After I Paid Off My Mortgage, the Intern Tried to Ruin Me — Novel

About

In the cutthroat world of corporate life, Matilda Chavez has always played it safe, keeping her head down and her finances in check—until a new intern, Mercedes Brady, turns her life upside down. Fresh out of school and boasting an audacious confidence, Mercedes seizes on a casual remark about Matilda's recently paid-off mortgage, transforming it into a weapon against her. Suddenly, the quiet achiever finds herself thrust into the role of the department's unwitting ATM, with colleagues rallying around the intern's demands.

As the stakes rise and the pressure mounts, Matilda must navigate a minefield of workplace politics and simmering resentment. With every coffee order and passive-aggressive comment, the tension escalates. Can Matilda stand her ground against an intern who seems to have everyone wrapped around her finger? Or will Mercedes’s relentless scheming succeed in turning the entire department against her?

In a tale of ambition, betrayal, and the fight for respect, Matilda grapples with the question: How far will she go to protect her hard-earned peace?

After I Paid Off My Mortgage, the Intern Tried to Ruin MeChapter 1

The department dinner had barely ended when the new intern dropped a message in the group chat. An "afternoon coffee schedule," no less, and she'd tagged me by name:

"Hey Matilda Chavez, you make the most money and get the biggest bonuses in the department, so from now on you're in charge of our daily afternoon coffee run."

"Starting today, everything needs to be ready by 3 PM. Milk tea, coffee, pastries, the works. Minimum $50 per person. I'll decide the specific orders."

I stared at those lines and laughed out of sheer disbelief.

I'd always kept a low profile at work. All I'd done was mention at dinner that I'd finished paying off my mortgage, and this girl had latched onto it, trying to turn me into the department's personal ATM.

I typed two words in the group chat: Dream on.

The next afternoon, a delivery guy showed up at my desk with a mountain of drinks and pastries, asking me to pay.

……

I stared at that coffee schedule in the group chat again, so furious I actually laughed out loud.