Chapter 1Stolen Eyes, Stolen Heart

A new intern had been using my photos to date the CEO online for three months. Suddenly, a stream of comments popped up before my eyes:

[Oh no, what now? The CEO is coming back next week to meet the protagonist in person, but the protagonist has been dating him using the antagonist’s photos!]

[Sigh, it’s all because the antagonist’s big, alluring eyes were too captivating. Otherwise, our protagonist wouldn’t have been so self-conscious about her single eyelids, forcing her to use the antagonist’s photos for online dating.]

[Don’t worry, our protagonist darling is super smart! She’s getting double eyelid surgery tomorrow, and with some clever makeup, she’ll be ninety percent similar to the antagonist. The CEO will never find out!]

[Once the protagonist gets her double eyelids, she’ll definitely be prettier than the antagonist. After all, she’s a 22-year-old girl, naturally fresher than a 28-year-old old hag.]

Wait, this 28-year-old big-eyed antagonist… why does she sound so much like me?

Just as I was trying to make sense of it, Lynn, my intern, knocked and walked in.

“Boss, I’d like to request a week off for double eyelid surgery!”

I looked up, glancing at her with a faint smile.

“Leave denied. You’ll be on a two-week business trip.”

* * *

Lynn froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“Is… is that big project in Atlanta being assigned to me? But I’m just an intern, I don’t have any experience.”

I nodded, my voice firm. “Don’t worry. My old friend is the contact person over there. She’ll guide you every step of the way. Haven’t you always wanted to be involved in this project? After much consideration, I decided young people deserve a chance. This trip will be tough, though. There’s a lot of work to manage daily, and you might even have to pull all-nighters for meetings. You’ll need to dedicate all your time and energy to it. If you seize this opportunity and do well, you can secure your full-time position, and perhaps even get a promotion and a raise.”

Any other intern would have jumped for joy. But for Lynn, a promotion and a raise were nothing compared to meeting the CEO. Seizing a career opportunity was less important than snagging the CEO, a veritable cash cow. Becoming the CEO’s wife was a far more comfortable life than working like a dog. She certainly knew how to calculate her priorities. So, without a second thought, Lynn immediately refused.

“But my double eyelid surgery is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. That surgeon is incredibly popular and hard to book—a lot of influencers get their work done by him. I booked this a month in advance, I can’t change the time. I really appreciate you giving me this chance, Boss, but my abilities are limited. I’m afraid I can’t complete this task. Maybe you should find someone else.”

I had anticipated her excuse. So I slapped the desk, feigning anger.

“Lynn, have you lost your mind? Giving up a business trip for double eyelid surgery? Do you know how rare an opportunity like this is for an intern? The chance is yours, your flight is booked, and the contact in Atlanta is waiting for you at the hotel. Think carefully. If you forgo this opportunity for plastic surgery, I’ll have no choice but to inform HR during your performance review. I doubt anyone would want to hire someone who doesn’t understand priorities.”

At my threatening tone, the comments section exploded:

[Oh my god, typical evil antagonist, daring to threaten our protagonist like that!]

[She’s just a measly director, who does she think she is?]

[Yeah, what’s the antagonist flaunting? She’ll regret this later!]

[Once our protagonist darling becomes the CEO’s wife, she’ll be the first one to get fired!]

[Firing her is too boring! Make her clean toilets and fetch coffee, that’s real revenge!]