Chapter 1

1

Our new corporate intern was practically an alien in the corporate world.

During quarterly presentations, she would "accidentally" swap the slide deck background for cartoon doodles.

When high-profile clients visited, she would "thoughtfully" replace the conference room espresso with sugary boba smoothies.

Whenever I brought these absurd mistakes to my husband, Logan Mercer, he would merely twirl his pen with a lazy smirk.

"Let her be, Valerie. She brings fresh energy."

That lasted until our annual shareholder summit.

Instead of projecting our multi-billion-dollar cross-border acquisition contract, she broadcasted the spicy fanfiction she had written at two in the morning: "The Ruthless CEO Falls For Me".

……

It all started at the quarterly executive review.

Our new intern, Maisie Lane, came bouncing up to the podium in round-toed shoes patterned with vibrant crayon scribbles.

She wore a pastel knit sweater with fluffy white trim around the collar and cuffs.

Her knee-length pleated skirt was embroidered with battery-powered LED stars that blinked constantly under the fluorescent lights, turning the executive boardroom into a tacky dance club.

To make matters worse, she carried a massive plush backpack covered in jingling keychains.

There was a light-up Pikachu, a cartoon rabbit, and even a digital Tamagotchi pet beeping on a tiny screen.

Our CFO, Marcus Kane, tapped his gold pen against the mahogany table in sheer irritation.

"Logan, this is the most critical financial review of the quarter. Why on earth is she dressed like that?"

He glared at the swinging Pikachu on her backpack, his voice laced with venom. "Is she delivering a market analysis, or auditioning for a kindergarten talent show?"

Leah Ross, our Vice President of Marketing, let out an incredulous laugh.

"Maisie, was it? Are you sure you didn't get lost on your way to preschool orientation?"

She raised her voice across the silent room.

"Especially with that… singing backpack?"

Maisie spun her backpack around with wide, innocent eyes.

"Isn't it adorable?"

She tapped a button on the side, and a loud cartoon theme song instantly blasted through the room.

"You have no idea how much this brightens everyone's mood!"

Dead silence fell over the room.

Marcus scowled deeply.

"Logan! Is this the elite talent you promised us?"

His eyes swept over her flashing skirt like a razor.

"This is a board meeting, not a circus."

Maisie stood before the projection screen, tilting her head with a practiced, coquettish smile at the shareholders below.

"Don't you think this slide background is cute? It looks just like cotton candy!"

She giggled, tapping the screen with her French-manicured nails.

"I picked it on purpose because… well, work needs passion! Look, the little gummy bears are cheering for our sales team!"

Sitting at the head of the table, Logan Mercer actually chuckled.

He rested his chin on his hand, his gaze soft as he reached out to adjust her tilted microphone.

"She has a point. You all take yourselves far too seriously."

His voice was gentle, yet carried an unmistakable tone of defense.

Maisie clapped her hands together, her eyes curving into sweet crescents.

"I have another brilliant idea! We should give every employee rainbow glitter socks!"

She lifted her ankle to show off her shimmering red, yellow, and blue socks, looking like a melted box of crayons.

"That way, coming to the office feels just like a party!"

Marcus let out a dry, sarcastic scoff.

"Mr. Mercer, if this is what you consider a professional quarterly report, it is certainly one of a kind."

Maisie stood on her tiptoes to reach the projector, trying to swap the background to an even brighter cartoon watermelon graphic.

Her platform heel slipped half an inch, sending her wobbling as she squeaked in distress.

"Oops! Why is this stupid button crooked―"

Leah finally snapped.

"Logan, she doesn't belong in a corporate boardroom. She belongs in a comedy sketch."

I leaned back and took a sip of red wine, letting the dry liquid burn the back of my throat.

Maisie kept chattering without missing a beat.

"Did you know eating candy instantly cures stress? I propose we keep bowls of lollipops in every meeting room!"

She dug into her tote bag and dumped a handful of colorful hard candies across the polished table.

The plastic wrappers clattered loudly, grating on everyone's nerves.

Maisie held up a yellow wrapper with absolute pride.

"Look, this lemon one is super refreshing!"

She unwrapped it and popped it straight into her mouth, puffing out her cheeks like a chipmunk.

Marcus stood up, his tone dropping below freezing.

"Logan, after this review, we need a private conversation regarding your human resources management."

Logan's smile thinned slightly, but he casually draped an arm over my chair.

"Of course, Marcus. I look forward to it."

Beside him, my heart felt as though an invisible fist had squeezed it to dust.

Arthur Walsh, our leading board investor, slammed his palm against the table.

His furious glare darted between the blinking stars on Maisie's skirt and the beeping Tamagotchi on her bag.

"I invested fifty million dollars into a tech powerhouse, not a daycare center! If this is the leadership standard of Mercer Group, I am pulling my capital immediately!"

Maisie's eyes instantly welled with tears.

"B-but… Logan told me this energy was refreshing…"

She turned toward my husband with trembling lips. "You said you loved my cheerful personality…"

I reached my absolute limit, grabbed her wrist, and hauled her toward the exit.

"Marcus, find someone to dress her in proper business attire before she embarrasses us further."

Before stepping out, I cast one last backward glance into the room.

Logan was looking down at his tablet, while Maisie sniffled loudly in the hallway, absentmindedly pressing her backpack button so the high-pitched cartoon melody echoed down the marble corridor.

The digital pet on her bag danced on its tiny screen with obnoxious electronic chirps.

The whole farce was utterly sickening.