MARK’S SECRET EMAIL SHOWED WHO STOLE THE PITCH
My fingers froze on the keyboard, a cold spreading from the glowing screen to my chest. The email had no subject, just an attachment: “Project Phoenix – Internal.” My heart hammered, a frantic drum against my ribs. The harsh fluorescent lights of the empty office hummed, reflecting off the screen as I opened it.
It was a detailed timeline of my recent project’s failure. Every “unforeseen” glitch, every missed deadline, meticulously documented in sickening clarity. Notes about meetings I was excluded from, last-minute budget cuts. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach, pulling me deeper into the text. Then I saw Mark’s name. Repeatedly.
“This can’t be real,” I choked out, my voice thin, almost inaudible in the quiet office. My hands began to shake uncontrollably, blurring the crisp white text on the screen. They weren’t just undermining me; they were orchestrating my downfall, letting my version fail to launch their “superior” solution.
The betrayal was a physical weight, crushing me. My vision, my late nights, all stolen. Just as the realization solidified into a burning, icy rage, I heard the subtle click of the office door lock.
The door creaked open slowly, revealing a silhouette I knew all too well.
👇 Full story continued in the comments…The silhouette resolved into Mark, his usual affable face now a mask of practiced composure. He saw me, saw the screen, and his eyes widened ever so slightly, a flicker of panic betraying his carefully constructed facade.
“You weren’t supposed to see that,” he said, his voice smooth, yet a tremor ran through it. “It’s… a draft. Things are often messy, you know how it is.”
“Messy?” I repeated, the word a strangled whisper. “You stole my ideas, Mark. You sabotaged my work.” The rage, sharp and clean, finally cut through the despair.
He stepped into the room, his usual confident stride replaced with a hesitant shuffle. “Look, it got… complicated. The company needed a win, and your project wasn’t delivering. I had to… take action.”
“Take action?” I scoffed, pushing myself away from the desk. “By burying me? By ensuring my project, my career, imploded?”
He approached, his hand outstretched, as if to placate me. “Let’s talk about this. Let’s figure out a way forward.”
I took a step back, avoiding his touch. “There’s nothing to talk about. I know what you did. And I know why.” I gestured at the screen. “The Phoenix project… yours?”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. And it will be a success.”
Suddenly, I noticed something. A glint in his eye, a slight widening of his smile. It was almost… predatory. He’d been planning this for a while.
“You know,” I said, a new thought dawning on me. “That internal email… it had to have a trail. And if you’re so worried about it being seen, you wouldn’t have left it on your personal account.”
Mark’s smile faltered. His composure cracked. “What are you talking about?”
“Your password wasn’t secure. Easy to crack. I just needed a little access to find the trail. And your version of Phoenix isn’t superior. It’s a copy, missing the most important components. My unique algorithm to solve the core problem…”
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small, encrypted USB drive. “It’s all here. The only thing that will actually make Phoenix soar. And with the email trail, it is now clear that you’re the one who betrayed the company. And me.”
Mark’s face drained of color. He lunged toward me, desperation contorting his features. “Give it to me!”
I sidestepped him, my heart still racing, but now with a surge of adrenaline. The tables had turned.
“I think I’ll go speak with the board now,” I said, a newfound steel in my voice. “And I think they’ll be very interested in hearing the full story.” The fluorescent lights seemed to brighten, reflecting in his horrified eyes as I walked towards the door. The first step of my own phoenix project.