The hole in her T-shirt was the size of a quarter and right over her heart, perfectly framed in the mirrored glass of the tech tower in downtown Seattle.

Mia tugged her thrift-store cardigan closed over it, as if cotton and willpower could erase the reality of her outfit. The Johnson & Hart Technology logo glowed above the revolving doors, all brushed steel and clean blue fonts. Inside, people in pressed shirts and polished boots moved with the quick, clipped confidence of people who had never wondered if they could afford their next meal.

She swallowed, shifted the weight of her laptop bag on her shoulder, and went in anyway.

Cool, filtered air hit her face. The lobby smelled like coffee and printer toner. Giant framed photos of smiling diverse teams lined the walls—developers high-fiving in conference rooms, executives pointing at charts, a group shot in front of the Space Needle. Somewhere, soft pop music played—one of those songs they loop in American malls and Starbucks.

She stepped into the elevator, rode up to the twelfth floor, and followed the sign: ENGINEERING – WEST WING.

Her sneakers squeaked on the polished floor.

The open office was straight out of a tech article: rows of white desks, dual monitors, houseplants, a wall of windows with a view of Puget Sound. People in hoodies and headphones. A ping-pong table in the corner. A neon sign that said “MOVE FAST, BUILD SMART.”

Conversation stopped when she appeared.

A girl with glossy hair and a designer blazer looked up from her standing desk. She tilted her head slowly, eyes scanning Mia from frizzy ponytail to scuffed shoes.

“Hi everyone,” Mia said, forcing her voice not to shake. “I’m… I’m Mia.”

The girl arched a brow. “Who are you?”

“Um.” Mia shifted her bag. “I’m Mia. Today is my first day here.”

Another engineer—tall, with a kind face and a Star Wars mug—gave her a quick, encouraging nod. “New dev,” he said. “You’re the backend hire from Ohio, right?”

“Yes,” Mia said. “I, um, moved here from Ohio yesterday.”

The glossy girl let out a short, incredulous laugh. “Ohio. That explains it.”

Mia blinked. “Excuse me?”

“No, I mean like—” The girl waved a manicured hand in a lazy circle around Mia’s body. “Did you come from the sewer or something? Those clothes, that hair… did you even look in the mirror this morning?”

Heat rushed to Mia’s cheeks. She went still, fingers gripping the strap of her bag until her knuckles whitened.

“Evelyn, stop it,” the guy with the Star Wars mug said sharply.

“Stop what?” Evelyn asked. “I’m just being honest.”

“She’s new here,” he said. “You should be welcoming her, not attacking her.”

“You shouldn’t be defending her,” Evelyn shot back. “She looks like a homeless person with that giant hole in her shirt. How is she even allowed to work here like that? I’m just seriously wondering how she got hired.”

Mia’s throat closed. Her first thought was of Tommy—eight years old, asleep on the air mattress in the tiny one-bedroom apartment they’d managed to rent in a cheaper suburb outside the city. His hand on her arm last night:

You’re really going to work at a big company now, right, Mia? Like on your laptop and stuff?

She breathed in slowly.

“You’re being extremely rude, Evelyn,” the guy said. He turned to Mia with an apologetic half-smile. “Let her explain herself. Hey, I’m Leo, by the way.” He jerked a thumb toward the brunette. “And this is Evelyn, who apparently forgot all of her manners today.”

“How charming,” Evelyn muttered.

Mia’s chest still burned, but her voice, when she found it, was steady. “Look, I don’t come from money, okay? I can’t afford new clothes right now.”

She felt the room watching. Her instinct was to shrink, to apologize, but she was so tired of shrinking.

“I got this job because of my qualifications,” she said. “Not because of how I look.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes. “You can say that.”

“Shut up and listen for once,” Leo snapped.

Mia swallowed. “I… I was really hoping to be welcomed here. That was probably naive. But I’m going to work hard to prove I deserve to be here.” She glanced at Leo. “Thank you for sticking up for me. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course,” he said, sincerity softening his features.

Evelyn scoffed and turned back to her screen. “I still can’t believe they hired someone who looks like that,” she murmured loudly. “Who exactly hired you anyway?”

“His name was Jaden,” Mia said.

Evelyn’s lips curled. “Of course. Jaden. He probably only hired you because he couldn’t see you very well on the video call. I bet you live in some disgusting little apartment, but he had no idea.”

