Anabel's scheme
908 Words
Diane stepped out of the elevator and into the Thompson Enterprise lobby with her usual composed expression, as she walked ahead.
The moment she passed through the doors, she noticed it—an odd shift in the air. Whispers. Lingering glances. That awkward kind of silence that only followed gossip.
She didn’t let it show on her face.
Head held high, Diane strode through the hallway, heels clicking with a quiet authority. She had no intention of feeding whatever rumors were bubbling. Her goal for the day was simple: get through the work on her plate and move on. She had enough on her shoulders without getting caught in office politics.
But as soon as she stepped into her office, her assistant Carla stood, fidgeting with a file. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she was trying to figure out how to speak without setting off a landmine.
Diane arched a brow. “You look like you swallowed something unpleasant.”
“I—uh—Ms. Thompson,” Carla began, clearly nervous, “There’s… been some talk around the office.”
Diane narrowed her eyes slightly. “What kind of talk?”
Carla hesitated again before blurting it out. “Some employees are saying you're the reason for the mismanagement in the accounts department. That your decision to change the reporting protocol caused delays… and cost the company a significant contract.”
Diane’s face froze, then hardened. She walked to her desk and set her bag down. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve been on top of those reports every day.”
“I know, ma’am,” Carla said quickly, “but that’s not what people are being told.”
“And who exactly is telling them?” Diane asked flatly, already knowing the answer in her gut.
Carla didn’t speak, but her eyes said it all.
Anabel.
Of course.
Diane didn’t waste another second. She opened the company’s internal records on her tablet, pulling up the timeline, the digital logs, and communications. Within thirty minutes, she had gathered every piece of evidence she needed—clear proof that her instructions had been tampered with, certain files deleted or reassigned under someone else’s login credentials.
Someone wanted to sabotage her.
And she had a very good idea who.
Without a second thought, she marched straight to the CEO's office, eyes blazing with icy fire.
Assistant Tony looked up in surprise. “Ms. Thompson—”
“Is he in?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Diane pushed the door open without waiting and stepped into the office .
Her father sat at his desk, pen in hand, reviewing papers without sparing her a glance.
“Good morning, Dad,” she greeted coldly.
He gave her a subtle nod, eyes never leaving the document in front of him.
She suppressed a sigh and placed the tablet down on his desk. “I’m here about the sabotage in accounts. Someone tampered with my protocol and tried to pin the resulting losses on me. I've gathered the evidence. Please review it.”
He finally looked at her, then down at the screen, his brows twitching slightly as he scrolled.
Diane waited, arms crossed.
After a long pause, he set the tablet down. “We’ll address it in the departmental meeting.”
“That’s all?” she asked, incredulous. “You’re not going to say anything about it now? Not even clarify that I wasn’t at fault?”
“We’re handling the issue,” he said dismissively. “Now get back to work.”
Diane stood there for a heartbeat, stunned. She clenched her fists and turned on her heel, walking out without another word.
The meeting later that day was infuriating.
Not only did her father fail to clear her name, but he framed the resolution as a “team effort” to fix the mishap. No mention of sabotage. No mention of her innocence. Just a vague comment about oversight and "course correction."
As if her credibility wasn’t worth defending.
She was livid. And she didn’t even know how to vent it. Her father’s indifference cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
By the time the workday ended, the office was abuzz again with noise—keyboard clicks, murmurs, the clinking of water bottles as employees rushed to clock out.
Diane stepped out of the building and exhaled slowly, She shoke her head and smile, so Anabel want to play dirty?. She pulled out her phone and dialed Sonia's number.
“Babe,” came the cheerful, familiar voice on the other end. “How was your day?”
“You don’t want to know,” Diane muttered. “I need a drink, Sony.
Are you in ?
Sonia laughed. “On my way.”
---
Meanwhile, back in the office, Anabel sat at her desk, a cruel smile on her face as she watched Diane's name continue to circulate in whispers.
"She dodged it this time," she murmured to herself, tapping a manicured nail against her desk. "But next time... My dearest father will throw her out himself."
She smiled wider.
How delicious would that be?
A father kicking his own daughter out of his company?
She could already picture it.
And she was going to make sure it happened.
With Nathaniel backing her up from the shadow, her plan will work out perfectly.
"Diane, you can't compete with me" she smiled triumphantly and turned to the person standing behind her.
- Writer
