After My Employee Exposed Me on TikTok

"Are you really targeting that girl like they're saying online?"

"Your mother and I can't even show our faces in front of our friends! Everyone is talking about us!"

I hung up. The silence lasted all of two seconds.

Chloe Miller brazenly went live.

She was broadcasting her entire wedding planning process.

Trying on wedding dresses, picking out a diamond ring, decorating their new home.

With every livestream, she took a veiled jab at me.

"I really have to thank my former boss."

"It was her trying to hold me down that showed me who truly loves me."

"'Women supporting women' is just a slogan to her. I hope she can get over her bitterness someday."

The livestream chat was flooded with comments like, "Chloe, you're so kind."

Mr. Arthur Caldwell called an emergency board meeting.

After the meeting, he gave me an ultimatum.

"Sloane Hayes, you have two choices."

"One, hold a press conference immediately, publicly apologize to Chloe Miller, approve her leave, and compensate her for emotional distress."

"Two, the board will initiate a vote to forcibly remove you as CEO."

"You choose."

I replied calmly, "I refuse to apologize."

Mr. Arthur Caldwell paused for a few seconds on the other end of the line.

He roared, "You're insane!"

He hung up.

The next day, the fashion industry completely blacklisted me.

My name was removed from all business forums.

I went from "Female Entrepreneur of the Year" to "Industry Disgrace."

No one dared to mention my name.

Chloe Miller posted her digital wedding invitation on social media.

She didn't block me.

She even deliberately tagged several of my former colleagues who had resigned, including Rachel and Grace.

She wanted to make sure I saw it.

That evening, my best friend, Harper, came to try to persuade me.

She looked at the protest signs outside my apartment building, her face etched with pain.

"Sloane, you can't win against an online mob."

"It's not worth torching ten years of your hard work over an intern!"

"Just give in! The PR team already wrote the apology. All you have to do is read it, and this will all be over!"

"Why are you being so stubborn?"

I didn't explain.

I gazed out the window, a strange sense of calm settling over me.

I opened the notes app on my phone.

I silently noted the date of Chloe Miller's wedding and the name of the Napa Valley winery on the invitation.