“Again,” Mia said quietly, “I was hired because I’m an excellent software engineer. With good references and a strong portfolio.”

“Yeah,” Evelyn said. “I don’t think so.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Leo said under his breath. “Evelyn has always been the office bully.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re in love with me,” Evelyn sing-songed. “You have been since day one.”

Leo grimaced. “I would never date you. Ever. We’ve gone over this.”

“Please,” she said. “You probably dream about me every night.”

Mia hugged her bag closer to her body. “I think I should go find my desk and get settled in,” she murmured. “I’ll, um… wait to meet Jaden when he gets back.”

“Whatever,” Evelyn said. “I have actual work to do. And just so you know, Jaden’s probably going to hate you. I doubt you’ll last a week here.”

“Ignore her,” Leo said firmly. “Come on. I’ll show you your desk.”

He led her past rows of monitors to an empty workstation by the window. Seattle’s gray skyline stretched beyond the glass—ferries cutting lines across the water, a glimpse of the stadium, the constant glint of traffic on I-5.

“You really shouldn’t let Evelyn get to you,” Leo said. “She’s just… miserable. She puts others down to make herself feel better.”

“I can tell,” Mia said. Her shoulders slowly loosened. “She seems like someone who’s really unhappy with her own life.”

He smiled. “You’ve got her figured out perfectly. That’s exactly who she is.”

Leo asked for her Wi-Fi login email, pointed out the Slack channel, showed her the fridge where someone always stocked LaCroix. His kindness chipped away at the humiliation still coiled in her chest.

He glanced at the photo on her phone when she pulled it out to check a notification. “Who’s the kid?” he asked.

Mia’s face softened. “That’s my little brother. Tommy.”

She hesitated. She hadn’t planned to open up on day one, but the words slipped out. Maybe she was carrying them too close to the surface.

“We… lost our parents in a car accident three years ago,” she said. “In Ohio. I’ve been taking care of him by myself ever since.”

Leo’s expression sobered. “Wow. I’m so sorry, Mia.”

“We even had to live on the streets for a while,” she said quietly. “I was working two part-time jobs, but it wasn’t enough for rent. We crashed at shelters when we could, a friend’s couch sometimes. I finally managed to get us into a small apartment last year. But money is still really tight.”

“That must be incredibly difficult,” Leo said. “Taking care of someone else when you’re barely getting by yourself.”

“It’s hard,” she said. “But it’s made me stronger. Everything I do is for Tommy. To give him the best life I can.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” Leo said.

“What’s going on over here?” Evelyn’s voice cut in like a buzzsaw. “Leo, are you seriously hitting on her already? It’s her first day.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Leo said. “We were just talking about her little brother.”

“I was just showing him a picture of Tommy,” Mia said. “I take care of him.”

“So you’re hitting on a poor little orphan girl?” Evelyn said. “How romantic. You two deserve each other.”

“Evelyn, stop it right now,” Leo said. “Or else.”

“Or else what?” she smirked. “You’ll tattle on me? You can’t do anything, Leo. You’re nobody special here.”

“Please don’t argue because of me,” Mia said quickly. “It’s not worth it.”

“You’re right,” Leo said, though his jaw was tight. “It’s not.”

He leaned closer to Mia. “Jaden will be back in the office tomorrow,” he murmured. “You’ll finally get to meet him properly. I’ll make sure he hears about this.”

“Why are you so sure he won’t like me?” Mia asked.

“Because the Jaden you met on that interview is completely different from the Jaden who works here every day,” Evelyn said over her shoulder. “Trust me.”

“Is she right?” Mia asked when Evelyn was out of earshot. “Is Jaden… horrible too?”

“He can be difficult sometimes,” Leo admitted. “But once he sees what you bring to the team, I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

Mia wasn’t so sure. But she logged in to her new email anyway.

The next morning, she came back in the same outfit. She’d washed it in the sink that night, hung it over the shower rod in their small American-standard bathroom, and prayed it would dry. Rent was due in ten days. Tommy’s food came first, then the electric bill, then everything else. New clothes didn’t make the list.

She arrived early, hoping to sneak in before anyone else. But Evelyn was already there, leaning against the coffee machine scrolling through her phone.

