly handed me a tissue, but I didn't take it.

I wasn't upset.

I was holding back.

I told myself it was my first day on the job, and I needed to get through it.

But what I didn't realize was that this was just the beginning.

At noon, I headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

Just as I sat down with my food, Bethany walked over with her tray.

Two or three female colleagues followed behind her, like assistants.

"Wow, even interns eat this well?" Bethany eyed the slow-braised pork on my tray, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That meal must be over twenty dollars, right? How much do you even make as an intern?"

"It's a twelve dollar set meal from the cafeteria," I said.

"Twelve dollars is still money," she said, plopping down. "You know what I ate when I first started at Averon Group?

"Plain hard rolls with pickled relish. Girls like you clearly have no idea what it's like to struggle."

The short-haired woman next to her chimed in, "Ms. Weber worked her way up here with pure skill, not like some people who rely on their looks."

Another woman giggled. "Hey, that's not fair. Maybe she's got some other 'talents' to fall back on."

They all cracked up.

I set down my fork and looked at them.

I said, "Ms. Weber, I don't really get what you're saying."

Bethany raised an eyebrow. "You don't get it? Fine, I'll make it clear. You graduated from an average college, not even a top university.

"How did you even get a job at Averon Group? You should think long and hard about what you really did to get this offer."

She put deliberate emphasis on the words "what you really did."

I knew exactly what she meant.

She was hinting that I had gotten in by pulling strings.

Basically, she was implying I had scored this job by doing something dirty.

I stood up and picked up my tray.

I said, "Ms. Weber, I submitted my resume through the proper channels and went through three rounds of interviews before I got this offer.

"If you have any questions about how I got hired, feel free to ask HR."

With that, I turned and walked away.

Bethany's cold voice rang out behind me. "Look at that attitude."

Another voice chimed in, "Trust me, Ms. Weber, she won't make it three months."

I didn't turn around.

That afternoon, I got assigned to sort out the file room.

It wasn't part of my job. The Business Development Department had a records manager for that, but Bethany said, "You're an intern. Taking on extra work is good for you."

The records room was on the 23rd floor. It was dark, damp, and filled with stacks of cardboard boxes.

I spent the entire afternoon alone in the records room, moving boxes, sorting files, and logging data into the system.

The dust was so bad I couldn't stop coughing.

When I got back to my desk at 5:30, covered in dust, I saw a slip of paper waiting for me.

A single line was printed on the note: [Some people are way out of your league. Know your place before it's too late.]

There was no signature.

But I knew who had left it.

I folded the note and slipped it into my pocket.

I had to endure.

That was the second mantra I kept repeating to myself.

*****

On my third day at the company, the department landed a major client.

Averon Group was in talks with a real estate firm for a whole-home smart system customization project, with a contract value of three million dollars.

The Business Development Department was in charge of the account.

At the morning meeting, Bethany announced, "I'll be leading this project. Elena, you're on copywriting. June, you'll handle the data. And Katherine?"

She paused, fixing her gaze on me.

She said, "You're in charge of booking the conference room, grabbing coffee, and printing documents."

A few people laughed.

I kept quiet.

"Any problems?" Bethany asked.

"Ms. Weber, I'm an intern in market expansion. Booking conference rooms and grabbing coffee isn't what I was hired for," I said.

She laughed. "What kind of job do you think interns have, anyway? Did you think you were here to sit around and do nothing? Either do what I say or just leave."

"There's no such rule at Averon Group," I said.

"There is now, because I say so." Bethany stood up, towering over me. "Katherine, do you think you're special?

"Just an intern from an average college, showing up on your first day with a Hermès bag. Do you think you're too good for the rest of us?"