Have you ever had one of those moments where reality feels like a perfectly scripted revenge scene from a movie? That's exactly how I felt standing in that luxury restaurant, watching Lauren's smug smile fade as she realized her worst nightmare - the '$30K nobody' she'd been mocking for months was about to become her new boss.
The elegant chandelier light caught Lauren's champagne glass mid-toast, her voice carrying across Morton's steakhouse with practiced precision. "To success," she announced to our gathered colleagues, her designer blazer catching the light just so, "and to knowing your worth." Her eyes locked with mine for a fraction of a second, that familiar smirk playing across her lips. I knew what was coming next.