“Well, well, well,” she said. “Look at our poor little girl, focused on her work.” She glanced pointedly at Mia’s shirt. “Good morning. Did you sleep in those clothes?”

Mia gritted her teeth. “Good morning, Evelyn. Do you need something?”

“Actually, yes,” Evelyn said. “Jaden just got here and he’s dying to meet you properly. You might want to look presentable, but I guess that’s impossible with those rags. Come on. The show must go on.”

Mia followed her, stomach twisting.

Jaden stood near the glass-walled conference room—late twenties, expensive sneakers, a button-down shirt rolled to his elbows. He’d seemed relaxed and friendly on their Zoom interview, cracking jokes about Ohio weather and Seattle rain.

Up close, his expression was different. Colder. Sharper.

“Hi,” Mia said, forcing a smile. “You must be Jaden. Mia. We spoke on the phone last week—”

“Right,” he said. His eyes skimmed her clothes. His face hardened.

“See?” Evelyn said, smirking. “I told you she looks like this every single day. Two days in a row coming to work like a homeless person.”

“I know my clothes aren’t the best,” Mia said, cheeks burning. “But—”

“Mia,” Jaden cut in. “When I interviewed you, I had no idea you would show up looking like this. This is completely unprofessional. Inexcusable.”

“I understand how it looks,” she said. “But I don’t have a lot of money right now. I have to pay rent and buy food for me and my little brother. New clothes aren’t really a priority.”

“Oh my gosh,” Evelyn groaned. “Here we go again with the little brother story.”

“I don’t care much about your personal situation,” Jaden said. “If you’re serious about doing this job, you need to find a way to dress appropriately.”

“Exactly,” Evelyn said. “If you wanted this job, you would have figured something out.”

“I am serious about this job,” Mia said. “I worked really hard to get here.”

“Well, you’re not making a great impression,” Jaden said. “Listen, I’m actually up for a promotion right now, and hiring someone who doesn’t even take the time to dress professionally really makes me look bad.”

“Oh my gosh, same,” Evelyn said brightly. “I’m trying to get a promotion too. Maybe we’ll both move up and away from… certain people.”

“I can’t wait to be in a hiring position,” Jaden said. “Get some real authority around here.”

“And I’m going to be the marketing manager,” Evelyn added. “I’ve wanted that position for years.”

“You, on the other hand, Mia,” Jaden said, “will be lucky if you keep this job. Forget about any promotions in your future.”

“If she even has a future here,” Evelyn muttered.

“Please stop treating me like this,” Mia said, voice wavering. “I’m doing my best.”

“We’re just being honest about your situation,” Evelyn said.

“Stop it,” a voice snapped from behind them. “Both of you. Right now.”

They turned. Leo stood there, phone raised, face tight with anger.

“Leo,” Jaden said. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough,” Leo said. “And I recorded everything you just said.”

“You can’t do that,” Evelyn said. “That’s a violation of privacy.”

“Actually,” Leo said, “I can. And if you don’t stop bullying Mia immediately, HR will see this video. I’ll walk it down myself.”

“Oh please,” Evelyn scoffed. “You’re just doing that because you have a crush on her.”

“Oh, Leo’s in love,” Jaden mocked. “How sweet.”

“That’s not what this is about,” Leo said. “It’s about basic human decency. I want you both to swear you’ll stop harassing Mia. And I have connections in HR, so don’t test me.”

“Fine,” Evelyn said. “Whatever.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jaden muttered. “We’ll back off your girlfriend.”

“That’s not enough,” Leo said. “Apologize. Now.”

Evelyn’s jaw clenched. “Sorry, Mia,” she said through her teeth.

“Yeah,” Jaden said. “Sorry about that, Mia.”

Mia looked at them, really looked, at the insincerity in their eyes, the way their mouths twisted around the words like they were something bitter.

“No,” she said.

“What?” Jaden asked.

“I said no,” Mia repeated quietly. “You’re both terrible people. And I don’t accept your fake apologies.”

She took a breath and straightened her shoulders. “I’m leaving. This place is toxic. And I don’t need to put up with this treatment.”

“Mia, wait,” Leo said. “We can escalate this. HR will—”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “Actually, I got another job offer this morning. A much better one. At a startup in SoMa. They saw my GitHub and didn’t care what I was wearing on the Zoom call.”

