The spotlight blazed down, but all I felt was the chill of invisibility. “And now, the brilliant mind behind our revolutionary AI system…” The CEO’s voice boomed through the speakers, and they dragged me onto the stage. Ako, the faceless coder shoved into the blinding glare to take a bow I didn’t deserve.
“Olivia Beatrice, everyone!” Applause rippled through the crowd. A sea of suits and perfectly coiffed hair, all smiling at the nobody who’d made them millions. My stomach twisted. Kinuha nila lahat – my code, my sleepless nights, my goddamn sanity – and they were going to parade me around like a prize poodle?
Pinilit ko ngumiti. Inside, I was screaming. Didn’t they see it in my eyes? The exhaustion, the simmering rage? Bahala sila sa buhay nila. I wasn’t just some SHEIN success story; I was a ticking time bomb.
“A few words, Ms. Beatrice?” The CEO, with his practiced charm, thrust a mic into my hands. The crowd waited expectantly. Napabuntong hininga ako. Sana mag-sinkhole ngayon, tapos kainin ako ng lupa. Instead, I forced out the standard response, “Thank you, it was a team effort…” Lies. All lies.
As I stumbled offstage, I caught a glimpse of the giant screen behind me. My name had already vanished, replaced by sales charts and projections for world domination. Parang binaliwala lang ako. Of course. Back to the keyboard, Olivia. Back to churning out code they’d slap someone else’s name on.
My resignation was already typed up and waiting on my computer. SHEIN could have their stupid award, their fake smiles. Bahala sila. I was done being their invisible genius. The question was, how the hell do I make them pay?
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Have you ever felt used, undervalued, or unseen? This is a story about taking back your worth... sometimes by unconventional means.
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The Catfishing Candidate
RomanceOlivia was the secret weapon behind SHEIN's meteoric rise. Her revolutionary AI system transformed the way customers shopped online, boosting profits and redefining the fast-fashion industry. Yet, when the accolades came pouring in, her name was los...
