Chapter 4The Secret CEO's Accidental Promotion

I used to think "Don't forget me when you're rich" was a blessing.

After hearing what Chloe and Hank did, I realized it can also mean "biting the hand that feeds you."

It started four months ago.

The company got approval to go public. Before the IPO, the boss wanted to optimize departments and positions.

Chloe and Hank, the workaholics, were the undeniable heads of their departments. They had been with the boss since the startup days, surviving bankruptcy crises. With that loyalty, Chloe became CFO and Hank became CTO.

But the COO position remained open.

Heads of Sales, Marketing, Product, Operations, and even HR were eyeing it. The undercurrents were fierce.

But that had nothing to do with me, a lowly Marketing Analyst.

I finished my work and slacked off in my blind-spot cubicle, writing my novel.

The thrill of potentially getting caught cured my procrastination. I wrote faster at work than at home.

But two months ago, my workload exploded.

Even people from other departments started dumping work on me.

If they didn't bring me snacks or gifts afterwards, I would have thought it was bullying.

But it wasn't far off.

I was a corporate ghost.

How transparent?

Department meetings? Not invited. Group meetings? Forgotten. Task assignments? Skipped. Even team building events forgot me.

I never dressed up. Black, white, gray. No makeup, messy hair, big glasses. I looked more like an intern than the interns.

Newbies often ordered me around, then avoided me in embarrassment when they realized I was a senior employee.

Colleagues came and went, promoted or quit.

Those who joined with me were at least Vice Managers now. They had zero interaction with me.

The newbies didn't know me, and I didn't want to know them. I just wanted to slack off.

That good life ended two months ago.

Suddenly I was swamped. No time to write at work.

To keep my daily updates, I had to write until dawn at home.

This wasn't a human life. I had to increase my efficiency at work to free up time to write.

Result? Heh...

In a company, if you're willing to work, there's endless work.

As soon as I finished one task, another snowballed in.

And they rushed me. Like they needed it yesterday. So I had to rush too.

Baffling.

I wanted to quit so many times.

Chloe, Hank, and I have a group chat.

Every time I wailed about quitting, they told me to endure it.

They said my increased workload was because the department heads were fighting for COO and messing with each other.

Once the COO was picked, my life would return to normal.

I believed their lies.

Turns out, the root cause was these two recommending me to the boss.

The busy boss remembered me, the first employee he ever interviewed. He was moved by my "selfless dedication."

Pure hallucination on his part.

Moved, and backed by Chloe and Hank's guarantees, he added me to the COO candidate list.

The busy two months were his test of my abilities.

And today, getting called into the meeting meant he was satisfied with the results.

Chloe and Hank finished explaining, eyes shining, faces saying "Praise me."

I almost had a heart attack.

Praise? I want to run away.

I'm not a workaholic. COO sounds responsible and busy.

I saw my dad's busyness growing up. Traveling 365 days a year.

He said the higher the position, the greater the responsibility.

My mom was the opposite. A slacker expert. Clocked out on the dot. Came home to embroider and play with me.

Some people love the corporate grind. Some love stability.

Influenced by both, I wanted a stable job and the joy of writing.

The balance was perfect.

Now it was broken.

If I become COO, my happiness is gone. Only endless work remains.

But can I blame Chloe and Hank for their good intentions?

No. I can't be ungrateful.

I can only blame myself.

When I started writing, I lacked real-life romance experience.

So I looked at Chloe, who had a crush, and Hank, who had a "white moonlight."

I became their strategist.

I helped Chloe chase her crush and Hank chase his girl.

I shipped them so hard I had an epiphany and wrote my first hit sweet romance novel. Sold the rights, made bank.

Years later, they both married their loves and lived happily.

But seeing me still single and in the same position, they felt bad.

The trio promised happiness. They couldn't leave me behind.

Their definition of happiness was promotion, wealth, and family. I only had wealth.

They figured getting me a boyfriend was harder than getting me promoted to COO.

Choice made. Besides, I had the ability.