His eyes widened. “Wow. Really? That’s… amazing. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she said. “And Leo?” She hesitated. “You’re the only good thing I’ll remember about these past two days.”

“Wait,” he blurted. “Will I see you again?”

She gave him a small, enigmatic smile. “Maybe.”

Then she picked up her bag and walked out of Johnson & Hart without looking back.

Three years later, the revolving doors swished open again.

The lobby looked the same—same coffee smell, same framed photos, same security desk—but she looked different.

The hole in her shirt was gone. In its place was a tailored black blazer over a silk blouse that caught the light when she moved. Her hair fell in smooth waves past her shoulders. The boots on her feet were real leather, not peeling fake.

The receptionist glanced up. “Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Mia said. “I’m here to see the engineering manager. My name is Mia Torres. From AstralCode.”

“Right,” the woman said, checking her screen. “We’ve got you down as the CEO. Someone from AstralCode is acquiring a partnership stake?”

“Not just a stake,” Mia said lightly. “We closed the acquisition last week. I’m meeting their team today.”

She took the elevator up, heart steady this time.

The twelfth floor doors opened with a familiar chime.

“Hello,” she said, stepping out.

Evelyn was standing near the coffee machine, still in designer clothes, still with that lazy, half-bored posture. Jaden leaned against a desk, laughing at something on his phone.

They both looked up.

“Hello,” Mia said again, adding a hint of polite distance.

Evelyn frowned. “Can I help you?”

Mia tilted her head. “You really don’t remember bullying me three years ago because I didn’t have money?”

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. She stared, searching Mia’s face, then snapped her fingers. “Give me a second.”

“Oh,” Jaden said suddenly. “Oh. Wow. Yeah. Mia, right? From Ohio. With the holy shoes and the shirt with the hole to match.”

“Man,” he chuckled. “You were really struggling back then.”

“Yes,” Mia said. “I was. And you both made sure to remind me of it every single day.”

“Right,” Evelyn said. “I remember you now. The little snowflake who couldn’t handle us joking around with her.”

“Joking,” Mia repeated. “You were both incredibly cruel to me. You humiliated me in front of the entire office.”

Leo’s voice came from behind her. “Mia?”

She turned.

He stood in the doorway of a corner office now. There was a plaque on the glass: LEO NGUYEN – ENGINEERING MANAGER. A wedding band glinted on his left hand.

“Leo,” she said softly. “Nice to see that you remember me.”

“Of course I remember you,” he said, stepping forward. He stopped short, taking her in. “Wow. You look… incredible.”

“You’re very kind,” she said. “You look good too. Congratulations on the promotion.”

He flushed. “Thank you. I, uh, talked to HR after you left. About what Jaden and Evelyn did. They didn’t get their promotions. Actually, Jaden got demoted. He couldn’t be a manager with that kind of attitude.”

“So they got what they deserved,” Mia said.

“Pretty much,” Leo said. “They’ve been stuck in the same roles for three years. Trying to claw back up.”

“And you?” she asked. “What have you been up to?”

“Well…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Got married about a year ago. Moved out to Capitol Hill. Still playing too many video games. Still drinking too much coffee. But, uh, also trying to be a decent boss.”

Mia’s eyes flicked to the framed wedding photo on his bookshelf—Leo in a gray suit, smiling at a woman in a white dress, rain misting in the background like every Pacific Northwest wedding photo ever.

“I see that,” Mia said. “Congratulations.”

He looked confused for a second at the way her tone cooled. “How’s Tommy?” he asked quickly. “Your brother. Is he… okay?”

“You remembered his name.” Her voice softened in spite of herself. “He’s doing great. We moved to San Francisco after I left here. I got a job at a startup. It blew up. In a good way. We raised money, went viral with a product. I finally gave him the life he deserves.”

“That’s wonderful,” Leo said. “I remember how much you worried about him. You were such a good sister. You… sacrificed everything.”

“I just wanted him to have chances I never did,” she said. “Now he does.”

“That makes me really happy to hear,” Leo said.

“So,” he added, clearing his throat. “What brings you here today?”

“My company,” she said, “is acquiring yours.”

He blinked. “Wait, what?”

“The board has been talking to AstralCode,” she said. “We closed last week. I’m here to discuss the transition with the engineering manager. Which would be you.”

