u/zhanghao_

Chapter 1

I heard the new intern was doing her final presentation today. Eighty slides.

I pushed the door open to take a look while passing by. She was practicing her opening remarks in front of a mirror. Seeing me, she immediately dropped her smile.

Looking me up and down, she sneered, "Oh, are you here to grind for this position too? Don't bother. There's only one headcount, and management has already talked to me privately." I didn't say anything. Thinking I was intimidated, she added, "If you know what's good for you, don't even show up to the presentation this afternoon. Save yourself the embarrassment."

Hm?

But I'm the HR Director. If I don't sign off, how are you getting the job?

***

Today was the day for the interns' final presentations. I heard one intern was particularly serious and had made an eighty-slide deck. I was passing the small conference room with a fresh coffee in hand when I decided to peek in. Through the glass door, I could see her. She was standing in front of a mirror, practicing her opening remarks with the kind of intensity usually reserved for a pageant queen.

I pushed the door open. I just wanted a quick look.

The second she saw me, her "professional" smile vanished. Her eyes raked over me, dragging from my oversized hoodie down to my beat-up canvas sneakers before landing on my empty chest where an ID badge should have been.

She raised an eyebrow, her expression curdling into a sneer.

"Oh. Are you here to 'grind' for this position too?"

Before I could get a word out, she let out a sharp, mocking laugh and slammed a thick stack of notes onto the table.

"Don't bother. There's only one headcount." She stepped closer, her voice dripping with unearned confidence. "Gideon already talked to me privately. This role was practically made for me."

https://sea-mkt.yueyouxs.com/overseas/newEnNovel.html?ad\_id=120246655878390769&adset\_id=120246655878250769&campaign\_id=120246655878260769&ad\_name=1-0506-26EN-973-%E6%9D%8F%E5%AD%904.29-%E6%96%87%E6%A1%88%E4%BA%8C-%E8%8B%B1Intern%20Mocked-%E6%BB%9A%E5%B1%8F-ygx-3.mp4&adset\_name=9geo\_%E9%80%9A%E6%8A%95\_%E5%85%A8%E7%89%88%E4%BD%8D\_%E6%BB%9A%E5%B1%8F\_0509\_02\_%E6%97%A0%E5%BA%94%E7%94%A8\_%E9%95%BF%E6%96%87%E6%A1%88&campaign\_name=lp\_VibeNovel\_and\_%E8%8B%B1%E8%AF%AD\_cbo\_facebook\_273659\_%5Bcv221fb-yy139-LPDuanpCP-1511-1\_0\_273659%5D\_Intern%20Mocked%20The%20Wrong%20One\_20260509&chapterId=1&channelId=cv221fb-yy139-LPDuanpCP-1511-1\_0\_273659&placement=Instagram\_Reels&site\_source\_name=ig&tz=U0&la=2&lastChapterId=3&campaign\_id2=120246655878260769&adset\_id2=120246655878250769&utm\_medium=paid&utm\_source=ig&utm\_id=120246655878260769&utm\_content=120246655878390769&utm\_term=120246655878250769&utm\_campaign=120246655878260769&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0BMABhZGlkAaszsm6Il1FzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAae2kyby5txE6GW6szI7lD02kp1aU4PJ4q56GH-TfZ2JDzkyKdcWYrCja1V0SA\_aem\_3DflgBtxyiDO7Gmq3GRA3g

Chapter 1

"Sophia, it's almost dark. Why isn't Damian here yet?"

Hillcrest Memorial Park, New York.

Sophia Anderson, dressed in black, stopped before the headstone.

She bowed her head and placed a small bouquet at its base.

For a long moment, she just stood there in silence.

The cold wind stung her eyes, leaving them rimmed with red.

Today was the anniversary of her mother, Elaine Moore's death. She'd cleared her schedule for it.

But her husband of three years, Damian Hall, was nowhere to be seen.

As the CEO of Veridian Group, he always put work first. Always.

Sophia knew this well, so she didn't blame him.

She pulled out her phone. His last text from this morning was still there.

[Busy.]

She couldn't resist calling him, but the line just beeped with a busy tone.

Chapter 1

"Sophia, it's almost dark. Why isn't Damian here yet?"

Hillcrest Memorial Park, New York.

Sophia Anderson, dressed in black, stopped before the headstone.

She bowed her head and placed a small bouquet at its base.

For a long moment, she just stood there in silence.

The cold wind stung her eyes, leaving them rimmed with red.

Today was the anniversary of her mother, Elaine Moore's death. She'd cleared her schedule for it.

But her husband of three years, Damian Hall, was nowhere to be seen.

As the CEO of Veridian Group, he always put work first. Always.

Sophia knew this well, so she didn't blame him.

She pulled out her phone. His last text from this morning was still there.

[Busy.]

She couldn't resist calling him, but the line just beeped with a busy tone.

Chapter 1

"Sophia, it's almost dark. Why isn't Damian here yet?"

Hillcrest Memorial Park, New York.

Sophia Anderson, dressed in black, stopped before the headstone.

She bowed her head and placed a small bouquet at its base.

For a long moment, she just stood there in silence.

The cold wind stung her eyes, leaving them rimmed with red.

Today was the anniversary of her mother, Elaine Moore's death. She'd cleared her schedule for it.

But her husband of three years, Damian Hall, was nowhere to be seen.

As the CEO of Veridian Group, he always put work first. Always.

Sophia knew this well, so she didn't blame him.

She pulled out her phone. His last text from this morning was still there.

[Busy.]

She couldn't resist calling him, but the line just beeped with a busy tone.

Chapter 1

"Sophia, it's almost dark. Why isn't Damian here yet?"

Hillcrest Memorial Park, New York.

Sophia Anderson, dressed in black, stopped before the headstone.

She bowed her head and placed a small bouquet at its base.

For a long moment, she just stood there in silence.

The cold wind stung her eyes, leaving them rimmed with red.

Today was the anniversary of her mother, Elaine Moore's death. She'd cleared her schedule for it.

But her husband of three years, Damian Hall, was nowhere to be seen.

As the CEO of Veridian Group, he always put work first. Always.

Sophia knew this well, so she didn't blame him.

She pulled out her phone. His last text from this morning was still there.

[Busy.]

She couldn't resist calling him, but the line just beeped with a busy tone.