Ryan wiped the sweat from his brow as he finished cleaning Amanda’s car. His back ached, his hands red and raw from scrubbing. Yet, he didn’t have the luxury of resting. He had to rush back inside to prepare breakfast for the family—a task he had come to dread, not because it was difficult, but because it was another reminder of his place in the household.

  He entered the kitchen and found the place already buzzing. The few remaining staff members barely acknowledged his presence. Gloria, Amanda’s mother, had made it clear to everyone that Ryan was not to be treated as family. He wasn’t even allowed to sit at the table during meals.

  Ryan sighed heavily, setting to work. He prepared a lavish breakfast—scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit, and coffee. It was a thankless task. By the time the table was set, the Hargraves began arriving one by one. Gloria cast him a dismissive glance, Amanda didn’t even look in his direction, and her father, Harold, didn’t bother hiding his disdain. They ate in silence, occasionally making small talk amongst themselves, but Ryan might as well have been invisible.

  After serving them, he quickly grabbed a piece of toast and a sip of water before retreating to his small room to change for work. His hands shook slightly as he fastened his tie, still feeling the sting of humiliation from earlier that morning. But he had to keep going. He couldn’t afford to lose his job, especially now when his place in the Hargrave household was so fragile.

  Dressed in his worn-out suit, he stepped out of the house, taking in a deep breath of the crisp morning air. He didn’t have a car of his own anymore, and taking one of the family’s cars was out of the question, so he always relied on cabs to get him to the office. As he walked down the street to the nearest corner where he usually hailed a cab, a strange feeling crept over him.

  His steps faltered as he sensed someone following him. It was subtle, the soft shuffle of feet, the occasional glance over his shoulder that revealed nothing but distant shadows. Yet, the feeling persisted. He quickened his pace, glancing back again. This time, he caught sight of a figure—distant, cloaked in dark clothes, keeping just far enough behind to remain inconspicuous but close enough for Ryan to feel their presence.

  Ryan’s heart raced, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. The last thing he needed was more drama in his life. He finally spotted a cab pulling up and hurried inside. He looked out the rearview mirror as the driver pulled away, but the figure was gone. Maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe the stress of everything was finally getting to him. But deep down, he knew something wasn’t right.

  The cab ride was quiet, but Ryan’s mind raced with thoughts of who could have been following him. He shook the idea off, trying to focus on his work. He had to survive one more day at the office without losing his mind. When he arrived at the office building, he stepped out and took a moment to collect himself before entering the towering skyscraper.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Inside, the familiar hum of employees bustling about filled the air. Ryan took a deep breath, preparing himself for the day ahead. He had barely made it to his desk when his friend, Leo, appeared at his side with a broad grin on his face.

  “Ryan!” Leo said excitedly, slapping him on the back. “You’re not going to believe this. The project we’ve been working on? You know, the ideas you gave me for the new marketing strategy? I applied it, and guess what—it was accepted immediately! They loved it! We’ve been asked to present it in the boardroom today.”

  Ryan blinked, his mind struggling to keep up with Leo’s rapid-fire words. “Wait, what? You used my ideas?”

  “Of course, man! Your concepts were brilliant! There was no way they wouldn’t accept them. And now, we’re meeting with the shareholders. You’re coming with me—this is your work as much as mine.”

  Ryan was stunned. He had shared those ideas with Leo casually, never expecting anything to come of it. The fact that Leo had applied them and gotten approval was beyond anything he had hoped for. For the first time in a long while, he felt a spark of pride, a sense of accomplishment.

  But that sense of pride quickly turned to tension when they entered the boardroom. Ryan’s boss, Harold, was already there, seated at the head of the table, his sharp eyes narrowing the moment he saw Ryan enter. Harold had never liked him, and it was no secret. He had always undermined Ryan’s work, taking credit for his successes while blaming him for any failures.

  As the shareholders began to file in, Harold’s expression grew more hostile. Ryan could tell he wasn’t pleased with his presence, but there was little Harold could do in front of the company’s most important investors.

  Leo took the lead, confidently presenting the project, outlining the ideas that Ryan had originally crafted. The shareholders nodded in approval, clearly impressed with the strategy. Ryan sat silently beside Leo, trying to ignore Harold’s burning gaze.

  “Excellent work, Leo,” one of the senior shareholders said after the presentation. “This is exactly what we’ve been looking for. You and your team have really outdone yourselves.”

  Leo smiled, grateful for the praise, but he didn’t hesitate to turn to Ryan. “Actually, most of the credit should go to Ryan here. He came up with the core ideas for the campaign. I just helped refine them.”

  All eyes turned to Ryan, and he could feel Harold’s seething anger radiating from across the table. For a brief moment, Ryan allowed himself to feel a flicker of hope. Maybe this could be the turning point. Maybe this success would finally get him the recognition he deserved.

  But Harold wasn’t about to let that happen. “Ryan?” Harold’s voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain. “Yes, I suppose he helped in some capacity. But Leo, as always, took the initiative to make it a reality. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  The room grew tense as Harold attempted to downplay Ryan’s contributions. Ryan felt his heart sink. He had expected this. Harold would never give him the credit he deserved, not if he could help it. Still, the shareholders seemed to see through Harold’s thinly veiled attempt to dismiss him.

  One of them, an older woman with sharp eyes and a no-nonsense demeanor, spoke up. “Regardless of who took the initiative, we appreciate the work that was put into this project. It’s clear that both Leo and Ryan contributed greatly. We look forward to seeing the results.”

  Harold clenched his jaw, clearly unhappy with the turn of events, but he was forced to nod along with the shareholders. Ryan could feel the tension in the room, but for the first time in a long time, he felt a small sense of victory. Harold might hate him, but he couldn’t deny the work he had done.

  As the meeting concluded, Ryan knew this was only the beginning of the challenges ahead, but for now, he had a small win to hold onto.