“Oh,” he said faintly. “Right. I did get an email about a partnership. I just… didn’t realize it was you. Can you give me an hour to wrap something up? Then we can sit down and go through everything.”

“Of course,” Mia said. “I’ll wander around. See how the old place is doing.”

She walked the rows of desks. Some faces were new. Some were the same. Someone had hung a Seahawks pennant near the kitchen. There were more plants. Same ping-pong table.

Her heart beat steady. She’d imagined this moment a thousand times on sleepless nights in a tiny Ohio shelter, on the bus in San Francisco, in the open-plan office of the startup where she’d worked until two in the morning writing code that would eventually make her a millionaire on paper.

In some versions, she screamed. In some, she cried. In the best versions, she was cool as ice.

An hour later, Leo waved her into the glass-walled conference room. The Seattle skyline spilled in behind him.

“Perfect timing,” he said. “So. About this acquisition…”

“Actually,” Mia said, sitting down across from him, “I need to tell you something important first. I’m not just from AstralCode. I am AstralCode. I’m the CEO.”

He stared. “You… you’re the CEO?”

“Yes,” she said. “After I left here, I joined a small startup as the second engineer. The founders burned out, I bought them out with my savings and a small loan, and I took over. We went from ten people in a shared space in SoMa to a hundred fifty across the U.S. in three years. Our product ate part of your market. Your board decided it was cheaper to buy than compete.”

He let out a low whistle. “Wow.”

“It’s been a lot of work,” she said simply. “And that brings me here. To evaluate whether the people who treated me badly have changed. To decide whether to keep them or let them go.”

“Look,” Leo said, leaning forward. “About that… I felt awful after you left. I tried to make it right. I really did. And I never stopped thinking about you.”

Her stomach tightened. “Leo—”

“I have to say something before we talk business,” he blurted. “You look incredibly beautiful today. More beautiful than I remembered. I’ve thought about you so many times over the past three years. Would you… want to go to dinner sometime?”

There it was. The sharp, bitter twist to the story she’d been telling herself.

“Leo,” she said slowly. “Aren’t you married?”

He glanced at his ring. “That’s just a technicality,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I never stopped thinking about you after you left. If you gave me a chance, I’d leave my wife for you.”

Mia stared at him.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” she said quietly.

“Come on,” he said. “We had something. You can’t deny that.”

“Leo,” she said. “We shared two conversations and a cup of coffee three years ago. We had potential for a friendship. Maybe something more, in another universe. But this?” She gestured at his ring. “This is not romantic. It’s pathetic.”

His face hardened. “You should be flattered I’m even interested. You were nobody three years ago. Now you think you’re hot stuff. But you’re still the same person underneath.”

“Yes,” she said. “I am. The same person who won’t take scraps of affection from a man who disrespects his commitments.”

She stood. “You’re fired, Leo.”

He laughed, thinking she was joking. Then he saw her eyes.

“What?” he said. “You can’t fire me.”

“I can,” she said. “And I am. If this is how you treat your wife, I don’t trust you to treat my employees any better. HR will handle your exit. Security will escort you out if necessary.”

His mouth opened. Closed. Anger flushed his face. “You know what? Good luck,” he snapped. “Good luck being CEO. You’re going to need it.”

He stormed out.

Mia exhaled slowly and walked back into the main office.

She hadn’t planned to deal with Evelyn and Jaden that same day. But the universe rarely respected plans.

She turned the corner just in time to hear her name.

“Of course I’m faking being nice to Mia,” Jaden was saying in a low voice near the kitchen. “You think I actually care about that girl? I’m just hoping this act will help me get my management position back.”

“Oh my gosh,” Evelyn said. “I’m so relieved. I thought maybe you were actually regretting what you did to her. She’s insufferable. Even with all that money and those fancy clothes, she still looks cheap to me. Not impressed by her little makeover at all.”

“Well,” Mia said from the doorway, “this is enlightening.”

They spun around.

“We were just—” Jaden stammered. “I mean, uh, how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to hear your true feelings,” Mia said. “Long enough to know that absolutely nothing has changed.”

“Look, we were just blowing off steam,” Jaden said quickly. “Everyone vents about their coworkers sometimes.”

“Coworkers,” Mia repeated. “I’m not your coworker, Jaden. I’m your boss. Or I was, for about ten minutes.”

Evelyn folded her arms. “I don’t care what you think of us,” she said. “For the record, you still look poor to me. Fancy clothes or not.”

Mia laughed softly. “You know what doesn’t make sense?” she asked. “Two people being so lazy, rude, and aimless and expecting to keep their jobs.”

“What are you going to do?” Evelyn sneered. “Run away crying like last time? I remember that very clearly.”

“No,” Mia said. “Not this time.”

She stepped fully into the kitchen. The room had gone quiet again. Several engineers pretended to refill their water bottles, ears obviously tuned to every word.

“This time,” Mia said, “you’re the ones who are leaving.”

They stared.

“I am the new CEO of this company,” she said. “AstralCode acquired Johnson & Hart last week. I worked relentlessly for three years to get here. I coded until two in the morning. I pitched investors in San Francisco and New York. I ate instant noodles in a tiny Mission District studio while I wrote the backend that now runs half your infrastructure.”

She shrugged. “I can hardly believe it myself. CEO in three years. But here we are.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Evelyn said weakly.

“You know what else doesn’t make sense?” Mia said. “Keeping people who create hostile work environments. People who bully new hires. People who haven’t changed in three years.”

She took a breath, felt the weight of Tommy’s small hand in hers at eight years old, the sound of his voice when she signed the papers for their first real apartment in San Francisco.

You did it, Mia. We’re not sleeping in the car anymore.

“You’re both fired,” she said. “Effective immediately.”

“What?” Jaden sputtered. “You can’t just—”

“I can,” she said. “And I am. Go collect your things. HR will process your paperwork. If you’re not out of the building in thirty minutes, security will escort you. You will receive your severance and nothing more.”

“Fine,” Evelyn snapped. “I hate this job anyway. I don’t want to work for such a dramatic, petty CEO.”

“Look,” Jaden said, grabbing his bag. “If I’m not getting back into management, I don’t need to be here anymore.”

“Good,” Mia said. “Enjoy your evening. Maybe take some time to ask yourselves why your careers stalled out while other people’s didn’t.”

They stalked past her, muttering under their breath.

As they pushed through the doors, Evelyn shoulder-checked a recycling bin, sending an empty Starbucks cup clattering to the floor.

“Move,” she snapped at a junior dev in her way.

The door thudded closed behind them.

Silence held for a moment. Then, slowly, someone started to clap. It spread, awkward at first, then more sure.

Mia felt her face flush. “Okay,” she said, lifting her hands. “Okay. That’s enough. We all have work to do. There’s a lot of transition ahead. Some of it will be hard.”

She looked around the room at the faces—curious, wary, hopeful.

“For what it’s worth,” she said, “I don’t care what you’re wearing when you walk in the door. I care how you treat people. I care about your code, your ideas, your work ethic. I care about what kind of teammate you are. If we get that right, the rest takes care of itself.”

People drifted back to their desks, murmuring.

Mia stepped over to the window and let herself look out at the city—at the gray water, the ferries, the American flag flapping over a nearby federal building.

She pulled out her phone.

A photo of Tommy filled the lock screen. He was taller now, thirteen, wearing a hoodie with AstralCode’s logo on it, grinning with braces in front of their new townhouse in Oakland.

She took a breath and texted him.

Acquisition closed.

The bullies are gone.

We’re going to be okay.

He replied immediately, as if he’d been staring at the phone waiting.

Knew it.

Proud of you, Mia.

You’re like… the boss of a whole company now.

Can we still get pizza tonight tho?

She smiled, the tension in her chest finally loosening.

Yes, she typed.

We’ll get pizza. And you can pick the movie.

She slid the phone back into her pocket and turned around.

The hole in her shirt was long gone. But the part of her those people had tried to tear through—that stubborn, quietly burning core—was still there.

They had underestimated her when she walked into that Seattle office with a quarter-sized hole in her chest.

They didn’t see the woman who would turn their contempt into fuel. The woman who would cross a country, climb a ladder, and come back not for revenge exactly, but for closure.

In the end, she didn’t need their approval. She never had.

What she had was work she believed in. A brother who slept safely at night. A company where the next girl from Ohio could walk in with cheap shoes and brilliant code and be seen for exactly who she was.

That, Mia decided as she headed back to the conference room to start rebuilding, was the only promotion that had ever really mattered.